Browser-first. Scanner-ready.
No locked-in hardware.
PMP runs in most modern browsers — whether that's on your phone, tablet, or desktop. And when you want to buy dedicated hardware like a Zebra scanner, we built PMP specifically to run on used enterprise hardware that's readily available and inexpensive on the used market.
Designed for Chrome and Safari.
PMP should run in any modern browser, but Chrome and Safari are the two we develop in and rigorously test. With the exception below, both are fully capable of running the entire system.
Uploading images requires Chrome. It's the one task that doesn't work the same in Safari — Chrome converts each image to WebP (a compact web image format) as it uploads, which Safari doesn't do. PDFs upload fine in either browser; this is only about images. For an image-heavy catalog, do the import in Chrome on a computer.
Fast on your phone. Even better on dedicated hardware.
PMP is built for scan-based workflows, but it does not force you into dedicated scanner hardware on day one. Start with a phone or tablet camera for QR scanning, use a desktop browser for manual entry, or move to dedicated handheld scanners when speed and volume justify it.
Dedicated handheld scanners
RecommendedWe test and use the Zebra TC52 running Android 13 because it's affordable, reliable, widely available, and well-suited for warehouse scanning. Other dedicated Android scanners should work too, as long as they run Android 10 or newer and support browser-based barcode input.
Dedicated scanners are faster than phone cameras because they're built for repeated scan work: physical scan buttons, quicker barcode reads, better low-light performance, stronger battery life, rugged cases, and fewer interruptions from personal apps or notifications.
PMP detects supported scanner input and switches into a scanner-optimized workflow — large text, minimal scrolling, and fast scan confirmation.
iPhone & iPad
Camera scanningPMP is fully tested on iPhone and iPad for browser-based scanning workflows. The same core picking, receiving, lookup, and inventory movement tools work from iOS devices using the camera to scan QR codes.
Android phone
Camera scanningMost Android phones running Android 10 or newer work in handheld mode, using the camera to scan QR codes. If your team already carries Android phones, they can start scanning today — no extra hardware to buy.
Desktop & laptop
Manual entryNo scanner on hand? PMP runs in a desktop or laptop browser — enter SKUs and location codes by hand. It's slower than scanning, but the same picking, receiving, and lookup tools are all there, and nothing is locked behind hardware you don't own.
Camera scanning is convenient and needs no extra hardware — but it's slower and less consistent than a dedicated scanner with a physical scan button. For many workflows, a phone or tablet camera is enough to start scanning immediately; for high-volume daily scanning, dedicated hardware will be faster.
Labels render as PDFs, right in your browser.
PMP generates labels as standard PDF files — no ZPL, ESC/POS, or vendor-specific print language required. Printing is handled by the browser on the device you're using, so that computer, tablet, or handheld must be able to print to the selected printer.
Any printer that can print a PDF can print PMP labels. Thermal label printers are the best fit for daily operations, but PMP doesn't require a proprietary print setup.
Office printer
No label printer at all? Any office printer prints the same PDF labels — but on plain paper, not self-adhesive stock. Each one comes out on its own full sheet, so you cut it out by hand and waste the rest of the page. It'll get you scanning today, but a label printer is the first upgrade worth making.
One thermal label printer
One thermal printer is all you need. If you already print 4"×6" shipping labels, that same printer handles PMP labels too; swap the roll to 2"×1" for SKU, location, cart, and tote labels. Peel and stick, no ink — Zebra, Dymo, Brother, and ROLLO all work.
When you're ready
Once swapping labels becomes more of a hassle than it's worth, run a dedicated printer for each size — one for 2"×1", one for 4"×6". No more changing stock mid-run, and the time saved adds up.
Our recommendation: buy a used Zebra. They're built to outlast the job, and because they get retired in volume, they turn up cheap on the secondhand market. Three we've run ourselves:
A direct-thermal printer that feeds fan-fold labels through the back — so you skip the pricier 1"-core rolls and save real money on label stock. These often get retired for "not printing dark enough," but that's really just speed: slow the printer down a touch and they print great. Tight on space? It takes smaller rolls internally too. The one catch — no network port, so it connects to a computer, and remote-print setup can be fiddly.
Need it on the network? Basically the same printer as the LP2844-Z, but with built-in Ethernet — for close to the same money.
What we run most of our own labels on. It's huge, but built like a tank — it takes large rolls and stores them internally, so your labels stay clean.