8 Must-Have Shopping Apps

Online shopping has gone mobile, with dozens of apps available for discovering deals, comparing prices and finding discounts. If you’re interested in little smartphone bargain hunting, here are 8 free must-have apps to get you started:

1. Amazon Mobile

Everyone’s favorite online shopping destination has been conveniently redesigned for mobile with shop-by-department screens, price comparisons, an easy-to-use search feature, user reviews and more. The app syncs with your regular Amazon account, so you can view your shopping cart and see previous purchases. Amazon Mobile also includes a barcode reader and a photo option for sharing products with friends.

Platform: Android, iPhone

2. Out of Milk

An intuitive and easy-to-use app that allows you to create multiple shopping and to-do lists to make those trips to the store more efficient and productive. You can scan or manually enter items into your shopping list, and Out of Milk remembers all your previous lists and shopping history for easy reference. You can create a separate pantry list for foodstuffs and sync and share your lists with others.

Platform: Android

3. RetailMeNot Coupons

RetailMeNot gives you instant access to a huge inventory of coupons, deals and special offers to thousands of store, restaurants and other businesses. You can browse coupons by store, product, most popular, or today’s hot deals. Categories include clothes, electronics, food, entertainment and more. Coupons can be redeemed directly from your phone at checkout, shared with friends or saved for later use.

Platform: Android, iPhone

4. Groupon

Despite its struggles since going public, Groupon remains the #1 site for daily deals. The mobile app delivers a new deal right to your smartphone every day, giving you huge discounts on local dining experiences, fitness classes, spa treatments and more. You can customize your deals, browse deals by category, take vacations with Groupon getaways, and share deals with family and friends.

Platform: Android, iPhone

5. Craigslist

No list of shopping apps would be complete without the ubiquitous Craigslist. Ads are perfectly formatted for your own device and the simple interface allows you to browse and search listings, as well as instantly contact sellers via e-mail or phone. You can also post your own ads directly from your phone, even using the camera app to create a picture for your listing.

Platform: Android, iPhone

6. Google Shopper

Probably one of the most popular shopping apps, Google Shopper does it all: it reads barcodes, tells you all about the product, searches for the best price at nearby stores or online, and lets you order right from your phone. You can use Google Shopper to comparison shop for virtually anything, including groceries. Google Shopper includes daily deals from Google Offers and features to bookmark bargains or share them with friends.

Platform: Android, iPhone

7. RedLaser

One of the original barcode scanners and still one of the best – it’s almost impossible to come up with a product it can’t find! It also reads QR codes. The RedLaser app searches for prices using Google, Shopping.com, eBay, American Express, and more. A new feature now allows in-app purchasing for home delivery or in-store pickup.

Platform: Android, iPhone

8. Lemon Receipts

If you like to shop, then you might need an app to help you stay within your budget. Lemon scans all your receipts and organizes them into easy-to-understand categories and reports, telling you exactly what you have been spending your money on. If you don’t have a receipt, you can still enter a purchase manually. Lemon will let you establish up to 10 accounts, so you can track spending for every member of the family.

Platform: Android