Is Backbar or ChowNow better?

Neither clearly leads. Backbar starts at Free and ChowNow at $249/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Backbar or ChowNow?

Backbar has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Backbar and $249/month for ChowNow.

Does Backbar or ChowNow run on more platforms?

Backbar runs on Web. ChowNow runs on Web, iOS, Android.

Can I use Backbar for free?

Yes. Backbar has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. ChowNow starts at $249/month.

What is Backbar best used for?

Backbar is most often used for bar inventory management, liquor cost tracking, multi-location restaurant operations. Of those, bar inventory management and liquor cost tracking are not what ChowNow is typically brought in for.

What can Backbar do that ChowNow cannot?

ChowNow covers Branded ordering, Website integration, Mobile app, Customer database.

Restaurants · head to head

Backbar vs ChowNow

Backbar

Restaurants

Bar inventory management with drink costing and purchasing tools

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

ChowNow

Restaurants

Commission-free online ordering

From: $249/month
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only Backbar has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: Backbar invoice syncing with inventory requires the top Professional plan at $129 per month billed monthly, as of August 2026; ChowNow limited website customization with only pre-built Squarespace templates available
Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Backbar and ChowNow actually diverge.

Attributes where Backbar and ChowNow differ
Attribute	Backbar	ChowNow
Starting price	Free	$249/month
Pricing model	subscription	Unknown
Free tier	Yes	No
Platforms	Web	Web, iOS, Android
Founded	Unknown	2010

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Restaurants).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Backbar

Nothing recorded that ChowNow does not also cover.

Only in ChowNow

Branded ordering
Website integration
Mobile app
Customer database
Marketing tools
Delivery integration
DoorDash Drive
Google

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Backbar

Bar inventory managementnot ChowNow
Liquor cost trackingnot ChowNow
Multi-location restaurant operationsnot ChowNow

ChowNow

Point of Salenot Backbar
Order Managementnot Backbar
Inventory Controlnot Backbar
Staff Schedulingnot Backbar

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Backbar

Invoice syncing with inventory requires the top Professional plan at $129 per month billed monthly, as of August 2026
Pricing is charged per location, so multi-location bars pay the plan fee separately for each site, as of August 2026

ChowNow

Limited website customization with only pre-built Squarespace templates available
No multi-language support, limiting service to non-English speaking customer bases
Multi-location management requires separate dashboard for each location
Delivery reliability issues with reported order delays and non-arrivals
Limited customer support responsiveness with long phone wait times

Pricing, plan by plan

Backbar

Free

BasicFree
- Web and mobile inventory
- Multiple inventory locations
- Color-coded tracking
Essential$79/month
- Drink costing and pricing
- Unlimited recipe builder
- Unlimited audit history
Professional$129/month
- Automatic invoice entry
- Cost variance alerts
- Unlimited reporting features

ChowNow

$249/month

Launch$249/month
- Commission-free ordering
- Website and mobile app
- Basic POS integrations
Grow$349/month
- All Launch features
- Advanced marketing tools
- Email and SMS campaigns
Elevate$449/month
- All Grow features
- Advanced reporting
- Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Backbar if

You want to start without paying.

Backbar review

Choose ChowNow if

You need branded ordering.
You work on Web, iOS, Android.
You also want website integration.

ChowNow review

Questions people ask

Is Backbar or ChowNow better?: Neither clearly leads. Backbar starts at Free and ChowNow at $249/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Backbar or ChowNow?: Backbar has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Backbar and $249/month for ChowNow.
Does Backbar or ChowNow run on more platforms?: Backbar runs on Web. ChowNow runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Backbar for free?: Yes. Backbar has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. ChowNow starts at $249/month.
What is Backbar best used for?: Backbar is most often used for bar inventory management, liquor cost tracking, multi-location restaurant operations. Of those, bar inventory management and liquor cost tracking are not what ChowNow is typically brought in for.
What can Backbar do that ChowNow cannot?: ChowNow covers Branded ordering, Website integration, Mobile app, Customer database.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Backbar: Does Backbar offer a free plan?

Yes, Backbar's Basic plan is free and includes web and mobile inventory tracking, multiple inventory locations, and color-coded tracking per location.

Source

ChowNow: Is ChowNow truly commission-free?

Yes, ChowNow charges no commission on orders placed through your website, app, or marketplace channels. However, you pay a monthly subscription ($249-$449), payment processing fees (2.95% plus $0.29 per transaction), and optional delivery fees ($7.98 per order with Flex Delivery).

Source

Backbar: How much does Backbar's Essential plan cost with annual billing?

Backbar's Essential plan costs $99 per month when billed annually, or $79 per month with month-to-month billing.

Source

ChowNow: Does ChowNow integrate with my POS system?

Yes. ChowNow integrates with over 45 POS systems including Toast, Square, Clover, and Revel. Orders are automatically synced to your POS and kitchen printers without manual entry.

Source

Backbar: What is included in Backbar's Professional plan?

Professional includes automatic invoice entry, cost variance alerts, unlimited reporting, and full customer support at $129 per month monthly or annual billing available.

Source

ChowNow: Can I use ChowNow with delivery platforms like DoorDash and Uber Eats?

ChowNow handles direct orders but also supports order aggregation from third-party delivery platforms including DoorDash, UberEats, and Grubhub through integrations.

Source

Backbar: Is there a free trial available?

Yes, new users can access a one-month free trial of either the Essential or Professional plan.

Source

ChowNow: How much does ChowNow cost?

ChowNow plans start at $249/month (Launch), $349/month (Grow), and $449/month (Elevate) when billed monthly. Annual billing saves 8-9%. Additional fees include payment processing (2.95% plus $0.29 per transaction), setup fees ($119-$499), and optional delivery charges.

Source

ChowNow: What platforms are supported by ChowNow?

ChowNow is available on web, iOS, and Android. Restaurants get a website ordering interface and can offer a branded mobile app. Customers discover restaurants through Google Maps, Apple Maps, Yelp, and the ChowNow Marketplace.

Source

Backbar vs ChowNow

Backbar

ChowNow

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Backbar

Only in ChowNow

What people use each for

Backbar

ChowNow

Where each one falls short

Backbar

ChowNow

Pricing, plan by plan

Backbar

ChowNow

Which should you pick?

Choose Backbar if

Choose ChowNow if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Backbar

More on ChowNow

Keep looking

Other head to heads