Food & Restaurant · head to head
Lavu vs Backbar
Backbar
Food & Restaurant
Bar inventory management with drink costing and purchasing tools
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Lavu iPad-only solution with no Android or Windows alternative; Backbar invoice syncing with inventory requires the top Professional plan at $129 per month billed monthly, as of August 2026
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Lavu and Backbar actually diverge.
Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Food & Restaurant).
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 Lavu
- iPad POS
- Split checks
- Tab management
- Happy hour pricing
- Inventory tracking
- Kitchen display
- QuickBooks
- Xero
Only in Backbar
Nothing recorded that Lavu does not also cover.
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Lavu
- Point of Salenot Backbar
- Order Managementnot Backbar
- Inventory Controlnot Backbar
- Staff Schedulingnot Backbar
Backbar
No use cases recorded yet. See the Backbar review.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Lavu
- iPad-only solution with no Android or Windows alternative
- Hardware costs are significant with devices starting at $700
- Limited offline functionality compared to some competitors
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
Pricing, plan by plan
Lavu
$99/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the Lavu review.
Backbar
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Backbar review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Backbar if
Nothing in the data separates Backbar from Lavu on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is Lavu or Backbar better?
- Neither clearly leads. Lavu starts at $99/month and Backbar at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Lavu or Backbar?
- Lavu starts at $99/month and Backbar at On request.
- Does Lavu or Backbar run on more platforms?
- Lavu runs on iPad. Backbar runs on Web.
- What is Lavu best used for?
- Lavu is most often used for point of sale, order management, inventory control, staff scheduling. Of those, point of sale and order management are not what Backbar is typically brought in for.
- What can Lavu do that Backbar cannot?
- Lavu covers iPad POS, Split checks, Tab management, Happy hour pricing.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Lavu: What devices does Lavu support?
Lavu is iPad-based and works with iPad Pro, Air, and Mini models. It is compatible with peripherals from Ingenico, Magtek, and supports various receipt printers, cash drawers, and barcode scanners.
SourceLavu: Does Lavu offer financing for hardware?
Yes. Lavu offers 0% no-interest financing on hardware for 3-year contracts, and supports both 1-year and 3-year contract terms.
SourceLavu: What is Lavu's pricing range?
Lavu monthly POS software costs range from $99 to $279 per month, with hardware starting at $700 and up to $1,500 for full systems.
Source