Food & Restaurant · head to head
Revel Systems vs Backbar
Revel Systems
Food & Restaurant
Cloud-based iPad POS for enterprise
- From
- $99/month
- Rated
- -
Backbar
Food & Restaurant
Bar inventory management with drink costing and purchasing tools
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Revel Systems requires 3-year contract with high early termination fees making it difficult to cancel; 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 Revel Systems and Backbar actually diverge.
| Attribute | Revel Systems | Backbar |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $99/month | On request |
| Pricing model | Unknown | subscription |
| Platforms | iPad, Web | Web |
| Founded | 2010 | Unknown |
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 Revel Systems
- iPad POS
- Inventory management
- CRM
- Employee management
- Delivery management
- Multi-location management
- QuickBooks
- Xero
Only in Backbar
Nothing recorded that Revel Systems does not also cover.
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Revel Systems
- 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.
Revel Systems
- Requires 3-year contract with high early termination fees making it difficult to cancel
- System crashes and glitches frequently, especially at high transaction volumes
- Mandatory payment processing through Revel's Advantage processor with external processors heavily penalized
- Customer support quality is poor with Level 1 support described as ineffective
- Expensive upfront costs and numerous hidden fees for add-on features
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
Revel Systems
$99/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the Revel Systems review.
Backbar
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Backbar review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Revel Systems if
- You need ipad pos.
- You work on iPad, Web.
- You also want inventory management.
Choose Backbar if
Nothing in the data separates Backbar from Revel Systems on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is Revel Systems or Backbar better?
- Neither clearly leads. Revel Systems 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, Revel Systems or Backbar?
- Revel Systems starts at $99/month and Backbar at On request.
- Does Revel Systems or Backbar run on more platforms?
- Revel Systems runs on iPad, Web. Backbar runs on Web.
- What is Revel Systems best used for?
- Revel Systems 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 Revel Systems do that Backbar cannot?
- Revel Systems covers iPad POS, Inventory management, CRM, Employee management.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Revel Systems: What does Revel Systems cost?
Revel pricing starts around $99 per month per terminal with a minimum 3-year contract requirement. Customers also pay for additional features like reporting, workforce management, integrations, and Advantage payment processing which is typically mandatory.
SourceRevel Systems: How long does implementation take?
Revel implementation typically takes 2-4 weeks, including hardware setup, menu configuration, staff training, and system integration.
SourceRevel Systems: What integrations does Revel support?
Revel integrates with multiple payment processors through Stripe and Square connectors, plus accounting, payroll, and ecommerce solutions. Payment gateways vary by region.
SourceRevel Systems: What are Revel's contract terms?
Revel requires a minimum 3-year contract with high early termination fees. Use of Revel's Advantage payment processing is typically mandatory, and using outside processors is heavily penalized or not allowed.
SourceRelated pages
More on Revel Systems
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