BarTender vs Brother P-touch Editor

BarTender8.3Visit Brother P-touch Editor6.0Visit

Higher score BarTender #2 in Label Design Software 8.3/10 From $199/yr · 30-day trial ✓ 1 of 5 features Visit BarTender

vs

Brother P-touch Editor #16 in Label Design Software 6.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 5 features Visit Brother

• BarTender fits best

  Enterprise barcode, RFID, and print automation

• Brother P-touch Editor fits best

  Free batch printing on Brother label makers

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Side by side

Feature	BarTender 8.3/10 Visit ↗	Brother P-touch Editor 6.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.3	6.0
Ranking	#2 in Label Design Software	#16 in Label Design Software
Best for	Enterprise barcode, RFID, and print automation	Free batch printing on Brother label makers
Pricing model	Paid	Free
Starting price	Not published	Not published
Free plan	—	✓ (best)
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Web, Windows	Windows, macOS
Integrations	10 integrations	3 integrations
Features BarTender 1/5 · Brother P-touch Editor 1/5
Barcode support	Not published	Not published
Shipping labels	Not published	Not published
Compliance labels	Not published	Not published
Variable data printing	✓	✓
Print automation	Not published	Not published
Specs
Supported printers	Not published	Not published
Deployment model	Not published	Not published
Our review
Pros	Supports barcode and RFID labels across 100+ symbologies Automates printing through REST API, File Drop, and no-code integrations Adds permissions, audit trails, and centralized document management	Free Windows and macOS software with broad label-design tools Supports batch, sequential, and database-driven label creation Creates barcodes, QR codes, and labels with imported images
Cons	No free plan is available Annual pricing starts at $199 for the Starter plan Enterprise features require contacting sales for a quote	Requires a compatible Brother label printer or label maker Desktop software rather than a cloud-deployed service Designed for Brother hardware and the Brother printing ecosystem
Our verdict	BarTender is labeling software for organizations that design, manage, automate, and print product, warehouse, manufacturing, retail, and logistics labels. It supports barcode and RFID label design, dynamic data-driven templates, database… Read the review →	Brother P-touch Editor is free desktop software for designing and printing custom labels with compatible Brother P-touch and QL printers. It suits home, office, retail, education, government, and IT labeling, including asset management,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• BarTender — where it wins

  • Supports barcode and RFID labels across 100+ symbologies
  • Automates printing through REST API, File Drop, and no-code integrations
  • Adds permissions, audit trails, and centralized document management

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan is available
  • Annual pricing starts at $199 for the Starter plan
  • Enterprise features require contacting sales for a quote

• Brother P-touch Editor — where it wins

  • Free Windows and macOS software with broad label-design tools
  • Supports batch, sequential, and database-driven label creation
  • Creates barcodes, QR codes, and labels with imported images

  Where it doesn't

  • Requires a compatible Brother label printer or label maker
  • Desktop software rather than a cloud-deployed service
  • Designed for Brother hardware and the Brother printing ecosystem

• BarTender8.3/10 · From $199/yr · 30-day trial

  A broad labeling platform for organizations that need automation, control, and data-driven printing.

  Visit BarTenderFull verdict →
• Brother P-touch Editor6.0/10 · Free plan

  A free desktop editor for batch, variable-data, barcode, and QR label printing.

  Visit BrotherFull verdict →