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Head-to-head · Restaurant Recipe Costing Software

ChefExpenses vs OpenKitchen

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Higher score ChefExpenses #3 in Restaurant Recipe Costing Software 9.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 5 features Visit ChefExpenses
OpenKitchen #4 in Restaurant Recipe Costing Software 9.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 5 features Visit OpenKitchen

ChefExpenses leads on 0 checks, OpenKitchen on 0, and 5 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreChefExpenses · 9.1/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresChefExpenses · 4 of 5

ChefExpenses scores higher on our rubric for restaurant recipe costing software: 9.1 against 9.0 out of 10; our editors rank them #3 and #4.

ChefExpenses is the better fit for cost-conscious restaurants focused on profitability. OpenKitchen is the better fit for technical teams wanting open-source costing.

  • ChefExpenses fits best

    Cost-conscious restaurants focused on profitability

  • OpenKitchen fits best

    Technical teams wanting open-source costing

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Side by side

Feature ChefExpenses 9.1/10 Visit ↗ OpenKitchen 9.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.1 9.0
Ranking #3 in Restaurant Recipe Costing Software #4 in Restaurant Recipe Costing Software
Best for Cost-conscious restaurants focused on profitability Technical teams wanting open-source costing
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free
Starting price €10/mo Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms Web Web
Support Email Docs, Community
Built for Small business, Mid-market Small business, Mid-market
Features ChefExpenses 4/5 · OpenKitchen 1/5
Inventory tracking Not checked yet Not checked yet
Yield and portion scaling ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Menu profitability ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Ingredient price updates ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Multi-location support ✓ ✓
Specs
Recipe limit Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Free plan includes 500+ preloaded ingredients and nutrition controls
  • Automates costing with price-history updates, yields, and nested recipes
  • Supports menu profitability analysis and multi-location management
  • Recursive costing covers ingredients, recipes and sub-recipes.
  • Tracks supplier prices, invoices, inventory variance and production usage.
  • Self-hosting, integrations and a JSON API support custom workflows.
Cons
  • Browser-based only, with no native mobile app
  • Advanced features are distributed across paid tiers
  • Group plan starts at €50 per month for expanded locations
  • Purchase-order creation and tracking are outside the documented workflows.
  • Delivery-receiving workflows are not part of the described feature set.
  • Deployment under AGPL-3.0 requires technical ownership of the self-hosted option.
Our verdict

ChefExpenses is web-based restaurant software for calculating recipe costs, food cost, margins, and menu profitability. It suits restaurants, bars, caterers, hotels, bakeries, and other food businesses that need centralized kitchen-cost…

Read the review →

OpenKitchen is open-source back-of-house software for independent restaurants, multi-site groups, commissary kitchens, caterers, bakeries and cloud kitchens. It brings ingredients, suppliers, recipes, food-cost calculations, inventory,…

Read the review →
  1. ChefExpensesRestaurant Recipe Costing Software 9.1Free plan
  2. OpenKitchenRestaurant Recipe Costing Software 9.0Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • ChefExpenses — where it wins

    • Free plan includes 500+ preloaded ingredients and nutrition controls
    • Automates costing with price-history updates, yields, and nested recipes
    • Supports menu profitability analysis and multi-location management

    Where it doesn't

    • Browser-based only, with no native mobile app
    • Advanced features are distributed across paid tiers
    • Group plan starts at €50 per month for expanded locations

  • OpenKitchen — where it wins

    • Recursive costing covers ingredients, recipes and sub-recipes.
    • Tracks supplier prices, invoices, inventory variance and production usage.
    • Self-hosting, integrations and a JSON API support custom workflows.

    Where it doesn't

    • Purchase-order creation and tracking are outside the documented workflows.
    • Delivery-receiving workflows are not part of the described feature set.
    • Deployment under AGPL-3.0 requires technical ownership of the self-hosted option.

More comparisons

All restaurant recipe costing software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update