Head-to-head · Restaurant Recipe Costing Software
ChefExpenses vs OpenKitchen
ChefExpenses leads on 3 checks, OpenKitchen on 0, and 2 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 · 8.0/10
- Free planboth
- Most featuresChefExpenses · 4 of 5
Our editors rank ChefExpenses at #3 and OpenKitchen at #4 for restaurant recipe costing software; OpenKitchen has no rubric score yet (facts researched, not yet scored), so the checks below decide.
ChefExpenses offers yield and portion scaling; OpenKitchen doesn't publish it. ChefExpenses offers menu profitability; OpenKitchen doesn't publish it. ChefExpenses offers ingredient price updates; OpenKitchen doesn't publish it.
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 8.0/10 Visit ↗ | OpenKitchen —/10 Visit ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Editor score | 8.0 | — |
| 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 | Not published | Not published |
| Free plan | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud, Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Web | Web |
| Support | Docs, Community | |
| Built for | Small business, Mid-market | Small business, Mid-market |
| Features ChefExpenses 4/5 · OpenKitchen 1/5 | ||
| Inventory tracking | Not published | Not published |
| Yield and portion scaling | ✓ (best) | Not published |
| Menu profitability | ✓ (best) | Not published |
| Ingredient price updates | ✓ (best) | Not published |
| Multi-location support | ✓ | ✓ |
| Specs | ||
| Recipe limit | Not published | Not published |
| Our review | ||
| Pros |
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| Cons |
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| 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 → |
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
- Access is limited to the web platform
- 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.
- ChefExpenses8.0/10 · Free plan · paid from €10/mo
A low-cost web tool for recipe costing, menu profitability, and multi-location control.
Visit ChefExpensesFull verdict → - OpenKitchen—/10 · Free plan
A free, open-source costing system with unusually broad inventory and supplier workflows.
Visit OpenKitchenFull verdict →
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All restaurant recipe costing software comparisons → · Full ranking →
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Sep 2026