Honest comparisons · by a restaurant owner
Same promise across every comparison: get the repetitive back-office work off the owner’s plate, without taking away control.
Know the work is handled, even when you’re away from the restaurant.
Not every tool is the same kind of tool. Here’s who each one is built for, and where 86 fits — independents with 1–5 locations, with multi-location support built in.
$199–$249/mo
Best forMid-to-large operations with EDI vendor relationships and a dedicated back-office person.
Where 86 fitsIndependent restaurants — typically 1–5 locations — that want the whole back office handled in one tool, not just inventory.
Custom quote (~$369–$635/mo per location)
Best forEnterprise restaurant groups with a dedicated administrator and many locations.
Where 86 fitsIndependent operators (1–5 locations) who want the same visibility without the enterprise admin overhead.
$350/mo
Best forRestaurants whose main pain is invoice processing and already have tools for everything else.
Where 86 fitsIndependents (1–5 locations) who want invoices, counting, ordering, and books off their plate in the same login.
$189–$499/mo
Best forBars and beverage programs that only need fast bottle counting.
Where 86 fitsIndependents (1–5 locations) that run food and beverage, and want the rest of the back office in the same tool.
$69–$399/mo
Best forRestaurants that need POS + basic inventory in one system.
Where 86 fitsIndependents (1–5 locations) who already have a POS and want the rest of the back office handled.
Most inventory apps take weeks to set up — and you still have to learn the software yourself. 86 is different: the AI does your setup, and the app is so intuitive you learn as you go. You’re counting and seeing your real food cost the same day you sign up.
You send us
We handle
Our AI sets up your account in minutes — most restaurants are counting and seeing real food costs the same day.
And if you’d rather have a hand, a real person is one tap away — chat or a call, right inside the app. The AI does the heavy lifting; we’re here whenever you want us.
We use AI where it’s reliable — setup, invoices, and your numbers. Your team still does the counting, because that’s where precision matters and it’s the one thing AI can’t do accurately yet.
One tool for counting, ordering, invoices, books, and profitability — so you stop being the fallback person for the whole back office.
Text reminders, live progress, and a notification when the count is done. 86 follows up so you don't have to.
Forecast based on three years of sales, holiday context, and vendor-by-vendor progress. From anywhere.
Scan the invoice. Item costs, recipes, and your books update in the background. You review what matters.
Real-time spending, categorized automatically. No more chasing your bookkeeper for basic answers.
Real dish costs, updated every time an invoice comes in. Price decisions with receipts.
The app is simple enough for any staff member. No long training, no logins to manage.