Compare

Restaurant inventory software compared

An honest look at how Rinvy compares to MarketMan, Restaurant365, CrunchTime, and MarginEdge — so you can choose the right tool for your kitchen.

Choosing restaurant inventory management software is a significant decision. Different tools serve different types of restaurants, and the best choice depends on your size, budget, existing tech stack, and which problems you need solved most urgently.

We built this comparison to be useful, not to win every category. Some competitors have things we don't: Restaurant365 has a built-in general ledger, and the others connect directly to dozens of POS systems where Rinvy connects to Toast and takes a sales CSV from any other. Here's how the options stack up.

Head to head

Comparing against one tool in particular? Each page has pricing, features and who it is right for.

Feature comparison

How key inventory management capabilities compare across platforms. Toast isn't a column here because it's a POS, not an inventory tool — Rinvy syncs your Toast sales directly, so a Toast kitchen on a paid plan gets variance and forecasting with no add-on.

FeatureRinvyMarketManRestaurant365CrunchTimeMarginEdge
Starting priceFree plan, no setup feeFrom $249/mo~$469/mo per location, billed yearlyCustom quote$350/mo per location
Several people counting at once✓ with live presence✓✓ multi-user mobile✓One person per count sheet
Invoice capture (photo, PDF, email)✓Standard+✓✓ Capture AI✓ mobile scanner✓
Sales forecasting✓ weather-aware, down to ingredientsPro✓✓✓✓
Suggested order quantities✓ par or burn rate✓ suggestive ordering✓ suggested ordering✓✓ par-based
Prep lists✓Standard+Basic✓✓SmartPrep (paid add-on)
Recipe costing✓✓✓✓✓
Menu item food cost targets✓✓✓✓✓
Waste tracking by reason✓✓✓✓✓
Waste report✓Standard+Basic✓✓✓
Theoretical vs actual variance✓Standard+✓✓✓✓
Price change alerts✓✓✓Variance reports✓
POS connectionsToast direct; API, email or CSV from any POSStandard+30+ POS systems15+ POS systems10+ POS systems50+ POS systems
AccountingQuickBooks Online / Xero bills CSVStandard+QuickBooks, XeroBuilt-in general ledgerVariousQuickBooks, Xero, Sage
Native mobile appiOS + AndroidiOS + AndroidiOS + AndroidiOS + AndroidiOS + Android
Multi-location reporting✓ group rollupPro✓✓✓✓
Built forIndependent restaurantsMid-market & chainsMulti-unit groupsEnterprise chainsIndependent & multi-unit

Plan labels show the lowest Rinvy plan that includes a feature. Competitor details checked against each vendor's own pages, September 2026.

Sources

Also in Rinvy

Shipped features that don't fit a row above.

  • Recipe scanningStandard+Photograph a recipe card or upload a PDF, and Rinvy fills in the ingredients.
  • Credits, shorts and returnsRecord a short delivery, a credit memo or a returned case as its own line on the receipt.
  • Several ways to buy one productBuy the same item from different suppliers or in different pack sizes, and keep one product for counting and recipes.
  • Vendor price comparisonStandard+Each supplier's current price for a product, side by side, with the cheapest one flagged.
  • Send the orderEmail, text or share an order to the supplier straight from the order list.
  • Order historySee every past order and reorder one with a tap.
  • Supplier scorecardStandard+Fill rate, on-time delivery and price stability for each supplier.
  • Menu engineeringStandard+Sort dishes into Stars, Plowhorses, Puzzles and Dogs by sales and margin.
  • Weekly review emailEach Monday: inventory value, food cost, waste and open items for the week that just closed.
  • Copy between kitchensStandard+Bring products, recipes, menu items and prep templates across from another kitchen you own.

A closer look at each platform

What each competitor does well and what to consider before choosing.

MarketMan

Inventory platform for mid-market restaurants

MarketMan is one of the longest-running restaurant inventory platforms. It covers inventory, purchasing, recipe costing, vendor payments and connections to 30+ POS systems. In April 2026 it launched Square Restaurant Inventory, a $99-a-month add-on for Square Plus and Premium kitchens. It suits mid-market restaurants and small chains that want deep POS connections.

Many POS connectionsVendor management & paymentsSquare add-on ($99/mo)Full plans start at $249/moBuilt for mid-market and chains

Restaurant365

Accounting, operations and workforce in one platform

Restaurant365 (R365) combines accounting, inventory, scheduling, HR and training in one platform. Its biggest difference is a built-in general ledger: full restaurant accounting inside the product, where Rinvy exports purchases to QuickBooks Online or Xero. It supports counting by several people on mobile and reads invoices with Capture AI. It suits multi-unit groups that want one back-office system.

Built-in accountingWorkforce management & trainingMulti-user mobile countingAbout $469/mo per location, billed yearlyMore than you need if you only want inventory

CrunchTime

Enterprise operations platform for large chains

CrunchTime runs back-of-house operations for large food-service brands. It merged with QSR Automations in June 2025, adding kitchen display systems, and the combined company reported 800+ brands across 150,000+ locations. Pricing is by custom quote, with deep analytics, compliance and food-safety features.

Proven at large scaleFood safety & complianceKitchen display system integrationCustom enterprise pricingMore than a single location needs

MarginEdge

Invoice processing and food cost

MarginEdge automates invoice processing (photo, app, email or EDI) and turns that data into food cost and a daily P&L. It raised an $80M Series D in August 2026 and says it serves more than 13,000 restaurants. It added sales forecasting in 2025, and SmartPrep, a paid add-on, turns the forecast into prep lists. It connects to 50+ POS systems and to QuickBooks, Xero and Sage.

Invoice processing50+ POS connectionsSales forecasting & daily P&L$350/mo per locationPrep lists are a paid add-onOne person per count sheet

Where Rinvy is different

The things we think matter most for independent restaurant teams.

Free to start, no setup fees

The full plans of the paid tools on this page start at $249 a month or more, or have a custom price. Rinvy's Free plan lets you start counting today, with no sales call and no contract.

Counting together, live

Several people count the same session at once, and each one sees who is counting which area as it happens. One person takes the walk-in while another takes dry storage, and progress syncs as they go.

Invoice scanning with no per-scan feesStandard+

Take a photo, upload a PDF or forward the email, and Rinvy reads the lines for you. Recipe scanning and a check after every count come with it. Standard includes 40 invoice scans a month, with room for up to 50. Pro includes 300 invoice scans a month, with room for up to 600. There are no per-scan fees and no add-ons. On Free, you get 3 invoice scans to set up your product list.

Forecasts that end in an orderPro

Rinvy predicts menu item sales from your sales history, the weather forecast and what you tell it about the week. It then works back through your recipes to ingredient quantities, so you get an order list, not only a sales number.

Ordering from real usage

Rinvy looks at how fast you actually use each product and builds order lists by supplier, with urgency and delivery days, instead of relying on par levels alone.

Prep lists from stock on handStandard+

Rinvy suggests prep from how fast you use each item and what is on the shelf. Managers adjust the list, staff work through it, and the actual yield is recorded in the same place.

A health check after every countStandard+

After each count, Rinvy looks for a likely missing receipt, unlogged waste, a count error, or a change in how fast you use something. Findings are ranked by dollar impact and explained in plain language.

Built for independent restaurants

Rinvy is designed and priced for independent restaurants and small groups, not enterprise chains. Every feature works on a phone, because that's where kitchen managers work.

See for yourself

Start managing your restaurant inventory for free. No setup fees, no contracts, no credit card required.