Spec
specapp.com
What it is
Spec is an inventory management platform for food and beverage programs at bars and restaurants. Its product library stores information about what a business carries, while recipe tools calculate ingredient, labor and sub-recipe costs. Users can assemble menus from products and recipes and analyze pricing effectiveness. Spec can draft text or email orders and divide bulk orders by vendor. Staff can use the mobile app to view recipes, product details and training materials. The Pro plan adds digitized invoices, product price alerts and invoice reports. Spec offers a free plan at free, limited to 30 ingredient costings, 30 labor costings, 30 sub-recipes and 10 menus, with no stock counts. Spec Pro costs $99 a month or $999 a year and includes unlimited costing and menus, stock counts, multiple inventory locations, and invoice and price-change reporting. A 30-day trial is listed. The platform supports Android, iOS and web. Businesses can email an inventory spreadsheet for ingestion by Spec’s team.
Spec sheet
- What it does
- Spec is a restaurant and bar management platform for recipe costing, menu analysis, inventory, ordering, invoicing and staff training.Read 15 Oct 2026 · capterra.com
- Product
- Spec describes itself as a B2B inventory management platform for food and beverage programs.Read 7 Oct 2026 · specapp.com
- Intended users
- Spec presents its tools for bars and restaurants building and running food and beverage programs.Read 7 Oct 2026 · specapp.com
- Integrations
- The account sign-up page offers Google, Facebook, and Apple sign-in options.Read 7 Oct 2026 · admin.specapp.com
- Privacy
- The privacy policy says precise real-time device location is not shared with other users or business partners unless the user consents.Read 7 Oct 2026 · specapp.com
- Support
- The terms direct feedback, technical support requests, and other app communications to [email protected].Read 7 Oct 2026 · specapp.com
- Headquarters
- Tennessee, United StatesRead 28 Sep 2026 · specapp.com
- Apple requirements
- The iOS app requires iOS 15.1 or later; its Mac compatibility requires macOS 12.0 or later and an Apple M1 chip or later.Read 15 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
- Capterra price discrepancy
- Capterra lists Spec Pro at $49 per month, while Spec’s own pricing page lists $99 per month or $999 annually.Read 15 Oct 2026 · capterra.com
- Classic recipes
- The mobile experience includes more than 100 classic cocktail recipes curated by Spec.Read 15 Oct 2026 · specapp.com
- Company founded
- LinkedIn lists Spec as founded in 2018.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
- Company headquarters
- LinkedIn lists Nashville, Tennessee as Spec’s headquarters.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
- Company legal name
- Google Play identifies the developer as Spec Software, LLC.Read 15 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
- Company size
- LinkedIn lists Spec as a privately held company with 2–10 employees.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
- Data location
- Spec says its services are operated from the United States and user information is transferred to, stored, and processed there.Read 7 Oct 2026 · specapp.com
- Data ownership
- Subscription terms state that customers retain ownership of customer data while granting Spec a limited license to provide the service.Read 15 Oct 2026 · specapp.com
- Documentation
- Official documentation is delivered as topic-specific help articles covering recipes, menus, product formats and invoices.Read 15 Oct 2026 · specapp.com
- Google Play availability
- Google Play lists Spec App as a free employee app with 500+ downloads, updated May 27, 2026.Read 15 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
- Google Play data practices
- Google Play states that no data is shared with third parties, data is encrypted in transit, deletion can be requested, and the app may collect location and personal information.Read 15 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
- Inventory
- Its product library stores information about the food and beverage products a business carries.Read 7 Oct 2026 · specapp.com
- Inventory library
- The product library stores food and beverage products and links them to recipes, orders and purchase units.Read 15 Oct 2026 · specapp.com
- Invoices
- The Pro plan includes digitized invoices, product price alerts, and invoice reports.Read 7 Oct 2026 · specapp.com
- Invoicing
- Invoices can be linked to Spec orders, contain product, keg-transfer or miscellaneous line items, and require reconciliation before approval.Read 15 Oct 2026 · specapp.com
- Limit: inventory rearrangement
- A Capterra reviewer wants more drag-and-drop rearrangement when doing inventory.Read 15 Oct 2026 · capterra.com
- Limit: missing cocktails
- An independent App Store review says some desired drinks, including Gin and Tonic, Bloody Mary and Long Island Iced Tea, were missing.Read 15 Oct 2026 · appshunter.io
- Limit: setup effort
- A Capterra reviewer says creating recipes and importing bottles is time-consuming.Read 15 Oct 2026 · capterra.com
- Limit: sign-in friction
- Older independent App Store reviews criticize being asked for personal information or an account before using the cocktail app; a developer response said guest access existed.Read 15 Oct 2026 · appshunter.io
- Menu costing
- Users can create menus from products and recipes and analyze pricing effectiveness.Read 7 Oct 2026 · specapp.com
- Menu profitability
- Menus group products and recipes and show ingredient-cost percentages, profit margin and net profit after serving sizes and prices are assigned.Read 15 Oct 2026 · specapp.com
- Mobile app
- Spec says staff can use its mobile app to view recipes, product information, and training materials.Read 7 Oct 2026 · admin.specapp.com
- Notable news: 2025 award
- Spec says it was voted Top Restaurant & Bar Inventory Management Software 2025 by Food & Beverage Technology Review after subscriber nominations.Read 15 Oct 2026 · specapp.com
- Ordering
- Spec manages supplier orders, separates bulk orders by vendor, tracks order status and manages ordering and delivery days.Read 15 Oct 2026 · specapp.com
- Praise: mobile recipes
- Apple reviewers praise instant access to cocktail recipes and describe the app as useful for keeping bar teams informed.Read 15 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
- Praise: recipe sharing
- Capterra reviewers praise the convenient shared recipe area and say it helps staff know the recipes.Read 15 Oct 2026 · capterra.com
- Praise: support
- A Capterra reviewer describes Spec support as highly supportive and knowledgeable.Read 15 Oct 2026 · capterra.com
- Proprietary licence
- The terms state that Spec retains ownership of the app, marks, documentation and related intellectual property.Read 15 Oct 2026 · specapp.com
- Rating on Apple App Store
- 5.0 out of 5 from 6 ratingsRead 15 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
- Rating on Capterra
- 5.0 out of 5 from 2 reviewsRead 15 Oct 2026 · capterra.com
- Recipe costing
- Recipes use product-library quantities to calculate associated ingredient costs, and recipes can be nested inside other recipes.Read 15 Oct 2026 · specapp.com
- Reporting
- Cost reports can be exported as a uniform CSV based on orders, invoices and stock counts.Read 15 Oct 2026 · specapp.com
- Security limitation
- Spec’s privacy policy says internet transmission is not completely secure and that it cannot guarantee protection against every breach.Read 15 Oct 2026 · specapp.com
- Security safeguards
- Spec says personal information is password-protected and access is restricted to employees and trusted partners who need it for service delivery.Read 15 Oct 2026 · specapp.com
- Spreadsheet onboarding
- Spec says customers can email an inventory spreadsheet for ingestion by the company.Read 15 Oct 2026 · specapp.com
- Staff training
- Staff can receive product and recipe background information, tasting notes, preparation instructions and messages through the mobile app.Read 15 Oct 2026 · specapp.com
- Supported measurement types
- Product formats support volume, mass and count measurements, with one primary unit and fields for packaging, UPC, low par and high par.Read 15 Oct 2026 · specapp.com
- Web and mobile
- Stock counts are available from web or mobile on the Pro plan, while staff can view product libraries and recipes through the mobile app.Read 15 Oct 2026 · specapp.com
Plans and prices
Free Plan Free $0/mo Product library · multiple product formats and purchase units · recipe tagging · organization · staff messaging · vendors and contacts · ordering · stock-count reports · producer recipes · classic cocktail library Read 15 Oct 2026 · specapp.com
Spec Pro $99 a month $99/mo Web and mobile stock counts · product pars · multiple inventory locations · unlimited recipes and menus · digitized invoices · price alerts · expense groups · stock-count, order and invoice reports Read 15 Oct 2026 · specapp.com
Spec Pro (annual) $999 a year $999 Billed Annually (SAVE 16%) Spec Pro features Read 7 Oct 2026 · specapp.com
Spec Pro annual $999 a year $999 Billed Annually (SAVE 16%) Spec Pro features Read 15 Oct 2026 · specapp.com
Strong points and limits
Strong points
- Calculates recipe ingredient, labor and sub-recipe costs.
- Can divide bulk orders by vendor.
- Mobile app shows recipes, product information and training materials.
- Pro includes stock counts across multiple inventory locations.
- Spreadsheet ingestion is offered.
Limits
- Free plan allows only 10 menus.
- Free plan has no stock counts.
- Pro costs $99 a month.
- Services operate from the United States.
Who it suits
Spec suits bars and restaurants building or running food and beverage programs. It is relevant to teams that need recipe and menu costing, ordering, and inventory tools.
Spec in depth
Read the full write-up
Overview
Spec is a food-and-beverage inventory platform for bars and restaurants. It is best suited to operators who want to connect recipe costs, menu planning and ordering, but teams that need stock counts must budget for Pro.
The free plan offers a useful costing starting point; its firm caps and lack of stock counts make it a poor fit as a complete inventory workflow for a growing operation.
Key features
Products, recipes and menus
Spec’s product library holds the food and beverage items a business carries. It calculates ingredient, labor and sub-recipe costs, then lets users build menus from products and recipes to analyze pricing effectiveness. That connection can help operators assess a menu against its costs, though the free tier’s 30 ingredient costings, 30 labor costings, 30 sub-recipes and 10 menus constrain larger or frequently changing programs.
Ordering and stock workflows
Spec can prepare text or email order drafts and split bulk orders by vendor. It also supports purchase orders and waste tracking. Pro adds web and mobile stock counts and multiple inventory locations, making it the relevant tier for teams that need routine stock control rather than costing and order preparation alone.
Invoices and mobile access
Pro includes digitized invoices, product price alerts, and invoice and price-change reporting. Staff can use the mobile app to view recipes, product information and training materials. These additions make Pro more operationally complete, but they also put key inventory and invoice workflows behind the paid tier.
Businesses can email an inventory spreadsheet for ingestion by Spec’s team, which may help move existing records into the system. Google, Facebook and Apple sign-in options are offered at account creation.
Pricing
The Free Plan costs nothing, billed $0/mo. It includes 30 recipe ingredient costings, 30 recipe labor costings, 30 sub-recipes and 10 menus, but no stock counts. It suits a small program testing costing and menu workflows; the caps and absent counting make it less suitable for ongoing inventory management.
Spec Pro costs $99 a month, billed $99/mo. It removes the costing and menu limits and adds web and mobile stock counts, multiple inventory locations, and invoice and price-change reporting. This is the practical choice for operators who need those controls and reporting capabilities.
Spec Pro (annual) costs $999 a year, billed $999 Billed Annually (SAVE 16%), and includes Spec Pro features. It lowers the monthly equivalent for teams ready to commit annually; those wanting to keep the option of monthly billing can choose the $99/mo plan instead. A 30-day trial is offered.
Platforms
Spec runs on Android, iOS and the web. Pro stock counts are available on web and mobile, while the mobile app also gives staff access to recipes, product information and training materials.
Who it's for
Spec is aimed at bars and restaurants building or running food and beverage programs. It is strongest for operators who want costing, menu analysis and order preparation together, with Pro extending the fit to teams managing stock across multiple locations. A small operation focused on costing may be served by the free tier; a team that needs stock counts without a $99/mo commitment should compare alternatives.
Pros and cons
Connected costing and menu planning: Ingredient, labor and sub-recipe costs can inform menus built from products and recipes.
Order preparation reduces vendor sorting: Bulk order drafts can be split by vendor and sent by text or email.
Free tier has real operating limits: The costing and menu quotas are finite, and stock counts are excluded.
Core inventory and invoice tools cost $99/mo: Stock counts, multiple locations and invoice reporting require Pro.
Alternatives
Restaurant Inventory Management Software is a useful starting point for comparing more options in the category.
OrderNow Inventory is worth comparing if platform breadth and a lower paid entry price matter: it supports Android, iOS, web, API, Linux, macOS and Windows, with Pro at $44 a month for unlimited menu items, ordering and KOT, one location, and standard chat and email support.
growyze is another free-plan option for operators whose needs align with its stated free allowances, including two stocktakes, five supplier orders, 50 suppliers, five delivery notes and 10 automated invoice validations.
Galley may suit teams seeking a recipes, menus and costing package with simplified onboarding and no long contracts; its SMB Accelerator starts at $99 a month.
Marji is a web-based alternative to consider for a free, single-location QR menu with live price edits and sold-out controls.
PlateSense may appeal to operators prioritizing invoices and broad item limits: PlateSense Pro costs $59 a month per location and includes unlimited invoices, inventory, recipes and menu items for the whole team on one account.
reciProfity is a paid alternative with a Starter plan at $49 a month, limited to 10 recipes.
ScanOrbit is a web option to consider while its launch plans are free; it says paid plans will be introduced later.
Craftable is another paid alternative available on Android, iOS and web.
Verdict
Choose Spec if your bar or restaurant wants recipe and menu costing alongside order preparation, and Pro’s $99/mo price makes sense for its stock counts, multiple locations and invoice reporting. Look elsewhere if you need those inventory workflows at a lower price, or if the free tier’s caps are too restrictive for your menu.
Verdict
Spec combines costing, menu analysis, ordering and inventory functions for food and beverage operations. Compare the free plan’s caps with Pro’s stock-count and reporting features before choosing.
Where Specifiction places it
- Restaurant Inventory Management Software#2 of 268.6
