Avery Design & Print vs BarTender

Avery Design & Print is a free web tool for designing labels and other printable Avery products. Start from a blank template or customize a prepared design, then add text and uploaded images. Image tools crop, size, and position uploads; text tools offer straight or curved lines and typography choices. For variable data printing, mail merge can import contact information and other data from .xls, .xlsx, and .csv files. Its barcode generator makes barcodes and QR codes and supports sequential numbering. Projects can be saved to a computer without an account, or to a free Avery account with one, and shared by email through project links. Google Drive can supply Google Sheets data for merging or Google Photos for a design. Print with an inkjet or laser printer, or use Avery WePrint to have a project professionally printed and mailed. Avery says its online design tools protect data in transit and storage with TLS and SSL and do not sell images or content.

BarTender creates, manages, and prints labels, barcodes, RFID tags, and other product identifiers. Its design tools support more than 100 linear and 2D barcode symbologies and standards, RFID encoding, and a library of more than 400 label templates. The on-premises product can print from local workstations, browsers, and mobile devices, with more than 11,000 printer drivers. The Automation edition adds REST APIs, File Drop, no-code builders, and more than 70 trigger actions. Listed connectors include SAP, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, and Workday, alongside REST APIs and custom integrations for more than 20 enterprise platforms. On-premises security features include role-based permissions, document encryption, license server redundancy, and printer failover options. BarTender can operate without an internet connection and supports 21 CFR Part 11-compliant audit trails and electronic signatures. The on-premises operating-system requirements are 64-bit Windows 10 or 11 and Windows Server 2016, 2019, 2022, or 2025. Starter costs $199 a year; a 30-day Enterprise Edition trial supports up to three printers.