BarTender vs Union Label
BarTender
bartendersoftware.com
Union Label
union-barcode.comSide by side
| Figure | BarTender | Union Label |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $16.58/mo | $16.58/mo |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 4 | 4 |
| Spec score · Product Label Makers | 8.5 (#2) | 7.6 (#7) |
| Spec score · Label Design Software | 8.5 (#4) | 7.6 (#26) |
| Integrations | The maker lists pre-built connectors for SAP, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, and Workday, plus REST APIs and custom integrations for more than 20 enterprise platforms. | The maker describes Excel and CSV imports and lists API, SQL, and product-database capabilities by plan; it says to plan data and printing integrations with its team. |
| Offline use | The on-premises product can operate without an internet connection and is positioned for high-volume printing and strict data residency requirements. | Union Label Desktop supports offline label printing; Union Label Web requires internet access. |
| Purpose | BarTender creates, manages, and prints labels, barcodes, RFID tags, and other product identifiers. | Union Label designs and prints product, price, warehouse, and shipping labels with barcodes and QR codes. |
| Support | Standard Maintenance and Support includes live phone and chat support and product updates; Premium support offers 24/7/365 coverage and a guaranteed one-hour response for critical production-impacting issues. | Web Free includes documentation, Solo includes documentation and community support, and Pro and Desktop include ticket support with a stated one-business-day response. |
Plans
BarTender
- Starter$199 a year
- Professional$299 a year
- Automation$575 a year
- EnterprisePriced on request
In their own words
BarTender
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.
Union Label
Union Label is software for designing and printing product, price, warehouse, and shipping labels with barcodes and QR codes. In its browser-based Web edition, users can create layouts, preview them, and prepare print batches. Excel and CSV files can provide label data, though the Free plan limits import. The listed plans cover 1D and 2D barcodes; GS1-128, SSCC, and logistics identifiers require Web Pro or Desktop. Desktop supports offline printing and RFID encoding for EPC and SGTIN, which needs compatible encoding hardware and media. Web requires an internet connection. API and external SQL database features are listed for Pro and Desktop. Prices are free for Free, $21.90 a month for Solo, $199 a year for Pro, and $350, paid once for Desktop. The product is listed for web and Windows. Printer brands include Zebra, TSC, Godex, and Elgin, and the maker advises checking the specific model, driver, connection, and edition before purchase.