DishCost vs ReciPal
DishCost
dishcost.comReciPal
recipal.comSide by side
| Figure | DishCost | ReciPal |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $39/mo | $4.08/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 5 |
| Spec score · Restaurant Recipe Costing Software | 8.3 (#5) | 7.5 (#20) |
| Founded | 2025 | 2011 |
| Free access | The free tier has no time limit, and the food cost calculator and other free tools can be used without an account. | The pricing page offers a free recipe with every plan, and the home page says users can calculate nutrition for one free recipe with a watermark on label downloads. |
| Support | The contact page lists [email protected] and says replies usually arrive within a few hours. | ReciPal lists phone, email, and in-app chat support with access to technical or regulatory experts; Business Plus includes priority support. |
Plans
ReciPal
- Single Serving$29, paid once
- Business (annual)$49 a year
- Business (monthly)$59 a month
- Business Plus (annual)$107 a year
- Business Plus (monthly)$129 a month
In their own words
DishCost
DishCost is a web application for independent, single-location restaurants that calculates recipe costs, tracks ingredient price changes and highlights weak menu margins. Recipe views show line-item ingredient costs, total and per-serving costs, food cost percentage, suggested price and profit per serving. Changing an ingredient price automatically recalculates recipes and prep items that use it, including dishes built from those prep items. Weekly order counts classify dishes as Stars, Plowhorses, Puzzles or Dogs. Ingredients and prices can be imported in bulk through CSV using a downloadable template. Pro adds order-guide imports from Sysco, US Foods, BEK or other vendors, with column mapping and SKU-based price updates, plus PDF and CSV exports and email support. The free tier has no time limit, and free tools can be used without an account. Pro costs $39 a month through Stripe for one kitchen, unlimited recipes and ingredients, and no per-seat fees. DishCost does not provide multi-location dashboards, live POS sync, inventory counts, invoice OCR, or in-app per-recipe nutrition and allergen tagging.