PlateSpec vs ShiftTrained
PlateSpec
platespec.comShiftTrained
shifttrained.comSide by side
| Figure | PlateSpec | ShiftTrained |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $99/mo | $29/mo |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 3 | 7 |
| Spec score · Restaurant Employee Training Software | 7.8 (#11) | 8.6 (#3) |
| Compliance | PlateSpec states that it has not completed a SOC 2 audit. | ShiftTrained says it is not yet SOC 2 certified, while its listed infrastructure providers are SOC 2 audited; it says payments are handled by Stripe and card numbers do not reach its servers. |
| Headquarters | Washington State, USA | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Security | PlateSpec says it uses Postgres Row Level Security for company data isolation and encrypts traffic in transit with TLS and data at rest on its infrastructure providers. | The security page says data is encrypted in transit and at rest, restaurant data is isolated with database row-level security, and stored POS credentials use AES-256-GCM encryption. |
| Support | PlateSpec lists email support and says a person reads messages usually within a few hours and always the same day. | The pricing section lists priority support among the included benefits, and the site provides [email protected] as a contact email. |
Plans
PlateSpec
- 25+ locations$99 a month
- 10–24 locations$109 a month
- 1–9 locations$129 a month
ShiftTrained
- Basic$29 a month
- Basic$29 a month
- Pro$49 a month
- Pro$49 a month
- Max$99 a month
- Max$99 a month
- EnterprisePriced on request
In their own words
ShiftTrained
ShiftTrained turns restaurant menus and existing paper quizzes into phone-based staff quizzes. Managers can upload a PDF or menu photo, connect a POS, or submit a written test for digitization. AI parses menus to generate questions, which managers can edit, rewrite or delete. Staff take quizzes in a phone browser using a text or email link, without downloading an app. A dashboard shows training progress in real time, with leaderboards, badges and personalized AI study guides. Toast and Square integrations import menus and update questions when menu items change. Users outside the US and Canada can receive quizzes over WhatsApp. The product is presented for fine dining, casual dining, sports bars and pubs, and hotels and hospitality. Basic costs $29 a month for up to 20 employees; Pro is $49 a month for up to 40, and Max is $99 a month for up to 99. A free trial is listed, but there is no free plan. ShiftTrained says multilingual support is in beta and Spanish support is coming soon, and that it is not yet SOC 2 certified.