Comparison

Backbar vs Toast Tables

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Backbar

This application streamlines bar and restaurant management by simplifying inventory counting, vendor purchasing, and menu costing. It helps reduce costs and improve efficiency for beverage programs. Features include real-time syncing across devices, barcode scanning, and integration with over 1,300 beverage suppliers.

Highlights
  • Real-time inventory syncing
  • Barcode scanning for products
  • Streamlined vendor purchasing
  • Menu costing and pricing optimization
  • Digital invoice management
  • Staff education on beverages
Features
Read full description

Backbar helps restaurants and bars increase profitability, decrease COGS, and run a more efficient beverage program. Backbar, the only free bar inventory app, saves hours on counting inventory and simplifies bar management. Backbar not only solves inventory management, but also streamlines vendor purchasing and tracking, menu costing, and financial tracking. Here are some of the many features of Backbar: - Quickly count inventory across many locations, devices and users, syncing in real-time - Count inventory in multiple locations and on multiple devices simultaneously - Scan barcodes to instantly find and count products - Streamline purchasing by sending orders to all your distributors with a single tap - Track past orders and invoices for all your distributors - Connect to your point-of-sale (POS) system for real-time inventory depletions - Save digital invoices easily by taking a photo - Connect to over 1,300 beverage suppliers for automated product updates and cost changes - Educate staff with tasting notes and drink information - Cost out cocktail recipes and optimize menu pricing - Quickly add a new item from our global database of over 300,000 wines, beers, spirits and other beverages Download the app today and make beverage management easier with Backbar

About

Toast Tables

This app enhances restaurant hospitality by providing hosts with a POS-integrated waitlist and reservation system. It simplifies table management, allows for quick table turns with real-time updates, and helps anticipate guest needs. Communicate with guests via SMS for a better dining experience.

Highlights
  • POS-integrated waitlist and reservations
  • Real-time table status updates
  • Automated guest notifications
  • 2-way SMS communication
  • Guest notes and preferences
  • Server rotation management
Features
Read full description

Give your hosts the power of Toast with a POS-integrated waitlist & reservation solution built for restaurants. Enhance hospitality, simplify table management, and keep guests coming back. Note: This app is for Toast restaurants with a Toast Tables account. Optimized for iPads running iOS 12 (or later), but is not recommended for iPhone as full experience may be limited. Some features may also be available on Toast Web. Toast Tables gives restaurant hosts and operators the ability to: 1. Seamlessly manage waitlist and reservations 2. Estimate availability and turn tables quickly with real-time, automated table status updates straight from the POS 3. Keep staff happy by seating based on built-in cover counts and “next up” server rotations 4. Anticipate guest needs with notes, preferences, and VIP tags 5. Automate notifications and communicate with guests using 2-way SMS

Screenshots

Backbar4 screens
Toast Tables3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Backbar at 60% against Toast Tables's 20%. Backbar also leads on rating (3.6 vs 3.4). Toast Tables's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Backbar holds the better App Store score, 3.6 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 33 and 56 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Backbar's written reviews are positive against 20% of Toast Tables's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Backbar ships an update every 3 weeks, Toast Tables fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on July 26, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Backbar versus Toast Tables: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBackbarToast Tables
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.6 (33 ratings) — better3.4 (56 ratings)
Positive reviews60.0% of reviews — better20.0% of reviews
Number of ratings3356 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS15.1 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size32 MB51 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperBackbarToast, Inc.

Customer experience

Backbar

All ratings33 ratings
Positive60.6%
Neutral6.1%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews20 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral5.0%
Negative35.0%

Toast Tables

All ratings56 ratings
Positive57.1%
Neutral5.4%
Negative37.5%
Written reviews30 reviews
Positive20.0%
Neutral6.7%
Negative73.3%

In-app purchases

None

Backbar

No in-app purchases

None

Toast Tables

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Backbar free?
Backbar is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Toast Tables free?
Toast Tables is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Backbar or Toast Tables?
Backbar is rated higher. Backbar averages 3.6 out of 5 from 33 ratings, while Toast Tables averages 3.4 from 56 ratings.
Do Backbar or Toast Tables have ads?
Backbar shows ads; Toast Tables does not.
Which is updated more often, Backbar or Toast Tables?
Backbar ships an update every 3 weeks, and Toast Tables fortnightly. Most recently, Backbar was updated on July 26, 2026 and Toast Tables on September 24, 2026.

Other comparisons