Comparison

Backbar vs The Craft IQ

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

The Craft IQ

This app helps you easily create, manage, and batch cocktail recipes. It converts measurements, calculates ingredient quantities for any party size or business need, and helps with purchasing and conversions.

Highlights
  • Recipe creation and management
  • Automatic pour size conversion
  • Batch cocktail calculation by guest count
  • Batch cocktail calculation by batch size
  • Ingredient purchasing and shopping list
  • Unit and garnish conversion
  • Cocktail library with editable recipes
Features
Read full description

Why Craft IQ? Make your life easier, Craft IQ does the math. This is the tool that will streamline recipes for your industry or party needs. How is works Input your recipes into the easy to use template, choose your pour size and let Craft IQ do the work. Add dilution, garnishes, and floats, all aspects of drink building are covered. Head to the Batching section and find your exact measurements based on your party size or business needs. My Craft Create, construct, and compose your cocktail recipe compendium. Converts pours such as dashes, bar spoons, and rinses into exact ounce measurements. Calculates the precise total ounces in a cocktail, including small integers such as a bar spoon, egg white, and splashes. Share recipes between friends or a full bar program with colleagues. Batching Batch cocktails in three different avenues: ○ Based on guest count - Using your own recipe or one from our library, calculate the amount of every item needed for your guest count or party size, garnishes included. ○ Based on batch size - Calculates the amount of every item in a recipe needed to fill your par levels or container size, anywhere from 375ml bottles to multiple gallons. ○ Based on your main ingredient - Craft IQ will batch your recipe to fully optimize the recipe’s main ingredient and will calculate the quantity needed for the remainder of the items in the recipe. Calculates dilution rate based upon the shake intensity level desired. Predictively purchase for business needs. Purchase ingredients based on batch size needed, or enter your average weekly sales. Craft IQ will let you know how many bottles of any size to order. The Shopping list calculates the number of bottles needed to fulfill your par or guest count, based on your batch, and If the bottle size needed is not available, Craft IQ can convert your list to any bottle size available in real time. Conversion Conversions include a standard unit measuring tool, such as milliliters to ounces, cups to gallon, or liters to ounces. Discover practical bar conversions. Convert any number of 1.75 Liter bottles to 750ml bottles, or gallons to 1 liter bottles, or 375 ml bottles to gallons. All unit sizes can be converted. Includes a garnish conversion tool. Giving an average and accurate count of produce required, determined either by type of garnish or what is required for the specific number of cocktails desired. Craft IQ Library An ever evolving list of classic and modern cocktails for you to discover. Batch any cocktails within the Craft IQ Library for your party or business. Edit and add to your list of cocktails. Share edited drinks with your friends and colleagues. Back Bar Create your own liquor inventory within the back bar. Calculate cost of goods based upon bottle size. Utilize for either personal or professional use. Terms of use : https://thecraftiq.com/terms-and-conditions/ Privacy Policy: https://thecraftiq.com/privacy-policy/

Screenshots

Backbar4 screens
The Craft IQ4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: The Craft IQ at 5.0 against Backbar's 3.6. The Craft IQ also leads on ads (none vs shown). Backbar's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and ratings volume (33 vs 4). On price, update cadence, monetization model and device support 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. The Craft IQ sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Backbar asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

The Craft IQ holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Backbar has 33 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Backbar versus The Craft IQ: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBackbarThe Craft IQ
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.6 (33 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews60.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings33 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.1
Further details — not scored
Size32 MB43 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperBackbarShaun Prevatt

Customer experience

Backbar

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

The Craft IQ

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Backbar

No in-app purchases

6 purchases

The Craft IQ

Subscriptions6
  • Premium Version$1.991 Month
  • Bar Program$29.991 Month
  • Restaurant Program$99.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Catering$199.991 Month
  • Corporate$449.991 Month
  • Corporate Tier 2$899.991 Month

Questions

Is Backbar free?
Backbar is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is The Craft IQ free?
The Craft IQ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Backbar or The Craft IQ?
The Craft IQ is rated higher. Backbar averages 3.6 out of 5 from 33 ratings, while The Craft IQ averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Backbar or The Craft IQ have ads?
Backbar shows ads; The Craft IQ does not.
Which is updated more often, Backbar or The Craft IQ?
Backbar ships an update every 3 weeks, and The Craft IQ every 3 weeks. Most recently, Backbar was updated on October 19, 2026 and The Craft IQ on October 14, 2026.

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