Batchwell

How Batchwell compares.

There are good tools for makers already, and some of them do things Batchwell doesn't. Here's what each one is best at, and when Batchwell fits.

Side by side

The jobs a maker does, and how each tool handles them. We checked each tool's own pages and published prices in October 2026. Features and prices change, so check with them before you decide.

  • Does this
  • Partial Does some of it
  • Not something it offers, as far as we could find
  • Not checked We couldn't confirm either way
How Batchwell, Stocksmith, Katana, SoapCalc, Hotplate and a spreadsheet handle the jobs a maker does
Job Batchwell Stocksmith formerly Craftybase Katana SoapCalc Hotplate A spreadsheet
Batch records & lot codes Yes. A lot code on every batch, in your own prefix. Yes. Each batch made gets a record and a lot number. Yes. Batch numbers on materials and products. No. No. Partial If you set it up and keep it up.
Trace & recall Yes. Back to supplier lots, forward to the orders and markets a lot most likely went to, and a recall path from the product. Yes. A report of which products used a lot and which customers got them. Partial Batch tracking is included. The full trace explorer and mock recalls are a paid add-on. No. No. Partial By hand, if every record is there.
Ingredient lots & landed cost Yes. One freight charge split across a whole invoice by weight or cost, to the cent. Yes. Supplier lots linked to batches, with a running average cost. Yes. Shipping and other costs spread across a purchase order. No. No. Partial With formulas you build.
Recipe versions Yes. Dated versions, from test batch to retired or replaced. Not checked Recipes as multi-level bills of materials. We couldn't confirm versions. Not checked Bills of materials. We couldn't confirm versions. No. No. Partial A new tab for each version.
Soap lye calculator Yes. NaOH and KOH, superfat and water. No soap quality numbers yet. No. A free soap cost calculator, not a lye one. No. Yes. NaOH, KOH or both, 150+ oils, and soap qualities like hardness and lather. No. Partial Only as good as your formulas.
Cottage food labels & allergens Yes. Ingredient statement and allergens from the batch. No nutrition panel. Not checked Not checked No. No. Partial Typed by hand.
Body care & candle labels Yes. INCI names heaviest first, US and metric net contents, a reaction contact, and the candle WARNING block, from the batch. Not checked Not checked Not checked Not checked Partial Typed by hand.
Market planning & packing lists Yes. What to make for each market, a packing list, reminder emails and calendar alerts. Not checked Partial Production planning from sales orders, not built around markets. No. Partial Prep lists for each pre-order drop. Partial A checklist you keep yourself.
Shopify sync Yes. Orders and refunds come in live. It only reads your store, so it doesn't update Shopify stock. Etsy and Square sales come in from their files. Yes. Shopify and eight other channels, including Etsy and Faire. Stock goes back to Shopify and Etsy listings. Yes. Shopify, plus Amazon, WooCommerce and BigCommerce. No. No. It has its own storefront instead. Partial By export, or with an add-on.
Pricing & know your worth Yes. What each sale leaves after fees and your time, and what that is per hour. Yes. Price suggestions from a target margin, with Etsy fees counted. Not checked No. No. Partial With formulas you build.
Expenses & taxes Yes. Receipts, mileage, profit & loss by channel, and a tax pack for your preparer. Yes. Expenses, profit & loss and a Schedule C report. Partial Sends invoices and bills to QuickBooks Online or Xero. No. No. Partial If you keep it up all year.
Compliance tracking Yes. Licenses, insurance, certifications and their dates. State items cover Texas for now. Partial Batch records and traceability for MoCRA. It doesn't file FDA registrations. Not checked No. No. Partial A list you keep yourself.
Works offline on a phone Partial A batch in progress keeps saving with no signal. The rest needs a connection. Not checked Not checked Not checked Not checked Partial Depends on your spreadsheet app.
Price Free in the beta, then $15 a month, no caps (founding makers $9). Pricing From $24 a month, or $240 a year. 14-day free trial. Free for up to 30 SKUs. Bigger plans are paid. Free, with no sign-up. No monthly fee. Customers pay 5% + 55¢ per order, and you pay card processing of 2.9% + 30¢. Free, or what you already pay for the app.

Names are their owners' trademarks. None of these companies has reviewed or endorsed this page.

What each is best at

Stocksmith
A full inventory and costing tool built for makers, with a much longer track record than Batchwell. Its biggest strength is sales channels: orders come in from Etsy, Shopify, Faire, Square, Amazon and more, and stock goes back to your Shopify and Etsy listings.
Katana
Manufacturing software for growing businesses. Production planning, purchase orders with landed cost, and links to QuickBooks Online and Xero. A good fit once you have a team and a production schedule to run.
SoapCalc
A free, well-loved lye calculator with 150+ oils, fatty acids and soap qualities. If you design soap by its numbers, it's hard to beat.
Hotplate
Pre-order drops for food makers: a storefront, set ordering windows, text alerts, waitlists and prep lists, with no monthly fee. It's built for taking orders, not keeping batch records.
Square
Not in the table because it does a different job: taking cards at your booth. Its point of sale has a free plan, can take cards offline for a while, and charges per sale.
A spreadsheet
Free and endlessly flexible. It's a fine place to start, and it only knows what you remember to type in.

When Batchwell fits

You want the record made while you work
Weigh in at the bench on your phone, and the lot code, the supplier lots and the cost per unit are there when you're done.
Someone might ask what was in a batch
An inspector, a certifier or a customer with a reaction. Trace back to the supplier lot, forward to where it likely went, and recall from the product if you need to.
You sell at markets
Plan what to make for each one, pack from a list, get a reminder before you go, and see what the day left you per hour.
You want the money side in the same place
Expenses, mileage, profit & loss by channel and a tax pack, built from the same batches and sales.
You make more than one kind of thing
Soap, candles, cottage food, sewing, paper goods or crafts. Formulas by percent and patterns by the piece sit side by side, and fabric, trim and paper are counted in yards, inches or sheets beside oils in grams.

Batchwell might not be for you if…

We'd rather you pick the right tool than the wrong one.

Most of your sales are on Etsy or Faire
Live Etsy and Faire sync isn't built yet. Etsy sales come in from Etsy's download; Faire orders you'd record by hand. Stocksmith syncs both today.
You need a card reader or a till
Batchwell doesn't take payments. Use Square or another point of sale, then import Square's item sales file and it lands on that day's market.
You want an online shop or pre-orders
Batchwell has no storefront and no pre-orders. Hotplate is built for pre-order drops, and Shopify for a full shop.
You sell wholesale through an ordering portal
Batchwell plans wholesale orders but has no portal for buyers to order from.
You need size runs, or labels for sewing or paper
Patterns work by the piece, but one run can't yet mix sizes graded from one pattern. Labels print for cottage food, body care and candles; care, content and back-of-card labels aren't built yet.
You want your state's rules checked for you
The compliance checklist covers federal items and Texas for now. Other states are still to come.
You want a long track record
Batchwell is new and in beta. Stocksmith and Katana have been at this much longer.
You run a bigger production team
If you need purchase orders, production scheduling and accounting links, Katana is built for that.

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