Predictable costs
Success = Higher costs
Ever feel like these charts do a terrible job of comparing anything? Us too.
Let's just talk about what matters.
Comparing roasting software feature-for-feature is a complex task. Both systems can track inventory, record roast profiles, and manage your green coffee. But there are fundamental differences in philosophy, pricing, and approach that could make a huge difference to your roastery.
Pricing that grows with you, not against you.
With Cropster's volume-based pricing model, the more you roast, the more you pay. That means your software costs increase as your business grows - turning your success into their profit. And with their recent sale to private equity, you can expect that squeeze to get tighter.
RoastLog offers a straightforward three-tier pricing structure based on the features you need, not how much coffee you roast. Whether you're producing 5kg or 5,000kg per month, your software costs remain the same. We believe software should be an enabler for your growth, not a penalty.
Let's do the math:
A roastery producing 2,000kg monthly pays the same with RoastLog as they did at 500kg. With Cropster, their software costs would have quadrupled.
Don't let software costs eat into your margins as you scale.
The sweet spot between free and too expensive
Artisan
Free and open-source, but limited to roast profile recording with minimal business features.
Great for home roasters and hobbyists, but lacking the tools growing businesses need.
RoastLog
Comprehensive features at a reasonable fixed price that doesn't increase with production volume.
Perfect for serious roasters who want powerful tools without unpredictable costs.
Cropster
Feature-rich but with a volume-based pricing model that gets increasingly expensive as you grow.
Popular but potentially budget-busting for growing roasteries.
RoastLog offers the perfect balance: more business functionality than Artisan without the punitive pricing model of Cropster. We're built for roasters who are serious about quality and growth.
Built by technologists, for roasters
RoastLog isn't a faceless corporation backed by private equity firms. We're Brian and Linsey – two guys with 50+ years of combined technology experience who have been serving the coffee industry for 15. When you reach out with a question or feature request, you're talking directly to the people who built the software.
RoastLog Support
Direct access to the founders who built the product
Cropster Support
Corporate support structure with multiple layers
There's something special about working with people who are personally invested in your success. We're not just maintaining software – we're building relationships with the roasters who use it.
15 years of insight and evolution
Since winning a Best New Product Award at the SCAA conference in 2010, we've been quietly refining our software based on real feedback from coffee roasters. Our fifth generation roasting software, RoastLogger, incorporates 15 years of industry insights.
What we do well:
- Intuitive roast profile recording that doesn't require an engineering degree
- Comprehensive inventory management that scales with your business
- Detailed sample and cupping note tracking
- Delivery and order management
- Multi-location support for growing businesses
- Hardware compatibility with virtually any roasting machine
And if there's something you need that we don't already do? Just ask. We're a small, agile team that can respond to customer needs without navigating corporate bureaucracy.
Ready to try RoastLog?
Join coffee roasters around the world who are discovering the best-kept secret in roasting software.