6 Best Restaurant Inventory Management Software in 2026

Food costs eating into your margins?

Manual inventory counts don't work. They take hours. They're inaccurate. And by the time you spot a problem, money is already lost.

You need restaurant inventory management software that tracks stock automatically, catches waste before it happens, and keeps food costs under control.

The best restaurant inventory app does three things: verifies deliveries on the floor, tracks waste as it happens, and connects inventory to food safety compliance.

This guide breaks down the 6 best restaurant inventory software platforms. 

6 Best Restaurant Inventory Management Software

**

Rank, Platform, Focus, Key Strength, Best For

#1, Xenia, Inventory Operations, Receiving verification - waste tracking - food safety integration, Multi-location restaurants (5-500+ stores)

#2, MarketMan, Complex Menus & Vendors, Auto POs - invoice OCR - allergen tracking, Inventory-heavy restaurants

#3, Restaurant365, Accounting-Integrated Chains, Recipe costing - prime cost tracking, Data-driven multi-location chains

#4, xtraCHEF by Toast, Toast POS Users, Free entry - invoice OCR - auto-86, Toast ecosystem restaurants

#5, Restroworks, High-Volume Chains, Real-time stock- multi-outlet dashboards, Growing chains

#6, Craftable, Bars & Beverage, Pour costing - keg tracking, Beverage-heavy restaurants

**

1. Xenia - Best All-in-One Restaurant Operations Platform

• What it's for: Complete restaurant operations management that handles the operational side of inventory, receiving verification, stock checks, waste tracking, and vendor compliance
• G2 rating: 4.9/5
• Who uses it:  Demos Restaurants, Prince Street Pizza, Hillstone Restaurant Group, multi-unit restaurant operations
• What makes it different: Only platform combining inventory operations with food safety compliance, task management, and maintenance in one system

Most restaurant inventory apps track numbers. But someone still has to verify deliveries, check stock levels, log waste, and hold vendors accountable on the floor.

That's where Xenia fits. It handles everything that happens before and after inventory numbers get entered, the actual operational execution that makes inventory management work.

How Xenia's Inventory Operations Work

Receiving Verification: Staff completes digital receiving checklists on their phones when deliveries arrive.

Photo documentation of every delivery. Quantity verification against purchase orders. Quality checks with mandatory pass/fail. Vendor discrepancies logged instantly with photos.

No more disputes with suppliers. No more accepting wrong deliveries. Complete audit trail for every order received.

Stock Count Verification: Digital inventory count checklists replace paper count sheets.

Staff counts stock on phones. Managers see completion status in real-time. Discrepancies flagged automatically. Everything is timestamped and tracked.

Counts actually get done. On time. Every shift.

Waste Tracking: Digital waste logs with photo documentation.

Staff logs waste as it happens during prep and service. Photos required for large waste items. Patterns identified automatically across locations and time periods.

Managers see exactly where food is being wasted. Fix the problem before it costs more money.

Vendor Delivery Compliance: Every delivery verified against standards with photo proof.

Wrong items? Logged with photos instantly. Damaged products? Documented before acceptance. Short deliveries? Flagged and tracked for vendor follow-up.

Vendors stay accountable because everything is documented.

Food Safety Integration: Inventory checks connect directly to food safety compliance.

Receiving checklists include temperature checks for cold items. HACCP documentation links to stock records. Health inspection readiness built into daily inventory procedures.

One system for inventory operations and food safety. Not two separate tools.

AI-Powered Reporting: AI-generated summaries highlight waste trends, receiving discrepancies, and stock compliance gaps across all locations automatically.

Which locations have the most receiving issues? Where is waste highest? What vendors keep delivering short? Managers get answers without pulling reports manually.

How Xenia Compares to Dedicated Inventory Software

**

What You Need, Xenia, Dedicated Inventory Tools

Best for, Inventory operations on the floor, Recipe costing and accounting

Receiving verification, Photo checklists with vendor accountability, Basic receiving logs

Waste tracking, Photo documentation with pattern analysis, Manual waste entry

Food safety integration, Built into inventory workflows, Separate system

Stock counts, Digital checklists with real-time tracking, Manual count sheets

Operations integration, Tasks - maintenance - communication combined, Standalone inventory only

**

2. MarketMan 

• What it's for: Restaurant inventory management system with automated purchasing, invoice processing, and waste tracking
• G2 rating: 4.6/5
• Best for: Inventory-heavy restaurants with complex menus and multiple vendors

MarketMan is the best restaurant inventory software for restaurants managing complex menus and multiple suppliers.

Key features:

• Real-time stock tracking across locations
• Automated purchase orders with EDI vendor integration
• Invoice photo OCR—snap a photo, invoices update automatically
• Recipe costing with plate cost calculations
• Allergen tracking and menu tools
• Mobile app for counts and receiving
• Supplier price comparison
• Waste logs and variance reports

Good if: You have complex menus, multiple vendors, and need accurate allergen tracking.

Not good if: You're a small restaurant—entry price is high and setup takes 2-4 weeks.

3. Restaurant365 

• What it's for: Restaurant inventory management system fully integrated with accounting, labor, and back-office operations
• G2 rating: 4.6/5
• Best for: Multi-location chains wanting inventory and accounting in one platform

Restaurant365 combines inventory management software for restaurants with full accounting, making it the go-to for data-driven operations.

Key features:

• Theoretical vs. actual food cost tracking
• Recipe costing and variance analysis
• Multi-unit dashboards
• Waste tracking with prime cost alerts
• POS sync with Toast and Lightspeed
• Supplier invoice processing

Good if: You need inventory and accounting unified in one platform.

Not good if: You're a small operation—steep learning curve and high monthly cost.

4. xtraCHEF by Toast

• What it's for: Free restaurant inventory app for Toast POS users with invoice processing and recipe costing
• G2 rating: 4.5/5
• Best for: Restaurants already using Toast POS wanting free inventory management

xtraCHEF is the best free restaurant inventory app for Toast users. It syncs automatically with your POS, processes invoices with OCR, and flags menu items running low.

Key features:

• Invoice OCR and auto-parsing
• Recipe costing with POS sync
• Inventory variance analysis
• Waste tracking
• Auto-86 low stock items
• Delivery integration

Good if: You use Toast POS and want free inventory management to start.

Not good if: You don't use Toast—limited as a standalone tool.

5. Restroworks 

• What it's for: Restaurant inventory management app built for high-volume multi-outlet chains
• G2 rating: 4.6/5 (965 reviews)
• Best for: Fast-growing restaurant chains across multiple locations

Restroworks handles digital inventory tracking for restaurants at scale with real-time stock visibility and multi-outlet dashboards.

Key features:

• Real-time stock tracking
• Recipe management and costing
• Vendor ordering automation
• Wastage reports
• Multi-outlet dashboards
• POS sync

Good if: You're a growing chain needing high-volume inventory management at scale.

Not good if: You need strong Western vendor integrations or global supplier networks.

6. Craftable

• What it's for: Restaurant inventory software specifically for beverage management
• G2 rating: 4.4/5
• Best for: Bars and restaurants with high beverage revenue

Craftable tracks every pour down to the bottle, making it the most precise inventory app for restaurants with heavy bar operations.

Key features:

• Pour and beverage costing
• Keg and bottle tracking
• Barcode scanning
• Waste logs for beverages
• Sales variance reports
• Liquor compliance reports

Good if: Beverage cost control is your biggest challenge.

Not good if: You need food inventory management, primarily beverage-focused.

Restaurant Inventory Templates & Resources

Inventory & Food Safety:

• Food Inventory Log
• Food Receiving Log
• Food Safety Checklist
• HACCP Food Safety Template
• Food Allergen Log

Restaurant Operations:

• Restaurant Task Management
• Restaurant Opening Checklist
• Restaurant Closing Checklist
• Restaurant Kitchen Cleaning Daily
• Checklists & SOPs

Related Articles:

• Restaurant Automation Software
• Food Safety Compliance Software
• Restaurant Checklist App

Final Thoughts

Food costs are your biggest controllable expense.

Manual inventory doesn't control them. Paper count sheets miss waste. Manual orders create over-purchasing. Without recipe costing, you're guessing your margins.

The best restaurant inventory management software fixes the back-office side, recipe costing, automated purchasing, and POS sync. But you also need the operational side fixed, accurate receiving, waste documentation, and vendor accountability.

Xenia handles the floor. MarketMan or xtraCHEF handles the numbers. Together, you have complete restaurant inventory management from the delivery dock to daily reporting.

See how it works for your restaurants.