Brewery software costs run from 35 dollars a month to several thousand dollars a month, and the gap is not about quality. It is about scope. A taproom that needs a till and a keg count can run on 40 dollars a month. A brewery that distributes across three states needs production, inventory, sales, accounting and tax reporting in one system, and that system will cost ten times as much. The best software for breweries matches the scope to the brewery, so a small brewer does not pay for an enterprise ERP and a growing distributor does not outgrow a recipe app in a year.
This guide compares twelve tools on published prices where they exist, the job each one does best and the catch that only shows up after the trial ends. Ekos and Ollie, the two market leaders, both sell by custom quote, so this guide says so plainly and gives the published prices where they exist. Start with the shortlist, then read the reviews that match the way your brewery actually runs.
The Quick Shortlist
The table below matches each common brewery job to the single tool that handles it best. Use it to narrow the best software for breweries to two or three candidates before you read the full reviews. Prices are monthly list prices unless noted, and quote only means the vendor does not publish a starting price.
| Job | Best tool | Why it wins |
|---|---|---|
| Production and inventory for a craft brewery | Ekos | Market leader for craft beverage management |
| Sales and self distribution | Ollie | Ops from 201 dollars a month, flat price |
| Priced by output, unlimited users | Breww | From 34.99 dollars a month for up to 200 hL a year |
| Grain to glass production tracking | Beer30 | From 150 dollars a month |
| Production planning on a budget | BrewPlanner | From 50 dollars a month |
| Taproom POS and brewery management | Arryved | POS from 99 dollars a month |
| Keg tracking and logistics | Kegshoe | From 40 dollars a month |
| Production and duty for UK brewers | BrewMan | 50 pounds a month per user |
| Craft production and tank scheduling | BrewTraq | From 99 dollars a month |
| Small brewery production at a low yearly price | FermentIQ | 330 dollars a year |
| Free tier production and orders | BrewerSync | Free tier, paid from 45 euros a month |
| Simple production and inventory | Abbl | From 59 dollars a month |
How We Judged the Shortlist
A tool earned a place here only if it does a real brewery job in 2026, not if it added a beer photo to a generic inventory app. The best software for breweries was judged on five things that decide whether a brewery keeps paying after the first year.
First, production depth, from recipes and batch tracking to tank scheduling and quality data, because a batch that loses its history cannot be repeated or recalled. Second, whether the price is published or hidden behind a sales call, including implementation and training fees that change the real bill. Third, inventory and keg tracking, from grain to glass, because a keg that is lost in the field is money that never comes back.
Fourth, sales and distribution, from orders and deliveries to route planning and distributor reporting, because a brewery that cannot sell what it brews will not survive. Fifth, the catch, from quote only pricing that hides the cost until the demo to a UK tool that handles duty returns a US brewer will never file.
| Check before you buy | What to ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Batch tracking | Grain to glass, with lot numbers | A recall needs the full history |
| Keg tracking | Sensors, scans, or manual counts | Lost kegs are lost money |
| Pricing model | Per user, per litre, or flat | The model decides the real bill |
| Tax and compliance | TTB reporting and duty returns | Compliance errors cost more than software |
| Sales and distribution | Orders, routes and distributor tools | Selling is half the job |
| Data export | Can you take recipes and history with you | Leaving should not mean losing batches |
The 12 Tools, Reviewed One by One
The reviews below follow the same shape for every tool, starting price first, then the job it does best and the catch to check before you sign. The best software for breweries in this list ranges from a free tier to a custom quote, so read the price line as carefully as the feature list.
1. Ekos
Starting price Quote only. Best for Production and inventory for a craft brewery. Watch out No free trial and no free version, so the demo is the only test.
Ekos is the market leader for craft beverage management, and it is the most widely deployed purpose built brewery ERP in the category. The platform connects production, inventory, sales, accounting and reporting into one system, with real time visibility across operations. Breweries use it to track batches from grain to glass, manage raw materials, plan production and see cost of goods sold without a spreadsheet.
The strength is the inventory and production depth. Tank scheduling, quality data, order tracking and TTB compliance sit together, and integrations with QuickBooks, Shopify, Square and Xero keep the accounting clean. Dashboards show sales trends and performance, so a brewery can see which beer earns the money and which one only earns shelf space.
The catch is price and weight. Ekos sells by custom quote, offers no free trial and no free version, and buyers report that pricing can feel high for a smaller craft operation. A small taproom focused brewpub may find it overkill and slow to configure. Get the quote in writing, ask for the implementation cost, and trial the demo with a real batch before signing.
2. Ollie
Starting price Ops 201 dollars a month, Standard 366 dollars a month. Best for Sales and self distribution. Watch out The flat price stays the same as volume grows, which helps a growing brewery but costs more up front than a per litre tool.
Ollie, formerly Orchestrated Beer, is the sales and self distribution pick, built on a modern platform that covers production, sales, CRM and route planning. Ops costs 201 dollars a month for brewery production, and Standard costs 366 dollars a month for production, sales and marketing, with a three year price lock offered on the pricing page. The price does not rise as the brewery grows, so a brewer can budget the same number in year three as in year one.
The strength is the sales side. Ollie Order offers a CRM built for breweries, with order processing, inventory, payments and reporting that let the sales team sell beer instead of chasing paperwork. Route planning and delivery tools suit a brewery that self distributes, because the driver, the order and the invoice all draw on the same record.
The catch is that Ollie is a subscription plus implementation product, and a very small brewery may find 201 dollars a month steep before it distributes. For a brewery that self distributes and wants one system for production and sales, the flat price is fair. For a taproom only brewery, a cheaper production tool will do.
3. Breww
Starting price From 34.99 dollars a month for up to 200 hL a year. Best for Priced by output, unlimited users. Watch out Prices exclude VAT, and the price rises with production volume.
Breww is priced on the beer a brewery makes, not the size of the team, which makes it the fairest pricing model on this list for a growing brewery. A brewery producing up to 200 hectolitres a year pays 34.99 dollars a month, with unlimited users on the plan, 30 days free and no setup fee. The price rises with output, so a brewery that brews more pays more, but the team size never changes the bill.
The strength is the modern cloud platform, built by a brewer who was frustrated with the older products on the market. Production, sales, inventory and duty returns are handled in one place, and the UK market focus means beer duty returns work out of the box. Every week more breweries switch to Breww, and the 30 day free trial lets a brewery test it with real batches.
The catch is the volume pricing. A brewery that grows from 200 to 1,500 hectolitres will see the monthly price rise, and a buyer should check the price at the volume it expects in a year, not just today. Add ons for advanced sales visit routing cost 19.99 dollars per enabled user a month, and advanced deliveries cost 39.99 dollars per vehicle a month.
4. Beer30
Starting price From 150 dollars a month. Best for Grain to glass production tracking. Watch out The price is a starting figure, so ask what the plan includes at that rate.
Beer30 is a fully customisable modular solution that helps breweries track data from grain to glass in real time. The production depth is the point, with tank scheduling, quality data and real time tracking that lets a brewer see where every batch stands without walking the floor with a clipboard.
The strength is the workflow depth for a growing craft brewery. Grain to glass tracking means the recipe, the batch, the tank and the package all share one history, so a quality problem can be traced to its source in minutes rather than days. That traceability is what a brewery needs when a batch goes wrong and the distributor calls.
The catch is that the starting price is only a starting price, and the modular structure means the full system costs more than the entry figure. A buyer should ask for the full module list, check which modules are included at 150 dollars a month, and trial the production tracking with a real brew week.
5. BrewPlanner
Starting price From 50 dollars a month. Best for Production planning on a budget. Watch out Planning is the strength, so a brewery that needs full ERP depth should look elsewhere.
BrewPlanner is the budget production planning pick, at 50 dollars a month for production planning. That low price makes it the easiest tool on this list to try for a small brewery that needs to plan batches, track production and stop guessing what to brew next.
The strength is simplicity. A startup or small brewery can plan production, manage the brew schedule and keep the core records straight without paying for sales, distribution and accounting modules it does not yet need. The tool is built for the core needs of a small, growing brewery, with ease of use and affordability as the point.
The catch is scope. BrewPlanner is a planning tool, not a full ERP, so a brewery that distributes, runs a taproom and needs tax reporting will outgrow it. Use it as a first step, and move to Ekos, Ollie or Breww when the business needs sales and distribution in the same system.
6. Arryved
Starting price POS from 99 dollars a month. Best for Taproom POS and brewery management. Watch out POS is the starting price, and brewery management is a separate part of the suite.
Arryved is a brewery built software suite for craft beverage operators, covering taproom service, production, online orders and payments in one platform. The POS is the industry leading part, with brewery management for operational insights, web solutions for ecommerce and websites, and secure in house payment processing.
The strength is the front of house. A taproom that serves beer, sells merchandise and takes online orders can run all three through Arryved, with guest relationships and revenue tracked together. The brewery management side adds production insights, so the taproom and the brewhouse share the same view of what is selling and what is left in the tanks.
The catch is the suite structure. The POS price starts at 99 dollars a month, but the full suite costs more, and a buyer should ask for the price of the parts it will actually use. A taproom only venue will find the POS fair. A production brewery should price the management side separately.
7. Kegshoe
Starting price From 40 dollars a month. Best for Keg tracking and logistics. Watch out It is a focused keg tool, not a full brewery system.
Kegshoe is a focused keg tracking system with CRM, sensors and Ekos syncing, built for breweries that manage keg returns and logistics. At 40 dollars a month, it is the cheapest focused tool on this list, and it does one job well rather than many jobs poorly.
The strength is the keg record. A brewery that loses kegs in the field loses money every month, and Kegshoe tracks where each keg is, when it went out and when it should come back. The Ekos sync means a brewery that already runs Ekos can add keg tracking without retyping the inventory.
The catch is scope. Kegshoe does not run production, sales or accounting, so a brewery still needs a core system beside it. Use it as an addition to Ekos or Breww, and price it as a logistics tool, not as a replacement for a brewery ERP.
8. BrewMan
Starting price 50 pounds a month per user. Best for Production and duty for UK brewers. Watch out Per user pricing multiplies with staff, so count the team before you compare.
BrewMan is a UK brewery tool with strong production, inventory and duty tools, priced at 50 pounds a month per user with a 14 day free trial. It suits a UK brewery that needs duty returns, production tracking and inventory in one system, with the compliance work built for the UK market.
The strength is the duty and production depth. A UK brewer that files duty returns every month needs software that handles the numbers correctly, and BrewMan is built for that job. Production and inventory sit beside the duty work, so the batch, the stock and the tax return all draw on the same record.
The catch is the per user price. A brewery with five users pays 250 pounds a month, which is more than Breww at a similar size, and a buyer should compare the per user total against a flat or per litre tool. A UK brewery that values duty accuracy will find it worth it. A US brewery should look at a US tool instead.
9. BrewTraq
Starting price From 99 dollars a month. Best for Craft production and tank scheduling. Watch out The price is a starting figure, so check what the plan includes.
BrewTraq Craft is a production tool for craft breweries, at 99 dollars a month, covering production tracking, tank scheduling and the core brewhouse workflow. It suits a brewery that needs to know where every tank stands, what is fermenting and what is ready to package, without paying for a full ERP.
The strength is the tank view. A brewer can see the whole brewhouse at a glance, plan the next brew around tank availability and avoid the clash where two batches need the same tank on the same day. That scheduling is the job that a spreadsheet handles badly and a production tool handles well.
The catch is that the starting price needs confirming, and the tool is narrower than Ekos or Ollie. A brewery that also needs sales, distribution and accounting should price the full stack, not just the production module, before committing.
10. FermentIQ
Starting price 330 dollars a year. Best for Small brewery production at a low yearly price. Watch out The yearly price is low, so check what the tool covers at that rate.
FermentIQ is the low yearly price pick, at 330 dollars a year, which works out to about 27.50 dollars a month. That price makes it the cheapest annual tool on this list for a small brewery that needs production tracking without a large monthly bill.
The strength is the value. A small brewery can track production, batches and the core workflow for less than a dollar a day, which is a price that a startup can justify before it has a distribution deal. The tool covers the production job without the sales and accounting modules that a small brewery does not yet need.
The catch is depth. A buyer should check what the 330 dollar a year plan includes, whether it covers tank scheduling, quality data and reporting, and whether the tool will still fit when the brewery grows. Use it as a low cost start, and move up when the business needs more.
11. BrewerSync
Starting price Free tier, paid from 45 euros a month. Best for Free tier production and orders. Watch out The free tier is a starting point, so check what the paid plan adds.
BrewerSync combines production, orders, inventory and deliveries, with a free starting tier and a paid plan from 45 euros a month. That free tier makes it the easiest tool on this list to test with real batches before paying anything.
The strength is the combined workflow. Production, orders, inventory and deliveries sit together, so a brewery can brew a batch, sell it, track the stock and plan the delivery from one system. That breadth for a free tier is unusual, and it suits a small brewery that wants to try a full workflow before committing.
The catch is that free tiers change, and the paid plan at 45 euros a month is where the depth lives. A buyer should trial the free tier with a real brew week, check what the paid plan adds, and move up only when the free limits start to bite.
12. Abbl
Starting price From 59 dollars a month. Best for Simple production and inventory. Watch out Simplicity is the point, so a brewery that needs full ERP depth should look elsewhere.
Abbl is a simple production and inventory tool at 59 dollars a month, built for a brewery that wants the core job done without a complex ERP. Production, inventory and the basic workflow sit together in a system that a small team can learn in a day.
The strength is the ease of use. A brewery that is moving off paper does not need a tool that takes a month to configure, and Abbl is built to be running in a week. The price is fair for the scope, and the tool covers the production and inventory job that a small brewery feels every day.
The catch is scope. A brewery that distributes across states, runs a large taproom and needs tax reporting will outgrow Abbl, and should look at Ekos or Ollie instead. Use Abbl as a simple start, and move up when the business needs sales and distribution in the same system.
Side by Side Comparison
The table below puts the shortlist side by side on price, best job and free plan, so you can compare the published prices against the quote only tools at a glance.
| Tool | Starting price | Best for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ekos | Quote only | Production and inventory | No |
| Ollie | Ops 201 dollars a month | Sales and self distribution | No |
| Breww | From 34.99 dollars a month | Priced by output | 30 day trial |
| Beer30 | From 150 dollars a month | Grain to glass tracking | No |
| BrewPlanner | From 50 dollars a month | Production planning on a budget | No |
| Arryved | POS from 99 dollars a month | Taproom POS | No |
| Kegshoe | From 40 dollars a month | Keg tracking | Free trial |
| BrewMan | 50 pounds a month per user | Production and duty in the UK | 14 day trial |
| BrewTraq | From 99 dollars a month | Craft production and tank scheduling | No |
| FermentIQ | 330 dollars a year | Small brewery production | No |
| BrewerSync | Free tier, paid from 45 euros a month | Free tier production and orders | Yes |
| Abbl | From 59 dollars a month | Simple production and inventory | Yes |
How to Pick the Right Tool from the Best Software for Breweries
The right pick starts from the job that loses the brewery the most money, not from the longest feature list. A craft brewery with production and inventory chaos should buy Ekos or Breww, because batch tracking and stock control decide whether a batch can be repeated or recalled. A brewery that self distributes should buy Ollie, because sales, CRM and route planning decide whether the beer actually reaches the shelf. A taproom that lives on the till should buy Arryved, because POS and guest relationships decide whether the room earns its keep.
Budget the full bill, not the headline price. The table below shows what a small brewery actually pays in year one for the most common combinations, using published starting prices. Implementation, training and payment processing are the lines that surprise buyers, so ask for them in writing before you sign.
| Stack for one brewery | Monthly cost | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Breww, up to 200 hL a year | 34.99 dollars | Production, sales and duty, unlimited users |
| BrewPlanner plus Kegshoe | About 90 dollars | Production planning plus keg tracking |
| Ollie Ops | 201 dollars | Brewery production, flat price |
| Arryved POS | From 99 dollars | Taproom POS and guest relationships |
| Beer30 | From 150 dollars | Grain to glass production tracking |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest good brewery software to start with
Breww at 34.99 dollars a month for up to 200 hectolitres a year is the cheapest published entry with real production depth behind it, and it includes unlimited users and a 30 day free trial. BrewPlanner at 50 dollars a month is the cheapest way into production planning, and BrewerSync has a free tier for production and orders. Start with the job that loses you the most money, not with the cheapest tool overall.
Why do Ekos and Ollie hide their prices
Ekos sells by custom quote because the price depends on brewery size, modules, locations and implementation, and a small taproom and a multi state distributor buy the same product at very different prices. Ollie publishes its Ops price at 201 dollars a month and Standard at 366 dollars a month, so it is the more transparent of the two market leaders. The best software for breweries in this guide lists the published prices where they exist, and marks the rest as quote only, so you can see which vendors will talk price before a demo and which ones will not.
Which brewery software is best for a small craft brewery
Breww suits a small craft brewery that wants production, sales and duty in one modern cloud tool, priced by output with unlimited users. BrewPlanner suits a small brewery that only needs production planning at 50 dollars a month. Arryved suits a small brewery with a busy taproom that needs POS and guest relationships first. Trial the production tracking with a real brew week before you sign, because a tool that cannot track a batch from grain to glass will cost more than the subscription saves.
How much should a small brewery budget for software in year one
A realistic year one budget is 35 to 100 dollars a month for a production tool, and 200 to 400 dollars a month once you add sales, distribution and taproom POS. Implementation and training sit on top of the subscription for the larger systems, and Ekos has no free trial, so the demo is the only test. The best software for breweries is not the cheapest one on the list. It is the one that tracks every batch, finds every keg and sells every case without losing the history.
Our Verdict
If you buy one tool this quarter, buy Breww. At 34.99 dollars a month for up to 200 hectolitres a year, with unlimited users and a 30 day free trial, it covers the production job a small brewery feels every day, priced on the beer it makes rather than the size of the team. The best software for breweries earns its keep by tracking batches, finding kegs and selling cases, and Breww does all three from the first week, whether the win is a batch that can be repeated exactly or a duty return that files itself.
Whatever you pick, start with the leak, trial the production tracking with a real brew week, and keep the old brew log beside the new system for the first month. The best software for breweries on this list all work. The difference is whether the tool matches the job your brewery actually needs done, and whether you measure the return in batches tracked and kegs found rather than in features used.