Choosing the right tools to manage your bar or restaurant's beverage program can be a game-changer for your efficiency and profitability. Two names you might encounter are Backbar, known for its robust inventory management, and Provi, a popular beverage ordering marketplace. While both aim to simplify aspects of beverage operations, they serve different primary functions.
This post breaks down Backbar vs. Provi to help you decide which platform (or if both) best fits your needs in 2025.
We'll look at their core strengths, key features, and ideal use cases, making it easier for you to select the best fit for your establishment.
At A Glance
| Feature Focus | Backbar | Provi |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Function | Beverage Inventory Management & Cost Control | Beverage Ordering Marketplace & Distributor Hub |
| Core Strength | Detailed Inventory Tracking, Pour Costs, Recipe Management | Streamlined Ordering from Multiple Distributors, Price Discovery |
| Inventory Management | Advanced, granular, count-focused | Basic, primarily to inform reordering |
| Beverage Ordering | Direct to connected distributors, purchase orders | Extensive marketplace, multi-distributor orders |
| Pricing Model | Free tier available, tiered paid plans | Primarily free for retailers (monetizes via suppliers/data) |
| POS Integration | Yes, for sales data & variance reporting | Yes, for sales data to inform ordering trends |
| Ideal User | Bars needing tight inventory control, recipe costing, and pour cost analysis | Bars wanting to consolidate and streamline ordering from various distributors |
1. Core Focus
- Backbar: At its heart, Backbar is an inventory management system. It's built to help you know exactly what you have, what you're using, your pour costs, and where discrepancies lie. Think detailed counts, variance reports, and recipe costing.
- Provi: Provi's primary strength is as an online beverage ordering marketplace. It connects you with a wide network of local distributors, allowing you to browse products, compare prices (where available), and place orders digitally.
2. Inventory Management Capabilities
- Backbar: This is Backbar's specialty.
- Backbar offers robust, granular inventory features including:
- Fast mobile counting (partial bottles, full cases).
- Purchase tracking and invoice reconciliation.
- Variance reporting (actual vs. theoretical usage).
- Recipe costing and pour cost analysis.
- Perpetual inventory capabilities.
- Backbar offers robust, granular inventory features including:
- Provi: Provi does offer some inventory functionalities, but they are generally lighter and designed to support its ordering function.
- Provi's inventory tools help you track what you've ordered through their platform and can assist in identifying reorder points. It's less focused on the detailed counting, cost analysis, and variance tracking that dedicated inventory systems like Backbar provide.
- Provi's inventory tools help you track what you've ordered through their platform and can assist in identifying reorder points. It's less focused on the detailed counting, cost analysis, and variance tracking that dedicated inventory systems like Backbar provide.
3. Beverage Ordering Process
- Backbar: Backbar facilitates ordering by allowing you to generate purchase orders based on your inventory par levels and send them to your connected distributors. It centralizes your ordering records alongside your inventory data.
- With Backbar, ordering is an extension of its inventory system, helping you order what you need based on precise stock levels.
- With Backbar, ordering is an extension of its inventory system, helping you order what you need based on precise stock levels.
- Provi: This is Provi's core.
- Provi provides a comprehensive platform to:
- Browse digital catalogs from numerous distributors.
- Consolidate orders for multiple distributors in one cart.
- Discover new products and see local availability.
- Communicate with sales reps.
- Provi provides a comprehensive platform to:
4. Pricing and Plans
- Backbar:
- Backbar offers a "Free Forever" plan with core inventory features, making it accessible for smaller establishments or those new to inventory software. Paid plans add advanced features, unlimited locations, and more integrations.
- Provi:
- Provi is generally free for retail establishments (bars, restaurants, liquor stores). Their revenue model typically involves fees from suppliers/brands for premium placements, data insights, and advertising on the platform.
- Provi is generally free for retail establishments (bars, restaurants, liquor stores). Their revenue model typically involves fees from suppliers/brands for premium placements, data insights, and advertising on the platform.
5. Integrations (e.g., POS, Accounting)
- Backbar:
- Backbar integrates with leading POS systems to pull sales data, which is crucial for calculating theoretical usage and accurate variance reports. It may also offer accounting integrations.
- Provi:
- Provi also integrates with POS systems, primarily to provide sales data that can inform ordering trends and help users understand what's selling. They also offer integrations for payments (ProviPay) and potentially accounting.
- Provi also integrates with POS systems, primarily to provide sales data that can inform ordering trends and help users understand what's selling. They also offer integrations for payments (ProviPay) and potentially accounting.
Key Differences Summarized
- Focus: Backbar is inventory-first; Provi is ordering-marketplace-first.
- Inventory Depth: Backbar offers deep, granular inventory management; Provi's inventory is more supplementary.
- Ordering Scope: Provi offers a broad marketplace with many distributors; Backbar's ordering is more direct based on inventory needs.
- Primary Value (Backbar): Knowing exactly what you have, your costs, and reducing waste/variance.
- Primary Value (Provi): Simplifying and centralizing the beverage ordering process from multiple suppliers.
Who Should Choose Backbar?
You should choose Backbar if your primary needs are:
- Gaining tight control over your beverage inventory.
- Accurately tracking pour costs and recipe profitability.
- Reducing variance, spillage, and potential theft.
- Detailed reporting on inventory usage and costs.
- A system that can start free and scale with your business's inventory management needs.
Who Should Choose Provi?
You should choose Provi if your primary needs are:
- Streamlining the ordering process from multiple distributors.
- Easily Browse products and (where available) comparing prices from different suppliers.
- A centralized hub for communicating with sales reps and managing orders.
- A free platform focused on making the purchasing side of beverage management more efficient.
Can They Work Together?
Interestingly, Backbar and Provi are not necessarily mutually exclusive. A bar could potentially use:
- Backbar for its detailed internal inventory counts, recipe costing, and variance analysis.
- Provi as its preferred platform for placing orders with distributors once inventory needs are identified (perhaps using data from Backbar to inform what to order via Provi).
However, this would involve managing two platforms. For many, choosing the one that solves their biggest pain point first is key.
Both Backbar and Provi offer valuable tools for modern bars and restaurants. The best choice depends on your establishment's specific challenges and priorities.
If deep inventory control, cost analysis, and understanding your beverage usage down to the last drop are paramount, Backbar is designed from the ground up for these tasks and offers a powerful free starting point.
If your main challenge is wrangling orders across multiple distributors and seeking a more efficient purchasing workflow, Provi provides a robust marketplace solution.
Ready to get a clear view of your beverage inventory and costs? Learn more about Backbar's features or sign up for a free Backbar account today.
