Better Cater vs Total Party Planner

Better Cater is catering management software that runs an event from inquiry to invoice off a single event record. Total Party Planner (TPP) is web-based catering management software. Both are listed under Catering Management Software. Where the profiles show a difference, it is in price, free trials and audience.

Key differences

  • price

    The vendors price on different terms. Better Cater at USD 83 per month, billed annually; Total Party Planner at USD 119 per month. The amounts cannot be compared directly.

  • free trials

    Better Cater offers a free trial. Total Party Planner does not.

  • audience

    Audience differs between the profiles. Listed by one product alone: Better Cater: Wedding and event caterers; Total Party Planner: Caterers of any size.

  • integrations

    Better Cater names 1 integration and Total Party Planner names 9 integrations. No partner appears in every list.

  • company background

    By founding year, Better Cater (2011) and Total Party Planner (1997). By headquarters, Better Cater (San Francisco, United States) and Total Party Planner (Auburn, United States).

Side by side

Better Cater vs Total Party Planner: side-by-side comparison from published vendor information
FieldBetter CaterTotal Party Planner
What it isBetter Cater is catering management software that runs an event from inquiry to invoice off a single event record.Total Party Planner (TPP) is web-based catering management software.
Best forWedding and event caterers; Corporate and drop-off caterers; Restaurants and franchises adding catering; Food trucks and BBQ caterersCaterers of any size; Venues, banquet facilities and event organisers; Universities, stadiums and arenas; Food trucks and restaurants with a catering arm
Pricing modelSubscription per locationSubscription per plan, plus per extra user
Starting priceUSD 83 per month, billed annuallyUSD 119 per month
Free planNot publishedNo
Free trialYesNo
ContractMonth-to-month or annualNone for the software (month-to-month); TPP Pay is a one-year term
PlatformsWebWeb
CountriesUnited StatesNot published
LanguagesNot publishedNot published
Number of integrations19
CertificationsNot publishedPCI compliant
Security practicesFirewall, 24/7 server surveillance and regular patching (no certification named)Not published
Founded20111997
HeadquartersSan Francisco, United StatesAuburn, United States
OwnerNot publishedNot published
Last reviewed29 September 202629 September 2026

Integrations

No partner appears in every list.

Named only by Better Cater

  • Swipesum

Named only by Total Party Planner

  • ChefTec
  • Fullsteam
  • Google Calendar
  • Mailchimp
  • Nowsta
  • Outlook
  • prismm
  • QuickBooks
  • StaffMate

Which to choose

Better Cater

Choose Better Cater if you fit its listed audience: Wedding and event caterers; Corporate and drop-off caterers; Restaurants and franchises adding catering.

Total Party Planner

Choose Total Party Planner if you fit its listed audience: Caterers of any size; Venues, banquet facilities and event organisers; Universities, stadiums and arenas.

What we could not confirm

Better Cater

  • Per-user fee amount
  • Accounting, POS or other integrations
  • Countries served and languages
  • Team size, funding and legal registration
  • Security certifications
  • Whether online client payments are live in the new version (homepage says coming soon)

Total Party Planner

  • Mobile companion app name and store listings
  • Interface languages
  • Employee count and funding
  • Which countries the software itself is sold in (the vendor only says worldwide)
  • Setup fee: pricing page ($299) and FAQ ($600 to $1,000) disagree
  • The FAQ says TPP does not integrate with online ordering platforms, while the site sells TPP Order as its own add-on

Sources

Facts on this page come from the pages below. Prices and features change, so confirm with each vendor before you buy.