Compliance by MAPAL vs Culinary Key vs FreshCheq vs Hubl
Compliance is the digital checklist and food safety module of Mapal OS, a hospitality back-of-house platform. Culinary Key is a web-based food safety records system for UK kitchens. FreshCheq is restaurant software that replaces paper food safety and operations logs with digital ones. Hubl is a food safety app for UK kitchens that replaces paper diaries with digital temperature logs, checklists, delivery records, allergen records and documents. All four are listed under Digital Food Safety Checklists & Audits. Where the profiles show a difference, it is in price, audience and platforms.
Key differences
price
The vendors price on different terms. Culinary Key at GBP 40 per location per month; FreshCheq at USD 60 per month; Hubl at GBP 19 per site per month. The amounts cannot be compared directly. Compliance by MAPAL does not publish a starting price.
audience
The audiences they list differ. Listed for one product only, for example: Compliance by MAPAL: Multi-site restaurant and catering operators; Culinary Key: UK independent kitchens and cafes; FreshCheq: Restaurant franchises and multi-store brands; Hubl: UK restaurants, cafes and pubs.
platforms
They do not run on the same platforms. Compliance by MAPAL: Web; Culinary Key: Web; FreshCheq: Web, iOS, Android; Hubl: Web, iOS.
Side by side
| Field | Compliance by MAPAL | Culinary Key | FreshCheq | Hubl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Compliance is the digital checklist and food safety module of Mapal OS, a hospitality back-of-house platform. | Culinary Key is a web-based food safety records system for UK kitchens. | FreshCheq is restaurant software that replaces paper food safety and operations logs with digital ones. | Hubl is a food safety app for UK kitchens that replaces paper diaries with digital temperature logs, checklists, delivery records, allergen records and documents. |
| Best for | Multi-site restaurant and catering operators; Hotels and catering businesses | UK independent kitchens and cafes; Small multi-site food businesses | Restaurant franchises and multi-store brands; Independent restaurants going paperless; Operators facing third-party food safety audits | UK restaurants, cafes and pubs; Multi-site groups and franchises; Care homes and schools |
| Pricing model | Quote only | Subscription per location | Subscription | Subscription per location |
| Starting price | Not published | GBP 40 per location per month | USD 60 per month | GBP 19 per site per month |
| Free plan | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Free trial | Not published | Yes | Not published | Yes |
| Contract | Not published | No contract stated | Not published | None on monthly plans; 12 months on Venti Plus |
| Platforms | Web | Web | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS |
| Countries | France, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom | United Kingdom | Not published | United Kingdom |
| Languages | English, French, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish | English | Not published | Not published |
| Number of integrations | 7 | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Certifications | Not published | Not published | Not published | GDPR |
| Security practices | Published information security policy (no certification named) | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Founded | 2012 | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Headquarters | Not published | Not published | Not published | Berkhamsted, United Kingdom |
| Owner | Not published | Not published | Not published | Complete Food Safety |
| Last reviewed | 29 September 2026 | 29 September 2026 | 29 September 2026 | 29 September 2026 |
Integrations
No partner appears in every list.
Named only by Compliance by MAPAL
- ADP
- Alkimii
- BAYZAT
- Berger-Levrault
- cashpad
- Microsoft Azure
- Aloha
Named only by Culinary Key
Culinary Key does not name any integrations in the material we reviewed.
Named only by FreshCheq
FreshCheq does not name any integrations in the material we reviewed.
Named only by Hubl
Hubl does not name any integrations in the material we reviewed.
Which to choose
Compliance by MAPAL
Choose Compliance by MAPAL if you are in one of these groups: Multi-site restaurant and catering operators; Hotels and catering businesses.
Culinary Key
Choose Culinary Key if your business matches one of the audiences it is listed for: UK independent kitchens and cafes; Small multi-site food businesses.
Weaker fit: Businesses outside the UK: the product is built around UK rules such as Safer Food Better Business, FHRS ratings and the 14 UK allergens.
FreshCheq
Choose FreshCheq if you fit its listed audience: Restaurant franchises and multi-store brands; Independent restaurants going paperless; Operators facing third-party food safety audits.
Hubl
Choose Hubl if you are in one of these groups: UK restaurants, cafes and pubs; Multi-site groups and franchises; Care homes and schools.
What we could not confirm
Compliance by MAPAL
- Any price or plan
- Full integration list (the vendor shows logos without names)
- Contract term and renewal
- Supported temperature sensor brands
- Team size and funding
- Which country is headquarters
- Security certifications
Culinary Key
- Integrations
- Native mobile apps
- Founding year, headquarters, team size
- Customer names
- Security certifications and hosting
- Hardware such as sensors
FreshCheq
- Whether the price is per location
- Contract term and cancellation terms
- Company legal name, headquarters, founding year and team size
- Countries and languages supported
- Security certifications and hosting details
- App store listings (links not published on the site)
Hubl
- Named integrations
- Android availability and app store links
- Founding year and team size
- Security certifications beyond a UK GDPR statement
- Multi-site pricing
Go further
Sources
Facts on this page come from the pages below. Prices and features change, so confirm with each vendor before you buy.
Compliance by MAPAL, reviewed 29 September 2026
- Product pagehttps://mapal-os.com/en/solutions/compliance/
- Integrations logoshttps://mapal-os.com/en/solutions/integrations/
- Company history, foundinghttps://mapal-os.com/en/company/
- Industries, onboarding, supporthttps://mapal-os.com/en/industry/restaurant-operations-software/
- Offices, legal entityhttps://mapal-os.com/en/company/contact-us-at-mapal-os/
- Sites and countries claimedhttps://mapal-os.com/en/company/press-centre/
- Platform overviewhttps://mapal-os.com/en/mapal-os/
- Security policyhttps://mapal-os.com/en/security-policy/
Culinary Key, reviewed 29 September 2026
- Homepage: positioning, trial, company number, founderhttps://www.culinarykey.co.uk/
- Pricing tiers and trialhttps://www.culinarykey.co.uk/pricing
- Feature listhttps://www.culinarykey.co.uk/features
- About: audience, annual pricehttps://www.culinarykey.co.uk/about
- Renewal and cancellation termshttps://www.culinarykey.co.uk/legal/terms-of-service
- Page discoveryhttps://www.culinarykey.co.uk/sitemap.xml
FreshCheq, reviewed 29 September 2026
- Homepage: positioning, customer logoshttps://www.freshcheq.com
- Tools and onboardinghttps://www.freshcheq.com/how-it-works
- Pricehttps://www.freshcheq.com/pricing
- Users, hardware, platformshttps://www.freshcheq.com/faq
- Background and supporthttps://www.freshcheq.com/about
Hubl, reviewed 29 September 2026
- Overview, features, FAQhttps://hublapp.co.uk/
- Plans, contract termshttps://hublapp.co.uk/pricing
- Company backgroundhttps://hublapp.co.uk/about
- Integrations and APIhttps://hublapp.co.uk/food-safety-app-integrations/
- App Store mentionhttps://hublapp.co.uk/hubl-food-safety-diary