Compare CostCook, Parsley, meez and a spreadsheet, job by job.

The real question is which one holds up when the count changes on a Thursday and the truck is due Friday morning.

Below is what each one does, where CostCook stops, and what each costs a month. The Parsley and meez columns were read off their own pricing pages on August 30, 2026, not from using their software.

Costing on a spreadsheet now? That column shows what you would have to build or type in, and then keep up, yourself.

The short version

CostCook fits the job when

one kitchen sells events and needs its inquiries, proposals, deposits, recipes, food cost, prep and buying to keep up with an event that keeps changing.

Keep comparing if you need

Lot tracking and FSMA 204
Fine-grained screen permissions
Several locations

All three are marked No in the table.

What each costs a month, from their own pages

CostCook

$49/month

Founding offer open now. Limited to the first 20 kitchens, locked in for life. Regular price $99/month per kitchen. Prices plus tax. 15 days free.

Parsley

$129 to $379

Three priced plans, plus a quote-only Enterprise plan. Billed monthly.

meez

$24 to $199

Three priced plans, plus a quote-only Enterprise plan. Billed monthly.

How to read a cell

Yes: It ships in the CostCook you would start today.
Coming: Not in the app you would start today. Coming features are not included in your trial or subscription.
No: CostCook does not do this.
Not listed: Not named on their own pricing page on the date below. It does not mean their product cannot do it; ask them before you decide.
A spreadsheet: A spreadsheet cell says what you would build and maintain yourself. It is a description of your work, not of what a spreadsheet is able to do.

Their columns were read from Parsley’s pricing page and meez’s pricing page on August 30, 2026. Prices and tiers move. If you spot a row that has gone stale,tell Rayan which row needs checking.

Take the product tour

Area 1 of 5

Recipes and costing

Recipe costing and pricing
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
Chef, $129
meez
Starter, $24
A spreadsheet
You build it
Recipe scaling and unit conversion
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
Chef, $129
meez
Starter, $24
A spreadsheet
You build it
Sub-recipes that cost through to the plate
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
Not listed
meez
Starter, $24
A spreadsheet
You build it
Menus costed per guest
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
Chef, $129
meez
Not listed
A spreadsheet
You build it
Trim yield on the recipe line
It moves what you buy, not only what it costs.
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
Not listed
meez
Starter, $24
A spreadsheet
You build it
Food cost percent against a target you set
Food cost only, not labor or overhead. Where the app shows a food-only gross margin, it is not business margin.
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
Chef, $129
meez
Starter, $24
A spreadsheet
You build it
A preloaded ingredient catalog
Around 1,500 ingredient names and supplier abbreviations help match your paperwork. You supply the pack sizes and prices.
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
Chef, $129
meez
Starter, $24
A spreadsheet
You key it inAround 1,500 names, plus the vendor abbreviations, typed once and corrected forever after.
USDA yields, densities and unit weights
Suggested ingredient conversions show their USDA source. Review and accept a suggestion before it fills a value.
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
Not listed
meez
Starter, $24
A spreadsheet
You key it inLooked up per ingredient, in the source, and kept beside it.

Recipes and costing: what CostCook does, against what Parsley and meez list on their pricing pages as of August 30, 2026, and against what you would build and maintain in a spreadsheet.
Capability	CostCook	Parsleytheir pricing page	meeztheir pricing page	A spreadsheetwhat you would maintain
Recipe costing and pricing	Yes	Chef, $129	Starter, $24	You build it
Recipe scaling and unit conversion	Yes	Chef, $129	Starter, $24	You build it
Sub-recipes that cost through to the plate	Yes	Not listed	Starter, $24	You build it
Menus costed per guest	Yes	Chef, $129	Not listed	You build it
Trim yield on the recipe lineIt moves what you buy, not only what it costs.	Yes	Not listed	Starter, $24	You build it
Food cost percent against a target you setFood cost only, not labor or overhead. Where the app shows a food-only gross margin, it is not business margin.	Yes	Chef, $129	Starter, $24	You build it
A preloaded ingredient catalogAround 1,500 ingredient names and supplier abbreviations help match your paperwork. You supply the pack sizes and prices.	Yes	Chef, $129	Starter, $24	You key it inAround 1,500 names, plus the vendor abbreviations, typed once and corrected forever after.
USDA yields, densities and unit weightsSuggested ingredient conversions show their USDA source. Review and accept a suggestion before it fills a value.	Yes	Not listed	Starter, $24	You key it inLooked up per ingredient, in the source, and kept beside it.

Area 2 of 5

Getting prices in

AI recipe import
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
Chef, $129
meez
Starter, $24
A spreadsheet
You key it in
Supplier order guides and price sheets
Applied row by row. A pack-size change refuses to apply quietly.
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
Chef, $129
meez
Premium, $199
A spreadsheet
You key it inEvery changed line, read off the sheet they sent and entered against the right pack.
Invoice scanning
Upload a photo, PDF, spreadsheet or Word document, or paste text. You look over what it read before anything saves.
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
$69/month add-on; also listed in Enterprise
meez
Premium, $199
A spreadsheet
You key it in
Where a price came from, on the price
The delivery record, invoice and date behind the price.
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
Not listed
meez
Not listed
A spreadsheet
You build itA column beside each price, filled in by whoever changed it.

Getting prices in: what CostCook does, against what Parsley and meez list on their pricing pages as of August 30, 2026, and against what you would build and maintain in a spreadsheet.
Capability	CostCook	Parsleytheir pricing page	meeztheir pricing page	A spreadsheetwhat you would maintain
AI recipe import	Yes	Chef, $129	Starter, $24	You key it in
Supplier order guides and price sheetsApplied row by row. A pack-size change refuses to apply quietly.	Yes	Chef, $129	Premium, $199	You key it inEvery changed line, read off the sheet they sent and entered against the right pack.
Invoice scanningUpload a photo, PDF, spreadsheet or Word document, or paste text. You look over what it read before anything saves.	Yes	$69/month add-on; also listed in Enterprise	Premium, $199	You key it in
Where a price came from, on the priceThe delivery record, invoice and date behind the price.	Yes	Not listed	Not listed	You build itA column beside each price, filled in by whoever changed it.

Area 3 of 5

Events and kitchen work

Inquiries and a follow-up pipeline
Take an inquiry before the date is decided, and name who follows up and when.
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
Not listed
meez
Not listed
A spreadsheet
You key it in
Proposals the client accepts on their phone
No login for the client. Their yes is not a booking. Book the event checks the agreement and deposit, or records why you proceeded without them.
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
Not listed
meez
Not listed
A spreadsheet
You build it
Agreements sent for e-signature
From your saved contract template, with the accepted proposal attached, or kept as a copy signed on paper.
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
Not listed
meez
Not listed
A spreadsheet
You build it
Event deposits tracked
What you asked for against what came in.
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
Not listed
meez
Not listed
A spreadsheet
You key it in
Card payment for event deposits and balances
The deposit and the balance are paid by card from an email link; a reminder goes out three days before the balance is due. You can still record a payment by hand, as a check, cash, a transfer or your own card processor.
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
Not listed
meez
Not listed
A spreadsheet
You key it in
A client book
Contacts, venues with access notes, and each client’s events and orders, for owners and managers.
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
Not listed
meez
Not listed
A spreadsheet
You build it
A calendar of booked orders
Each day counts its orders and vans against the limits you set, and an order says whether its day has room.
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
Business, $379
meez
Not listed
A spreadsheet
You build it
Prep lists scaled to the job
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
Business, $379
meez
Not listed
A spreadsheet
You build it
Production plans across several events
Two to twelve events plan as one run. Each still confirms and buys on its own.
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
Business, $379
meez
Not listed
A spreadsheet
You build it
Shopping by supplier in whole packs
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
Business, $379
meez
Starter, $24
A spreadsheet
You build it
Pack lists with equipment
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
Not listed
meez
Not listed
A spreadsheet
You build it
Purchase orders emailed to your suppliers
You see the exact body that was sent.
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
Not listed
meez
Not listed
A spreadsheet
You key it inThe rows go into one message per supplier.
Receiving against what you ordered
Mark what arrived, look over the quantities and prices, then save the delivery and the purchase is recorded.
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
Business, $379
meez
Not listed
A spreadsheet
You key it inWhat arrived comes back in by hand, against the order you sent.
Inventory
A physical count updated by recorded deliveries, waste and packed orders. Old counts are marked for checking.
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
Business, $379
meez
Pro, $119
A spreadsheet
You build it
Par levels per ingredient
A floor you set, and the shelf is flagged when it falls under. Judged only from a count it can trust, never from a guess.
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
Business, $379
meez
Not listed
A spreadsheet
You build it
Buying that tops up to par
Inventory > Build shopping list builds what to buy for confirmed events and your par, by supplier. Only a recent count is taken off the buy.
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
Business, $379
meez
Not listed
A spreadsheet
You build it

Events and kitchen work: what CostCook does, against what Parsley and meez list on their pricing pages as of August 30, 2026, and against what you would build and maintain in a spreadsheet.
Capability	CostCook	Parsleytheir pricing page	meeztheir pricing page	A spreadsheetwhat you would maintain
Inquiries and a follow-up pipelineTake an inquiry before the date is decided, and name who follows up and when.	Yes	Not listed	Not listed	You key it in
Proposals the client accepts on their phoneNo login for the client. Their yes is not a booking. Book the event checks the agreement and deposit, or records why you proceeded without them.	Yes	Not listed	Not listed	You build it
Agreements sent for e-signatureFrom your saved contract template, with the accepted proposal attached, or kept as a copy signed on paper.	Yes	Not listed	Not listed	You build it
Event deposits trackedWhat you asked for against what came in.	Yes	Not listed	Not listed	You key it in
Card payment for event deposits and balancesThe deposit and the balance are paid by card from an email link; a reminder goes out three days before the balance is due. You can still record a payment by hand, as a check, cash, a transfer or your own card processor.	Yes	Not listed	Not listed	You key it in
A client bookContacts, venues with access notes, and each client’s events and orders, for owners and managers.	Yes	Not listed	Not listed	You build it
A calendar of booked ordersEach day counts its orders and vans against the limits you set, and an order says whether its day has room.	Yes	Business, $379	Not listed	You build it
Prep lists scaled to the job	Yes	Business, $379	Not listed	You build it
Production plans across several eventsTwo to twelve events plan as one run. Each still confirms and buys on its own.	Yes	Business, $379	Not listed	You build it
Shopping by supplier in whole packs	Yes	Business, $379	Starter, $24	You build it
Pack lists with equipment	Yes	Not listed	Not listed	You build it
Purchase orders emailed to your suppliersYou see the exact body that was sent.	Yes	Not listed	Not listed	You key it inThe rows go into one message per supplier.
Receiving against what you orderedMark what arrived, look over the quantities and prices, then save the delivery and the purchase is recorded.	Yes	Business, $379	Not listed	You key it inWhat arrived comes back in by hand, against the order you sent.
InventoryA physical count updated by recorded deliveries, waste and packed orders. Old counts are marked for checking.	Yes	Business, $379	Pro, $119	You build it
Par levels per ingredientA floor you set, and the shelf is flagged when it falls under. Judged only from a count it can trust, never from a guess.	Yes	Business, $379	Not listed	You build it
Buying that tops up to parInventory > Build shopping list builds what to buy for confirmed events and your par, by supplier. Only a recent count is taken off the buy.	Yes	Business, $379	Not listed	You build it

Area 4 of 5

Compliance and labels

Allergen tagging
The nine major US allergens, rolled up from ingredient to recipe, on the pack list. A name match alone does not confirm allergen information. A chef override needs a written reason.
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
Chef Plus, $189
meez
Enterprise, custom
A spreadsheet
You key it inNine allergens per ingredient, then rolled up to the recipe yourself.
Full nutrition facts
All fifteen nutrients an FDA label carries, computed per recipe from USDA FoodData Central profiles. It tells you when a profile or a conversion is missing instead of quietly totalling an incomplete dish.
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
Chef Plus, $189
meez
Enterprise, custom
A spreadsheet
You key it inFifteen nutrients per ingredient before anything totals.
Printed USDA nutrition labels
Printed from the recipe through the browser onto label stock, once every source is confirmed and no line is blank. The sheet says it is a calculated estimate, not a retail-label compliance claim.
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
Chef Plus, $189
meez
Enterprise, custom
A spreadsheet
You build it
Guest restrictions checked per dish
Five diets and the nine major US allergens, judged from confirmed ingredient facts on every dish of an order, and printed on the prep and pack lists. It detects and never certifies: halal and kosher cap at check, and an unreviewed ingredient is never clear.
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
Chef Plus, $189
meez
Not listed
A spreadsheet
You key it in
Lot tracking and FSMA 204
CostCook does not provide lot tracking. Check this requirement before choosing a tool.
CostCook
No
Parsley
Enterprise, call for quote
meez
Not listed
A spreadsheet
You build itCostCook does not support this. In a spreadsheet, you would build and check it yourself.
Kitchen label printing
Choose storage, settle the use-by date, print one numbered label per container through the browser, and keep the frozen record for reprints. No direct printer connection.
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
$59/month add-on
meez
Not listed
A spreadsheet
You build it

Compliance and labels: what CostCook does, against what Parsley and meez list on their pricing pages as of August 30, 2026, and against what you would build and maintain in a spreadsheet.
Capability	CostCook	Parsleytheir pricing page	meeztheir pricing page	A spreadsheetwhat you would maintain
Allergen taggingThe nine major US allergens, rolled up from ingredient to recipe, on the pack list. A name match alone does not confirm allergen information. A chef override needs a written reason.	Yes	Chef Plus, $189	Enterprise, custom	You key it inNine allergens per ingredient, then rolled up to the recipe yourself.
Full nutrition factsAll fifteen nutrients an FDA label carries, computed per recipe from USDA FoodData Central profiles. It tells you when a profile or a conversion is missing instead of quietly totalling an incomplete dish.	Yes	Chef Plus, $189	Enterprise, custom	You key it inFifteen nutrients per ingredient before anything totals.
Printed USDA nutrition labelsPrinted from the recipe through the browser onto label stock, once every source is confirmed and no line is blank. The sheet says it is a calculated estimate, not a retail-label compliance claim.	Yes	Chef Plus, $189	Enterprise, custom	You build it
Guest restrictions checked per dishFive diets and the nine major US allergens, judged from confirmed ingredient facts on every dish of an order, and printed on the prep and pack lists. It detects and never certifies: halal and kosher cap at check, and an unreviewed ingredient is never clear.	Yes	Chef Plus, $189	Not listed	You key it in
Lot tracking and FSMA 204CostCook does not provide lot tracking. Check this requirement before choosing a tool.	No	Enterprise, call for quote	Not listed	You build itCostCook does not support this. In a spreadsheet, you would build and check it yourself.
Kitchen label printingChoose storage, settle the use-by date, print one numbered label per container through the browser, and keep the frozen record for reprints. No direct printer connection.	Yes	$59/month add-on	Not listed	You build it

Area 5 of 5

Team and connections

Unlimited teammates
During launch, on the one plan. No per-device count.
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
Business, $379
meez
Pro, $119, five active devices
A spreadsheet
You build itThe file shares for free. Two people in the same cell at once is the part you manage.
Role-aware sensitive actions
Owner, Manager and Staff have different permissions for billing, the team, recipe publishing and Sage, and Staff never see costs, Analytics or the Clients book.
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
Business, $379
meez
Starter, $24
A spreadsheet
You build it
Fine-grained screen permissions
No custom roles or per-screen permission grid. The role draws the line: Staff never see costs.
CostCook
No
Parsley
Business, $379
meez
Not listed
A spreadsheet
You build itCostCook does not support this. In a spreadsheet, you would build and check it yourself.
English and Spanish
Coming soon. CostCook is English only today; no date is promised.
CostCook
Coming
Parsley
Business, $379
meez
Not listed
A spreadsheet
You key it in
Several locations
One subscription covers one kitchen.
CostCook
No
Parsley
Enterprise, call for quote
meez
Premium, $199; added recipe-viewer locations $60/month each
A spreadsheet
You build itCostCook does not support this. In a spreadsheet, you would build and check it yourself.
Point of sale
Square is not available today. CostCook does not send menus to your till or import its sales.
CostCook
Coming
Parsley
Business, $379
meez
Enterprise, custom
A spreadsheet
You build it
Accounting
QuickBooks Online is not available today. There is no accounting sync and no release date is promised.
CostCook
Coming
Parsley
Not listed
meez
Restaurant365 sync, $199/month plus setup fee
A spreadsheet
You build it
An API to build against
CostCook
Coming
Parsley
Business, $379
meez
Enterprise, custom
A spreadsheet
You build it
An assistant that answers from your numbers
Sage reads your records with twenty-two read-only tools, shows its sources, helps during setup and can prepare three kinds of draft for an owner or manager to approve: the kitchen shopping list, one order’s shopping list, and a guest-count change on a draft order.
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
Not listed
meez
Enterprise, custom
A spreadsheet
You build it
Read previously loaded orders offline
Previously loaded order pages stay readable offline and show when they were saved. Reconnect to make changes.
CostCook
Yes
Parsley
Not listed
meez
Not listed
A spreadsheet
You build it

Team and connections: what CostCook does, against what Parsley and meez list on their pricing pages as of August 30, 2026, and against what you would build and maintain in a spreadsheet.
Capability	CostCook	Parsleytheir pricing page	meeztheir pricing page	A spreadsheetwhat you would maintain
Unlimited teammatesDuring launch, on the one plan. No per-device count.	Yes	Business, $379	Pro, $119, five active devices	You build itThe file shares for free. Two people in the same cell at once is the part you manage.
Role-aware sensitive actionsOwner, Manager and Staff have different permissions for billing, the team, recipe publishing and Sage, and Staff never see costs, Analytics or the Clients book.	Yes	Business, $379	Starter, $24	You build it
Fine-grained screen permissionsNo custom roles or per-screen permission grid. The role draws the line: Staff never see costs.	No	Business, $379	Not listed	You build itCostCook does not support this. In a spreadsheet, you would build and check it yourself.
English and SpanishComing soon. CostCook is English only today; no date is promised.	Coming	Business, $379	Not listed	You key it in
Several locationsOne subscription covers one kitchen.	No	Enterprise, call for quote	Premium, $199; added recipe-viewer locations $60/month each	You build itCostCook does not support this. In a spreadsheet, you would build and check it yourself.
Point of saleSquare is not available today. CostCook does not send menus to your till or import its sales.	Coming	Business, $379	Enterprise, custom	You build it
AccountingQuickBooks Online is not available today. There is no accounting sync and no release date is promised.	Coming	Not listed	Restaurant365 sync, $199/month plus setup fee	You build it
An API to build against	Coming	Business, $379	Enterprise, custom	You build it
An assistant that answers from your numbersSage reads your records with twenty-two read-only tools, shows its sources, helps during setup and can prepare three kinds of draft for an owner or manager to approve: the kitchen shopping list, one order’s shopping list, and a guest-count change on a draft order.	Yes	Not listed	Enterprise, custom	You build it
Read previously loaded orders offlinePreviously loaded order pages stay readable offline and show when they were saved. Reconnect to make changes.	Yes	Not listed	Not listed	You build it

Four rules for when the event changes

Each one is a place where software that guesses has burned a caterer.

A confirmed quote stays confirmed. Once you press Confirm order, the order’s plan and costing freeze. Prices that move next week move the next quote, never the one you already gave someone.
Receiving is the order you sent. The checklist starts from what you ordered, and anything short stays in view until you follow it up. Saving the delivery records the purchase and updates eligible ingredient prices.
A missing price stops the costing. It does not quietly become zero and hand you a plate cost that is wrong by the price of the beef.
The month says what it does not know. It sets what the food should have cost against what you actually spent. Only the waste you log is called waste. The rest of the gap stays a gap.

Bring one real menu and get your answer.

If a row marked No is the one you need, one of the others may be the better buy, and I would rather you knew that now than after a month. Start with the next menu you need to cost.

Start free trial Book 15 minutes

Founding offer open now: 15 days free, then $49/month per kitchen, locked in for life. Limited to the first 20 kitchens. Regular price $99/month per kitchen; unlimited crew. Prices plus tax. Card required; $0 today. Cancel before day 16 in Settings → Billing, no call required. What to prepare · Plan and team limits