Comparison
DMs aren't a competitor: that's where your customers are. Trouble starts when the order, the quote, the deposit and the date live in a message thread. Patissio doesn't replace Instagram, it plugs into it.
Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok do one thing better than any software: show your cakes to people who didn't know you yesterday. A story, a cutting video, and the messages arrive. For getting known, nothing replaces them — and Patissio doesn't try to.
What breaks is what comes next: “how much for 20 people?”, “are you free Saturday?”, “I sent the transfer”. Every order becomes ten messages to reread, a price worked out in your head, a deposit to check in your banking app, a date written down somewhere. Patissio takes over that part: paste your Instagram profile, your shop is generated, and the link in bio points to a place where the customer orders, pays the deposit and picks a free day. Item by item:
| Feature | Patissio | DM |
|---|---|---|
| Getting known | Storefront indexed by Google + local directory; Instagram stays your best channel | Unbeatable: stories, reels, the algorithm |
| Order intake | The customer orders on your shop; the order is created with every detail | A thread to reread to find the size, the date, the address |
| Up-to-date catalogue and prices | Catalogue with prices, photos and options, always current | Expired stories, prices asked again in every message |
| Custom quotes | Quote sent from the order, versioned | A price given off the top of your head in the chat |
| Customisable quote form | Yes: your questions, inspiration photos, options (Pro) | No, you ask the same questions every time |
| Online deposit | Stripe deposit at order time, date locked, balance in one click | Transfer or Lydia to request, then check in your banking app |
| Calendar and capacity | The customer sees your open days; daily capacity is respected | “Saturday is full” repeated twenty times, double booking possible |
| Custom domain name | Yes (Premium) | No, a link in bio |
| Customer history | Customer record, past orders, messages in one place | Scattered across three apps |
| Search directory for customers | Yes, “Find a pastry chef / caterer” near you | Discovery by algorithm, no local search |
| Verified reviews | Yes, requested after every order, tied to a real order | Screenshots of messages in stories, unverifiable |
| Useful notifications | New order, deposit received, reminder, no noise | All the time, about everything: the order gets lost between two likes |
| On a phone | Mobile dashboard, installable like an app | Native, it's their home turf |
| Price | Starter free, Pro €29/month, Premium €49/month | Free (paid in time) |
Comparison drawn up on 23 August 2026 from typical spreadsheet use (Excel, Google Sheets) and Patissio's features. Report any error to contact@patissio.com and we'll fix it.
your DMs overflow in the evening, you've already lost an order for answering too late, or you no longer know who paid what: keep Instagram as the storefront and let the order happen elsewhere.
you make a few cakes a month for people you know, the conversation is part of the fun and every order fits in three messages: DMs are enough, and they're free.
The Starter plan is free, no credit card: build your showcase in ten minutes and see whether Patissio is the right fit.