Comparison
Patissio's real competitor isn't software: it's the spreadsheet, the notebook and Instagram DMs. Here's what each does well, and where the spreadsheet gives up.
Excel (or Google Sheets) is where almost every pastry chef starts, and it has real strengths: free or already paid for, completely flexible, no training. One tab per month, one row per order, a “deposit received” column, a formula for ingredient prices. Under five orders a month, it's unbeatable.
The problem isn't the spreadsheet, it's everything it doesn't do: it doesn't take the order for you, doesn't ask for the deposit, doesn't tell the customer that Saturday is full, and doesn't turn into a storefront. Every order therefore goes through messages, manual typing and a bank transfer to watch. Patissio does that work; the table below compares item by item.
| Feature | Patissio | Excel |
|---|---|---|
| Order intake | The customer orders or requests a quote on your shop; the row creates itself | You retype every message and every call by hand |
| Custom quotes | Yes, quote sent from the order | Quote written separately, by hand |
| Customisable quote form | Yes, form builder: fields, photos, options (Pro) | No |
| Online deposit | Yes, configurable Stripe deposit, balance requested in one click | Transfer to request, then check |
| Calendar and capacity | Customers see your open days; daily capacity is respected | A planning tab with no guardrail: double bookings show up too late |
| Cost price | Ingredient sheets and recipes: cost and margin compute themselves | Possible with homemade formulas, fragile as soon as a price changes |
| Online storefront | A site in your name, catalogue, photos, built-in ordering | None: Instagram stays the storefront |
| Custom domain name | Yes (Premium) | No |
| Customer history | Customer record, order history, messages in one place | Columns: the conversation stays in your DMs |
| Notifications | New order, deposit received, reminders: by email and Telegram | None, you have to open the file |
| Workshops | Online booking and deposit, capacity, reminders (Premium) | A list of names, payments tracked elsewhere |
| Customer reviews | Requested automatically after the order, shown on your storefront | Screenshots of messages |
| Search directory for customers | Yes — “Find a pastry chef / caterer” directory, free on every plan | No |
| On a phone | Mobile dashboard, installable like an app | Readable, but painful to edit on a phone screen |
| Price | Starter free, Pro €29/month, Premium €49/month | Free or included in your office suite |
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.
you retype orders received by message, chase deposits, or have already taken two orders on the same day without noticing — in short, if managing is starting to eat into baking.
you have fewer than five orders a month, loyal customers who pay without reminders, and no need for a storefront: a clean sheet is enough, and it costs nothing.
The Starter plan is free, no credit card: build your showcase in ten minutes and see whether Patissio is the right fit.