Artisan? Cropster? Where Roast Monitor fits
An honest take. If another tool fits you better, we'll say so.
Competitor prices verified August 2026. They may change — check their official pages.
| Product | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Artisan | Free, open source | Native Phidget support. The incumbent. |
| artisan.plus HOME | €49/yr, capped 500 kg green/yr | 3 months free trial. |
| artisan.plus PRO | from €145/yr | Multi-user, multi-machine. No Spanish (EN/DE/IT/FR/PT/CN only). |
| Cropster Firescope Free | €0, up to 10 roasts/mo, 1 machine ≤6 kg | 14-day trial on paid tiers. |
| Cropster Firescope Starter | €26/mo or €260/yr, up to 200 roasts or 250 kg/mo | Includes basic inventory. |
| Cropster Core + | from €95/mo | Unlimited roasts, any machine size. |
| Roast Monitor · Tostadería | S/ 49.00/mo (≈ US$ 13.00) | 1 machine ≤6 kg. Spanish-first, soles, Yape, WhatsApp support. |
| Roast Monitor · Producción | S/ 149.00/mo (≈ US$ 39.00) | Up to 3 machines, any size, multi-site. The alternative to Cropster Core+ (€95/mo). |
When should you NOT use Roast Monitor?
We'd rather you choose well than feel stuck. We're not the best fit if:
- You roast under ~10 batches a month: Cropster Firescope Free is free at that volume.
- You need formal certifications and tax reporting: artisan.plus PRO leans that way.
- You're a large or multi-site operation: Cropster Core is built for that scale.
If none of that describes you — a small or mid-size roastery in Peru or Latin America that wants a live curve, green inventory, and real cost per kilo, in Spanish and in soles — that's exactly where we fit.