Migration guide
RoasterTools to Crate
RoasterTools is roastery software that plans roasting, blending, labeling and packaging from demand, with a wholesale portal on top. This guide is for roasters whose main job for the software is wholesale: cafes and shops ordering at their own prices, every week, without anyone typing the order in.
By the Crate teamUpdated
The short answer
- RoasterTools Organize is $199/month billed once a year and charges by the pound past 5,000 lb a month. Its recurring wholesale orders are a Beta feature, included from Automate at $499/month.
- Crate Growth is $80/month for up to 50 active buyers, with standing orders buyers manage themselves, invoicing, and no charge per pound roasted.
- RoasterTools downloads your customers and products, with price level columns, as CSV files from Settings, Import & Export, so the move starts from files you already have.
Why switch to Crate
- Standing orders on the plan most roasters need. On Crate Growth at $80/month, buyers set, change, skip and pause weekly, 14-day or 28-day orders in their portal. RoasterTools lists recurring orders as Beta, included from Automate at $499/month or as an add-on, and set up by you from an existing order.
- Recurring orders that can be paid. RoasterTools' help center says its recurring orders do not charge automatically and should not be used for prepay customers. Crate can charge a standing order to the buyer's saved card if you switch it on, or invoice it on terms.
- Every price list on every plan. RoasterTools lists 3 price levels on Organize and 10 on Automate, with unlimited only from Scale at $999/month, and caps non-coffee products at 50 on Organize. Crate does not limit price lists or products by plan, and you can set prices for a single customer.
- A bill that does not grow with your roast. RoasterTools bills by the green coffee on processed orders, with a per-pound charge past each plan's allowance. Crate is priced by plan, not by pounds.
- Square and Clover catalogs, not just Shopify. RoasterTools imports orders from Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce and Squarespace and lists Square as coming soon. Crate syncs your products from Square, Clover or Shopify today.
- The roaster tools wholesale needs. Set roast weekdays with an order cutoff, show the roast date on every order and print a production sheet that sums orders by SKU, with batch size, roast loss and blend recipes on each coffee.
When staying put is fine: RoasterTools may still fit if you want green coffee lots, purchases and roasting, blending, labeling and packaging tasks planned in the same system as your orders.
Cost: RoasterTools vs Crate
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| RoasterTools Essentials (1,000 lb a month included, then $0.10/lb) | $99/month, or $83/month billed yearly |
| Organize (5,000 lb included, then $0.05/lb) | $199/month billed once a year, or $166/month on a 2-year term |
| Automate (15,000 lb included, recurring orders in Beta) | $499/month on a 1-year term |
| Scale (35,000 lb) and RT Plus (120,000 lb) | $999 and $2,300/month on a 1-year term |
| Crate Starter (up to 20 active buyers) | $50/month |
| Crate Growth (up to 50 active buyers) | $80/month |
| Crate Plus (more than 50 active buyers) | $150/month |
What each RoasterTools feature becomes in Crate
| RoasterTools | In Crate |
|---|---|
| Price levels and automatic discounts (source) | Price lists per account, prices for one customer, and quantity breaks |
| Recurring orders (Beta, Automate and above or add-on), set up by the roaster (source) | Standing orders every 7, 14 or 28 days that the buyer or you can change, skip or pause (Growth) |
| Production days assigned to customers | Roast weekdays with an order cutoff, and the roast date shown on each order |
| Auto-planned roast, blend, label and package tasks (source) | A production sheet that sums orders by SKU, plus batch size, roast loss and blend recipes. Crate does not plan tasks. |
| Green coffee inventory and purchases (source) | Not in Crate. Keep green lots in a spreadsheet or your roasting software; Crate tracks roasted and finished stock. |
| QuickBooks Online included, Xero at $29/month (source) | QuickBooks Online on every plan. Crate has no Xero connection. |
How to switch
- 01Bring your products. Connect Shopify, Square or Clover and your catalog syncs. No store? Upload a product spreadsheet.
- 02Upload your customers. Upload the customer CSV in any column layout. Each account needs a business name and an email. Set payment terms, such as Net 30, as you import.
- 03Set prices. Recreate your price lists and customer prices. Send us your export and we will help.
- 04Invite buyers. Run both tools side by side until prices check out, then invite each buyer to their portal.
What to export from RoasterTools
| Data | How to get it |
|---|---|
| Customers | Click your name, then Settings, Import & Export, Customers, and Download CSV (or Download Wholesale Only). Upload that file to Crate in any column layout; each account needs a business name and an email. (source) |
| Products and price levels | Settings, Import & Export, Products, Download CSV. Each row is one active variant, with a column for each price level. Or skip the products: connect Square, Clover or Shopify and your catalog syncs. Send us the price level columns and we will help rebuild your price lists. (source) |
| Green coffee | Inventory, Green Coffees, Export, for a CSV of your lots. Crate does not import green coffee, so keep this file where you plan roasting. (source) |
| Order history | Insights, Advanced Order Export, pick a date range and Request Report. RoasterTools emails a CSV with one row per line item. Keep it for reference; Crate starts new order history from your switch date. (source) |
| Recurring orders | Note each customer's recurring order (items, frequency and day) from Sales, Orders, so you can set the same standing order up in Crate. (source) |
Keep in mind: Organize is billed once a year and the larger plans run on 1-year or 2-year terms. RoasterTools says a cancelled account stays active to the end of the billing period or volume cycle, and refunds follow your agreement, so plan the switch around your renewal date.
Keep in mind: Download your CSV files and order export before you cancel, and run both side by side until each buyer has placed a first order in Crate.
Questions about leaving RoasterTools
- How much does RoasterTools cost?
- RoasterTools lists Essentials at $99/month with 1,000 lb a month included, Organize at $199/month billed once a year with 5,000 lb, Automate at $499/month, Scale at $999 and RT Plus at $2,300 on 1-year terms, with lower monthly rates on 2-year terms and a per-pound charge past each allowance.
- Can I export my data from RoasterTools?
- Yes. Settings, Import & Export downloads your customers and your products (with price level columns) as CSV files, Inventory, Green Coffees has an Export button, and Insights, Advanced Order Export emails your order history as a CSV.
- Does Crate track green coffee inventory?
- No. Crate tracks roasted and finished stock, and lets you enter a batch size as green coffee in, but it has no green lots or purchases. If you manage green coffee in RoasterTools, keep that in a spreadsheet or roasting software after you switch.
- Does Crate charge by the pound?
- No. Crate Starter is $50/month, Growth $80/month and Plus $150/month, whatever you roast. RoasterTools bills by the green coffee on orders processed through it.
Send us your RoasterTools export
Upload your customer list and we will help set up prices before your buyers move.
14-day free trial. No credit card required.
Sources
- 1. RoasterTools pricing
- 2. RoasterTools: bulk update customer settings with the customer CSV
- 3. RoasterTools: bulk update product information using the product CSV
- 4. RoasterTools: how to create and use price levels
- 5. RoasterTools: green coffee bulk create and update via CSV
- 6. RoasterTools: advanced order export
- 7. RoasterTools: recurring orders setup, managing and tips
- 8. RoasterTools: billing at RoasterTools
- 9. RoasterTools: connect to QuickBooks Online or Xero
Based on published information on the review date. Plans change, so check with the provider.