2026 Comparison

dbTAGS vs BarTender: Which Label Software is Right for You?

Compare features, pricing, and ease of use. Find the perfect label solution for your business.

$8/mo
dbTAGS Price
$500+
BarTender Price
5 min
dbTAGS Setup
Hours
BarTender Setup
Feature Comparison

Side-by-Side Comparison

See exactly how dbTAGS stacks up against BarTender across all key features

Feature
🏷️dbTAGS
📊BarTender
Starting PriceKey
$8/month (annual)
$500+ one-time
Free Trial
14-day free trial
Limited demo
Hidden Costs
None - all features included
Annual maintenance fees
Cloud-BasedKey
Yes - access anywhere
Desktop only
Setup Time
5 minutes
Hours + IT support
Updates
Automatic, instant
Manual installation
Multi-Device
Any device, any browser
Single workstation
Visual Label Designer
Drag & drop
Yes (complex)
Barcode Types
8 types
100+ types
QR Codes
Built-in
Yes
PDF Export
Up to 600 DPI
Yes
Label Templates
Avery & Herma included
Yes
Shopify IntegrationKey
Built-in, native
Not available
CSV Import
Drag & drop
Database connections
Database Integration
Cloud database included
Complex setup required
Learning CurveKey
Minutes to learn
Steep - days/weeks
Training Required
Self-service
Professional training recommended
Documentation
In-app guides
Extensive manuals
Decision Guide

When to Choose Each Solution

✅ Recommended

Choose dbTAGS if you need:

  • Cloud-based access from anywhere
  • Quick setup without IT support
  • Affordable monthly pricing
  • Shopify or e-commerce integration
  • Small to medium team collaboration
  • Easy-to-learn interface
  • No installation required
💡
Best for
Small businesses, Shopify stores, startups, home inventory
Enterprise Option

Choose BarTender if you need:

  • On-premise deployment required
  • 100+ barcode symbologies
  • Complex compliance requirements
  • ERP/SAP integration
  • RFID encoding capabilities
  • Air-gapped environments
  • Dedicated IT team available
🏢
Best for
Large enterprises, manufacturing, pharmaceutical compliance
💰

60x Lower Cost

dbTAGS costs $96/year vs BarTender's $500+ upfront + maintenance fees

⚡

100x Faster Setup

Get started in 5 minutes, not hours of installation and configuration

🛒

Shopify Ready

Native Shopify integration that BarTender simply doesn't offer

🎉 14-Day Free Trial • No Credit Card Required

Ready to Try the Modern Alternative?

Join thousands of businesses who've switched to cloud-based label management. Start your free trial today.

Try dbTAGS Risk-FreeView Pricing

✓ 14-day free trial   ✓ No credit card required   ✓ Cancel anytime

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions when comparing dbTAGS and BarTender

dbTAGS is a cloud-based label software starting at $8/month with 5-minute setup, while BarTender is a desktop application costing $500+ with complex installation requiring IT support. dbTAGS focuses on simplicity and accessibility, while BarTender targets enterprise compliance needs.
While direct .btw file import is not supported, you can recreate your labels quickly in dbTAGS's visual designer. Most users find our drag-and-drop interface intuitive and can recreate labels in minutes. Our support team can also assist with complex migrations.
dbTAGS supports 8 of the most commonly used barcode types (EAN-13, CODE-128, UPC-A, Code 39, UPC-E, EAN-8, DataMatrix, GS1 DataMatrix) which covers 95%+ of business needs. BarTender supports 100+ types, but many are legacy formats rarely used today.
Yes. dbTAGS uses enterprise-grade security including SSL/TLS encryption, row-level security (RLS), JWT authentication, and is GDPR compliant. Your data is stored in secure Supabase infrastructure with automatic backups.
dbTAGS generates PDF files that you can save locally for offline printing. Once generated, you don't need internet access to print. For businesses requiring fully offline operation, BarTender's desktop model may be more suitable.
dbTAGS Business plan supports 250,000+ items and 5 users with batch printing. For truly massive scale (millions of labels daily) or complex automation rules, BarTender's enterprise tier may be needed. Most small-to-medium businesses find dbTAGS more than sufficient.
Yes! dbTAGS offers a 14-day free trial with full access to all features. No credit card required. BarTender offers limited demo versions that don't allow actual label printing.
dbTAGS offers email support with response times based on your plan (12h for Business, 24h for Pro, 48h for Starter). We also have in-app help guides and a knowledge base. BarTender support typically requires paid maintenance contracts.
Migration Guide

Switching from BarTender to dbTAGS

Follow these simple steps to migrate your label workflow

1
📤

Export Your Data

~5 min

Export your item data from BarTender or your connected database to CSV format. dbTAGS accepts standard CSV files from any source.

2
✨

Sign Up for dbTAGS

~2 min

Create your free trial account at app.dbtags.com. No credit card required. You'll have full access to all features for 14 days.

3
📥

Import Your Data

~3 min

Drag and drop your CSV file into dbTAGS. Our smart import automatically maps fields and handles data formatting.

4
🎨

Recreate Your Labels

~10-30 min

Use our visual Design Center to recreate your label layouts. Most labels can be recreated in under 10 minutes thanks to our drag-and-drop interface.

5
🖨️

Test & Print

~5 min

Preview your labels, adjust if needed, and generate high-resolution PDFs. Print a test batch to verify everything looks perfect.

💡

Need Help Migrating?

Our support team is happy to assist with your migration. We can help with complex label recreations and answer any questions about the process.

Contact Support
Real Customer Story

Why Businesses Switch from BarTender

"

We used BarTender for years but the licensing costs and complexity became too much for our small team. With dbTAGS, we got up and running in 15 minutes, saved over $400/year, and now our whole team can create and print labels from anywhere. The Shopify integration was the cherry on top – something BarTender simply couldn't offer us.

🛍️

E-commerce Manager

Fashion Retailer, switched from BarTender

★★★★★
15 min
Setup Time
$400+
Annual Savings
100%
Team Adoption

Quick Summary

🏷️

dbTAGS

Pros

  • Affordable ($8/mo)
  • Cloud-based, access anywhere
  • 5-minute setup
  • Shopify integration
  • Modern, intuitive UI
  • No IT required

Considerations

  • Requires internet
  • 8 barcode types (vs 100+)
  • No RFID support
Best for: SMBs, e-commerce, startups, home inventory
📊

BarTender

Pros

  • 100+ barcode types
  • On-premise deployment
  • RFID encoding
  • Complex automation
  • Enterprise compliance
  • ERP integrations

Considerations

  • High cost ($500+)
  • Complex setup
  • Desktop-only
  • IT support needed
  • No Shopify integration
  • Steep learning curve
Best for: Large enterprises, manufacturing, pharma

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