Honest comparison
Thinking of switching from Homegrown? Here's the honest comparison.
Homegrown is a marketplace — buyers find you through their search. CottageOps is operations software — you bring the buyers, we run the business behind the storefront. Different tools, different jobs.
Feature-by-feature
Homegrown stats reflect publicly-listed features as of 2026-05. Verify before you switch.
| Feature | CottageOps | Homegrown |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplace discovery (find new buyers) | Direct-to-buyer storefront link only | Built-in marketplace + map search |
| SEO presence for individual bakers | Storefront page indexable; we don't drive search traffic | Marketplace pages rank in Google for local queries |
| State-compliance labels (per-state) | All 50 states + DC wired in (TX SB 541, CA Class A/B, etc.) | Generic label, baker writes the disclosures |
| Revenue cap tracking (per-state law) | Live counter, alerts before you hit the cap | Not tracked |
| Multi-window pickup scheduling | Multiple pickup windows per day, per location | Single pickup window per event |
| Custom-order intake forms | On the roadmap (custom-quote feature deferred to v1.1) | Basic order form |
| Payment methods supported | Venmo / Zelle / Cash App / PayPal / cash (you get paid directly — no processing cut) | Stripe / card-only |
| Multi-baker / family-household accounts | On the roadmap (Q3 2026 — family teams) | Single-operator only |
| Address-privacy by default | Home address hidden until the buyer pays — enforced at the API layer | Operator-managed |
| AI assist (label suggestions, auto-categorization) | On the AI roadmap — nothing shipped today | Not advertised |
Where Homegrown wins
- Marketplace discovery. Buyers actively search Homegrown to find new bakers nearby. If your funnel today is "send my link to friends," a marketplace gives you a top-of-funnel you don't have.
- SEO traffic to baker pages. Marketplace pages rank for local queries ("home baker <your city>") in a way an individual bakery storefront generally can't.
- Lower entry price. Homegrown sits around $10/month — cheaper than our $19 if you literally just need a buyer-finding listing.
Where CottageOps wins
- Per-state compliance is the product. TX SB 541, CA Class A vs B, FL, TN, OH — label disclosures, revenue caps, and registration prompts adapt to your state automatically. A marketplace can't do this without becoming co-liable.
- Revenue cap tracking. Texas caps cottage food at $150K/yr. California Class A is $88,878 (Class B $177,756, 2026 CPI-adjusted). We track it live and warn you before you cross it — protects your legal exemption.
- Multi-window pickup. Saturday morning farmers' market AND Sunday afternoon porch pickup, both in one schedule. Marketplaces optimize for one-shot listings.
- Multi-baker / family accounts (Q3 2026). About 15% of cottage businesses run as family teams. A marketplace listing is a single business — we'll model the team.
- Address-privacy enforced at the API layer. Your home address is hidden from buyers until they pay. Not a togglable setting — it's the platform default.
- $19/mo flat, zero transaction fees. Marketplaces typically take a transaction cut on top of their subscription. We don't.
Which one should you actually use?
Pick Homegrown if…
- You need new buyers and don't have an audience yet.
- You sell in 1-2 events and don't need workflow depth.
- You're fine writing your own state disclosures.
Pick CottageOps if…
- You're running a real business — recurring buyers, weekly windows, and compliance you don't want to babysit.
- You're close to a revenue cap and need it tracked.
- You're a family team or multi-baker household.
Plenty of bakers run on both — Homegrown for discovery, CottageOps for the operations behind the storefront. They're not mutually exclusive.
How to switch
- Sign up for CottageOps — free in 2026, no credit card required.
- Recreate your menu — paste in items manually (most bakers finish in 20-30 min) or wait for the Homegrown CSV importer (next backend release).
- Set your pickup windows and add your payment handle (Venmo, Zelle, Cash App, PayPal, or cash).
- Send your customers your new storefront link. Keep the Homegrown listing live for discovery if it's still bringing in new buyers — they're not mutually exclusive.
Pricing at a glance
CottageOps
$19/month
Free in 2026. Cancel anytime — most-recent month refundable. Zero transaction fees.
Homegrown
$10/month
Marketplace listing + basic seller tools. Verify current pricing on their site before signing up.
Comparing CottageOps to something else? See the other guides:
Free in 2026 — no card required.
Run both if you want — Homegrown for discovery, CottageOps for the operations behind the storefront. Cancel any time, refund on the most-recent month if you forget.
Start freeHomegrown comparison reflects publicly-listed pricing & features as of 2026-05. Not legal advice — verify cottage-food requirements with your state agency.