Software Alternatives & Startups

Foam VS BatchMakes

Compare Foam VS BatchMakes and see what are their differences

Foam

Personal knowledge management and sharing on VSCode & GitHub

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source
BatchMakes

Recipes, inventory, batch costing and lot traceability for small producers: breweries, roasters, cideries, cheesemakers and 20+ crafts. Free plan.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Freemium Free trial €59 / Monthly (Business Features)
Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, Foam seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 49 times since March 2021.

social mentions
49 vs 0
Note Taking popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
240+ vs 13

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

Foam
BatchMakes
Website foambubble.github.io batchmakes.com
Pricing
Open source
Freemium Free trial €59 / Monthly (Business Features) Official pricing
Company Startup from the United States —
Listed in

About Foam and BatchMakes

In their own words, as submitted to SaaSHub.

Foam
BatchMakes

No description of Foam yet.

BatchMakes is production software for small batch producers who have outgrown spreadsheets but don't need a big ERP. Start from a ready-made setup for your craft: brewery, cidery, winery, distillery, coffee roaster, cheesemaker, jam and preserves, honey, sauces, soap and candles, cosmetics...

Read more about BatchMakes

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Foam 6 features
BatchMakes 11 features
  • Open Source
    Foam is an open-source tool, which means it is free to use and allows for community-driven development and contributions. Users can modify the source code to fit their specific needs.
  • Markdown Support
    Foam uses Markdown, a lightweight and easy-to-read syntax, making it simple to create and manage notes. This also allows for easy integration with other Markdown-based tools and platforms.
  • Integration with Visual Studio Code
    Foam is designed to work seamlessly with Visual Studio Code (VS Code). This provides users with a powerful and familiar text editor environment, complete with extensions and customization options.
  • Graph View
    Foam includes a graph visualization feature that helps users see and navigate the relationships between their notes, making it easier to understand and manage complex information.
  • Bidirectional Links
    Foam supports bidirectional links, allowing users to create connections between notes in both directions. This enhances the note-taking experience by enabling a more interconnected and dynamic information structure.
  • Community and Documentation
    Foam has a growing community of users and contributors, as well as comprehensive documentation. This support network helps users troubleshoot issues, share tips, and improve their knowledge of the tool.

Possible disadvantages

  • Limited to VS Code
    Foam relies on Visual Studio Code as its primary environment. Users who prefer different text editors or platforms might find this limitation restrictive and less convenient.
  • Learning Curve
    Although Foam leverages Markdown, users may still face a learning curve, especially if they are not familiar with VS Code or the specific features and extensions required to maximize Foam's capabilities.
  • Performance with Large Datasets
    Foam can struggle with performance issues when handling large datasets or a high number of notes. This can lead to slow response times and inefficient workflows.
  • Limited Mobile Support
    Foam is primarily designed for desktop use within VS Code, which means that mobile support is limited. Users looking for a seamless cross-platform experience might find this aspect lacking.
  • Customization Complexity
    While Foam offers a high degree of customization, setting up and configuring the tool to meet personal preferences and workflows can be complex and time-consuming for some users.
  • Recipe Management
    Recipe management with ingredient costs
  • Batch Management and Tracking
    Batch tracking through your own production stages, with readings
  • Cost Management
    True cost per unit, including packaging and labels. Selling prices and markup per packaging format
  • Inventory Management
    Inventory with lot tracking (first in, first out) and reorder alerts
  • Lot Traceability
    Lot traceability: supplier delivery → batch → customer, CSV export
  • Production Planning
    Production Planner and roadmap. What-If scenarios available for your recipes, so you can play with them and calculate margins before the actual production
  • Sales management
    Sales, customers and VAT invoices
  • Reporting & Analytics
    Profit & loss, cash flow and expenses
  • Duty and Tax Calculation
    Excise duty tracking for alcohol producers
  • Labels Printing
    Product labels and barcodes
  • Roles & Permissions
    Up to 5 users for Business with Roles & Permissions. Enterprise version adds more users.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

Foam
BatchMakes

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Foam is a good tool for those seeking an open-source environment for note-taking and knowledge management, particularly if they appreciate an approach based on markdown files and integration within a powerful text editor like Visual Studio Code. Its flexibility and user-driven customization make it suitable for users who enjoy tweaking and optimizing their workspace according to their workflow.

Why this product is good

  • Foam is a personal knowledge management and sharing system inspired by Roam Research, offering an open-source solution built on top of Visual Studio Code. It provides users with capabilities to create and interlink notes using markdown files, offering flexibility and customization suited to personal preferences. Foam supports features like backlinking, graph visualization of notes, and integration with VS Code extensions, making it a robust tool for managing interconnected information effectively.

Recommended for

  • Individuals preferring markdown-based note-taking systems
  • Developers familiar with Visual Studio Code
  • Users who appreciate open-source software and community-driven projects
  • People interested in managing complex, interconnected knowledge bases

No analysis of BatchMakes yet.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Foam 3 videos + Add
BatchMakes 0 videos + Add

These panels DESTROYED my STUDIO....REVERB? - ArrowZoom Foam Review

More videos

  • - Arrowzoom Foam Review
  • - Ryobi Foam Blaster VS. Amazon Foam Cannon | Review

No BatchMakes videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
Foam
BatchMakes
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
ERP
100% 100%

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing Foam and BatchMakes.

What makes your product unique?

BatchMakes's answer:

BatchMakes is built for small batch producers, not adapted from a general ERP. Producers can select their craft and the workspace arrives pre-set with the right production stages and measurements. It works out the true cost per can, jar or bag from what was really packaged, with losses, packaging and labels included, and suggests prices from your markup. Every lot is traceable from supplier delivery to batch to customer, ready for an inspection or recall.

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

BatchMakes's answer:

Next.js, React, TypeScript, PostgreSQL, Prisma, Tailwind CSS, Stripe (billing), Docker and Cloudflare.

Who are some of the biggest customers of your product?

BatchMakes's answer:

Bad Banners Brewery Co.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

BatchMakes's answer:

Big inventory and manufacturing tools (Katana, Unleashed, NetSuite) are built for larger operations and take weeks to set up. Generic inventory apps don’t understand batches, stages, losses or lots. BatchMakes sits in between: set up in minutes, made for how small producers really work, with a free plan for one user and Business at €59/month. It also covers what small makers usually need extra tools for: pricing per format, lot traceability, VAT invoices, excise duty for alcohol producers, and a production planner.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

BatchMakes's answer:

Small batch producers with 1–10 people who have outgrown spreadsheets: craft breweries, cideries, meaderies, wineries, small distilleries, kombucha makers, coffee roasters, cheesemakers, jam and preserve makers, honey producers, sauce makers, soap and candle makers, and cosmetics makers.

What's the story behind your product?

BatchMakes's answer:

BatchMakes started with a simple frustration: small producers we know, brewers, jam makers and beekeepers, ran their production in spreadsheets and notebooks. They roughly knew what a batch cost, but not what one can or jar really cost after losses, packaging and labels, and a recall meant digging through paper. We built BatchMakes with them, feature by feature, so a small maker gets the same control as a big factory without the complexity.

User comments

Share your experience with using Foam and BatchMakes. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

Log in or Post with

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

Foam 49 mentions
BatchMakes 0 mentions
  • AI Coding Tip 020 - Create a Second Brain
    Choose a local Markdown tool like Obsidian, Logseq, Foam, or Tolaria to store all your knowledge as plain .md files you own and control. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • Migrating from DokuWiki to Obsidian
    I've been using foam instead of obsidian for my personal knowledge base. It works rather well. And it's completely free and ultimately just markdown. While I might wish it was djot, I don't wish hard enough to make that so myself... - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • I Use Obsidian
    I gave up on Obsidian and just use Foam (https://foambubble.github.io/foam/) and/or vimwiki. I just can’t get into overwrought, arbitrarily designed organization schemes or proprietary apps (Foam-managed content is just plain Markdown,... - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago

View more

Tracking BatchMakes since Oct 2026.

Alternatives to Foam and BatchMakes

When comparing Foam and BatchMakes, you can also consider the following products.