Food safety apps vs dedicated labelling devices: which suits a busy kitchen?
Food safety apps run on phones or tablets, paired with a separate label printer, and they tend to cover more than labelling. Dedicated labelling devices are built for one job at the station, with the hardware and software coming from one supplier. Apps tend to suit kitchens that want one tool for checklists, logs and labels, but they don’t work alone. Dedicated devices, such as Labl.it, tend to suit kitchens where labelling speed and reliability at the station come first.
This guide compares the two set-ups, and lists the questions you should ask suppliers before making a decision.
How do app-based labelling and dedicated devices work?
App-based labelling
You install an app on a phone or tablet, connect it to a label printer, usually by Bluetooth, and set up your products in the app. Staff pick a product on the screen and the printer produces the label.
A dedicated labelling device
The device and printer are a single unit with your products loaded onto it. Staff pick a product on the device and print the label wherever they are in the kitchen.
How do food safety apps and dedicated labelling devices compare?
Food safety app with a label printer | Dedicated labelling device | |
Hardware | Your phones or tablets, plus a separate printer | One handheld unit with the printer built in |
Scope | Often includes checklists, logs and cleaning | Built for labelling at the station |
Connection | Bluetooth or Wi-Fi between app and printer | No connection to drop between screen and printer |
Supplier complexity | Can mean two suppliers, one for the app and one for the printer, which can get complicated | One supplier |
During service | Notifications and other apps on the same screen | Labelling only |
Upfront cost | More expensive due to the cost of separate hardware on top of usually a subscription cost for the app | Usually a subscription that includes the device and the software, some suppliers also charge a deposit |
When does a food safety app make more sense?
You already own the hardware - if you have tablets in the kitchen, the upfront cost can be lower.
You want one tool for everything - many food safety apps cover temperature logs, cleaning schedules and opening and closing checks as well, but that often means it isn’t quite as good at the labelling.
Staff know the interface - most people already know how to use a phone or tablet, so it makes sense to either use an app or a device that is simple to pick up and use.
When does a dedicated labelling device make more sense?
Labelling is the bottleneck - there are no notifications, messages or other apps competing for attention during service.
The device needs to move around - it can go where labels are needed, rather than travelling in someone's pocket or being a fixed printer stuck in a corner of the kitchen.
You want one point of contact - the printer and software come together, so there's one team to go to for support when something stops working.
Personal phones aren't allowed - many kitchens don’t allow use of phones, and a dedicated device means nobody's own phone becomes part of the food safety system.
Can we just use a standard label printer?
A standard label printer can print food labels, but most rely on separate software for the product list, use-by date calculation and allergen layout. Someone has to keep that software up to date, across every site, which adds onto kitchen admin and increases the risk of inconsistency and incompliance. Our guide to food labelling machines for kitchens compares the options in more detail.
What should you think about before you choose?
Who owns the hardware, and what happens when it breaks mid-service?
Are staff allowed to use personal phones in your kitchen? If not, you'll need shared devices either way.
How long does it take to get from picking up the device or app to holding a printed label?
How does the printer connect, and what happens if that connection drops?
Does support cover the app, the printer or both?
Beyond labelling, what else do you need the system to do? And if it is a dedicated labelling system, can it integrate with any other softwares you use?
Where does Labl.it fit?
Labl.it is a dedicated labelling device used in over 4,000 UK kitchens. It's a purpose-built handheld that doesn't run on standard phones or tablets. It prints thermal labels, so there's no ink to replace, and staff print in three clicks from anywhere in the kitchen, with use-by dates calculated automatically from the product and storage method. Batches can be printed in bulk, and scanning a label's barcode reprints it. Partner compliance apps also run on the device.
Ease of use is what customers mention first. "I've been in the trade a long time and I've seen many gadgets come and go, but Labl.it is brilliant. Every one of my chefs can pick it up," says Jamie Holmes, Executive Chef at Hilton Southampton Utilita Bowl (Hilton case study). In Capital City College's teaching kitchens, Chef Lecturer Tom puts bulk printing simply: "In the past, it might mean writing out ten labels. Now we just click plus ten and they're done" (Capital City College case study).
Labl.it won Best Commercial Kitchen Label Printer at the 2026 SME News Business Elite Awards and is rated 4.8 on Trustpilot from 76 reviews. The subscription starts from £28 a month per device on an annual plan with no deposit needed, which includes the device, an infinite warranty*, 24-hour hot-swap replacement and monthly software updates.
Frequently asked questions
Can a kitchen use a food safety app and a dedicated labelling device together?
Yes. Some kitchens run an app for checklists and logs and a dedicated device for labels. With Labl.it, partner compliance apps can run on the labelling device itself.
Are app-printed labels compliant with Natasha's Law?
Compliance depends on what the label shows, not the hardware that printed it. A PPDS label needs the name of the food and a full ingredients list, with any of the 14 allergens emphasised.
What happens if a labelling device breaks during service?
It depends on your supplier's terms, so check them before you sign. Labl.it's subscription includes 24-hour hot-swap replacement.
Can a labelling device link to our existing kitchen management system?
It depends on the system, so ask each supplier for specifics. Partner apps including Shield Safety's RiskProof, Food Alert's Alert65 and Trail run on the Labl.it device, and expiry data syncs automatically into Trail. Print, expiry and wastage logs export as CSV per site or across an estate. Labl.it also prints EAN-13 barcodes on sale labels, so the label a customer reads is the same one the till scans (see our Fusion Cafe case study). Our guide to labelling software that works with your kitchen management system covers what to consider.
Try a dedicated device on the line
The quickest way to figure out if a dedicated device is right for your kitchen is to put it through your busiest service.
Labl.it comes with a 14-day free trial. Try handing it to the chef least keen on new tech and see if it sticks. If it doesn't suit your kitchen, just return it in the prepaid box at no cost.
*Warranty excludes accidental damage repairs and loss. Infinite warranty requires active Labl.it subscription.
