Looking for a Hotplate alternative? Here's how Homebaked compares
Hotplate and Homebaked both let home bakers sell through their own storefront and run pre-order drops. The biggest difference is who pays: Hotplate is free to join and charges your customers a fee on every order, while Homebaked is a flat monthly price with no fees for your customers. Here's a straight comparison so you can choose.
The short answer
Hotplate costs nothing per month. Instead, by default it adds a fee of 5% + $0.55 to every customer's order, which is $1.80 on a $25 order. It's built around limited pre-order drops with pickup windows, and it says plainly that it's not a consumer marketplace, so you bring all your own customers.
Homebaked costs $14.99 a month and charges your customers nothing extra. It includes pre-order drops plus custom orders, delivery, automatic sales tax filing, a listing on the Homebaked Marketplace where local customers can find you, and personal help from the founders getting your first customers. At a $25 average order, the fees your customers would pay on Hotplate add up to more than Homebaked's subscription from 9 orders a month.
- Monthly price
- Homebaked: $14.99Hotplate: $0
- Fee on customer orders
- Homebaked: noneHotplate: 5% + $0.55 per order
- Card processing (baker pays)
- Homebaked: 2.9% + $0.30Hotplate: 2.9% + $0.30
- Marketplace discovery
- Homebaked: yesHotplate: no
Where the money goes each month
Hotplate's fee doesn't disappear when you pass it to customers. It moves to their checkout. Move the sliders to see what you pay, what your customers pay in fees, and the total either way.
- Homebaked: you pay
- $55.99
- Hotplate default: you pay
- $41.00
- Hotplate default: customers pay
- $72.00
- Hotplate: you absorb all fees
- $113.00
Homebaked: $14.99 + 2.9% + $0.30 per order, with no customer fees. Hotplate: $0 subscription, 2.9% + $0.30 per order paid by you, plus Hotplate's fee of 5% of the subtotal + $0.55 per order, paid by your customers by default. Hotplate also lets you split the fee between you and your customers, and its fee still applies to cash, Venmo and Zelle orders, deducted from your payout. Excludes tips and sales tax.
Hotplate vs Homebaked, feature by feature
| Feature | Homebaked | Hotplate |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing and payments | ||
| Monthly price | $14.99, one plan with every feature | $0, no subscription |
| Fee on customer orders | None | 5% of subtotal + $0.55 per order, added to customer checkout by default |
| Card processing | 2.9% + $0.30, paid by the baker | 2.9% + $0.30, paid by the baker |
| Free trial | No | Free to join |
| Payouts | Withdraw your balance anytime | Cash out anytime, instant or next-day |
| Sales tax | Calculated, collected and filed automatically | Filing not listed |
| Storefront and orders | ||
| Online storefront | Yes, live in minutes with no coding | Yes, branded storefront |
| Pre-order drops | Weekly drops that open and close automatically | Yes, the core of Hotplate, with countdowns and waitlists |
| Regular listings outside a drop | Yes, with hours, lead times and scheduled listings | Orders are placed during drops |
| Custom orders | Yes | Not listed |
| Inventory and capacity limits | Included | Included, with cart reservations |
| Pickup and delivery | Either or both, on hours you set | Built around pickup windows; delivery not described |
| Orders and customer messages | Orders plus every DM, text and email in one thread | Built-in inbox |
| Pickup reminders | Automatic texts the night before and an hour before pickup | Automatic text reminders |
| Getting and keeping customers | ||
| Marketplace discovery | Every bakery is listed on the Homebaked Marketplace | No. Hotplate says it's not a consumer marketplace |
| Customer app | Customers can order in the Homebaked app | Not listed |
| Message your customer list | One-click email and text to all your customers | Automatic texts to subscribers when a drop opens |
| Loyalty program | Built in, opt-in | Yes |
| Coupons and discount codes | Included, all types | Yes |
| Customer reviews | Yes, and in your first 60 days you can collect reviews from friends, family and past customers | Yes |
| Marketing materials | Ready-to-customize flyers, labels and Instagram ads | Not listed |
| Running the business | ||
| Pricing calculator | Built in | Not listed |
| Packaging | Wholesale portal, about half Amazon's price | Not listed |
| Personal help getting started | Every new baker gets personal outreach from the founding team, the Microbakery Guide, and hands-on help setting up their shop and getting their first customers | Support from the Hotplate team |
| Availability | United States | United States |
"Not listed" means we couldn't find the feature on Hotplate's website, help center or blog as of October 27, 2026. If Hotplate offers it, we'll update this page.
Where Homebaked pulls ahead
Your customers pay your price, nothing more
On Hotplate, a $25 order becomes $26.80 at checkout before tax. On Homebaked, a $25 order is $25. No surprise fee at checkout means a cleaner experience for your regulars, and your prices stay comparable to a storefront bakery's.
A flat price that doesn't grow with your sales
Hotplate's fee is a percentage, so it rises with every order you sell. Homebaked's $14.99 stays the same whether you sell 10 orders a month or 300. At $1,000 a month in sales, your customers would pay $72 a month in Hotplate fees.
New customers can find you
Hotplate says it isn't a consumer marketplace, so every customer has to come from your own following. Every Homebaked bakery is listed on the Homebaked Marketplace, and customers can order through the Homebaked app.
Sell more than drops
Hotplate is built around limited pre-order windows with pickup. Homebaked does drops too, plus regular listings, custom orders and delivery, so you can sell birthday cakes and weekly sourdough from the same shop.
Sales tax is filed for you
Homebaked calculates, collects and files sales tax automatically on orders placed through the platform. That's one less form, calculation and deadline for a baker running a business from their kitchen.
A founder in your corner from day one
Every new baker hears from Homebaked's founding team personally. You get the Microbakery Guide, our complete guide to starting and growing a home bakery, plus hands-on help setting up your shop and landing your first customers. Wholesale-priced packaging, marketing flyers and a pricing calculator round it out.
Which should you choose?
Choose Homebaked if
- You don't want your customers paying a fee on top of your prices
- You sell more than about 9 orders a month, where Hotplate's fees add up to more than $14.99
- You want new local customers to find you through a marketplace
- You take custom orders or offer delivery, not just pickup drops
- You want sales tax filed for you
- You'd like personal help from the founders setting up your shop and finding your first customers
Hotplate may suit you better if
- You want to pay nothing up front and are comfortable with customers paying a per-order fee
- You sell only a handful of orders a month
- You already have a following that sells out limited drops, and you want countdown timers, waitlists and gift cards
- You want automatic prep lists and printable order tickets for each drop
A worked example
A baker selling $1,000 a month across 40 card orders, an average of $25 per order:
| Setup | You pay | Your customers pay in fees | Total fees a month | Total fees a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homebaked | $55.99 | $0.00 | $55.99 | $671.88 |
| Hotplate, default | $41.00 | $72.00 | $113.00 | $1,356.00 |
| Hotplate, you absorb the fee | $113.00 | $0.00 | $113.00 | $1,356.00 |
Homebaked: $14.99 + 2.9% of $1,000 ($29) + 40 × $0.30 ($12). Hotplate: 2.9% of $1,000 ($29) + 40 × $0.30 ($12) paid by you, plus Hotplate's fee of 5% of $1,000 ($50) + 40 × $0.55 ($22). At a $25 average order, Hotplate's fee is $1.80 per order, so it passes Homebaked's $14.99 subscription at 9 orders a month.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hotplate free for home bakers?
Hotplate has no monthly subscription. By default it charges your customers a fee of 5% of the order subtotal plus $0.55 at checkout, and you pay Stripe's card processing of 2.9% + $0.30. You can choose to absorb Hotplate's fee instead of passing it to customers.
How much does Hotplate charge customers?
Hotplate adds 5% of the subtotal plus $0.55 to each order by default, not charged on tip or tax. On a $25 order that's $1.80, so the customer pays $26.80 before tax.
Is Homebaked cheaper than Hotplate?
It depends on who you count. With Hotplate's default settings you pay only card processing, so Hotplate costs you $14.99 a month less than Homebaked. But your customers pay 5% + $0.55 on every order. At a $25 average order, those customer fees exceed Homebaked's subscription from 9 orders a month. If you absorb Hotplate's fee, Homebaked is cheaper for you from 9 orders a month.
Does Homebaked charge customers a fee?
No. Homebaked charges no order fees to customers or bakers. Customers pay your listed price plus any sales tax. Your only per-order cost is Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 card processing.
Does Hotplate have a marketplace where customers can find me?
No. Hotplate says it is not a consumer marketplace: each seller gets their own storefront and brings their own customers. Every Homebaked bakery is listed on the Homebaked Marketplace, where local customers can discover home bakers.
Does Homebaked support pre-order drops like Hotplate?
Yes. Homebaked supports weekly drops with pre-orders that open and close automatically, alongside regular listings, custom orders, and inventory and capacity limits.
Does Homebaked handle sales tax?
Yes. Homebaked calculates, collects and files sales tax automatically on orders placed through the platform, so you don't have to do it yourself.
Does Homebaked help me start my home bakery?
Yes. Our founding team reaches out to every new baker personally. You get the Microbakery Guide, our comprehensive guide to starting and growing a microbakery, and we help you set up your shop and get your first customers.
Where is Homebaked available?
Homebaked is available to home bakers across the United States.
How we compared
Written by Brandon, cofounder of Homebaked. Homebaked details come from our own product and pricing. Hotplate details come from Hotplate's pricing page, product page, help center and blog, checked October 27, 2026. Hotplate's fee figures are from its help article on pricing, dated March 4, 2026.
Start your home bakery on Homebaked
Storefront, drops, sales tax and your first customers, with no fees for your customers. $14.99 a month.