How does the calculator actually work?
You enter your guest count, service style (plated, buffet, cocktail or family-style) and meal type. Catering Calc applies widely published catering rules of thumb, adjusts for your service style and how many kids are on the list, adds a buffer set by your service style and headcount, and gives you the pounds or pieces for each category, and says what each weight is: raw as ordered, or as served. Every figure is a starting point, and Pro lets you make each one your own. The same math runs on the free web calculator and in the iPhone and Android apps.
What's free versus what needs Pro?
Food, drinks, ice and party supplies are completely free, forever, with no signup: pounds or pieces of each course, wine, beer and liquor by the bottle and pack, bags of ice, plates, cups, napkins, cutlery, tables and chairs, all in the packs a store sells. Pro is the caterer's version: the bar by the case with a Bar List for the client, plates by course to the sleeve, rentals to the crate, Staffing, Cost & Margin, the client quote, saved events, the prep sheet and checklists, PDF and text export, and no banner ad in the apps. The free calculator in your browser has no ads either way.
Do I need an account to use it?
The free calculator never requires an account. Pro does require a free Catering Calc account (email/password, Google, or Apple sign-in). That account is what holds your purchase and your saved events, so they follow you to any device you sign in on, and to the apps. Buying Pro takes the same free account whether you buy on the website or in the app.
How do I cancel or manage my subscription?
It depends on where you bought it. A plan bought on this website is billed through Stripe: sign in at cateringcalc.com/account and choose Manage or cancel subscription. A plan bought in the iOS or Android app is billed by Apple or Google, so go to your Apple ID or Google Play account settings instead. Either way we never see or store your payment details.
How does the free week work?
The annual plan starts with 7 days free on your first subscription. A card is taken at checkout and nothing is charged until day 8. Cancel before day 7 from your Account page and you pay nothing. The monthly plan has no trial.
Can I get a refund?
For a purchase made on this website, reach out through the Support page and we'll sort it out directly. For a purchase made in the app, refunds go through Apple or Google's own refund process, since that's who processes the payment. If you're stuck, contact Support and we'll point you in the right direction.
Is my event data private?
The free calculator never touches a server: guest counts, checklists, and defaults stay on your device, with no account involved. If you have Pro and are signed in, your saved events sync through your account so they're available on any device you sign into. That is the only case where event data leaves your device. See the Privacy Policy for the full picture, including what the ad SDK in the free apps collects.
How accurate are the numbers?
They're starting points, not guarantees. The shipped values are widely published catering rules of thumb rather than a standard anyone is bound to, and your own event history will beat them. Actual consumption varies by your specific guests, menu, and event length, so your own experience should always have the final say. Pro users can also set their own persistent defaults for things like napkins or cups per person, so the calculator learns your house style over time.
Does it work offline?
Yes. The calculation engine runs entirely in your browser, so once the page has loaded it keeps working without a connection. Kitchens and event venues don't always have reliable wifi, so this was a requirement from day one.