Comparison

First Crack vs. Artisan

Artisan nails the roast. Over fifteen years of hardware compatibility, real-time logging, a massive community of configuration profiles. It's the standard for a reason.

Where it stops is after the session — which was never its job. The core app doesn't sync to the cloud, track bean inventory across batches, run cupping, or share profiles, so that data tends to stay on the machine you roasted on. (Artisan's paid add-on, Artisan Plus, covers some of this, like cloud inventory and scheduling, as a separate subscription.)

First Crack picks up where the session leaves off — the full workflow, from charge to cup, and free.

Feature comparison

Feature	Artisan	First Crack
Real-time roast curve logging	Yes	YesBridge beta
Rate of rise (RoR) display	Yes	Yes
Import Artisan .alog history	Native format	Yes
Web-based roast creation	No	Yes
Platform	macOS, Windows, Linux	macOS + Windows (Bridge), Web
Supported roasters (live)	Configurable, many	Kaleido M-series, Croaster, TC4, Phidget (Bridge); more soon
Cloud sync	Novia Artisan Plus	Yes
Bean inventory management	Novia Artisan Plus	Yes
Freshness & cost tracking	No	Yes
Analytics dashboards	No	Yes
Cupping workflow	No	Yes
Agtron color scoring	No	Yes
Shareable side-by-side comparisons	No	Yes
Community sharing	No	Yes
Public roaster profiles	No	Yes
Platform price	Free	Free
Live roasting app	Included	Bridge (beta)

When Artisan is the right choice

You roast on Linux, which Bridge doesn't support: it currently ships for macOS and Windows only
You roast on hardware Bridge doesn't yet support (it starts with Kaleido M-series, Croaster, TC4, and Phidget; more land via the beta roadmap)
You rely on Artisan's extensive hardware configuration profiles
You're part of the Artisan community and contribute to its development
You only need a session logger, or you already use Artisan Plus for inventory and scheduling

When First Crack makes sense

You roast on macOS or Windows and want one app for the whole workflow: roast, analyze, inventory, cupping
You own a Kaleido M-series, Croaster, TC4, or Phidget and want live roasting with cloud sync
Your Artisan history lives on one machine and you want cloud sync and cross-device access
You want to track bean inventory, freshness, and cost alongside roast history
You want to share roast profiles publicly or run side-by-side comparisons
You want analytics dashboards across your whole library, not just per-session graphs
You're not roasting with hardware yet — Guided Roast in the web app lets you log a live roast with just a timer and a probe

Migrating from Artisan

You don't have to choose — First Crack imports your existing Artisan library on day one. Export your profiles from Artisan as .alog files, then import them into First Crack via the web app or macOS app. Your full curve history, temperatures, and event markers come with you.

Many roasters run both: Artisan for the live session on hardware they've configured for years, First Crack for everything after: analytics, inventory, cupping logs, and community sharing.

Common questions

Can I import my existing Artisan roast profiles into First Crack?+

Yes. First Crack imports Artisan .alog files directly. Your full profile library (years of roast history including curves, temperatures, and event markers) transfers on import. You don't lose any historical data when switching.

Does First Crack work without hardware, like Artisan does?+

Yes, and better than most web-only platforms: First Crack's Guided Roast mode lets you log a live roast directly in the browser: timer, CHARGE / TP / dry end / first crack / drop buttons, and a persistent temp input you type into as your probe changes. The resulting profile gets the same analytics as hardware-captured roasts: phases, rate of rise, DTR, development time. You can also import existing Artisan profiles and access inventory, cupping, recipes, and community features without any hardware.

Does First Crack work with my existing roaster hardware?+

First Crack Bridge, the desktop app, ships for macOS and Windows and currently speaks to the Kaleido M-series (M1 and M10 confirmed) over USB-serial or Bluetooth, plus Phidget thermocouple boards over USB, Croaster over WiFi, and TC4 (Arduino / aArtisan) over USB-serial, all monitor-only. More roasters land as the beta-signup voting roadmap fills out. If your roaster isn't on that list yet, you can still run Guided Roast in the browser today: type probe readings, tap event buttons, get the same analytics, then request hardware support at firstcrack.app/beta.

Do I lose anything by switching from Artisan to First Crack?+

Artisan supports Linux and has a much larger catalog of hardware configuration profiles than Bridge does today. If you roast on Linux, Artisan remains the better choice for the live session. If your roaster isn't one of the models Bridge supports yet (Kaleido M-series, Croaster, TC4, Phidget), Artisan probably still drives it. Many roasters run both: Artisan for the live session on hardware they've tuned for years, First Crack for everything after: analytics, inventory, cupping logs, and community sharing, with .alog import bringing the history along.

Is First Crack really free like Artisan?+

The First Crack web platform is free — analytics, bean inventory, cupping workflow, recipe management, community sharing, and comparison links are all included at no cost. Bridge is currently in private beta and free for approved testers. Long-term pricing for Bridge has not been announced. Artisan is free and open source for all platforms.

Start free — no hardware required

Import your Artisan profiles and explore the full platform at no cost.

Get Started Free

First Crack vs. Cropster →All comparisons →Request Bridge beta →