Free App for Selling Home Cooked Food

Selling home-cooked food for a living can be a dream come true for some people. If you've received compliments about how amazing your cooking is, why not try to share it with the community and get paid all at once? Selling food online is one of the best ways to make money today, and with little overhead cost!

If you're wondering how to sell homemade food online, it's best to learn the rules on selling food from home, be familiar with certain laws and safety protocols, and use the best app to sell food from home. Below are some of our picks for the top free app for selling home cooked food!

How to Sell Homemade Food Online

Before we show you which apps to choose from, it's important to familiarize yourself with cottage food laws. These are the laws that allow you to sell food online. In general, you will only be able to sell food through an app if it is sold directly to the customer, as in, if it is ordered for pickup. In general, you cannot ship food over state lines or sell to a retail or chain store, although this varies by state.

In addition, most states only allow the sale of non-perishable foods, known as cottage foods.

These cottage foods include:

• Baked goods without custard fillings
• Spices
• Teas
• Herb mixtures
• Pancake mixtures
• Breads
• Bagels
• Hard Candy
• Syrup
• Non-meat and non-dairy items

...and other items that don't require refrigeration to remain safe to eat.

Cost of Selling Home Cooked Food

Although you might use a free app for selling food online, you will have to register your business or register for a food cottage license beforehand. Both of these have associated fees that vary from state to state. Fortunately, there are virtually no other costs to start your food selling business online besides these initial costs and material costs to prepare your food.

Using these free apps below, you can save even more money so you can use it to invest back into your business, or simply to make a living! Keep in mind, certain states put a limit on how much food you can sell from home. For instance, in California, the cap on selling cottage food is $50,000 in sales annually.

Benefits of Using an App for Selling Home Cooked Food

When looking for an app for selling home cooked food, look for one that will make it easy for you to keep track of orders. It's also important to get the help of an app that will be able to help you in marketing and website creation. This will make it easier for you to reach out to clients, spread the word about your business, and open the door up for new customers. Finally, make sure you use an app that's free to save on costs!

Best Free Apps for Selling Food Online

1. Castiron

Castiron is an app that helps you in selling food online, every step of the way. Castiron allows you to create your ecommerce website, which can be complicated if you're not familiar with other apps, like WordPress or Wix. Castiron is flexible enough to allow you to fulfill orders through pickup, delivery, or shipping — whatever works for your business model! This app allows you to quickly set up your online food business and manage it in a one-stop shop.

2. Square Online

You might be familiar with Square products in restaurants and cafes. Square makes it easy for customers and businesses to finalize transactions. But did you know you could also use this service online? Square Online is one way to set up food selling websites, market to customers, and also fulfill orders. If you run a restaurant and a food business online, you can also sync your online store with your Square at your restaurant. Keep in mind, all items sold online will be charged at 2.9% plus 30 cents that go to Square.

3. Wood Spoon App

This is another app for selling homemade food online, for both chefs and customers. Customers can find meals, while chefs are free to prepare their best dishes and sell through this app. This app handles all the logistics of delivery, shipping, and more.

Use the Best App for Your Business

If you're looking to sell food online, using an app can greatly impact your business for the better! Through these apps, you can set up a website, keep track of orders, and expand your business. The right app for your business depends on your unique business needs. If you want a quick, easy solution to sell your food online, try Castiron today!