Xenia is built for enterprise compliance across industries. Sideworks is built for restaurant and hospitality managers who want one app to run every shift — with transparent pricing and a free tier to start today.
Sideworks is a restaurant operations platform purpose-built for independent operators and small hospitality groups with 1–20 locations. It combines digital checklists with photo verification, staff scheduling, guest and employee feedback, event management, shift handoffs, and expense tracking in a single app — with a free tier and transparent per-location pricing. Xenia is a cross-industry operations and compliance platform designed for enterprise teams, offering work orders, IoT temperature monitoring, and smart inspections with conditional logic — with quote-based pricing and a longer onboarding process.
| Sideworks | Xenia | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & Plans | ||
| Free tier | ✓ Checklists + 1 location | ~ 25-task cap, 1 schedule |
| Transparent pricing | ✓ Free tier + paid plans — see plans | ✗ Quote-based — requires sales call |
| Pricing model | ✓ Per location | ~ Per user or per site |
| Setup & training fees | ✓ None — self-serve | ~ Varies by plan |
| Target Market | ||
| Industry focus | ✓ Restaurants & hospitality | ~ Generalist (retail, mfg, etc.) |
| Best for | Independents & small groups (2–20 locations) | Multi-location enterprise teams |
| User persona | Assistant managers & GMs | Operations / compliance managers |
| Core Features | ||
| Digital checklists | ✓ | ✓ |
| Photo verification | ✓ Timestamped on every task | ~ Available on inspections |
| Shareable public links | ✓ No login required | ✗ |
| Staff scheduling | ✓ With labor cost estimates | ✓ |
| Guest feedback surveys | ✓ Built-in with sentiment | ✗ |
| Employee satisfaction surveys | ✓ | ✗ |
| Events & activations | ✓ Vendor collaboration | ✗ |
| Shift notes & handoffs | ✓ | ✗ |
| Manager goal tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Expense tracking | ✓ Approval workflows | ✗ |
| Work orders & maintenance | ✓ | ✓ |
| Document & SOP library | ✓ | ✓ |
| Temperature monitoring (IoT) | ✗ | ✓ Bluetooth sensors |
| Smart inspections | ✗ | ✓ Conditional logic |
| Setup & Usability | ||
| Time to go live | ✓ Under 5 minutes | ~ Days to weeks |
| Learning curve | ✓ Intuitive, no training | ~ Can overwhelm new users |
| Mobile-first | ✓ | ✓ |
| AI-powered workflows | ✓ | ✓ |
Xenia is a solid tool for enterprise compliance. But if you run a restaurant, food hall, or hotel — here's why teams choose Sideworks.
In a quick 30-minute walkthrough, we'll show you how Sideworks can streamline your daily operations.
What to expect in your demo:
See how timestamped photo proof replaces clipboards and guesswork across every shift.
Explore how shifts, manager notes, and daily logs come together in one system.
Learn how real-time feedback surfaces problems before they escalate.
Walk through event planning, vendor coordination, and post-event reporting.
Get a tailored rollout plan based on your locations and team size.
See how Sideworks fits your operation.
Yes. Most teams get up and running on Sideworks in under 5 minutes. Start with our free checklist templates or recreate your existing workflows. There's no lengthy migration process — you can run both tools side-by-side and transition at your own pace.
Not currently. If IoT temperature monitoring with Bluetooth sensors is a core requirement, Xenia may be a better fit for that specific need. Sideworks focuses on the full operations workflow — checklists, scheduling, feedback, events, and back office — for hospitality teams.
Yes. Sideworks offers a free tier that includes digital checklists and one location — no credit card required. Paid plans unlock additional features like multi-location support, scheduling, surveys, and event management. No hidden fees, no setup costs.
Sideworks is optimized for independent operators and small hospitality groups with 2–20 locations. If you're running a large franchise chain with 50+ locations, an enterprise platform like Xenia may be a better fit. We believe in being honest about who we serve best.
Sideworks uses transparent per-location pricing published on our website. Xenia uses quote-based pricing that requires a sales call. Many teams find Sideworks more affordable because you know exactly what you'll pay before you commit.
Not for checklists. Sideworks checklists can be shared via public links — cleaning crews, vendors, and contractors can complete tasks with timestamped photo proof without creating an account or paying for extra seats. This is a feature Xenia does not offer.
Book a 15-minute demo and we'll show you how Sideworks fits your operation. Bring your biggest pain point — we'll solve it live.