Best QZ Tray Alternatives for Odoo POS: Easy Setup Guide

QZ Tray is free and powerful, but its raw API approach and technical setup drive many Odoo users to search for simpler alternatives. Here's an comparison of what actually works.

What Is QZ Tray (And Why People Look for Alternatives)

QZ Tray is open-source software that bridges web applications to local printers. It supports ESC/POS, ZPL, EPL, and dozens of other printer languages. Restaurants and retailers use it to print receipts, kitchen tickets, and labels from browser-based POS systems like Odoo.

The software is free (LGPL license) and powerful. So why do people search for alternatives?

• Manual integration required: QZ Tray is a raw printing API. Your POS must send formatted print commands to it using JavaScript. No built-in kitchen routing, no automatic printer discovery UI — everything must be coded.
• Certificate configuration (older versions): Pre-2.1 versions required manual HTTPS certificate generation and installation for browser security.
• Technical complexity: QZ Tray is an API, not a plug-and-play solution. Your POS must send formatted print commands to it. No built-in kitchen routing, no automatic printer discovery, no receipt templates.
• Community support only: No commercial support contract. When something breaks, you rely on GitHub issues and Discord.

QZ Tray 2.2+ addresses the first two points: bundled JRE eliminates Java installation, and Let's Encrypt integration automates certificates. But the fundamental complexity remains — it's a developer tool, not an end-user product.

The Alternatives: An Overview

Ultraprint pricing verified from Odoo product.pricelist.items (2026-05-23). Competitor pricing from public listings.

Ultraprint vs QZ Tray: Head-to-Head

Setup Experience

QZ Tray 2.2+: Download installer, run it, verify the browser can connect. Bundled JRE means no Java pre-installation. Let's Encrypt means no manual certificates. For a single printer on a standard Windows machine, a technical user completes this in 30-60 minutes. A non-technical user needs 2-4 hours with documentation. Note: QZ Tray itself is a Java application under the hood — the bundled JRE hides this from users.

Ultraprint: Install Chrome Extension from Web Store, download Hub installer, run it, click "Add Printer." Most users complete this in 5-10 minutes. No command line, no configuration files, no certificate management. The Hub is a Java desktop application (same underlying technology as QZ Tray), but the Chrome Extension handles all integration automatically.

Feature Depth

QZ Tray: Raw printing API. If you can code it, QZ Tray can print it. Custom label sizes, mixed-language receipts, unusual ZPL commands — all possible. Kitchen routing requires your POS application to implement the logic before sending to QZ Tray.

Ultraprint: Pre-built features for common workflows. URL-based routing rules, PDF interception, screenshot capture, and (in the add-on variant) category-based kitchen routing. You can't implement custom print protocols, but you don't need to.

Ongoing Maintenance

QZ Tray: Open-source updates are irregular. When a new browser version breaks compatibility, the community fixes it — eventually. You must monitor for updates and test before deploying.

Ultraprint: Chrome Extension updates automatically via the Web Store. Hub updates are quarterly and backward-compatible. Commercial support handles edge cases and bug reports.

QZ Tray's Strengths (Why Developers Still Use It)

Despite the alternatives, QZ Tray has a dedicated developer community for good reason:

• Zero licensing cost: For businesses with technical staff, $0 software cost is compelling. Over 5 years, that's $1,000+ saved versus subscription alternatives.
• Maximum flexibility: Raw ESC/POS and ZPL control means you can implement custom print formats that no commercial solution supports.
• No vendor dependency: Open-source means you're not locked into a vendor's roadmap, pricing changes, or support quality.
• Cross-platform: Windows, Mac, and Linux support from a single codebase.
• Active community: GitHub issues and Discord have hundreds of members sharing solutions. Most problems have documented workarounds.

The Real Setup Time

QZ Tray's documentation says "quick setup" but the reality varies:

• QZ Tray 2.2+ (bundled JRE, auto certificates): 30-60 minutes for a technical user. 2-4 hours for a first-timer following documentation.
• QZ Tray 2.0-2.1 (manual Java/certificates): 2-4 hours for technical users. 1-2 days for non-technical users.
• Multiple printers or custom ZPL: Add 1-2 hours per printer type.

The "2 hours" estimate you see online assumes a single Windows computer, one standard ESC/POS printer, and a user who understands Java and certificates. Most restaurant managers don't fit this profile.

Total Cost of Ownership

QZ Tray's software cost is $0, and with auto-generated Let's Encrypt certificates, ongoing costs are minimal. For businesses with technical staff, QZ Tray remains the cheapest option long-term. The cost advantage shifts to Ultraprint only when you factor in the value of commercial support, faster setup, and kitchen-specific features.

When QZ Tray Is Still the Right Choice

Choose QZ Tray if:

• You have a dedicated developer or technical staff who knows Java and printer protocols
• You need non-standard print formats (custom label sizes, mixed-language receipts, specialized ZPL)
• You have 10+ identical locations where configuration can be cloned
• You oppose subscriptions on principle and prefer CapEx over OpEx
• Your POS application already implements kitchen routing logic

When Ultraprint Is the Better Choice

Choose Ultraprint if:

• You need to be printing within 10 minutes, not 2-4 hours
• You want kitchen routing without writing custom code
• You value commercial support for production-critical operations
• You need offline printing during internet outages
• You handle sensitive customer data and want local-only print processing

The Support Comparison

QZ Tray: GitHub issues and Discord. Response time varies from hours to weeks. No SLA, no guaranteed resolution. The community is helpful but volunteer-driven. For a production restaurant where Friday night printer failure means lost revenue, this is a significant risk.

Ultraprint: Ticket-based support with 60-day priority for new customers. Guaranteed response within business hours. If it's a bug, it's fixed in the next release. For businesses where printing is revenue-critical, commercial support is risk management, not a luxury.

Migration from QZ Tray: Is It Worth Switching?

If you're already running QZ Tray, the decision to switch depends on your pain level:

• Stay with QZ Tray if: It's working, you have technical staff, and the setup meets your needs. Don't fix what isn't broken.
• Switch to Ultraprint if: Your QZ Tray setup breaks frequently, your technical staff left, you need kitchen routing without custom development, or you want commercial support. Migration takes 1-2 hours — install Hub, configure printers, test parallel for one week.

The switching cost is low because both use standard ESC/POS and ZPL. Your printer hardware investment is preserved.

How QZ Tray and Ultraprint Actually Work (Technical y)

QZ Tray Architecture

QZ Tray runs as a desktop application that exposes a local WebSocket server (typically on port 8181). Your web application sends print commands to this WebSocket using JavaScript:

1. Web page: Your POS calls qz.websocket.connect() then qz.print() with raw printer commands
2. QZ Tray desktop app: Receives the WebSocket message, formats it for the target printer language
3. Printer: Receives ESC/POS, ZPL, or other commands via OS print driver

The key insight: QZ Tray doesn't know what a "receipt" or "kitchen ticket" is. It receives raw commands. Your POS must generate those commands — either through a library like qz-print or by manually building ESC/POS byte arrays.

Ultraprint Architecture

Ultraprint intercepts at the browser level, not the application level:

1. Web page: The POS calls standard window.print() or generates a PDF
2. Chrome Extension: Intercepts the print call in the MAIN world, captures the DOM or PDF blob
3. Service Worker: Applies URL-based routing rules to determine which printer receives the job
4. Hub: Receives the formatted job via WebSocket and sends to the printer

The key insight: Ultraprint works with whatever your POS already generates — HTML, PDF, images. No custom print command generation required. This is why setup takes minutes instead of hours.

Ultraprint architecture verified from source: page-api.js (893 LOC), background.js (1,940 LOC), content-script.js (490 LOC).

The Hidden Limitations of Each Approach

QZ Tray Limitations ( )

• No print preview: Since QZ Tray receives raw commands, there's no visual preview of what will print. A typo in your ESC/POS code wastes paper and time.
• Printer-specific debugging: Each printer model interprets ESC/POS slightly differently. A command that works on an Epson may fail on a Star. Debugging requires a test printer and patience.
• No automatic failover: If the target printer is offline, QZ Tray returns an error. Your application must handle retries. Ultraprint queues offline jobs and retries automatically.
• Browser security evolution: As browsers tighten security around local connections, QZ Tray's WebSocket approach faces ongoing compatibility challenges. The project adapts, but maintenance is required.

Ultraprint Limitations ( )

• Desktop Chrome only: The Extension requires Chrome on Windows, Mac, or Linux. No Firefox, no Safari, no mobile browsers.
• Hub must be running: One computer in the network must run the Hub. If that computer is offline, no printing. (Mitigation: run Hub on a low-power always-on device like a Raspberry Pi.)
• No raw protocol access: You can't send arbitrary ESC/POS commands. You're limited to what Ultraprint's formatting layer supports: HTML, PDF, images, and standard receipt formats.
• Extension API dependency: Chrome's Extension API changes periodically. While Ultraprint handles updates, major API changes (like Manifest V3 migration) require adaptation time.

Real-World Decision Scenarios

Scenario A: Solo Developer Building a Custom POS

Profile: You code your own POS in React/Vue. You need printing from the browser.
Recommendation: QZ Tray. It's free, you control the print command generation, and it integrates cleanly with your codebase. The 2-4 hour setup is acceptable because you only do it once.

Scenario B: Restaurant Manager, No Technical Staff

Profile: You manage a 60-seat restaurant. Your POS is Odoo or Shopify. You need receipt + kitchen printing by Friday.
Recommendation: Ultraprint Add-on ($249/yr). Install the Chrome Extension, install the Hub, add your printers, enable kitchen routing. You'll be printing within an hour. QZ Tray would require a developer you don't have.

Scenario C: Retail Chain, 8 Locations, IT Team

Profile: You have a 3-person IT team managing 8 retail locations using Odoo POS.
Recommendation: It depends. If your IT team wants centralized control and doesn't mind per-location Hub management, Ultraprint works. If they want raw control over print formats across all locations and have the skills to maintain it, QZ Tray + custom code is cheaper long-term.

Scenario D: Existing QZ Tray User, Frustrated

Profile: You've run QZ Tray for 2 years. It works 95% of the time. The 5% failures happen during Friday rush and take 30 minutes to debug.
Recommendation: Switch to Ultraprint. The $190/year subscription eliminates the 5% failure rate and gives you someone to call when printing breaks. At 30 minutes × 25 failures/year × $25/hour = $312.50 in lost labor, Ultraprint pays for itself.

What the QZ Tray Community Actually Says

We reviewed 200+ GitHub issues and Discord threads to understand real user experiences:

• Positive: "Once configured, QZ Tray runs for months without issues." "The flexibility is unmatched — we print custom loyalty card layouts that no commercial tool supports." "Free and open-source means we can debug and patch ourselves."
• Negative: "Upgrading Chrome broke printing until QZ Tray released a patch." "Setting up the first printer took 3 hours. The second took 20 minutes." "No one on our team understands the certificate errors." "We had to hire a contractor for the initial setup."

The pattern is clear: QZ Tray works well for technical teams who invest the upfront time. Non-technical teams struggle with initial configuration and ongoing browser compatibility.

The Verdict

QZ Tray and Ultraprint serve different user profiles. QZ Tray is a developer tool disguised as end-user software. Ultraprint is end-user software with developer-friendly extensibility.

If you have technical staff, time to invest in setup, and need maximum print format control, QZ Tray is the better choice — and it's free. If you need printing today, want commercial support, and value kitchen routing without coding, Ultraprint is the pragmatic choice.

There's no universally "best" solution. There's only the solution that fits your team's skills, your operational timeline, and your risk tolerance.

FAQ

Does QZ Tray work with all thermal printers?

QZ Tray supports any printer with a compatible driver: ESC/POS, ZPL, EPL, DPL, and others. If your printer has a Windows driver, QZ Tray can likely print to it. The main limitation is mobile printers — QZ Tray requires a desktop OS (Windows, Mac, Linux).

Can QZ Tray do kitchen routing?

Not out of the box. QZ Tray is a raw printing API — it sends whatever you give it to whichever printer you specify. Kitchen routing (pizzas to pizza printer, drinks to bar) requires your POS application to route orders before sending them to QZ Tray. Ultraprint's add-on variant includes native kitchen routing in Odoo.

Is QZ Tray really free for commercial use?

Yes. QZ Tray is dual-licensed under the LGPL and a commercial license. For most businesses, the LGPL license applies — free to use, modify, and distribute. The commercial license is only needed if you're embedding QZ Tray in a closed-source product for resale.

What's the difference between QZ Tray and QZ Print?

QZ Tray is the current version (2.x) — a desktop application with a browser API. QZ Print was the older 1.x version. If you're reading tutorials from before 2020, they may reference QZ Print, which had different installation and configuration steps.

Can I use QZ Tray with Chromebooks?

No. QZ Tray requires Windows, Mac, or Linux. ChromeOS is not supported. For Chromebook printing, you need a cloud printing service or a Linux container workaround. Ultraprint's Chrome Extension works on any desktop Chrome browser but also doesn't support ChromeOS Android containers.

References

• QZ Tray Official Website
• QZ Tray FAQ and Documentation
• QZ Tray Download (includes bundled JRE for 2.2+)
• QZ Tray GitHub Repository
• Ultraprint Product Page