Lightspeed Restaurant Alternative
The all-in-one Lightspeed Restaurant alternative
Keep Lightspeed's 0%-commission ordering, but get your own native iOS/Android apps, simple monthly plans and no multi-year lock-in or forced processor.
The catch with Lightspeed Restaurant
Commission-free ordering, but a long contract, forced processing, and no apps of your own
To Lightspeed's credit, its Order Anywhere online ordering is genuinely commission-free, so it isn't a 30%-skimming marketplace. The catch is total cost and lock-in: plans run on one-year (often multi-year) contracts with early-termination fees that can demand the full remaining balance, Lightspeed Payments is mandatory (a third-party processor triggers a roughly $400/month charge), and the all-in bill climbs once you stack processing (about 2.6% + $0.10 in person), KDS screens, extra registers and hardware. And Order Anywhere is a web/QR ordering page, not a native, customer-facing iOS/Android app under your own brand, so you don't get apps you fully own.
Lightspeed Restaurant pricing
Lightspeed Restaurant is subscription-based, costing roughly $69/month (Basic) up to $189 and $399/month for higher tiers, typically on a one-year (often multi-year) contract, plus mandatory Lightspeed Payments processing of about 2.6% + $0.10 in person and 2.6% + $0.30 online, with extras like KDS at ~$30/screen, ~$59/month per additional register, and a ~$400/month penalty if you use a third-party processor.
Why switch
Run your whole venue on RestApp
Take orders directly, keep your margin and your customers, and run ordering and your point of sale from one platform.
POS + ordering in one
A cloud EPOS with commission-free online ordering built in, not a bolt-on.
0% commission ordering
Take direct orders from your own site and apps with no per-order cut.
Your own site & apps
Branded website and native iOS & Android apps, included.
E-menu & QR ordering
Let guests scan, order and pay from the table.
Inventory & recipes
Track stock and food cost, with recipes mapped to products.
24/7 free support
Real help with setup, migration and growth, any time.
At a glance
Lightspeed Restaurant vs RestApp
| Feature | Lightspeed Restaurant | RestApp |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud-based, manage anywhere | ||
| Commission-free online ordering built in | Included, 0% commission (web/QR page) | Included |
| Your own branded customer apps | No (web ordering only; no native branded customer apps) | Included |
| E-menu / QR table ordering | Yes (Order Anywhere QR) | |
| Kitchen Display System | Yes (~$30/screen extra) | |
| Inventory & recipe management | Yes (recipe costing; higher tiers/add-on) |
Questions & Answers
Does Lightspeed Restaurant charge commission on orders like a delivery marketplace? +
No. This is a real strength of Lightspeed: its Order Anywhere online ordering is commission-free, with no per-order marketplace cut (you only pay a delivery fee if you use on-demand delivery). The bigger costs are elsewhere: the monthly subscription (about $69 up to $189 and $399 depending on plan), mandatory Lightspeed Payments processing of roughly 2.6% + $0.10 in person and 2.6% + $0.30 online, and add-ons. RestApp is also 0% commission on orders, and bundles your website, native iOS/Android apps, EPOS, e-menu, loyalty and KDS into simple monthly plans.
Do I get my own branded mobile apps with Lightspeed Restaurant? +
Not native customer apps you own. Lightspeed's customer-facing ordering, Order Anywhere, is a mobile-optimized web/QR ordering page (white-label, powered by Uber Direct for delivery) that diners use without downloading anything. Lightspeed's actual iOS/Android apps are its POS and management apps for staff, not a branded ordering app for your customers under your name. RestApp gives you your own branded customer website plus native iOS and Android apps that live in the App Store and Google Play under your brand.
Is Lightspeed Restaurant a long contract, and can I use my own card processor? +
Lightspeed typically requires a one-year (often multi-year) contract, and reviewers and BBB complaints note that cancelling early is difficult and expensive, with early-termination fees that can demand the remaining balance of the term upfront. Lightspeed Payments is also effectively mandatory, with a roughly $400/month charge reported if you use a third-party processor. RestApp uses simple monthly plans without multi-year lock-in, so you aren't tied into a long contract or forced onto one processor.
Why would I switch from Lightspeed Restaurant to RestApp? +
If you like Lightspeed's commission-free ordering, RestApp keeps that 0% commission and removes the friction: no multi-year contract or steep exit fee, no mandatory in-house processor, and your own branded native iOS/Android apps and website instead of a shared web ordering page. You still get a full cloud EPOS, e-menu/QR table ordering, loyalty, KDS and inventory in one platform with 24/7 support, on a simple monthly plan rather than a subscription plus stacked add-ons, processing penalties and per-screen/per-register fees.
Take orders on your terms
Start a free trial, commission-free ordering, your own apps and EPOS, with free setup and 24/7 support.