Square for Restaurants Alternative
The all-in-one Square for Restaurants alternative
Like Square, RestApp is commission-free, but you also get your own branded iOS and Android apps, plus KDS and loyalty included, not paid add-ons.
The catch with Square for Restaurants
Commission-free ordering, but apps, KDS and loyalty cost extra
Square genuinely takes 0% commission on its own direct online orders (you only pay card processing), and it lets you keep your customer data, both real strengths over marketplaces. The catch is that Square sells the rest of the stack piece by piece: a branded customer mobile app isn't a native Square product at all (restaurants bolt on third-party tools like Orda or Per Diem for extra monthly fees), the Kitchen Display System is a paid add-on at roughly $20, $30 per device per month, Loyalty starts around $45/month per location, and everything is priced per location, so a multi-site or growing restaurant ends up stacking subscriptions. Delivery beyond pickup/curbside also still relies on courier or marketplace partners that charge per-order fees.
Square for Restaurants pricing
Square for Restaurants charges no per-order commission on its own direct online ordering (you pay only payment processing of roughly 2.5%, 2.6% + 15¢ in person and 2.9% + 30¢ online), but the platform runs on paid software tiers, Free $0, Plus $49 and Premium $149 per location per month, with KDS ($20, $30 per device/month) and Loyalty (from about $45/month per location) sold as separate paid add-ons.
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
Square for Restaurants vs RestApp
| Feature | Square for Restaurants | RestApp |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud-based, manage anywhere | Yes (cloud dashboard; POS runs on Square/iPad hardware) | |
| Commission-free online ordering built in | Included, 0% commission on direct orders (processing fees apply) | Included |
| Your own branded customer apps | No native branded apps (3rd-party add-on, e.g. Orda/Per Diem) | Included |
| E-menu / QR table ordering | Yes (QR order & pay) | |
| Kitchen Display System | Paid add-on (~$20-$30/device/mo) | |
| Inventory & recipe management | Yes (Plus plan and up) |
Questions & Answers
Does Square for Restaurants charge commission on online orders? +
No, on Square's own direct online ordering (pickup, curbside and order-ahead through your Square ordering profile) there is 0% commission; you pay only standard payment processing, roughly 2.9% + 30¢ per online order. That's a real advantage over marketplaces like Uber Eats or Just Eat. The cost shows up elsewhere: you're on a paid software tier (Free, Plus at $49 or Premium at $149 per location per month), and delivery beyond your own pickup still relies on couriers or marketplace partners that charge per-order fees. RestApp is also 0% commission on direct orders and bundles more of the stack into one monthly plan.
Do I get my own branded iOS and Android apps with Square? +
Not natively. Square gives you a branded online-ordering website/profile and keeps your customer data, but it does not ship your own native iOS and Android customer apps, restaurants add those through third-party partners like Orda, Per Diem or MyOrderApp, which are separate monthly subscriptions on top of your Square plan. RestApp includes your own branded customer website and native iOS and Android apps as standard, so your repeat customers order from an app with your name on it without bolting on another vendor.
Are KDS and loyalty included, or do they cost extra on Square? +
They're extra. Square's Kitchen Display System is a paid add-on at roughly $20, $30 per device per month (and it requires a Plus or Premium subscription), and Square Loyalty is a separate add-on starting around $45 per month per location. So a single site wanting KDS plus loyalty can be paying its plan fee plus two more subscriptions. With RestApp, KDS and loyalty/promotions are included in the plan rather than billed as per-device or per-location add-ons.
How does Square's per-location pricing compare to RestApp for multiple sites? +
Square prices almost everything per location: the Plus ($49) or Premium ($149) software tier is per location per month, KDS is per device, and Loyalty is per location, so costs multiply as you add restaurants. Square is a strong, genuinely commission-free option if you're happy living inside its ecosystem and paying for add-ons. RestApp covers cloud EPOS, commission-free online ordering, your own branded website and apps, e-menu/QR ordering, KDS, inventory, loyalty and 24/7 support on simple monthly plans, which keeps multi-location pricing more predictable.
Take orders on your terms
Start a free trial, commission-free ordering, your own apps and EPOS, with free setup and 24/7 support.