Understand your options before you spend a dollar.
Clear, jargon-free profiles of the major restaurant ordering and management systems, plus guides that explain how they actually work. No scores, no sales pitch — just what you need to make an informed call.
The systems, at a glance
See all profiles →A quick overview. Tap any name for the full write-up.
| System | Starting price | Hardware | Website | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toast | $0–$165+/mo per location | Proprietary hardware, purchased or financed | Templated online-ordering pages | High-volume or multi-location restaurants that need enterprise depth and will use the integration marketplace. |
| Square for Restaurants | $0–$60/mo | Square hardware, purchased separately | Templated site builder | Cafés, quick-service and small spots that value simplicity over restaurant-specific depth. |
| Pickup Pointe | $125–$250/mo | Tablet + printer integrations included | Fully custom, on your own domain | Everything from a single independent restaurant to multi-location groups and franchises — operators who want one system to run ordering, their website, marketing and hardware, with a bird’s-eye view across every location. |
| Clover | Varies by plan + hardware | Proprietary Clover devices (Station, Flex, Mini) | Basic online ordering | Small businesses and restaurants that want flexible, widely-available all-in-one hardware and an app ecosystem. |
| Lightspeed Restaurant | From ~$69/mo | iPad-based, peripherals separate | Online ordering add-on | Full-service restaurants and groups that want depth in reporting and inventory. |
| TouchBistro | From ~$69/mo | iPad-based | Online ordering, reservations & loyalty add-ons | Full-service and casual dine-in restaurants wanting a restaurant-first iPad POS. |
| SpotOn | From ~$0–$135/mo (varies) | SpotOn hardware | Online ordering, marketing & loyalty | Full-service and casual restaurants wanting broad, all-in-one capability with more flexible terms. |
| Revel Systems | From ~$99/mo per terminal | iPad-based | Online ordering | Established or multi-location restaurants needing an enterprise-grade iPad POS. |
| SkyTab (Shift4) | Low monthly + processing (bundled offers) | SkyTab terminals & handhelds (often bundled) | Online ordering & QR included | Cost-sensitive restaurants that want bundled hardware and processing. |
| Oracle MICROS Simphony | From ~$55/mo per terminal (enterprise quoting) | Oracle/MICROS or compatible hardware | Enterprise ordering & integrations | Large chains, hotels and high-complexity, high-volume operations. |
| NCR Aloha | Custom / enterprise quoting | NCR/Aloha hardware | Online ordering & integrations | Established multi-unit restaurants and chains wanting a proven enterprise platform. |
| ChowNow | From ~$150/mo + setup | Not a POS/hardware suite | Branded ordering pages & apps | Independents focused on commission-free direct online ordering without a marketplace cut. |
| Owner.com | $249–$499/mo | Not a full POS/hardware suite | Templated restaurant website | Restaurants whose main priority is owning more direct online orders and marketing. |
| BentoBox | From ~$100/mo (varies) | Not a POS/hardware suite | Polished, design-forward websites | Restaurants that prioritize a polished website and direct ordering experience. |
| Popmenu | $149+/mo | Not a hardware/POS suite | Polished, template-driven websites | Restaurants investing heavily in brand, website and marketing automation. |
| Slice | Low flat fee per order | Optional Slice register/tablet | Pizzeria-branded ordering | Independent pizzerias wanting affordable online ordering and marketing. |
| GloriaFood | $0 (free core) | None (widget & app based) | Ordering widget for your existing site | Budget-conscious independents wanting free, commission-free online ordering. |
Start with your kind of restaurant
The right system depends on how you operate. Browse by type:
Systems for Independent Restaurants
Independent restaurants live and die on margins, so the right ordering system is the one that does the most for the leas…
Read more →
Systems for Multi-Location Groups
Once you are running several locations, you need centralized menus, reporting, and enough integration depth to plug into…
Read more →
Systems for Food Trucks & Pop-Ups
Food trucks need one device that does everything, works anywhere, and costs almost nothing to run between events. Bulky …
Read more →
Systems for Commission-Free Online Ordering
Third-party delivery apps can take 15–30% per order. If your goal is to own your direct orders and stop paying that tax,…
Read more →
Guides
All guides →Understand the market before you shop.
How restaurant online ordering systems work
What actually happens between a customer tapping “order” and food hitting the pass — and the moving parts you’re really choosing between.
6 min read →
Commission-free ordering, explained
“0% commission” is one of the most-used phrases in restaurant tech — and one of the most misread. Here’s what it does and doesn’t mean.
5 min read →
What hardware a restaurant actually needs
Tablets, printers, card readers, kitchen screens, kiosks, menu boards — what each does, and what you can skip.
6 min read →
How to choose a restaurant ordering system
A practical framework for cutting through vendor marketing and picking the system that fits your restaurant.
7 min read →
Comparing two systems?
See all systems →How the popular options differ, side by side.
How we research
We sign up for, pay for, and use these systems the way a real restaurant would, then explain what we find in plain English. No sponsored placements, no pay-to-appear.
Our approach