The best free online ordering systems for restaurants in 2026 are Square Online Free (the best independent option), Uber's Webshop and DoorDash Online Ordering (free if you're already on those apps). All three charge $0 a month and 0% commission, but none is truly free: you pay 2.5% to 3.3% plus about 30¢ per order in card processing. GloriaFood, the old free default, shuts down April 30, 2027.
| System | Monthly fee | Restaurant cost on a $30 order | Catch | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square Online Free | $0 | $1.29 (3.3% + 30¢) | Custom domain needs a paid plan | Independents, Square POS users |
| Uber Webshop | $0 | $1.04 (2.5% + $0.29) | Needs an Uber Eats marketplace account | Restaurants already on Uber Eats |
| DoorDash Online Ordering | $0 (Starter) | $1.29 (3.3% + $0.30) | Needs an active DoorDash store | Restaurants already on DoorDash |
| GloriaFood | $0 (payments add-on $29) | Your gateway's processing | Ends April 30, 2027 | Nobody new; plan your exit |
| Menuline (low-cost paid) | $29 ($1/mo first 3 months) | No per-order platform fee; diner pays 5% | Not free; pickup only today | A real website and loyalty for little money (email on Growth) |
| FoodAmigos (low-cost paid) | $35 (first month free for GloriaFood users) | Processing not listed | Europe-focused | The closest GloriaFood swap |
Each vendor's figures per its published pricing pages as of October 2026. Confirm current rates with the vendor before you switch.
Disclosure: Menuline publishes this guide and sells a low-cost paid system, so we compete with several options here. We've put the genuinely free ones first because, for some restaurants, they're the right answer.
Why are restaurants looking for a free ordering system right now?
Because the most popular free one is closing. Oracle's GloriaFood end-of-life notice says the platform "will reach end of life on April 30, 2027," and its FAQ says every product ends that day, free tier included, with no extensions. Oracle doesn't offer a replacement, and its notice points restaurants to FoodAmigos.
GloriaFood's own pricing page still advertises "No commission per order" and "No monthly fee," with paid add-ons for online card payments ($29/month), advanced promo marketing ($19/month) and a POS ($49/month per location on a two-year commitment). That's the model owners are trying to replace: free core, pay only for extras.
Our full shutdown timeline and export checklist is in GloriaFood shutting down: the best alternatives. This guide answers the narrower question: what is genuinely free now, and what does it really cost?
What does a "free" online ordering system really cost?
The subscription is free. The payments aren't. Here is a small restaurant doing $5,000 a month online at a $30 average order (about 167 orders):
| System | Monthly fee | Processing | Monthly total | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uber Webshop (2.5% + $0.29) | $0 | $173 | $173 | $2,081 |
| Square Online Free (3.3% + 30¢) | $0 | $215 | $215 | $2,581 |
| DoorDash Online Ordering Starter (3.3% + $0.30) | $0 | $215 | $215 | $2,581 |
| Square Online Plus (2.9% + 30¢) | $49 | $195 | $244 | $2,929 |
| DoorDash Online Ordering Boost (2.9% + $0.30) | $99 | $195 | $294 | $3,529 |
Two things jump out. First, "free" at this volume is about $2,100 to $2,600 a year. Second, the paid upgrades only pay for themselves at higher volume: Square Plus saves 0.4% on processing, which covers its $49 fee once you pass about $12,250 a month in online sales.
To be fair to every vendor here, card processing isn't a hidden fee. Every system that takes cards pays it somewhere, including ours. The difference is whether it's printed. Square, Uber and DoorDash print their rates, which is a point in their favor.
What are the other hidden costs of free?
Processing is the obvious one. These are the four that catch owners later:
- Diner fees. A $0 system can still charge your customers. DoorDash's Online Ordering passes delivery fees to the diner. On Menuline, diners pay a 5% platform fee at checkout ($1.50 on a $30 order). Place a test order on any system and look at the final screen before you commit.
- Paid add-ons you'll need anyway. Square's plans page puts custom domain connection on paid plans, so a site at yourrestaurant.com means $49 a month. GloriaFood charged $29 a month just to take cards online.
- Marketplace strings. Uber says Webshop is "free with your Uber Eats marketplace account," and DoorDash's FAQ says Online Ordering is available to restaurants "with an active DoorDash store." If you ever leave the marketplace, your direct ordering goes with it.
- Shutdown and repricing risk. GloriaFood was free for years and is now ending. Menufy also started out free for restaurants, per a 2012 Silicon Prairie News profile, and now lists $149 a month on a 12-month agreement or $179 month-to-month on its pricing page. Free products change when the business behind them does.
None of these is a reason to avoid free systems. They're reasons to read the checkout screen, the add-on list and the terms before you print new QR codes.
Is Square Online Free the best free option?
For most independent restaurants, yes. Per Square's published pricing as of October 2026, Square Free is $0 a month, with 3.3% + 30¢ per online card payment. Plus is $49 and Premium is $149, both at 2.9% + 30¢.
The Free plan includes a website builder with SEO tools and pickup and local delivery "with your staff or third-party couriers." Square also offers online ordering profiles, a mobile ordering page you can share on Google, Yelp and social, which Square says comes "with no extra effort or monthly fees" and works with any Square plan. Checkout is powered by Cash App, and orders land on your Square POS and kitchen printer.
Courier delivery isn't free: Square says a delivery provider's fee "may be charged directly to your customer or to you," and Square's processing fee still applies.
Pick it if you already run Square at the counter, or you want a $0 bill with no marketplace account. Full details in our Square Online review.
Skip it if you need loyalty, email marketing and a custom domain on day one. Those push you onto paid Square plans and products quickly.
Are DoorDash and Uber Eats direct ordering really free?
They're the cheapest per order, and the most tied to a marketplace.
Uber Webshop. Uber's merchant pricing page lists Webshop at 2.5% + $0.29 per order for commission-free ordering from your own website, app or social pages. Uber's Webshop page says it's free with your Uber Eats marketplace account, offers pickup and delivery, and lets you "own your customer data." At $1.04 on a $30 order, it's the lowest per-order rate we found.
DoorDash Online Ordering (formerly Storefront). Per DoorDash's merchant pages as of October 2026, the Starter package is $0 a month with 3.3% + $0.30 processing, and the Boost ($99) and Pro ($249) packages drop processing to 2.9% + $0.30. You need an active DoorDash store. Our DoorDash Storefront review covers the tradeoffs.
Pick one of these if you're already on that marketplace and want a commission-free link for regulars. It's the fastest win available.
Skip them if your goal is independence from the apps. Your direct channel shouldn't depend on keeping a marketplace account you're trying to use less.
Should GloriaFood's free users move now?
Yes, and calmly. GloriaFood keeps working until April 30, 2027, but paid add-ons stop on your last renewal date, as early as April 1, 2027, and Oracle only allows data retrieval for 30 days after your services end.
The useful order of operations:
- Export your customer list and menu now, while nothing is on fire.
- Pick a replacement before your holiday rush, or build it in parallel and cut over in January or February.
- Replace every link on one day: website, Google Business Profile, Facebook, Instagram, printed QR codes.
If you want to stay at $0, Square Free is the closest match. If you want the closest like-for-like swap, FoodAmigos' GloriaFood pricing page lists $35 a month per restaurant, 0% commission, monthly cancellable, migration included and the first month free for GloriaFood customers. FoodAmigos is based in Berlin and says it serves restaurants "across Europe," so US restaurants should confirm card processing, couriers and support hours for their city.
What are the best low-cost paid options?
If free means "costs almost nothing," a few paid systems sit close to zero and add what free plans lack:
| Option | Monthly | Restaurant fee per order | Diner fee | What you get over free |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Menuline Starter | $29 ($1/mo first 3 months) | 0% commission | 5% platform fee | SEO website, ordering, loyalty, setup specialist |
| Menuline Growth | $99 ($1/mo first 3 months) | 0% commission | 5% platform fee | Adds a branded app and AI email marketing |
| FoodAmigos | $35 | 0% commission; processing not listed | Not listed | GloriaFood migration, reservations, delivery integrations |
| Square Online Plus | $49 | 2.9% + 30¢ | None listed | Custom domain, lower processing |
| UpMenu | $49 (75 orders), $89 (210), $169 (unlimited) | Commission-free | Not listed | Pay by order volume, add-ons per location |
UpMenu per its pricing page as of October 2026; its add-ons (app, loyalty, delivery) are priced separately per location.
Menuline is our platform, so weigh this paragraph accordingly. Starter is $29 a month, and the first 3 months are $1 a month, month-to-month with no setup fee. It includes a restaurant website, commission-free online ordering, an online menu, loyalty rewards and Google listing tools, and a specialist builds your menu from photos or an Uber Eats or DoorDash link. In year one, Starter's subscription totals $264 (3 months at $1, 9 at $29).
The honest caveats: diners pay a 5% platform fee at checkout, and our pricing page doesn't list a separate card processing rate, so ask us for it in writing like you would anyone. Ordering is pickup only today; delivery with Uber drivers is coming soon. Marketing is email only, with no SMS, and Menuline isn't a POS.
Which should you choose?
A simple way to decide:
- Under about $3,000 a month online, and you use Square: Square Free. Don't overthink it.
- Already on Uber Eats or DoorDash: turn on Webshop or Online Ordering this week for regulars, whatever else you decide.
- Leaving GloriaFood and want minimal change: FoodAmigos, after confirming it supports your city.
- Want your own website, loyalty and customer list without marketplace strings: a low-cost paid system such as Menuline.
Before you choose, see where your orders come from today. The free Menuline AI grader checks your website, Google profile and ordering link in about a minute. For the full field, including ChowNow, Toast and Owner.com, see the best online ordering systems for small restaurants.
The bottom line
The best free online ordering systems in 2026 are Square Online Free ($0 a month, 3.3% + 30¢ per order), Uber Webshop (2.5% + $0.29, needs Uber Eats) and DoorDash Online Ordering ($0 Starter, 3.3% + $0.30, needs DoorDash). At $5,000 a month online, "free" costs about $173 to $215 a month in processing. GloriaFood's free tier ends April 30, 2027. If you want a full website, loyalty and email for close to nothing, Menuline is $29 a month after $1 months, with a 5% fee paid by diners at checkout.