# Restaurant online ordering platforms compared (2026)

Canonical: https://menuline.ai/compare

The cheapest way for a small restaurant to take its own online orders is **Square Online's free plan** ($0/month, 3.3% + 30¢ per online order) or **Menuline** ($29/month, 0% commission). **Owner.com** ($249/month + 5%, or $499), **ChowNow** ($249 to $449/month plus setup) and **Popmenu** ($179 to $499/month plus an ordering add-on) cost more and bundle more. Third-party apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub charge **15 to 30%** of most marketplace delivery orders instead of a monthly fee.

Every figure below comes from each company's own pricing page or published terms, checked in **October 2026**. Prices change, so confirm with the vendor before you sign. Disclosure: Menuline publishes this page and is one of the platforms compared. Where a competitor is the better fit, the linked guides say so.

## How much do restaurant online ordering platforms cost?

| Platform | Monthly price | Per-order cost to the restaurant | What diners pay extra | Setup | Contract | Full guide |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Menuline** | $29 Starter or $99 Growth ($1/month for the first 3 months) | 0% commission | 5% platform fee | Included | Month-to-month | [Menuline vs Owner.com](https://menuline.ai/blog/menuline-vs-owner-com) |
| **Square Online** | $0, $49 or $149 per location | 3.3% + 30¢ (Free) or 2.9% + 30¢ (paid) | Nothing by default | Self-serve | None | [Square Online review](https://menuline.ai/blog/square-online-ordering-review) |
| **Owner.com** | $249 + 5% per order, or $499 flat | 5% on the $249 plan | 5% order support fee | Ask in writing | Month-to-month, demo to sign up | [Owner.com pricing](https://menuline.ai/blog/owner-com-pricing) |
| **ChowNow** | $249, $349 or $449 | 2.95% + $0.29 | 7.5% only on ChowNow App and eat.chownow.com orders | $119 to $499 | Auto-renews for your plan term | [ChowNow pricing](https://menuline.ai/blog/chownow-pricing) |
| **Popmenu** | $179, $299 or $499, plus an ordering add-on | $1.00 per order if you absorb it | $1.00 if passed to the guest | Quoted | Minimum term, then auto-renews | [Popmenu pricing](https://menuline.ai/blog/popmenu-pricing) |
| **Menufy** | $149 (12-month agreement) or $179 | Convenience fee if you absorb it | Convenience fee if passed on | Onboarding included | 12 months or month-to-month | [Menufy pricing](https://menuline.ai/blog/menufy-pricing) |
| **Toast** | $0 or $69 POS plans; online ordering is a quoted add-on | 2.49% to 3.09% card processing, per Toast | Depends on your setup | Hardware purchase | Per your Toast agreement | [Toast pricing](https://menuline.ai/blog/toast-pricing) |
| **DoorDash Online Ordering** | $0 with an active DoorDash store | Standard payment processing | Delivery fee on delivery orders | Self-serve | None | [DoorDash commission rates](https://menuline.ai/blog/doordash-commission-rates) |
| **GloriaFood** | Free, paid add-ons from $19 | Your own payment gateway | Nothing by default | Self-serve | Shuts down April 30, 2027 | [GloriaFood alternatives](https://menuline.ai/blog/gloriafood-shutting-down-alternatives) |
| **BentoBox** | Not published; sold only to Clover POS customers | Not published | Not published | Quoted | Quoted | [BentoBox alternatives](https://menuline.ai/blog/bentobox-alternatives) |

Card processing is a cost on every platform, including Menuline (it comes out of payouts). Some vendors list it as a per-order fee and some don't, so compare the total you'd pay on a typical month, not the headline price.

## What do DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub charge restaurants?

| Marketplace | Commission per order | Guide |
| --- | --- | --- |
| DoorDash | 15% (Basic), 25% (Plus), 30% (Premier); 6% on pickup | [DoorDash fees](https://menuline.ai/blog/doordash-fees-for-restaurants) |
| Uber Eats | 20% (Lite), 25% (Plus), 30% (Premium) on delivery, 15% on Lite in some cities; 7% on pickup | [Uber Eats fees](https://menuline.ai/blog/ubereats-fees-for-restaurants) |
| Grubhub | 5%, 15% or 20% marketing commission, plus a delivery fee from 10% when Grubhub delivers, plus 3.05% + $0.30 processing | [Grubhub fees](https://menuline.ai/blog/grubhub-fees-for-restaurants) |

Marketplaces bring new customers, which is what the commission pays for. Most restaurants keep them for discovery and move regulars to their own ordering. The math is in [how to reduce delivery app fees](https://menuline.ai/blog/how-to-reduce-delivery-app-fees) and [commission-free online ordering](https://menuline.ai/blog/commission-free-online-ordering).

## Which platform fits which restaurant?

| If you are... | Look at | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small, takeout-first, want the lowest fixed cost | Square Online Free, Menuline Starter | $0 to $29 a month; Square if you already use Square POS |
| Independent that wants a website that ranks, ordering, loyalty and email in one place | Menuline, Owner.com | Menuline at $29 to $99 self-serve; Owner.com at $249+ with SMS and delivery |
| Leaving GloriaFood before April 30, 2027 | Square Online, FoodAmigos, Menuline | See the [GloriaFood migration checklist](https://menuline.ai/blog/gloriafood-shutting-down-alternatives) |
| On Toast and need orders inside the POS | Toast Online Ordering, ChowNow | Menuline orders don't flow into Toast |
| Full-service with reservations and a big dining room | Popmenu, Toast | Reservations and table tools Menuline doesn't offer |
| A pizzeria on Slice | Read the fee math first | [Slice fees for restaurants](https://menuline.ai/blog/slice-fees-for-restaurants) |

## Head-to-head comparisons

- [Menuline vs Owner.com](https://menuline.ai/blog/menuline-vs-owner-com)
- [Menuline vs Toast](https://menuline.ai/blog/menuline-vs-toast)
- [Menuline vs Popmenu](https://menuline.ai/blog/menuline-vs-popmenu)
- [Menuline vs BentoBox](https://menuline.ai/blog/menuline-vs-bentobox)
- [Toast vs Owner.com](https://menuline.ai/blog/owner-com-vs-toast)
- [DoorDash Online Ordering (Storefront) review](https://menuline.ai/blog/doordash-storefront-review)

## Alternatives guides

- [Owner.com alternatives](https://menuline.ai/blog/owner-com-alternatives)
- [ChowNow alternatives](https://menuline.ai/blog/chownow-alternatives)
- [Popmenu alternatives](https://menuline.ai/blog/popmenu-alternatives)
- [BentoBox alternatives](https://menuline.ai/blog/bentobox-alternatives)
- [Toast alternatives](https://menuline.ai/blog/toast-alternatives)
- [DoorDash alternatives for restaurants](https://menuline.ai/blog/doordash-alternatives-for-restaurants)
- [GloriaFood alternatives](https://menuline.ai/blog/gloriafood-shutting-down-alternatives)
- [Best online ordering systems for small restaurants](https://menuline.ai/blog/best-online-ordering-systems)
- [Restaurant website builders with online ordering](https://menuline.ai/blog/best-restaurant-website-builders)

## Pricing and reviews

- [Owner.com reviews and complaints](https://menuline.ai/blog/is-owner-com-worth-it)
- [What does Owner.com do?](https://menuline.ai/blog/what-does-owner-com-do)
- [Toast FTC lawsuit: what restaurant owners should check](https://menuline.ai/blog/toast-ftc-lawsuit)
- [Restaurant website cost](https://menuline.ai/blog/restaurant-website-cost)

## Frequently asked questions

**What is the cheapest online ordering system for a restaurant?**
Square Online's free plan costs $0 a month but charges 3.3% + 30¢ per online order. Menuline Starter costs $29 a month ($1 for the first 3 months) with 0% commission, while diners pay a 5% platform fee. Which is cheaper depends on your order volume and whether you count the diner's side.

**Is commission-free online ordering really free?**
No platform is free of all fees. "Commission-free" means the platform doesn't take a percentage of the order from the restaurant. You still pay card processing, usually a monthly plan, and on some platforms the diner pays a service fee.

**Which is cheaper, Owner.com or Menuline?**
Menuline is $29 or $99 a month. Owner.com is $249 a month plus 5% per order, or $499 a month flat. Both charge diners a 5% fee at checkout. Owner.com includes SMS marketing and delivery, which Menuline doesn't offer today.

**How often is this page updated?**
We recheck vendor pricing pages at least monthly and date every change. If you spot an outdated number, email hello@menuline.ai and we'll fix it.

Want to see how your own restaurant shows up on Google and AI search first? The free [Menuline grader](https://menuline.ai/grader) checks it in about a minute.