The best online ordering software for restaurants is flexible, allowing restaurants to grow their sales without losing profits and expand as their business needs change. There are many options to consider with restaurant online ordering software: Will you accept online orders for pick up only or delivery? Will you deliver orders with an in-house driver team or use third-party drivers? There are excellent online ordering systems of every type, and many integrate with your point-of-sale (POS) system.
Based on our evaluations, the best restaurant online ordering software tools are:
- Menufy: Best overall restaurant online ordering software
- Toast Now: Best with built-in delivery management
- Tock To Go: Best for family-style meals and meal kits
- DoorDash Storefront: Best with third-party delivery drivers
- Restolabs: Best for integrations
- Square Online Store: Best free restaurant online ordering site
- GloriaFood: Best for bringing your payment processor
- Popmenu: Best for marketing and customer engagement
- Zuppler: Best for menu design options
- CloudWaitress: Best with customer-facing smartphone app
Top Online Ordering Software Compared
Minimum Monthly Fee | Per-Order Commission Fee | Includes Listing on Central Customer Ordering Site | POS Integrations | Delivery Tools | Payment Processing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
$0 | $1.50 (paid by customer) | ✔ | Square, Lightspeed, Clover, Harbortouch, Restaurant Manager | Integrated (Postmates, DoorDash Drive, Uber) | Via Menufy; 2.5% + 30 cents | |
$75 | $0 | ✔ | None | Built-in or integrated | Via Toast; 3.5% + 15 cents | |
$0 | 3% | ✔ | Toast, Upserve by Lightspeed | Built-in or integrated (DoorDash Drive and Uber) | Via Braintree; 2.9% + 30 cents | |
$0 | $0 | ✕ | Square, Toast, Aloha, Shift4, more via plug-ins like Chowly, ItsaCheckmate | Built-in | Via DoorDash; 2.9% + 30 cents | |
$45 | $0 for online orders; 12.5% for delivery orders | ✕ | Via open API | Integrated (Tookan) | Via Authorize.net, Heartland, Worldpay, Stripe, Freedompay, Elavon, Vantiv, USAepay | |
$0 | $0 | ✕ | Square | Built-in or integrated (DoorDash Drive, Uber) | Via Square; 2.9% + 30 cents | |
$0 | $0 | ✔ | MobiPOS, SambaPOS, Dineplan, more via ItsaCheckmate plug-in | Integrated (Tookan, Orderlord, QuestTag) | Integrates with most any payment processor | |
$149 | $1 per order | ✕ | Toast, more via plug-in with Otter | Integrated (DoorDash Drive) | Stripe (2.9% + 30 cents) or Square (2.9% + 30 cents) | |
$49 | $1 per order | ✕ | Toast, Lightspeed, Revel, Upserve by Lightspeed, Par, Andromeda, Clover, more via Otter and ItsaCheckmate plug-ins | Integrated (multiple options including Shipday, DoorDash Drive) | Via Zuppler, 2.75% + 25 cents (can also integrate with your pre-existing processor) | |
$0 | $0 | ✕ | None | Built-in or Integrated (Tookan) | Varies; integrates with Stripe, PayPal, CardConnect, PayGate |
How We Evaluated Restaurant Online Ordering Software
We compared dozens of popular and emerging online ordering software for restaurants based on what’s important to independent restaurant businesses. We considered price, general online ordering functions, niche functions (like delivery and customer-facing apps), and ease of use. To round out our ratings, we also considered our retail and restaurant experts’ personal evaluations of each software.
Using the above criteria, Menufy emerged as the best restaurant online ordering software. This software received the highest overall score according to our grading system for restaurant online ordering software (4.22 out of 5). Based on our personal experience testing different software and working in and with independent restaurants that use these tools every day, Menufy is also one of the top software that we personally recommend to independent restaurants that need a simple online ordering tool.
Click through to see our full evaluation criteria:
15% of Overall Score
First, we looked at whether or not each software offers a free plan and a plan option under $75 monthly. We also considered per-order commission fees, credit card processing fees, and contract-length requirements.
25% of Overall Score
We looked for systems that support custom, branded websites and aggregating sites that help restaurants find new customers. We also awarded points for providers that accept cash and gift cards and include built-in marketing tools.
25% of Overall Score
20% of Overall Score
15% of Overall Score
Finally, we considered standout features of each individual system and whether or not the software offers a good overall value for its price. We also judged each system’s popularity within the restaurant industry and awarded points based on our personal experience interacting with the software and its customer support.
Menufy: Best Overall Restaurant Online Ordering Software
Menufy
What We Like
- Low payment processing rates
- Does not need an internet connection to send order alerts
- Built-in print and digital marketing tools
- Multilingual customer support
What's Missing
- Third-party delivery is only available for a 12.5% per-order fee
- No built-in driver management tools to dispatch in-house drivers
- Marketing packages can get pricey
Menufy Pricing
- Software subscription fee: $0
- Per-order commission fees: $1.50 (paid by customer)
- One-time Installation fees: None
- Processing fees: 2.5% + 30 cents
Menufy is a browser-based online ordering website design and business listing service. Like DoorDash Storefront, GloriaFood, Square Online Store, and CloudWaitress, all baseline Menufy users pay are credit card processing fees. For this low price, users receive a custom web URL with design support from the Menufy team. Beyond basic online ordering, Menufy offers several marketing tools for digital and print advertising, making this software an excellent fit for small restaurants that need marketing assistance.
Menufy earned a score of 4.22 out of 5 on our online ordering software ranking. The software earned points for its affordable price, low processing rates, and ease of use, though a lack of built-in delivery driver management tools kept Menufy from scoring higher. However, small restaurants that want to accept online orders mostly for takeout won’t feel pinched. If built-in delivery tools are a must for your restaurant, you’ll be better served by Toast Now, Tock To Go, or DoorDash storefront.
Menufy's print marketing tools include physical menu design for a one-time fee of $270. (Image from Menufy)
For a one-time fee of $45, Menufy users can get custom-designed postcard-sized coupons. (Image from Menufy)
If you need help with online marketing, for $199 per month, Menufy will design and post four Facebook ads for you. (Image from Menufy)
Menufy Standout Features
- Low processing rates: Menufy lists its current processing rates at 2.5% + 30 cents. This is the lowest rate of any competitor on this list. If low online payment processing rates are important to you, Menufy is your best bet.
- Marketing services: Menufy includes email marketing tools that allow you to design and schedule two email blasts every month. For additional fees, Menufy offers a la carte digital marketing packages for additional emails, social media posts, ads, and even Google ads. Prices range from $99 to $199 per month. Restaurants that prefer traditional print marketing can get business card and postcard-sized coupons or even full menus designed and printed by the Menufy team (prices range from $45 to $270).
- Receive order alerts without internet: Menufy sends order alerts via automated calls, text messages, fax, email, and the Menufy dashboard. So, if your restaurant struggles to maintain a strong internet connection, you can still receive Menufy orders through alternate channels.
- Multilingual support: Customer support is available in English, Spanish, and Mandarin to support a wide range of restaurant owners and workers.
- Menufy platform app: Like Toast Now and Tock To Go, Menufy hosts a listing site and affiliated smartphone app to help introduce your restaurant to new customers.
Toast Now: Best for Online Ordering With Built-In Delivery Management
Toast Now
What We Like
- Secure payments with fraud protection
- Robust built-in driver dispatch tools
- On-demand third-party drivers available for a flat rate per delivery
What's Missing
- Locked into Toast Payments
- Requires a 2-year contract
- $85 penalty if you do not process any online orders for 90 days
Toast Now Pricing
- Software subscription fee: $75
- Per-order commission fees: $0
- One-time Installation fees: $0
- Processing fees: 3.5% + 15 cents
Tip: Toast Now is currently offering the first three months free for new Toast Now accounts.
Toast Now is a freestanding online ordering and delivery solution built by the Toast POS team. It is available to all restaurants, whether or not they use the Toast POS system (our favorite restaurant POS).
Like many of the tools on this list, Toast Now is browser-based, so you can use it on your preferred internet-enabled device. The system includes a templatized, brandable online ordering website, inclusion on the Toast TakeOut app, and optional maps-based delivery management functions. Toast Now is an excellent choice for restaurants that want a cost-effective online ordering system with or without driver management.
Toast Now earned a rating of 4.20 out of 5 on our online ordering scoring system, right on the heels of Menufy. Toast Now earned high marks for its general features and niche online ordering functions like SMS text notifications. However, it lost some points for affordability; Toast Now is the second-most-expensive option on this list (behind only Popmenu), and it requires a two-year contract. You get a lot of functions for the price, though, including comprehensive driver management tools and the option to hail third-party delivery drivers for a flat-rate fee.
Customers can access your Toast Now ordering site from any internet-enabled device, including smartphones.
(Image from Toast)
Toast hosts Toast Now member restaurants on their Toast Now mobile app so new customers can find you. (Image from Toast)
Premium Toast Now memberships include built-in email marketing tools. (Image from Toast Now)
Toast Now prints a check-in ticket when customers arrive to pick up curbside orders. (Image from Toast)
Toast Now Standout Features
- Streamlined set up: You complete a menu spreadsheet, then the Toast team takes it from there to build your online ordering site. Toast Now’s online ordering menus are highly detailed and can handle any kind of modification your customers can imagine.
- Toast TakeOut app: Toast Now subscribers are featured in the streamlined customer-facing Toast TakeOut app. This searchable app allows customers to find your restaurant based on location, cuisine, or mealtime preferences.
- Fraud protection: Toast Now’s payment processing fees are a bit higher than others on this list, but they include fraud protection, which can be a lifesaver when so many of your transactions are online. Toast Payments includes real-time enhanced fraud protection for all ecommerce transactions and has a dedicated Fraud Team to support you with any issues.
- Customer arrival notification texts: Toast Now’s Arrival Notification text allows you to text a link to your customers when they place curbside pickup orders. When they arrive, customers click a link on their smartphone, and a check prints in your restaurant, containing their name and order information. So, your team never has to guess which order to bring out.
- In-house and third-party delivery options: Toast Now’s built-in basic delivery functions operate a lot like Tock To Go’s. Restaurants can assign orders to in-house drivers and use Google Maps to set custom delivery areas and fees. Toast Now allows you to track your drivers with the same detail as you would a waiter in your dining room, logging sales and tip information for easy payroll reporting. For an additional monthly fee, Toast Now users can route delivery orders to third-party drivers from DoorDash.
Tock To Go: Best for Family-Style Meals & Meal Kits
Tock To Go
What We Like
- Can direct service fees to customer checks
- Popular with high-profile independent restaurants
- Fee-based model lets you pay for only what you use
What's Missing
- Only integrates directly with Toast and Upserve by Lightspeed POS
- Customization and branding features are limited
- Only one option for payment processing: Braintree
Tock To Go Pricing
- Software subscription fee: $0
- Per-order commission fees: 3% (can be added to customer checks)
- One-time Installation fees: $0
- Processing fees: Via Braintree; 2.9% + 30 cents
Tock To Go is a template-based online ordering tool that operates as an extension of the Tock reservation platform. Tock developed this browser-based online ordering software specifically to help independent restaurants through the COVID-19 pandemic. The reservation roots of the Tock platform show in the time-slot-based online ordering functions. Since Tock To Go wasn’t designed as an online ordering tool from the ground up, it has some design limitations that make complex menus tricky to manage on the online site. Because of the slightly limited design features, Tock To Go works best for family-style meal packages and kits.
Tock To Go earned an overall score of 4.18 on our online ordering rating system. It scored well for niche online ordering features, earned high marks for ease of use, and is well-regarded by our experts. Tock To Go could have scored higher if it integrated directly with more restaurant POS systems (currently, it only integrates with Toast and Upserve by Lightspeed) and offered more options to customize the look of your online ordering site.
Tock lists all Tock To Go member restaurants on its central online ordering listing website. (Image from Tock To Go)
Custom accessibility links allow you to offer online ordering packages to select customer groups.
(Image from Tock To Go)
In addition to credit and debit card payments, Tock To Go can accept Tock gift cards. (Image from Tock)
Tock To Go Standout Features
- Controlled order flow: Tock To Go’s online orders are organized by time slot, similar to a table reservation. This feature lets you decide how many orders you accept in a given time frame and bump additional orders to more convenient times. You can choose to allow a la carte ordering or only sell pre-fixed meals or even meal kits.
- On-demand third-party drivers: Tock To Go includes essential driver dispatch functions if you manage an in-house team. But if you prefer to outsource your delivery operations, Tock To Go integrates directly with both DoorDash and Postmates to hail on-demand third-party drivers. Tock To Go customers pay a flat fee for these drivers, and the fees are tacked on to your customer checks. So, you get the convenience of third-party delivery without the high commission rates.
- Marketing tools: Tock To Go is built on top of Tock’s robust reservation system. Tock To Go uses the same customer tracking tools to create detailed customer profiles and then filter those profiles to create targeted marketing campaigns. You can segment customer groups like VIPs, regulars, and employees to automatically apply group discounts as well.
- Two-way SMS-texting: In-app SMS text messaging allows your team to communicate directly with customers. You can send preset text messages for order status updates or custom messages to confirm order details or alert customers to changes. If you expand into delivery, your drivers can also text with your customers.
- Platform business listing site: You can share your Tock To Go order link with customers on your restaurant’s social media channels and restaurant website. Tock To Go also includes all Tock To Go restaurants on its searchable website. Customers in your city can search the website for pickup and delivery options at their preferred mealtime and discover your restaurant. Tock To Go restaurants include the most celebrated independent restaurants in the country, so you’ll be in good company
- Controlled access order links: You can make your online ordering site viewable to only certain sets of customers. This feature is great for creating special offers for investors, regulars, or friends and family. It could also be a unique opportunity for tailored special events.
DoorDash Storefront: Best for Online Ordering With Third-Party Delivery Drivers
DoorDash Storefront
What We Like
- No per-order commission fees
- No monthly subscription fees
- Can hail DoorDash drivers on demand if you need them
- Massive number of POS integrations
What's Missing
- In-house driver management requires an additional subscription: DoorDash Self Delivery
- Locked into DoorDash Payments
- Setup can take 2 to 3 weeks for new customers
DoorDash Storefront Pricing
- Software subscription fee: $0
- Per-order commission fees: $0
- One-time Installation fees: $0
- Processing fees: 2.9% + 30 cents
DoorDash Storefront is a freestanding online ordering tool built by the DoorDash team. Don’t start having nightmares about high commission fees, though. DoorDash Storefront is free to use; all users pay are credit card processing fees. For this low price, you receive a templated online ordering site that you build yourself. Your DoorDash Storefront is not listed on the DoorDash app, but you will have access to some DoorDash promotional tools through your Merchant Portal.
DoorDash Storefront earned a 4.16 out of 5 on our restaurant online ordering software scoring criteria. The system earned massive points for price and the option to use a mix of in-house and third-party drivers. The system also integrates with too many POS systems to list here, but all the popular ones (Square, Toast, Aloha) are covered.
Where DoorDash Storefront lost points was limitations in some functions. For example, in-house drivers cannot text with customers like DoorDash drivers (Dashers) can. Issuing refunds is also clunky. You can only refund pickup orders from your Merchant Portal; all other refund requests must go through DoorDash directly.
Doordash Storefront gives you Doordash tools without the high commission fees.
(Image from Doordash)
DoorDash Storefront Standout Features
- Web integrations: DoorDash Storefront ordering sites are meant to plug into your existing restaurant website. To make this an easy process, DoorDash Storefront integrates with popular web hosting sites GoDaddy, WordPress, Shopify, Squarespace, Wix, Weebly, and BentoBox.
- Customized branding: Unlike a traditional DoorDash online ordering profile, your DoorDash Storefront is white-labeled. This means that customers see your brand and logos, not DoorDash’s. All Storefront sites have a footer in the page advising that this site is “Powered by DoorDash Storefront.”
- Delivery driver options: Every other tool on this list except Restolabs and GloriaFood integrates with DoorDash’s on-demand driver service DoorDash Drive. However, on those apps, users must choose whether to route all of their delivery orders to either in-house drivers or Dashers. You can’t do both simultaneously. With DoorDash Storefront, you can. You can set orders that fall outside your delivery hours or delivery range to route to Dashers automatically.
Restolabs: Best for Integrations
Restolabs
What We Like
- Open API enables integration with virtually any POS
- Supports multiple payment processors
- Integrates with Tookan for in-house delivery management
What's Missing
- Does not have a platform site to draw new customers
- Driver management requires integration
- POS integration only available for custom-quoted Enterprise memberships
Restolabs Pricing
- Software subscription fee:
- Basic – $45 per month
- Premium – $85 per month
- Enterprise – Custom-quoted
- Per-order commission fees: $0
- One-time Installation fees: $0
- Processing fees: Varies by processor; choose between Authorize.net, Heartland, WorldPay, Stripe, FreedomPay, Elavon, Vantiv, USAepay
Restolabs is an affordable, robust online ordering system for restaurants. Unlike Toast Now and the Square Online Store, Restolabs supports an open application programming interface (API) to build a custom integration with virtually any restaurant POS. This flexibility makes Restolabs a terrific choice for independent restaurants that want their online ordering site to feed orders directly into their POS.
Restolabs also works with several payment gateways, so if it isn’t compatible with your current processor, you can shop for the best rates. For delivery management, Restolabs integrates with Tookan, our favorite restaurant delivery software.
Restolabs earned an overall score of 4.09 out of 5 on our restaurant online ordering system ranking criteria. It earned high marks for affordability and general online ordering features. Our experts also rated it a great value for the money. The system would have scored higher if delivery features were included in the baseline subscription and it supported a platform site to help introduce restaurants to new customers. The fact that POS integration is only available at custom-quoted rates also lost Restolabs some points.
Like the other systems on this list, browser-based Restolabs operates on hardware you already own.
(Image from Restolabs)
Restolabs' online ordering sites are quick to set up, easy to navigate, and branded with your logos and brand colors. (Image from Restolabs)
Restolabs Standout Features
- Customizable menu templates: Restolabs strikes an excellent balance between templatization and customization. The Restolabs team will create your primary online menu, and from there, you can customize and update it in Restolabs’ easy-to-navigate site editor. Restolabs’ online ordering sites are template-based but provide lots of room for customizing with your restaurant logo and colors. The menu templates are robust enough to support highly modified menu items like build your own pizzas and family-style combo deals.
- Free trial: Unlike other monthly fee-based systems on this list (Zuppler, Popmenu, and Toast Now), Restolabs offers a 30-day free trial so you can test the tools before you commit.
- Massive modifiers: Restolabs online menus allow customers to add and delete ingredients quickly with checkboxes. You can add prices to modifiers to ensure every customized order is charged correctly.
- Delivery options: Premium Restolabs subscribers can manage their drivers from their Restolabs dashboard.
- Customizable combos and discounts: You can create individual combo screens or offer a flat discount when customers group certain items together. You can also add coupons specifically for online orders or customize coupons to match dine-in offers. To reward VIPs or offer an employee discount, you can set certain coupon codes to only apply to specific users.
- Payment flexibility: Restolabs users can easily configure their online menu to accept online payments, cash payments, mobile wallet payments, or request a card upon delivery. It is as simple as ticking a few boxes in the Restolabs dashboard.
Square Online: Best Free Online Ordering Site
Square Online
What We Like
- Completely free ecommerce site
- Easy to set up
- Popular system has a vast user community and online knowledgebase
What's Missing
- Square is the only compatible payment processor
- Only integrates with Square POS
Square Online Store Pricing
- Software subscription fee: $0
- Per-order commission fees: $0
- One-time Installation fees: $0
- Processing fees: 2.9% + 30 cents
Square Online is a free ecommerce website that runs on the Square Payments platform. Any small business can create a free Square Online store by signing up for a Square account and attaching a bank account. Square doesn’t charge any additional fees for online orders; all you pay are the processing fees for processing online payments. This low barrier to entry makes Square Online an excellent fit for small restaurants—especially those with a focused menu, like coffee shops, slice shops, and taquerias.
In our ranking system, Square Online earned an overall score 4.01 out of 5—pretty good for a solution that doesn’t specialize in restaurants. This tool outscored the competition on price, and our experts also rated it highly. The system lost some ground on support functions. Setting up your site is a DIY affair, and Square Online only integrates with Square POS systems. The Square for Restaurants POS’s baseline subscription is also free, though, so this limitation may not be a deal-breaker for small restaurants.
Square Online ordering sites are clean and image-centric. (Image from Square)
Square Online's site-building wizard guides you through the site creation process. (Image from Square)
Square Online Standout Features
- Free to use: We’ve mentioned this already, but it bears repeating. Square Online is free to use. You can expand its restaurant functionality for free by adding the free version of the Square for Restaurants POS as well. Online orders feed directly in the Square for Restaurants POS and kitchen printers.
- No long-term contracts: There are no annual or monthly fees associated with Square Online; restaurants only pay for processing fees on online purchases. Even seasonal restaurants and micro-operations like sugar shacks and beachside concession stands can easily expand into online ordering and pay as they go.
- Integrates with Square business tools: The Square platform hosts a wealth of intuitive software tools to handle everything from customer loyalty programs to gift cards, marketing solutions, payroll, and invoice management. Square expands its built-in functions with more than 100 integrated third-party apps, covering everything from employee scheduling to accounting and tax compliance.
- Delivery options: You can add a delivery option to your Square Online ordering site and manually manage a driver team. Or you can expand into the Square for Restaurants POS, which integrates directly with third-party delivery apps. Postmates and DoorDash integrations allow you to hail third-party drivers for on-demand, flat-rate delivery. Alternatively, you can dispatch your own drivers for 50 cents per order.
GloriaFood: Best for Bringing Your Payment Processor
GloriaFood
What We Like
- You can use your own payment processor
- Online ordering is free without online payments
- No contract required
What's Missing
- Accepting online payments requires a fee of $29 per month
- Customized branding is an add-on price
GloriaFood Pricing
- Monthly Software subscription fee:
- Online ordering only: $0
- Online payment processing: $29
- Advanced targeted marketing: $19
- Branded mobile app: $59
- Per-order commission fees: $0
- One-time Installation fees: $0
- Processing fees: Varies based on your chosen processor
GloriaFood is an easy platform to love. The brand’s entire mission is to provide low-cost tools to small, independent restaurants that larger tech firms leave behind. Its online ordering system and reservation system are both free to use and don’t require long-term contracts. Small restaurants don’t even need a credit card to create a GloriaFood account.
You can use virtually any payment processor to accept credit card payments yourself, including small business favorites Square and Stripe. GloriaFood simply acts as the communication hub between the online ordering site and your processor.
GloriaFood earned a rating of 4 out of 5 on our online ordering rubric. Not bad for a free restaurant tool. The system is very easy to set up and use, and it supports several key integrations like delivery management and POS plug-in apps. Those integrations, though, can be a sticking point. Some critical features—like two-way text messaging and online payment processing—are only available via integration.
With GloriaFood, customers can place orders through any web-enabled device. (Image from GloriaFood)
GloriaFood sends order notifications via a free smartphone management app. (Image from GloriaFood)
GloriaFood integrates with popular driver management apps including our favorite, Tookan. (Image from GloriaFood)
With GloriaFood you can place ordering buttons directly on your Facebook page. (Image from GloriaFood)
GloriaFood Standout Features
- FoodBooking platform: Like Toast Now, Tock To Go, and Menufy, GloriaFood hosts an aggregating website and mobile app called FoodBooking. This platform supports a geographically searchable index of GloriaFood restaurants so customers can discover new restaurants.
- Coupons and promotions: You can set up your GloriaFood site to offer deals to first-time customers. You can filter your customers into targeted lists for a fee ($19 per month) to offer customized coupons for future orders directly from your GloriaFood dashboard.
- Facebook optimized: GloriaFood users can add a fully operational online ordering menu to your restaurant’s Facebook page.
- Easy integration: The platform has an open API, so restaurants can build their own custom integrations to suit unique needs. Beyond that, the program has built-in integrations with several delivery management platforms like Tookan and QuestTag, which enable restaurants to manage their own fleet of drivers. Simple integration with middleware app ItsaCheckmate allows restaurants to connect GloriaFood to virtually any POS system. While these third-party apps have their own monthly subscription fees, using them is faster and easier than building an API integration.
Popmenu: Best for Marketing & Customer Engagement
Popmenu
What We Like
- Interactive menus encourage customer engagement
- Menu templates are search-engine optimized
- Automated email marketing tools included in the baseline software
- Offers 14-day free trial
What's Missing
- Charges a per-order fee
- Toast is currently the only POS integration
- Pricey
Popmenu Pricing
- Monthly software subscription fee:
- Indie – $149
- Pro – $349
- Per-order commission fees: $1 per order
- One-time Installation fees: None
- Processing fees: Stripe (2.9% + 30 cents) or Square (2.9% + 30 cents)
Popmenu is a browser-based online ordering tool that specializes in engaging, interactive menus. Popmenu ordering sites include multiple images of dishes, detailed menu descriptions, and constantly updating customer reviews. All of these are features that search engines like Google love to see, which increases the visibility of your restaurant’s online ordering menu. The customer review function further ensures that you’ll never miss a review—whether it’s positive or negative.
On our online ordering software ranking system, Popmenu earned a 3.78 out of 5. The dynamic menu functions and free trial earned this system a lot of points. The price and lack of built-in driver management tools lost it some ground, though. It doesn’t help that critical functions like order throttling, POS integration, and unlimited customer support are only available at the higher-priced Pro tier.
Popmenu’s online ordering pages are the most dynamic on this list. (Image from Popmenu)
Popmenu Standout Features
- Dynamic menus: If you want an online ordering site that is as functional as a major chain restaurant’s, Popmenu is the tool for you. I don’t want to get in the weeds on wonky search engine jargon, so I’ll say this: The page elements on Popmenu’s online ordering templates are incredibly search engine friendly. So, if someone types “order online pizza near me” into Google, your online menu should be at the top of the list.
- Google Maps integration: Popmenu makes an effort to put your menu where customers are most likely to order from it. The Popmenu online knowledgebase will walk you through adding ordering links and ordering instructions to your Google Maps listing.
- Customer feedback alerts: Popmenu corrals online reviews of your restaurant and allows you to approve or reject them from inclusion on your online ordering site. These dish reviews automatically collect customer data, and you can reply to customer reviews directly from your Popmenu dashboard.
- Built-in marketing tools: Like Tock To Go, Popmenu includes customer segmentation marketing tools in the baseline subscription. So you can create lists of regular customers, VIPs, new customers, or customers with nearby delivery addresses and generate targeted emails and text messages to drive future orders. SMS messaging tools are included in every Popmenu subscription package.
Zuppler: Best for Menu Design Options
Zuppler
What We Like
- Multiple options for user-friendly menus
- Option to add custom-branded mobile ordering app
- Integrates with several popular POS systems and third-party plug-in apps
What's Missing
- Built-in delivery tools come with extra costs
- Google orders have extra fees
- No free trial
Zuppler Pricing
- Monthly Software subscription fee:
- Standard – Your choice of either $129 per month or $49 + $1 per order
- Catering – $149 per month
- Per-order commission fees: $1 per order for customers who choose the $49 package
- One-time Installation fees: Custom-quoted based on menu type
- Processing fees: Varies based on processor; choose from Braintree, PayPal, Stripe, Worldpay, Ayden, First Atlantic Commerce, TaxJar, or Sabrix. Zuppler Payments rates are 2.75% + 25 cents
Zuppler is a browser-based online ordering software tool for restaurants and caterers. Like Popmenu, Zuppler focuses on dynamic, customer-friendly online ordering menus. Zuppler users can choose between Standard, Visual, and Immersive menus to suit their restaurant style. If you want more dynamic menu formats than Popmenu supports, Zuppler is your best choice. Zuppler’s unique pricing structure also allows you to choose a monthly flat-rate or pay-as-you-go plan. So small restaurants can get high-end online menus for an affordable price.
Zuppler earned a 3.77 out of 5 on our restaurant online ordering ranking system. This software earned points for its number of third-party integrations, including several options for payment processing. Zuppler could have scored higher if it offered a free trial or a month-to-month subscription. While users can pay their subscription fees month-to-month, a new Zuppler membership requires a one-year agreement.
For a custom-quoted fee Zuppler users can add a branded, customer-facing mobile ordering app.
(Image from Zuppler)
Zuppler's Standard menu is text-only for quick-loading and easy ordering. (Image from Zuppler)
Zuppler's Visual menu template showcases mouthwatering menu images. (Image from Zuppler)
Individual item pages include popular modifier buttons. (Image from Zuppler)
Zuppler's Immersive menu shows item and modifier images so customers know exactly what to expect. (Image from Zuppler)
Zuppler Standout Features
- Robust, customizable menu templates: Choose from Standard, Visual, and Immersive menus. The text-only Standard menu is ideal for coffee shops and restaurants that don’t want to waste web bandwidth with lots of images. The Visual menu features enlarged menu images to get customers craving your food. The Immersive menu takes this even farther, including images of menu modifiers. This is ideal for build-your-own pizzas, salads, grain bowls, or burritos.
- Delivery options: For a fee, Zuppler includes some delivery management functions like the ability to create delivery zones, assign zone-based delivery fees, set delivery hours, and throttle delivery orders. Users can opt to pay a flat rate of $7 per delivery order or a scaled fee based on each order’s amount (from $2.99-$4.99 + 15%). Alternatively, Zuppler integrates with DoorDash, UberEats, Postmates, and others to provide on-demand third-party drivers. You can also manage in-house drivers with Shipday, Onfleet, First Delivery, or Dragontail Systems integrations.
- POS integration: Zuppler integrates directly with popular restaurant POS systems Toast, Revel Systems, Lightspeed, Upserve by Lightspeed, Clover, Par, and Brink. The software also integrates with middleman apps ItsaCheckmate and Otter to send Zuppler orders to even more POS systems.
- Branded mobile app: For a custom-quoted fee, Zuppler users can get a fully branded mobile ordering app. This is a great option for multilocation restaurants with a loyal base of regular customers.
- Customer Connect order status updates: Via Zuppler’s Customer Connect tool, your customers can receive text updates as their orders move through your restaurant. Automated messages and a live track bar show customers when their order is received, prepared, ready for pickup, or out for delivery. This can save your team from answering numerous phone calls about an order.
CloudWaitress: Best Online Ordering System With Customer-Facing Smartphone App
CloudWaitress
What We Like
- Customers can choose their preferred ordering language
- Integrates with Tookan for in-house delivery management
- Customer-facing mobile app available for $399
What's Missing
- Built-in driver management tools are not robust
- Few pre-built integrations
- No built-in marketing tools
CloudWaitress Pricing
- Monthly Software subscription fee:
- Free – $0
- Standard – $39
- Enterprise – $249
- Per-order commission fees: $0
- One-time Installation fees: $0
- Processing fees: Varies based on processor; choose from Stripe, PayPal, CardConnect, PayGate
CloudWaitress is an affordable, browser-based online ordering tool for restaurants. It features an open API (like Restolabs) so users can build integrations with POS systems or other software. It also offers a customer-facing ordering app at an affordable price. Like Tock To Go and GloriaFood, CloudWaitress is a mission-driven company that created its online ordering software to help small, independent restaurants add online ordering. Like those two systems, however, CloudWaitress is missing some frills: namely marketing tools and built-in live delivery driver tracking.
Even with those limitations, CloudWaitress earned a 3.76 out of 5 on our online ordering software ranking, putting it right on Zuppler’s heels. CloudWaitress earned massive points for its affordable price and lack of long-term contracts. If it hosted more third-party integrations and included built-in marketing tools, CloudWaitress would have scored higher.
The color-coded CloudWaitress order management dashboard shows orders statuses at a glance.
(Image from CloudWaitress)
CloudWaitress's menu templates are basic, but familiar. (Image from CloudWaitress)
CloudWaitress Standout Features
- Customer-facing mobile app: Yes, others on this list (like Zuppler) offer a customer-branded mobile app, But no one offers a mobile ordering app for as low a price as CloudWaitress. For a one-time fee of $399, you can get a branded iOS and Android customer-facing mobile ordering app.
- Secure website: CloudWaitress includes a free Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate on all its customer-built online ordering sites, offering an additional layer of security for your online ordering and payments.
- Maps integrations: CloudWaitress doesn’t have a lot of pre-built integrations, but it does communicate with two maps programs—Google Maps and Open Street Maps—to guide delivery drivers.
- Tookan integration: Like Restolabs and GloriaFood, CloudWaitress integrates with Tookan for more robust driver management. Unlocking this integration gives you an Uber-like driver dispatch portal to track your deliveries in real time.
- Age verification: If you sell alcohol on your online ordering site, you could use CloudWaitress’s age verification tools. You can set age-verified menus or flag orders to require ID verification from your staff.
- Open-door communication: CloudWaitress actively monitors user feedback and encourages member restaurants to request features they need. If a feature request is popular, you can actively track its progress through the CloudWaitress workflow. This level of transparency helps CloudWaitress develop tools that restaurant owners want and helps CloudWaitress users feel heard.
Bottom Line
More than 90% of customers want restaurants to continue offering takeout and delivery, so online ordering isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. If you are looking for an affordable way to offer simple online delivery to your restaurant, Menufy is a great place to start. Low payment processing rates and no long-term contracts make Menufy accessible for restaurants of any size. With customer support available in English, Spanish and Mandarin, and multiple print and digital advertising options, Menufy can help you grow any type of restaurant business. To see if this software is right for you, contact Menufy for a demo.
