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Restaurants · head to head

7shifts vs Square for Restaurants

7shifts logo

7shifts

Restaurants

Restaurant team management made easy

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Square for Restaurants logo

Square for Restaurants

Restaurants

Restaurant POS system that works for you

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 7shifts pro plan pricing not published on the website; Square for Restaurants the Square KDS and Square Kiosk apps are not available on the free plan
  • They diverge on capability: 7shifts covers Employee scheduling, Square for Restaurants covers Table management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which 7shifts and Square for Restaurants actually diverge.

Attributes where 7shifts and Square for Restaurants differ
Attribute7shiftsSquare for Restaurants
Founded20142018

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (subscription), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Restaurants).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in 7shifts

  • Employee scheduling
  • Time clocking
  • Team communication
  • Tip pooling
  • Labor compliance
  • Hiring
  • Toast
  • Square

Only in Square for Restaurants

  • Table management
  • Menu customization
  • Split checks
  • Offline mode
  • Real-time reporting
  • Kitchen display
  • Caviar
  • DoorDash

Both cover

  • QuickBooks
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

7shifts

  • Point of Sale
  • Order Management
  • Inventory Control
  • Staff Scheduling

Square for Restaurants

  • Point of Sale
  • Order Management
  • Inventory Control
  • Staff Scheduling

Both are used for point of sale, order management, inventory control, staff scheduling, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

7shifts

  • Pro plan pricing not published on the website
  • No feature comparison details between free and Pro tiers shown

Square for Restaurants

  • The Square KDS and Square Kiosk apps are not available on the free plan
  • KDS and Kiosk are billed per device per month on top of the plan, so cost scales with terminals rather than locations
  • Restaurants processing over $250,000 a year are moved to custom pricing rather than the published rates

Pricing, plan by plan

7shifts

Free
  • CompFree
    • Basic scheduling
    • 1 location
  • Appetizer$29.99/month
    • Scheduling
    • Time clocking
  • Entree$69.99/month
    • Tip pooling
    • Labor compliance
  • The Works$135/month
    • Full features
    • Task management

Square for Restaurants

Free
  • FreeFree
    • POS
    • Menu management
    • Basic reporting
  • Plus$60/month
    • Advanced features
    • Live sales
    • Seat management
  • PremiumFree
    • Custom pricing
    • Dedicated support

Which should you pick?

Choose 7shifts if

  • You need employee scheduling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want time clocking.
7shifts review

Choose Square for Restaurants if

  • You need table management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want menu customization.
Square for Restaurants review

Questions people ask

Is 7shifts or Square for Restaurants better?
Neither clearly leads. 7shifts starts at Free and Square for Restaurants at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, 7shifts or Square for Restaurants?
7shifts starts at Free and Square for Restaurants at Free.
Does 7shifts or Square for Restaurants run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use 7shifts for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is 7shifts best used for?
7shifts is most often used for point of sale, order management, inventory control, staff scheduling.
What can 7shifts do that Square for Restaurants cannot?
7shifts covers Employee scheduling, Time clocking, Team communication, Tip pooling. Square for Restaurants covers Table management, Menu customization, Split checks, Offline mode. Both handle QuickBooks, Web support, Ios support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

7shifts: What does 7shifts' free plan include?

The free plan includes basic scheduling and communication features. No credit card is required, and users can trial all features free for 14 days with no upfront commitment.

Source
Square for Restaurants: What are Square's main pricing plans for restaurants?

Square offers a free tier and Square Plus. The Free plan has $0 cost with standard processing fees. Square Plus is described as the best value tier and includes lower card processing rates than the free plan.

Source
7shifts: Is there flexibility in billing between monthly and annual plans on 7shifts?

Yes, 7shifts allows you to choose between monthly and annual plans with no up-front commitment required. You can switch between billing frequencies as your business needs change.

Source
Square for Restaurants: Does Square have locked-in contracts or can I cancel anytime?

Square explicitly states no hidden fees or locked-in contracts. Customers can cancel or switch anytime. The pay-as-you-go model means you only pay when you take a payment.

Source
7shifts: How do I upgrade from the free plan to the Pro plan?

7shifts offers a Pro plan as an upgrade from the free version, but specific pricing and features are not published on the main website. Contact their sales team or book a demo to learn about Pro plan costs and capabilities.

Source
Square for Restaurants: Does Square Plus include a free trial period?

Yes, Square Plus offers a free trial, though the specific trial duration is not clearly displayed on the pricing page.

Source
Square for Restaurants: What features does Square Plus add compared to the free plan?

Square Plus includes all free plan features plus advanced POS tools, a loyalty program, email and text marketing (500 free texts, then 3 cents per text), and staff management tools.

Source
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