Softwr

Food & Restaurant · head to head

Apicbase vs ChowNow

Apicbase logo

Apicbase

Food & Restaurant

F&B management for multi-unit operations

From
$200/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ChowNow logo

ChowNow

Food & Restaurant

Commission-free online ordering

From
$249/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Apicbase the Growth plan starts from 5 outlets, so a single site or a pair of restaurants is below the entry point; ChowNow limited website customization with only pre-built Squarespace templates available
  • They diverge on capability: Apicbase covers Centralized recipes, ChowNow covers Branded ordering.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Apicbase and ChowNow actually diverge.

Attributes where Apicbase and ChowNow differ
AttributeApicbaseChowNow
Starting price$200/month$249/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Founded20172010

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Food & Restaurant).

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 Apicbase

  • Centralized recipes
  • Inventory management
  • Procurement
  • Food cost analytics
  • Menu engineering
  • HACCP
  • POS systems
  • Accounting software

Only in ChowNow

  • Branded ordering
  • Website integration
  • Mobile app
  • Customer database
  • Marketing tools
  • Delivery integration
  • DoorDash Drive
  • Google

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Apicbase

  • Recipe and menu engineering with costed ingredientsnot ChowNow
  • Food cost and margin tracking across outletsnot ChowNow
  • Inventory and stock counts for multi-site restaurant groupsnot ChowNow
  • Purchasing and supplier price managementnot ChowNow
  • Allergen and nutrition data on menusnot ChowNow

ChowNow

  • Point of Salenot Apicbase
  • Order Managementnot Apicbase
  • Inventory Controlnot Apicbase
  • Staff Schedulingnot Apicbase

Where each one falls short

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

Apicbase

  • The Growth plan starts from 5 outlets, so a single site or a pair of restaurants is below the entry point
  • Priced per location, with the per-location fee falling only as outlet count rises
  • Monthly billing carries a 15 percent surcharge over annual
  • No prices are published for any tier

ChowNow

  • Limited website customization with only pre-built Squarespace templates available
  • No multi-language support, limiting service to non-English speaking customer bases
  • Multi-location management requires separate dashboard for each location
  • Delivery reliability issues with reported order delays and non-arrivals
  • Limited customer support responsiveness with long phone wait times

Pricing, plan by plan

Apicbase

$200/month
  • Standard$200/month
    • Recipe management
    • Inventory
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Custom pricing
    • Full features

ChowNow

$249/month
  • Launch$249/month
    • Commission-free ordering
    • Website and mobile app
    • Basic POS integrations
  • Grow$349/month
    • All Launch features
    • Advanced marketing tools
    • Email and SMS campaigns
  • Elevate$449/month
    • All Grow features
    • Advanced reporting
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Apicbase if

  • You need centralized recipes.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want inventory management.
Apicbase review

Choose ChowNow if

  • You need branded ordering.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want website integration.
ChowNow review

Questions people ask

Is Apicbase or ChowNow better?
Neither clearly leads. Apicbase starts at $200/month and ChowNow at $249/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apicbase or ChowNow?
Apicbase starts at $200/month and ChowNow at $249/month.
Does Apicbase or ChowNow run on more platforms?
Apicbase runs on Web, Ios, Android. ChowNow runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Apicbase best used for?
Apicbase is most often used for recipe and menu engineering with costed ingredients, food cost and margin tracking across outlets, inventory and stock counts for multi-site restaurant groups, purchasing and supplier price management. Of those, recipe and menu engineering with costed ingredients and food cost and margin tracking across outlets are not what ChowNow is typically brought in for.
What can Apicbase do that ChowNow cannot?
Apicbase covers Centralized recipes, Inventory management, Procurement, Food cost analytics. ChowNow covers Branded ordering, Website integration, Mobile app, Customer database. Both handle Web support, Ios support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ChowNow: Is ChowNow truly commission-free?

Yes, ChowNow charges no commission on orders placed through your website, app, or marketplace channels. However, you pay a monthly subscription ($249-$449), payment processing fees (2.95% plus $0.29 per transaction), and optional delivery fees ($7.98 per order with Flex Delivery).

Source
ChowNow: Does ChowNow integrate with my POS system?

Yes. ChowNow integrates with over 45 POS systems including Toast, Square, Clover, and Revel. Orders are automatically synced to your POS and kitchen printers without manual entry.

Source
ChowNow: Can I use ChowNow with delivery platforms like DoorDash and Uber Eats?

ChowNow handles direct orders but also supports order aggregation from third-party delivery platforms including DoorDash, UberEats, and Grubhub through integrations.

Source
ChowNow: How much does ChowNow cost?

ChowNow plans start at $249/month (Launch), $349/month (Grow), and $449/month (Elevate) when billed monthly. Annual billing saves 8-9%. Additional fees include payment processing (2.95% plus $0.29 per transaction), setup fees ($119-$499), and optional delivery charges.

Source
ChowNow: What platforms are supported by ChowNow?

ChowNow is available on web, iOS, and Android. Restaurants get a website ordering interface and can offer a branded mobile app. Customers discover restaurants through Google Maps, Apple Maps, Yelp, and the ChowNow Marketplace.

Source
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Apicbase

More on ChowNow

Keep looking

Other head to heads