Softwr

Food & Restaurant · head to head

BentoBox vs Lavu

B

BentoBox

Food & Restaurant

Restaurant websites and marketing platform

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Lavu logo

Lavu

Food & Restaurant

iPad POS for restaurants and bars

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: BentoBox bentoBox is now Clover, and its own site states that BentoBox products and services are only available to Clover POS customers; Lavu iPad-only solution with no Android or Windows alternative
  • They diverge on capability: BentoBox covers Website builder, Lavu covers iPad POS.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BentoBox and Lavu actually diverge.

Attributes where BentoBox and Lavu differ
AttributeBentoBoxLavu
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWebiPad
Founded20132010

Identical on both: starting price ($99/month), free tier (No), 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 BentoBox

  • Website builder
  • Online ordering
  • Email marketing
  • Gift cards
  • Catering
  • Event management
  • OpenTable
  • Resy

Only in Lavu

  • iPad POS
  • Split checks
  • Tab management
  • Happy hour pricing
  • Inventory tracking
  • Kitchen display
  • QuickBooks
  • Xero

What people use each for

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

BentoBox

  • Restaurant websites with integrated online orderingnot Lavu
  • Gift cards, events and catering enquiries from a restaurant's own sitenot Lavu
  • Marketing and customer data capture for restaurants on Clover POSnot Lavu

Lavu

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

Where each one falls short

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

BentoBox

  • BentoBox is now Clover, and its own site states that BentoBox products and services are only available to Clover POS customers
  • The pricing page publishes no plan price, setup fee, online ordering commission or contract length
  • Existing customers wanting to add services are directed to a customer success manager or an email address rather than a self serve price

Lavu

  • iPad-only solution with no Android or Windows alternative
  • Hardware costs are significant with devices starting at $700
  • Limited offline functionality compared to some competitors

Pricing, plan by plan

BentoBox

$99/month
  • Starter$99/month
    • Website
    • Basic features
  • Essential$199/month
    • Online ordering
    • Marketing
  • Pro$399/month
    • Full features
    • Catering

Lavu

$99/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Lavu review.

Which should you pick?

Choose BentoBox if

  • You need website builder.
  • You also want online ordering.
BentoBox review

Choose Lavu if

  • You need ipad pos.
  • You work on iPad.
  • You also want split checks.
Lavu review

Questions people ask

Is BentoBox or Lavu better?
Neither clearly leads. BentoBox starts at $99/month and Lavu at $99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BentoBox or Lavu?
BentoBox starts at $99/month and Lavu at $99/month.
Does BentoBox or Lavu run on more platforms?
BentoBox runs on Web. Lavu runs on iPad.
What is BentoBox best used for?
BentoBox is most often used for restaurant websites with integrated online ordering, gift cards, events and catering enquiries from a restaurant's own site, marketing and customer data capture for restaurants on clover pos. Of those, restaurant websites with integrated online ordering and gift cards, events and catering enquiries from a restaurant's own site are not what Lavu is typically brought in for.
What can BentoBox do that Lavu cannot?
BentoBox covers Website builder, Online ordering, Email marketing, Gift cards. Lavu covers iPad POS, Split checks, Tab management, Happy hour pricing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Lavu: What devices does Lavu support?

Lavu is iPad-based and works with iPad Pro, Air, and Mini models. It is compatible with peripherals from Ingenico, Magtek, and supports various receipt printers, cash drawers, and barcode scanners.

Source
Lavu: Does Lavu offer financing for hardware?

Yes. Lavu offers 0% no-interest financing on hardware for 3-year contracts, and supports both 1-year and 3-year contract terms.

Source
Lavu: What is Lavu's pricing range?

Lavu monthly POS software costs range from $99 to $279 per month, with hardware starting at $700 and up to $1,500 for full systems.

Source
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