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Software · head to head

BentoBox vs Square for Restaurants

B

BentoBox

Software

Restaurant websites and marketing platform

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Square for Restaurants logo

Square for Restaurants

Software

Restaurant POS system that works for you

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Square for Restaurants has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; Square for Restaurants the Square KDS and Square Kiosk apps are not available on the free plan
  • They diverge on capability: BentoBox covers Website builder, Square for Restaurants covers Table management.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where BentoBox and Square for Restaurants differ
AttributeBentoBoxSquare for Restaurants
Starting price$99/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20132018

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Square for Restaurants

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

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

BentoBox

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

Square for Restaurants

  • 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

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

BentoBox

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

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 BentoBox if

  • You need website builder.
  • You also want online ordering.
BentoBox 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 BentoBox or Square for Restaurants better?
Neither clearly leads. BentoBox starts at $99/month and Square for Restaurants at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BentoBox or Square for Restaurants?
Square for Restaurants has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $99/month for BentoBox and Free for Square for Restaurants.
Does BentoBox or Square for Restaurants run on more platforms?
BentoBox runs on Web. Square for Restaurants runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Square for Restaurants for free?
Yes. Square for Restaurants has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. BentoBox starts at $99/month.
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 Square for Restaurants is typically brought in for.
What can BentoBox do that Square for Restaurants cannot?
BentoBox covers Website builder, Online ordering, Email marketing, Gift cards. Square for Restaurants covers Table management, Menu customization, Split checks, Offline mode. Both handle Web support.
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