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Restaurants · head to head

CAKE POS vs Square for Restaurants

CAKE POS logo

CAKE POS

Restaurants

Point of sale made for restaurants

From
$69/month
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

  • Only Square for Restaurants has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: CAKE POS pricing model based on 'no bill ever' but actual merchant fees, commission rates, or payment processing costs not disclosed; Square for Restaurants the Square KDS and Square Kiosk apps are not available on the free plan
  • They diverge on capability: CAKE POS covers Tableside ordering, 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 CAKE POS and Square for Restaurants actually diverge.

Attributes where CAKE POS and Square for Restaurants differ
AttributeCAKE POSSquare for Restaurants
Starting price$69/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsIos, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20102018

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 CAKE POS

  • Tableside ordering
  • Online ordering
  • Guest management
  • Menu management
  • Reporting
  • Grubhub
  • 7shifts

Only in Square for Restaurants

  • Table management
  • Menu customization
  • Split checks
  • Offline mode
  • Real-time reporting
  • Caviar
  • Postmates
  • Web support

Both cover

  • Kitchen display
  • DoorDash
  • QuickBooks
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

CAKE POS

  • 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.

CAKE POS

  • Pricing model based on 'no bill ever' but actual merchant fees, commission rates, or payment processing costs not disclosed
  • Website claims zero upfront cost but does not detail ongoing operational costs
  • Customers must request quote to learn full cost of ownership

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

CAKE POS

$69/month
  • Essentials$69/month
    • POS
    • Online ordering
  • Professional$125/month
    • Guest management
    • Advanced features

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 CAKE POS if

  • You need tableside ordering.
  • You work on Ios, Android.
  • You also want online ordering.
CAKE POS 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 CAKE POS or Square for Restaurants better?
Neither clearly leads. CAKE POS starts at $69/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, CAKE POS or Square for Restaurants?
Square for Restaurants has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $69/month for CAKE POS and Free for Square for Restaurants.
Does CAKE POS or Square for Restaurants run on more platforms?
CAKE POS runs on Ios, Android. 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. CAKE POS starts at $69/month.
What is CAKE POS best used for?
CAKE POS is most often used for point of sale, order management, inventory control, staff scheduling.
What can CAKE POS do that Square for Restaurants cannot?
CAKE POS covers Tableside ordering, Online ordering, Guest management, Menu management. Square for Restaurants covers Table management, Menu customization, Split checks, Offline mode. Both handle Kitchen display, DoorDash, QuickBooks, Ios support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CAKE POS: Does CAKE POS have an upfront cost?

CAKE advertises 'no bill ever' and requires no down payment for POS terminals and payment processing. However, specific ongoing merchant fees or transaction costs are not disclosed.

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
CAKE POS: What is included in CAKE's pricing plans?

CAKE offers three tiers (Core, Growth, Enterprise) where Core includes POS terminal with payment processing and reporting. Growth and Enterprise add features like white-glove installation, business insurance, and partner integrations, but exact pricing is not published.

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
CAKE POS: How can I find out what CAKE POS actually costs?

CAKE does not publish pricing online. You must request a quote directly through the website to learn specific costs for your restaurant's needs.

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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