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Software · head to head

CAKE POS vs Square for Restaurants

C

CAKE POS

Software

Point of sale made for restaurants

From
$69/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: CAKE POS the pricing page names three plans, Core, Growth and Scale, and publishes no monthly figure for any of them, offering only a phone and email sales contact; 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.

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 (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 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

  • The pricing page names three plans, Core, Growth and Scale, and publishes no monthly figure for any of them, offering only a phone and email sales contact

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.
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