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Restaurants · head to head

ChowNow vs Deliveroo

ChowNow logo

ChowNow

Restaurants

Commission-free online ordering

From
$249/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Deliveroo logo

Deliveroo

Restaurants

UK-headquartered food delivery marketplace connecting restaurants, riders and diners

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Deliveroo has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: ChowNow limited website customization with only pre-built Squarespace templates available; Deliveroo restaurant commission of roughly 20 to 30 percent is frequently passed on as higher in-app menu prices, so the displayed total is not the restaurant menu price plus a small fee, it is a marked-up menu plus a fee.
  • They diverge on capability: ChowNow covers Branded ordering, Deliveroo covers Restaurant marketplace.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ChowNow and Deliveroo actually diverge.

Attributes where ChowNow and Deliveroo differ
AttributeChowNowDeliveroo
Starting price$249/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownFree to download; delivery and service fees per order, optional subscription for reduced fees
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidiOS, Android, Web
Founded2010Unknown

Identical on both: 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 ChowNow

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

Only in Deliveroo

  • Restaurant marketplace
  • Deliveroo Plus subscription
  • Live order tracking
  • Grocery and convenience delivery
  • Group ordering
  • Deliveroo for Business

What people use each for

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

ChowNow

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

Deliveroo

  • Someone ordering food for delivery who values convenience over the price premium versus collectionnot ChowNow
  • A frequent orderer weighing whether a Deliveroo Plus subscription pays for itself at their order volumenot ChowNow
  • A workplace using Deliveroo for Business to give staff an expensed meal allowancenot ChowNow
  • A diner comparing grocery delivery speed against a supermarket own-delivery slotnot ChowNow

Where each one falls short

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

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

Deliveroo

  • Restaurant commission of roughly 20 to 30 percent is frequently passed on as higher in-app menu prices, so the displayed total is not the restaurant menu price plus a small fee, it is a marked-up menu plus a fee.
  • Riders are engaged as self-employed contractors paid per delivery, a model that has faced repeated legal and regulatory challenges in the UK and EU over minimum pay and employment status.
  • Deliveroo Plus only saves money above a certain order frequency, and casual users who subscribe rarely break even on the monthly charge.
  • Availability and reliability vary sharply by city; smaller markets have fewer restaurant partners and longer, less predictable delivery windows.
  • The company has exited some international markets entirely (including Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Taiwan and Australia in prior years), so coverage has shrunk rather than grown in several regions, and a market can disappear with limited notice.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Deliveroo

Free
  • Pay per orderFree
    • Delivery fee scaling with distance and demand
    • Service charge of a few percent on order total
    • Restaurant menu prices often marked up versus in-store
  • Deliveroo Plus$3.49/month
    • Delivery fees waived on qualifying orders above a minimum basket size
    • Service charge may still apply
    • Price varies by market and is often discounted for an introductory period

Which should you pick?

Choose ChowNow if

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

Choose Deliveroo if

  • You need restaurant marketplace.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want deliveroo plus subscription.
Deliveroo review

Questions people ask

Is ChowNow or Deliveroo better?
Neither clearly leads. ChowNow starts at $249/month and Deliveroo at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ChowNow or Deliveroo?
Deliveroo has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $249/month for ChowNow and Free for Deliveroo.
Does ChowNow or Deliveroo run on more platforms?
ChowNow runs on Web, iOS, Android. Deliveroo runs on iOS, Android, Web.
Can I use Deliveroo for free?
Yes. Deliveroo has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. ChowNow starts at $249/month.
What is ChowNow best used for?
ChowNow is most often used for point of sale, order management, inventory control, staff scheduling. Of those, point of sale and order management are not what Deliveroo is typically brought in for.
What can ChowNow do that Deliveroo cannot?
ChowNow covers Branded ordering, Website integration, Mobile app, Customer database. Deliveroo covers Restaurant marketplace, Deliveroo Plus subscription, Live order tracking, Grocery and convenience delivery.

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
Deliveroo: Is Deliveroo cheaper than collecting the food yourself?

Usually not. Menu prices in the app are frequently higher than in-restaurant prices to offset the commission Deliveroo charges, on top of the delivery and service fees.

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
Deliveroo: What does Deliveroo Plus actually save?

It waives the delivery fee on qualifying orders above a minimum basket value for a flat monthly or annual charge; the service charge can still apply.

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
Deliveroo: Are Deliveroo riders employees?

No, they are engaged as self-employed contractors paid per delivery, a classification that has been challenged in UK and EU courts and regulators.

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
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