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Restaurants · head to head

Deliveroo vs Lunchbox

Deliveroo logo

Deliveroo

Restaurants

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Lunchbox logo

Lunchbox

Restaurants

First party ordering websites, apps and loyalty for growing multi unit restaurant brands

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Deliveroo has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Lunchbox the fee is charged per location per month regardless of how many direct orders you generate, so brands that do not fund marketing pay for a channel that stays quiet.
  • They diverge on capability: Deliveroo covers Restaurant marketplace, Lunchbox covers Branded ordering web and apps.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Deliveroo and Lunchbox actually diverge.

Attributes where Deliveroo and Lunchbox differ
AttributeDeliverooLunchbox
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFree to download; delivery and service fees per order, optional subscription for reduced feesquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebWeb, iOS, Android

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 Deliveroo

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

Only in Lunchbox

  • Branded ordering web and apps
  • Loyalty and rewards
  • Guest data platform
  • Marketing automation
  • POS and delivery integrations
  • Catering and group ordering

What people use each for

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

Deliveroo

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

Lunchbox

  • A fast casual chain of ten to thirty units trying to shift volume away from delivery marketplacesnot Deliveroo
  • A brand that wants its own iOS and Android apps without commissioning a bespoke buildnot Deliveroo
  • An operator who needs guest order history for retention campaigns rather than anonymous marketplace ordersnot Deliveroo
  • A group launching catering that needs a separate ordering flow from standard checkoutnot Deliveroo

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Lunchbox

  • The fee is charged per location per month regardless of how many direct orders you generate, so brands that do not fund marketing pay for a channel that stays quiet.
  • Moving customers off marketplaces requires sustained discounting and advertising that the restaurant funds, and none of that cost appears in the software quote.
  • The company has been through substantial restructuring since its peak funding, so integration maintenance and roadmap continuity are fair questions to put in writing before signing.
  • Native app launches involve app store review, brand assets and a build fee, so time to first order is measured in weeks rather than days.
  • The integration list is narrower than that of the large enterprise ordering vendors, and a group on an uncommon POS may find order injection limited or unsupported.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Lunchbox

On request
  • Lunchbox$undefined/year
    • Priced per location per month with modules for ordering, loyalty and marketing
    • One time build and launch fee for web and mobile apps
    • App store submission and brand design handled during onboarding

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Lunchbox if

  • You need branded ordering web and apps.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want loyalty and rewards.
Lunchbox review

Questions people ask

Is Deliveroo or Lunchbox better?
Neither clearly leads. Deliveroo starts at Free and Lunchbox at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Deliveroo or Lunchbox?
Deliveroo has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Deliveroo and On request for Lunchbox.
Does Deliveroo or Lunchbox run on more platforms?
Deliveroo runs on iOS, Android, Web. Lunchbox runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Deliveroo for free?
Yes. Deliveroo has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Lunchbox starts at On request.
What is Deliveroo best used for?
Deliveroo is most often used for someone ordering food for delivery who values convenience over the price premium versus collection, a frequent orderer weighing whether a deliveroo plus subscription pays for itself at their order volume, a workplace using deliveroo for business to give staff an expensed meal allowance, a diner comparing grocery delivery speed against a supermarket own-delivery slot. Of those, someone ordering food for delivery who values convenience over the price premium versus collection and a frequent orderer weighing whether a deliveroo plus subscription pays for itself at their order volume are not what Lunchbox is typically brought in for.
What can Deliveroo do that Lunchbox cannot?
Deliveroo covers Restaurant marketplace, Deliveroo Plus subscription, Live order tracking, Grocery and convenience delivery. Lunchbox covers Branded ordering web and apps, Loyalty and rewards, Guest data platform, Marketing automation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Lunchbox: Does it stop me paying delivery commission?

Only on orders that move to your own channels. Orders still placed on DoorDash or Uber Eats carry their usual commission.

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.

Lunchbox: Do I get my own branded mobile app?

Yes, native iOS and Android apps under your brand, built and submitted during onboarding for a one time fee on top of the subscription.

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.

Lunchbox: Who owns the customer data?

The restaurant. That is the central argument for first party ordering over marketplace ordering.

Lunchbox: What size of brand is it aimed at?

Multi unit groups, broadly five to fifty locations. Single sites usually do better with a cheaper ordering product.

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