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Restaurants · head to head

Deliveroo vs Square for Restaurants

Deliveroo logo

Deliveroo

Restaurants

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

From
Free
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

  • 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.; Square for Restaurants the Square KDS and Square Kiosk apps are not available on the free plan
  • They diverge on capability: Deliveroo covers Restaurant marketplace, Square for Restaurants covers Table management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Deliveroo and Square for Restaurants differ
AttributeDeliverooSquare for Restaurants
Pricing modelFree to download; delivery and service fees per order, optional subscription for reduced feessubscription
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebWeb, Ios, Android
FoundedUnknown2018

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Square for Restaurants

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

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 Square for Restaurants
  • A frequent orderer weighing whether a Deliveroo Plus subscription pays for itself at their order volumenot Square for Restaurants
  • A workplace using Deliveroo for Business to give staff an expensed meal allowancenot Square for Restaurants
  • A diner comparing grocery delivery speed against a supermarket own-delivery slotnot Square for Restaurants

Square for Restaurants

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

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

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

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 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 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 Deliveroo or Square for Restaurants better?
Neither clearly leads. Deliveroo starts at Free and Square for Restaurants at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Deliveroo or Square for Restaurants?
Deliveroo starts at Free and Square for Restaurants at Free.
Does Deliveroo or Square for Restaurants run on more platforms?
Deliveroo runs on iOS, Android, Web. Square for Restaurants runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Deliveroo for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Square for Restaurants is typically brought in for.
What can Deliveroo do that Square for Restaurants cannot?
Deliveroo covers Restaurant marketplace, Deliveroo Plus subscription, Live order tracking, Grocery and convenience delivery. Square for Restaurants covers Table management, Menu customization, Split checks, Offline mode.

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.

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
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.

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
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.

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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