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Restaurants · head to head

Epos Now vs Otter

Epos Now logo

Epos Now

Restaurants

Cloud point of sale for hospitality and retail sold with hardware finance and attached payment processing

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Otter logo

Otter

Restaurants

Delivery order consolidation and menu management across marketplaces, owned by CloudKitchens

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Epos Now hardware is often placed on a finance agreement with a third party, so cancelling the software subscription leaves the equipment payments running for the remainder of the term.; Otter the parent company operates delivery only kitchens and has run its own virtual brands, so your order and menu data sits with a business that can compete in the same delivery radius.
  • They diverge on capability: Epos Now covers Cloud till software, Otter covers Order consolidation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Epos Now and Otter actually diverge.

Attributes where Epos Now and Otter differ
AttributeEpos NowOtter
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, WindowsWeb, iOS, Android

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), 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 Epos Now

  • Cloud till software
  • Hardware bundles
  • Integrated payments
  • AppStore add ons
  • Stock and product management
  • Multi site reporting

Only in Otter

  • Order consolidation
  • Menu sync
  • POS injection
  • Availability and outage control
  • Virtual brand management
  • Marketplace analytics

What people use each for

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

Epos Now

  • A single site cafe or bar wanting a low upfront cost till system installed quicklynot Otter
  • An independent needing basic stock, staff and sales reporting without an implementation projectnot Otter
  • An operator running both a small retail line and a food offer on one systemnot Otter
  • A business replacing a mechanical till that has no reporting or remote access at allnot Otter

Otter

  • A kitchen running three or more delivery marketplaces that has run out of counter space for tabletsnot Epos Now
  • An operator launching virtual brands who needs several menus maintained from one placenot Epos Now
  • A small chain that wants store pauses and item eighty sixes applied to every channel at oncenot Epos Now
  • A ghost kitchen tenant who needs marketplace orders landing in the POS for accurate sales reportingnot Epos Now

Where each one falls short

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

Epos Now

  • Hardware is often placed on a finance agreement with a third party, so cancelling the software subscription leaves the equipment payments running for the remainder of the term.
  • Software, hardware finance and card processing are three separate agreements with different notice periods, which makes a clean exit difficult and is the source of most published complaints.
  • The vendor makes its margin on payment processing, so the low advertised software price is offset by a card rate that costs far more across a year of trading.
  • Sales is telesales led and buyers report pressure to sign quickly, which is a poor fit for a decision involving multi year finance commitments.
  • Useful capability is spread across paid add ons in the application store, so the functional system a restaurant actually needs costs considerably more than the entry subscription.

Otter

  • The parent company operates delivery only kitchens and has run its own virtual brands, so your order and menu data sits with a business that can compete in the same delivery radius.
  • Pricing scales with the number of connected channels and locations, so the cost rises exactly in step with the delivery volume that makes the tool worth having.
  • Inserting middleware between the marketplaces and the kitchen adds a failure point; when Otter has an incident, orders stop arriving even though DoorDash and Uber Eats are working normally.
  • POS integration depth varies by system, and on some point of sale platforms orders arrive as a single lumped item rather than as itemised tickets, which breaks product mix reporting.
  • Support is tiered by plan and lower tier customers report slow resolution on order routing faults, which are precisely the faults that cost money within the hour.

Pricing, plan by plan

Epos Now

On request
  • Epos Now$undefined/year
    • Software subscription quoted per till
    • Hardware frequently supplied under a separate finance or lease agreement
    • Card processing contracted separately and priced by negotiated rate

Otter

On request
  • Order Manager$undefined/year
    • Priced per location per month
    • Cost scales with the number of connected delivery channels
    • POS injection and menu sync quoted as part of the bundle
  • Otter POS and kitchen display$undefined/year
    • Point of sale and kitchen screens sold with hardware
    • Card processing quoted with the POS agreement

Which should you pick?

Choose Epos Now if

  • You need cloud till software.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows.
  • You also want hardware bundles.
Epos Now review

Choose Otter if

  • You need order consolidation.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want menu sync.
Otter review

Questions people ask

Is Epos Now or Otter better?
Neither clearly leads. Epos Now starts at On request and Otter at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Epos Now or Otter?
Epos Now starts at On request and Otter at On request.
Does Epos Now or Otter run on more platforms?
Epos Now runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows. Otter runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Epos Now best used for?
Epos Now is most often used for a single site cafe or bar wanting a low upfront cost till system installed quickly, an independent needing basic stock, staff and sales reporting without an implementation project, an operator running both a small retail line and a food offer on one system, a business replacing a mechanical till that has no reporting or remote access at all. Of those, a single site cafe or bar wanting a low upfront cost till system installed quickly and an independent needing basic stock, staff and sales reporting without an implementation project are not what Otter is typically brought in for.
What can Epos Now do that Otter cannot?
Epos Now covers Cloud till software, Hardware bundles, Integrated payments, AppStore add ons. Otter covers Order consolidation, Menu sync, POS injection, Availability and outage control.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Epos Now: Is the hardware bought or leased?

Frequently financed through a third party agreement rather than bought outright. Ask explicitly which it is and read the term before signing.

Otter: Who owns Otter?

CloudKitchens, the City Storage Systems business founded by Travis Kalanick, which also leases delivery only kitchen space.

Epos Now: Can I cancel the software and keep trading?

You can stop the subscription, but a separate hardware finance agreement continues to its own end date, and processing is contracted separately again.

Otter: Does it reduce marketplace commission?

No. You still pay DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub their normal commission. Otter reduces tablet handling and re keying, not commission.

Epos Now: Do I have to use their card processing?

It is the commercial basis of the pricing. Using another acquirer, where permitted, changes the software quote.

Otter: Can I keep my existing POS?

In most cases yes, but check whether the integration passes itemised orders or a single consolidated line, because that determines whether your sales mix reporting stays usable.

Epos Now: Is it suitable for a busy full service restaurant?

It handles straightforward hospitality service. Complex coursing, large table management and high volume kitchens are better served by restaurant specific systems.

Otter: What happens if Otter goes down?

Orders can be worked directly on the marketplace tablets, which is why most kitchens keep them rather than returning them.

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