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Restaurants · head to head

Grubhub vs HotSchedules

Grubhub logo

Grubhub

Restaurants

Restaurant food delivery marketplace

From
$15/order
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
HotSchedules logo

HotSchedules

Restaurants

Restaurant employee scheduling software

From
$2/employee/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Grubhub commission fees of 15-30% significantly reduce restaurant profit margins; HotSchedules hotSchedules is sold by Fourth and its pricing page publishes no rate, no per location or per employee cost, no module price and no minimum commitment
  • They diverge on capability: Grubhub covers Delivery network, HotSchedules covers Employee scheduling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Grubhub and HotSchedules actually diverge.

Attributes where Grubhub and HotSchedules differ
AttributeGrubhubHotSchedules
Starting price$15/order$2/employee/month
Pricing modeltransactionsubscription
Founded20041999

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), 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 Grubhub

  • Delivery network
  • Order management
  • Customer reach
  • Marketing tools
  • Analytics
  • Loyalty programs
  • Toast
  • Square

Only in HotSchedules

  • Employee scheduling
  • Time tracking
  • Team messaging
  • Labor forecasting
  • Shift swapping
  • Compliance
  • All major POS
  • Payroll systems

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Grubhub

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

HotSchedules

  • Employee scheduling for restaurants and retailnot Grubhub
  • Labor cost management and optimizationnot Grubhub
  • Shift coordination for multiple locationsnot Grubhub

Where each one falls short

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

Grubhub

  • Commission fees of 15-30% significantly reduce restaurant profit margins
  • Limited geographic coverage compared to competitors like DoorDash
  • Driver availability issues in some areas leading to canceled orders
  • Limited independent restaurant partnerships compared to competitors
  • Average delivery time of 40 minutes is slower than Uber Eats (33 minutes) and DoorDash (38 minutes)

HotSchedules

  • HotSchedules is sold by Fourth and its pricing page publishes no rate, no per location or per employee cost, no module price and no minimum commitment
  • Obtaining a price requires a sales call or a demo request
  • Fourth sells HotSchedules alongside separate products including Adaco and MacromatiX, each quoted rather than listed

Pricing, plan by plan

Grubhub

$15/order
  • Basic$15/percent
    • Marketplace listing
    • Order management
  • Standard$20/percent
    • Delivery
    • Marketing
  • Premium$25/percent
    • Priority placement
    • Promotions

HotSchedules

$2/employee/month
  • Scheduling$2/employee/month
    • Scheduling
    • Communication
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Custom pricing
    • Full platform

Which should you pick?

Choose Grubhub if

  • You need delivery network.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want order management.
Grubhub review

Choose HotSchedules if

  • You need employee scheduling.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want time tracking.
HotSchedules review

Questions people ask

Is Grubhub or HotSchedules better?
Neither clearly leads. Grubhub starts at $15/order and HotSchedules at $2/employee/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Grubhub or HotSchedules?
Grubhub starts at $15/order and HotSchedules at $2/employee/month.
Does Grubhub or HotSchedules run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Grubhub best used for?
Grubhub 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 HotSchedules is typically brought in for.
What can Grubhub do that HotSchedules cannot?
Grubhub covers Delivery network, Order management, Customer reach, Marketing tools. HotSchedules covers Employee scheduling, Time tracking, Team messaging, Labor forecasting. Both handle Web support, Ios support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Grubhub: How much does Grubhub charge restaurants?

Grubhub charges restaurants a marketing commission of 5%, 15%, or 20% depending on the Marketplace plan, plus a processing fee of $0.30 plus 3.05% per order.

Source
HotSchedules: Does HotSchedules offer a free trial?

HotSchedules offers a promotional trial of one year free to new customers. Specific terms and conditions apply, and contact with their sales team is required to activate the offer.

Source
Grubhub: What does Grubhub cost customers?

Grubhub charges customers a $2.25 order processing fee plus $0.99 for delivery. A subscription offers $6.95 or $19.95/month for unlimited free delivery on eligible orders.

Source
HotSchedules: How is HotSchedules pricing determined?

HotSchedules pricing is customized based on business needs. Potential customers must contact Fourth's sales team via the demo request form to receive a personalized pricing quote.

Source
Grubhub: Does Grubhub offer promotional tools for restaurants?

Yes, Grubhub offers Sponsored Listings (3-10% premium on commissions) and Boost Programs (10-20% additional cost per order) to increase restaurant visibility.

Source
Grubhub: Is Grubhub available in all cities?

No, Grubhub delivery service is not available in all cities, and the platform is less convenient in small cities with limited driver availability.

Source
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