Software · head to head
Grubhub vs HotSchedules
HotSchedules
Software
Restaurant employee scheduling software
- From
- $2/employee/month
- Rated
- -
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.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Grubhub and HotSchedules actually diverge.
| Attribute | Grubhub | HotSchedules |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $15/order | $2/employee/month |
| Pricing model | transaction | subscription |
| Founded | 2004 | 1999 |
Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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
- Shift scheduling and shift swapping for hourly restaurant staffnot Grubhub
- Labour forecasting against sales volumenot Grubhub
- Time and attendance tracking across restaurant 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.
Choose HotSchedules if
- You need employee scheduling.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want time tracking.
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.
SourceGrubhub: 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.
SourceGrubhub: 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.
SourceGrubhub: 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