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Restaurants · head to head

Grubhub vs Lightspeed Restaurant

Grubhub logo

Grubhub

Restaurants

Restaurant food delivery marketplace

From
$15/order
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Lightspeed Restaurant logo

Lightspeed Restaurant

Restaurants

One restaurant POS to power it all

From
$69/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Grubhub commission fees of 15-30% significantly reduce restaurant profit margins; Lightspeed Restaurant starts at $69 a month for Starter, rising to $189 for Essential and $399 for Premium
  • They diverge on capability: Grubhub covers Delivery network, Lightspeed Restaurant covers Floor plan management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Grubhub and Lightspeed Restaurant actually diverge.

Attributes where Grubhub and Lightspeed Restaurant differ
AttributeGrubhubLightspeed Restaurant
Starting price$15/order$69/month
Pricing modeltransactionsubscription
Founded20042005

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 Lightspeed Restaurant

  • Floor plan management
  • Tableside ordering
  • Menu management
  • Staff management
  • Delivery integration
  • Advanced reporting
  • Uber Eats
  • DoorDash

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 Sale
  • Order Management
  • Inventory Control
  • Staff Scheduling

Lightspeed Restaurant

  • Point of Sale
  • Order Management
  • Inventory Control
  • Staff Scheduling

Both are used for point of sale, order management, inventory control, staff scheduling, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

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)

Lightspeed Restaurant

  • Starts at $69 a month for Starter, rising to $189 for Essential and $399 for Premium
  • The kitchen display system is charged separately at $30 per screen per month
  • Lightspeed Reservations, reservation integrations and Lightspeed Tasks are add-ons on every tier below Enterprise rather than included features
  • Integrated payments are fixed to a default configuration on Starter, with custom configuration only from Essential upwards
  • Card processing rates and hardware costs are not published, and the vendor notes prices vary by business and industry

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

Lightspeed Restaurant

$69/month
  • Starter$69/month
    • Customizable POS
    • Menu manager
    • Floor plans
  • Essential$189/month
    • All Starter features
    • Lightspeed AI
    • Tempo service pacing
  • Premium$399/month
    • All Essential features
    • Advanced inventory management
    • Raw API access

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 Lightspeed Restaurant if

  • You need floor plan management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want tableside ordering.
Lightspeed Restaurant review

Questions people ask

Is Grubhub or Lightspeed Restaurant better?
Neither clearly leads. Grubhub starts at $15/order and Lightspeed Restaurant at $69/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Grubhub or Lightspeed Restaurant?
Grubhub starts at $15/order and Lightspeed Restaurant at $69/month.
Does Grubhub or Lightspeed Restaurant 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.
What can Grubhub do that Lightspeed Restaurant cannot?
Grubhub covers Delivery network, Order management, Customer reach, Marketing tools. Lightspeed Restaurant covers Floor plan management, Tableside ordering, Menu management, Staff management. 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
Lightspeed Restaurant: How much does Lightspeed Restaurant POS cost?

Pricing starts at $69 per month for the Starter plan, $189 for Essential, and $399 for Premium. Enterprise plans require custom quotes.

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
Lightspeed Restaurant: What does the Kitchen Display System cost?

Kitchen Display System screens cost $30 per month and are available to add on any plan.

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
Lightspeed Restaurant: What's included in the Premium plan?

The Premium plan at $399 per month includes advanced inventory management, raw API access, full multi-location support, and revenue center customization for hotels.

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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