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Restaurants · head to head

Grubhub vs Square for Restaurants

Grubhub logo

Grubhub

Restaurants

Restaurant food delivery marketplace

From
$15/order
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

  • Only Square for Restaurants has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Grubhub commission fees of 15-30% significantly reduce restaurant profit margins; Square for Restaurants the Square KDS and Square Kiosk apps are not available on the free plan
  • They diverge on capability: Grubhub covers Delivery network, Square for Restaurants covers Table management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Grubhub and Square for Restaurants differ
AttributeGrubhubSquare for Restaurants
Starting price$15/orderFree
Pricing modeltransactionsubscription
Free tierNoYes
Founded20042018

Identical on both: 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 Square for Restaurants

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

Square for Restaurants

  • 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)

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

Grubhub

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

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 Grubhub if

  • You need delivery network.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want order management.
Grubhub 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 Grubhub or Square for Restaurants better?
Neither clearly leads. Grubhub starts at $15/order and Square for Restaurants at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Grubhub or Square for Restaurants?
Square for Restaurants has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $15/order for Grubhub and Free for Square for Restaurants.
Does Grubhub or Square for Restaurants run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Square for Restaurants for free?
Yes. Square for Restaurants has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Grubhub starts at $15/order.
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 Square for Restaurants cannot?
Grubhub covers Delivery network, Order management, Customer reach, Marketing tools. Square for Restaurants covers Table management, Menu customization, Split checks, Offline mode. 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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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