Softwr

Restaurants · head to head

Grubhub vs Upserve

Grubhub logo

Grubhub

Restaurants

Restaurant food delivery marketplace

From
$15/order
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Upserve logo

Upserve

Restaurants

Restaurant management platform with insights

From
$59/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Grubhub commission fees of 15-30% significantly reduce restaurant profit margins; Upserve offline terminals can only store credit card payment data for 48 hours before requiring internet connection
  • They diverge on capability: Grubhub covers Delivery network, Upserve covers Cloud POS.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Grubhub and Upserve actually diverge.

Attributes where Grubhub and Upserve differ
AttributeGrubhubUpserve
Starting price$15/order$59/month
Pricing modeltransactionUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, iPad, Android, Custom POS terminals
Founded20042013

Identical on both: 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 Grubhub

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

Only in Upserve

  • Cloud POS
  • Guest insights
  • Menu intelligence
  • Server performance
  • Reputation management
  • Inventory tracking
  • QuickBooks
  • Xero

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

Upserve

  • 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)

Upserve

  • Offline terminals can only store credit card payment data for 48 hours before requiring internet connection
  • Customers cannot add tips when the system operates in offline mode
  • $400 monthly penalty for using alternative payment processors instead of Lightspeed
  • No global ability to change menu items across all locations at once, requiring per-location updates
  • Mandatory 2.6% + $0.10 per transaction payment processing fee with Lightspeed

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

Upserve

$59/month
  • Core$59/month
    • Cloud-based point of sale
    • Basic reporting
    • Guest insights
  • Pro$199/month
    • All Core features
    • Inventory management
    • Online ordering

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 Upserve if

  • You need cloud pos.
  • You work on Web, iPad, Android, Custom POS terminals.
  • You also want guest insights.
Upserve review

Questions people ask

Is Grubhub or Upserve better?
Neither clearly leads. Grubhub starts at $15/order and Upserve at $59/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Grubhub or Upserve?
Grubhub starts at $15/order and Upserve at $59/month.
Does Grubhub or Upserve run on more platforms?
Grubhub runs on Web, Ios, Android. Upserve runs on Web, iPad, Android, Custom POS terminals.
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 Upserve cannot?
Grubhub covers Delivery network, Order management, Customer reach, Marketing tools. Upserve covers Cloud POS, Guest insights, Menu intelligence, Server performance. 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
Upserve: Does Upserve support offline mode?

Yes. Upserve is a hybrid cloud-based system where reporting data is stored in the cloud but offline mode allows the software to store important data locally on your device in case the internet goes down, allowing transactions to continue.

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
Upserve: What is Upserve's pricing structure?

Upserve offers three plans: Core at $59/month, Pro at $199/month with advanced features like inventory management and loyalty programs, and Pro+ with custom pricing for enterprise customers. Hardware is sold separately.

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
Upserve: Does Upserve offer a free trial?

Yes, Upserve offers a 14-day free trial for new users to test the platform before committing to a paid plan.

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
Upserve: What delivery platforms does Upserve integrate with?

Upserve integrates with DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub through partner middleware services like Chowly and Deliverect, which provide real-time menu syncing and order management.

Source
Upserve: What are the payment processing requirements?

Upserve requires using Lightspeed payment processing at 2.6% + $0.10 per transaction. Using alternative payment processors incurs a $400 monthly fee, making Lightspeed the mandatory choice for most restaurants.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Grubhub

More on Upserve

Keep looking

Other head to heads