Softwr

Restaurants · head to head

Lavu vs MarginEdge

Lavu logo

Lavu

Restaurants

iPad POS for restaurants and bars

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
MarginEdge logo

MarginEdge

Restaurants

Restaurant back office for invoice processing, food cost and inventory tracking

From
$350/monthly
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Lavu iPad-only solution with no Android or Windows alternative; MarginEdge no free trial or freemium option available, requiring full commitment upfront at $350 per month minimum
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lavu and MarginEdge actually diverge.

Attributes where Lavu and MarginEdge differ
AttributeLavuMarginEdge
Starting price$99/month$350/monthly
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsiPadWeb
Founded2010Unknown

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 Lavu

  • iPad POS
  • Split checks
  • Tab management
  • Happy hour pricing
  • Inventory tracking
  • Kitchen display
  • QuickBooks
  • Xero

Only in MarginEdge

Nothing recorded that Lavu does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Lavu

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

MarginEdge

  • Restaurant management and financial trackingnot Lavu
  • Food cost control and inventory management for restaurantsnot Lavu

Where each one falls short

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

Lavu

  • iPad-only solution with no Android or Windows alternative
  • Hardware costs are significant with devices starting at $700
  • Limited offline functionality compared to some competitors

MarginEdge

  • No free trial or freemium option available, requiring full commitment upfront at $350 per month minimum
  • High monthly per-location cost makes adoption expensive for multi-unit restaurant groups
  • Additional Toast API integration requires extra $50 per month per location, increasing total cost

Pricing, plan by plan

Lavu

$99/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Lavu review.

MarginEdge

$350/monthly
  • MarginEdge$350/monthly
    • Unlimited invoice processing
    • Unlimited bill payments for U.S. locations
    • Unlimited email support
  • MarginEdge + Freepour$500/monthly
    • All MarginEdge features
    • Smart scale technology for liquor inventory management
    • Freepour adds $150 per month to base subscription

Which should you pick?

Choose Lavu if

  • You need ipad pos.
  • You work on iPad.
  • You also want split checks.
Lavu review

Choose MarginEdge if

Nothing in the data separates MarginEdge from Lavu on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

MarginEdge review

Questions people ask

Is Lavu or MarginEdge better?
Neither clearly leads. Lavu starts at $99/month and MarginEdge at $350/monthly, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Lavu or MarginEdge?
Lavu starts at $99/month and MarginEdge at $350/monthly.
Does Lavu or MarginEdge run on more platforms?
Lavu runs on iPad. MarginEdge runs on Web.
What is Lavu best used for?
Lavu 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 MarginEdge is typically brought in for.
What can Lavu do that MarginEdge cannot?
Lavu covers iPad POS, Split checks, Tab management, Happy hour pricing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Lavu: What devices does Lavu support?

Lavu is iPad-based and works with iPad Pro, Air, and Mini models. It is compatible with peripherals from Ingenico, Magtek, and supports various receipt printers, cash drawers, and barcode scanners.

Source
MarginEdge: What is the pricing structure and billing frequency for MarginEdge?

MarginEdge costs $350 per month per location with monthly or annual billing. Annual billing includes a 10 percent discount resulting in $420 annual savings. No long-term contracts are required and customers may cancel anytime.

Source
Lavu: Does Lavu offer financing for hardware?

Yes. Lavu offers 0% no-interest financing on hardware for 3-year contracts, and supports both 1-year and 3-year contract terms.

Source
MarginEdge: How much does the Freepour add-on cost and what does it include?

The Freepour bundle adds $150 per month to the base subscription, making the total $500 per month per location. It includes smart scale technology for automated liquor inventory management. Annual billing saves $600 per year when bundled with Freepour.

Source
Lavu: What is Lavu's pricing range?

Lavu monthly POS software costs range from $99 to $279 per month, with hardware starting at $700 and up to $1,500 for full systems.

Source
MarginEdge: Are there any additional fees beyond the monthly subscription?

Yes, if you use the Toast API or Toast Restaurant Management Suite, there is an additional $50 per month per location charge. Discounts are available for multi-unit restaurant groups and accounting firms through custom pricing.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Lavu

More on MarginEdge

Keep looking

Other head to heads