Food & Restaurant · head to head
Lavu vs Square for Restaurants
Square for Restaurants
Food & Restaurant
Restaurant POS system that works for you
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Square for Restaurants has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Lavu iPad-only solution with no Android or Windows alternative; Square for Restaurants the Square KDS and Square Kiosk apps are not available on the free plan
- They diverge on capability: Lavu covers iPad POS, Square for Restaurants covers Table management.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Lavu and Square for Restaurants actually diverge.
| Attribute | Lavu | Square for Restaurants |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $99/month | Free |
| Pricing model | Unknown | subscription |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | iPad | Web, Ios, Android |
| Founded | 2010 | 2018 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Food & Restaurant).
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
- Tab management
- Happy hour pricing
- Inventory tracking
- Xero
- Uber Eats
Only in Square for Restaurants
- Table management
- Menu customization
- Offline mode
- Real-time reporting
- Caviar
- Postmates
- Web support
- Android support
Both cover
- Split checks
- Kitchen display
- QuickBooks
- DoorDash
- Ios support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Lavu
- 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.
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
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
Lavu
$99/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the Lavu review.
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 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.
Questions people ask
- Is Lavu or Square for Restaurants better?
- Neither clearly leads. Lavu starts at $99/month and Square for Restaurants at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Lavu or Square for Restaurants?
- Square for Restaurants has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $99/month for Lavu and Free for Square for Restaurants.
- Does Lavu or Square for Restaurants run on more platforms?
- Lavu runs on iPad. Square for Restaurants runs on Web, Ios, Android.
- Can I use Square for Restaurants for free?
- Yes. Square for Restaurants has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Lavu starts at $99/month.
- What is Lavu best used for?
- Lavu is most often used for point of sale, order management, inventory control, staff scheduling.
- What can Lavu do that Square for Restaurants cannot?
- Lavu covers iPad POS, Tab management, Happy hour pricing, Inventory tracking. Square for Restaurants covers Table management, Menu customization, Offline mode, Real-time reporting. Both handle Split checks, Kitchen display, QuickBooks, DoorDash.
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.
SourceLavu: 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.
SourceLavu: 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