Softwr

Restaurants · head to head

Lavu vs Square for Restaurants

Lavu logo

Lavu

Restaurants

iPad POS for restaurants and bars

From
$99/month
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: 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.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Lavu and Square for Restaurants differ
AttributeLavuSquare for Restaurants
Starting price$99/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsiPadWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20102018

Identical on both: 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
  • 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/month

No 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 Lavu if

  • You need ipad pos.
  • You work on iPad.
  • You also want tab management.
Lavu 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 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.

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
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
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
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
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
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
Share

Related pages

More on Lavu

More on Square for Restaurants

Keep looking

Other head to heads