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Restaurants · head to head

Lavu vs Waitlist Me

Lavu logo

Lavu

Restaurants

iPad POS for restaurants and bars

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
W

Waitlist Me

Restaurants

Waitlist, reservation and appointment management across devices and locations

From
$27.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Lavu iPad-only solution with no Android or Windows alternative; Waitlist Me entry Premium plan caps at 1,000 notifications per month with a $0.02 per-notification overage fee beyond that, as of August 2026
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lavu and Waitlist Me actually diverge.

Attributes where Lavu and Waitlist Me differ
AttributeLavuWaitlist Me
Starting price$99/month$27.99/month
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 Waitlist Me

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 Waitlist Me
  • Order Managementnot Waitlist Me
  • Inventory Controlnot Waitlist Me
  • Staff Schedulingnot Waitlist Me

Waitlist Me

  • Restaurant wait time managementnot Lavu
  • Service industry customer schedulingnot Lavu
  • Multi-location waitlist coordinationnot Lavu
  • Reservation and table managementnot Lavu
  • Real-time customer notificationsnot 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

Waitlist Me

  • Entry Premium plan caps at 1,000 notifications per month with a $0.02 per-notification overage fee beyond that, as of August 2026
  • Monthly billing without the annual commitment costs $34.99 per month for Premium versus $27.99 on the annual plan, as of August 2026

Pricing, plan by plan

Lavu

$99/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Lavu review.

Waitlist Me

$27.99/month
  • Premium$27.99/month
    • 1000 notifications per month
    • Intuitive Waitlist View
    • Reservations Calendar
  • Pro$47.99/month
    • 2500 notifications per month
    • Table and resource management
    • Business hours configuration
  • Platinum$79.99/month
    • 5000 notifications per month
    • Smart floorplans
    • Spatial management

Which should you pick?

Choose Lavu if

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

Choose Waitlist Me if

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

Waitlist Me review

Questions people ask

Is Lavu or Waitlist Me better?
Neither clearly leads. Lavu starts at $99/month and Waitlist Me at $27.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Lavu or Waitlist Me?
Lavu starts at $99/month and Waitlist Me at $27.99/month.
Does Lavu or Waitlist Me run on more platforms?
Lavu runs on iPad. Waitlist Me 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 Waitlist Me is typically brought in for.
What can Lavu do that Waitlist Me 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
Waitlist Me: How much does Waitlist Me cost?

Premium starts at $27.99/month (or $22.39/month annually). Pro tier costs $47.99/month (or $38.39/month annually). Platinum is $79.99/month (or $63.99/month annually). Additional notifications cost $0.02 each beyond plan limits.

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
Waitlist Me: Is there a free plan?

No, Waitlist Me does not offer a free plan. All pricing tiers are paid subscriptions, though the page indicates transparent billing and support for all plans.

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
Waitlist Me: What is included in all plans?

All Waitlist Me plans include multi-device syncing (iOS, Android, Web), unlimited usage within notification limits, multi-location support, and customer support.

Source
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