Softwr

Restaurants · head to head

Lunchbox vs Square for Restaurants

Lunchbox logo

Lunchbox

Restaurants

First party ordering websites, apps and loyalty for growing multi unit restaurant brands

From
On request
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: Lunchbox the fee is charged per location per month regardless of how many direct orders you generate, so brands that do not fund marketing pay for a channel that stays quiet.; Square for Restaurants the Square KDS and Square Kiosk apps are not available on the free plan
  • They diverge on capability: Lunchbox covers Branded ordering web and apps, Square for Restaurants covers Table management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Lunchbox and Square for Restaurants differ
AttributeLunchboxSquare for Restaurants
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotesubscription
Free tierNoYes
FoundedUnknown2018

Identical on both: platforms (Web, iOS, Android), 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 Lunchbox

  • Branded ordering web and apps
  • Loyalty and rewards
  • Guest data platform
  • Marketing automation
  • POS and delivery integrations
  • Catering and group ordering

Only in Square for Restaurants

  • Table management
  • Menu customization
  • Split checks
  • Offline mode
  • Real-time reporting
  • Kitchen display
  • Caviar
  • DoorDash

What people use each for

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

Lunchbox

  • A fast casual chain of ten to thirty units trying to shift volume away from delivery marketplacesnot Square for Restaurants
  • A brand that wants its own iOS and Android apps without commissioning a bespoke buildnot Square for Restaurants
  • An operator who needs guest order history for retention campaigns rather than anonymous marketplace ordersnot Square for Restaurants
  • A group launching catering that needs a separate ordering flow from standard checkoutnot Square for Restaurants

Square for Restaurants

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

Where each one falls short

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

Lunchbox

  • The fee is charged per location per month regardless of how many direct orders you generate, so brands that do not fund marketing pay for a channel that stays quiet.
  • Moving customers off marketplaces requires sustained discounting and advertising that the restaurant funds, and none of that cost appears in the software quote.
  • The company has been through substantial restructuring since its peak funding, so integration maintenance and roadmap continuity are fair questions to put in writing before signing.
  • Native app launches involve app store review, brand assets and a build fee, so time to first order is measured in weeks rather than days.
  • The integration list is narrower than that of the large enterprise ordering vendors, and a group on an uncommon POS may find order injection limited or unsupported.

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

Lunchbox

On request
  • Lunchbox$undefined/year
    • Priced per location per month with modules for ordering, loyalty and marketing
    • One time build and launch fee for web and mobile apps
    • App store submission and brand design handled during onboarding

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 Lunchbox if

  • You need branded ordering web and apps.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want loyalty and rewards.
Lunchbox 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 Lunchbox or Square for Restaurants better?
Neither clearly leads. Lunchbox starts at On request and Square for Restaurants at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Lunchbox or Square for Restaurants?
Square for Restaurants has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Lunchbox and Free for Square for Restaurants.
Does Lunchbox or Square for Restaurants run on more platforms?
Lunchbox runs on Web, iOS, Android. 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. Lunchbox starts at On request.
What is Lunchbox best used for?
Lunchbox is most often used for a fast casual chain of ten to thirty units trying to shift volume away from delivery marketplaces, a brand that wants its own ios and android apps without commissioning a bespoke build, an operator who needs guest order history for retention campaigns rather than anonymous marketplace orders, a group launching catering that needs a separate ordering flow from standard checkout. Of those, a fast casual chain of ten to thirty units trying to shift volume away from delivery marketplaces and a brand that wants its own ios and android apps without commissioning a bespoke build are not what Square for Restaurants is typically brought in for.
What can Lunchbox do that Square for Restaurants cannot?
Lunchbox covers Branded ordering web and apps, Loyalty and rewards, Guest data platform, Marketing automation. Square for Restaurants covers Table management, Menu customization, Split checks, Offline mode.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Lunchbox: Does it stop me paying delivery commission?

Only on orders that move to your own channels. Orders still placed on DoorDash or Uber Eats carry their usual commission.

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
Lunchbox: Do I get my own branded mobile app?

Yes, native iOS and Android apps under your brand, built and submitted during onboarding for a one time fee on top of the subscription.

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
Lunchbox: Who owns the customer data?

The restaurant. That is the central argument for first party ordering over marketplace ordering.

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
Lunchbox: What size of brand is it aimed at?

Multi unit groups, broadly five to fifty locations. Single sites usually do better with a cheaper ordering product.

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 Lunchbox

More on Square for Restaurants

Keep looking

Other head to heads