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Olo vs Square for Restaurants

Olo logo

Olo

Software

Digital ordering and delivery platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Square for Restaurants logo

Square for Restaurants

Software

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: Olo olo platform pricing is not published; it is sold directly to restaurant operators via sales contact, with only free operator-facing apps visible on the App Store; Square for Restaurants the Square KDS and Square Kiosk apps are not available on the free plan
  • They diverge on capability: Olo covers Digital ordering, Square for Restaurants covers Table management.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Olo and Square for Restaurants differ
AttributeOloSquare for Restaurants
Starting priceOn requestFree
Free tierNoYes
Founded20052018

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Olo

  • Digital ordering
  • Delivery management
  • Dispatch
  • Rails integration
  • Catering
  • Enterprise analytics
  • Uber Eats
  • Grubhub

Only in Square for Restaurants

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

Both cover

  • DoorDash
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Olo

  • 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.

Olo

  • Olo platform pricing is not published; it is sold directly to restaurant operators via sales contact, with only free operator-facing apps visible on the App Store

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

Olo

On request
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Custom pricing
    • Full platform

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 Olo if

  • You need digital ordering.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want delivery management.
Olo 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 Olo or Square for Restaurants better?
Neither clearly leads. Olo 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, Olo or Square for Restaurants?
Square for Restaurants has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Olo and Free for Square for Restaurants.
Does Olo or Square for Restaurants run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Square for Restaurants for free?
Yes. Square for Restaurants has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Olo starts at On request.
What is Olo best used for?
Olo is most often used for point of sale, order management, inventory control, staff scheduling.
What can Olo do that Square for Restaurants cannot?
Olo covers Digital ordering, Delivery management, Dispatch, Rails integration. Square for Restaurants covers Table management, Menu customization, Split checks, Offline mode. Both handle DoorDash, Web support, Ios support, Android support.
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Related pages

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