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Food & Restaurant · head to head

Plate IQ vs Lavu

Plate IQ logo

Plate IQ

Food & Restaurant

Invoice automation for restaurants

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Lavu logo

Lavu

Food & Restaurant

iPad POS for restaurants and bars

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Plate IQ plate IQ has been rebranded to Ottimate, per the vendor: "Plate IQ, now Ottimate, began the journey to becoming the best AP automation AI"; Lavu iPad-only solution with no Android or Windows alternative
  • They diverge on capability: Plate IQ covers Invoice capture, Lavu covers iPad POS.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Plate IQ and Lavu actually diverge.

Attributes where Plate IQ and Lavu differ
AttributePlate IQLavu
Starting priceOn request$99/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidiPad
Founded20142010

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Plate IQ

  • Invoice capture
  • AP automation
  • Price tracking
  • Spend analytics
  • Vendor management
  • GL coding
  • NetSuite
  • Sage

Only in Lavu

  • iPad POS
  • Split checks
  • Tab management
  • Happy hour pricing
  • Inventory tracking
  • Kitchen display
  • DoorDash
  • Uber Eats

Both cover

  • QuickBooks
  • Xero
  • Ios support

What people use each for

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

Plate IQ

  • Automating invoice processing and accounts payable for restaurantsnot Lavu

Lavu

  • Point of Salenot Plate IQ
  • Order Managementnot Plate IQ
  • Inventory Controlnot Plate IQ
  • Staff Schedulingnot Plate IQ

Where each one falls short

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

Plate IQ

  • Plate IQ has been rebranded to Ottimate, per the vendor: "Plate IQ, now Ottimate, began the journey to becoming the best AP automation AI"

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Plate IQ

On request
  • Pay per invoiceFree
    • Invoice processing
    • $0.99 per invoice
  • Unlimited$399/month
    • Unlimited invoices
    • Full features

Lavu

$99/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Lavu review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Plate IQ if

  • You need invoice capture.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want ap automation.
Plate IQ review

Choose Lavu if

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

Questions people ask

Is Plate IQ or Lavu better?
Neither clearly leads. Plate IQ starts at On request and Lavu at $99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Plate IQ or Lavu?
Plate IQ starts at On request and Lavu at $99/month.
Does Plate IQ or Lavu run on more platforms?
Plate IQ runs on Web, Ios, Android. Lavu runs on iPad.
What is Plate IQ best used for?
Plate IQ is most often used for automating invoice processing and accounts payable for restaurants. Of those, automating invoice processing and accounts payable for restaurants is not what Lavu is typically brought in for.
What can Plate IQ do that Lavu cannot?
Plate IQ covers Invoice capture, AP automation, Price tracking, Spend analytics. Lavu covers iPad POS, Split checks, Tab management, Happy hour pricing. Both handle QuickBooks, Xero, Ios support.

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
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
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
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