Software · head to head
Square for Restaurants vs CAKE POS
Square for Restaurants
Software
Restaurant POS system that works for you
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Square for Restaurants has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Square for Restaurants the Square KDS and Square Kiosk apps are not available on the free plan; CAKE POS the pricing page names three plans, Core, Growth and Scale, and publishes no monthly figure for any of them, offering only a phone and email sales contact
- They diverge on capability: Square for Restaurants covers Table management, CAKE POS covers Tableside ordering.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Square for Restaurants and CAKE POS actually diverge.
| Attribute | Square for Restaurants | CAKE POS |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $69/month |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, Ios, Android | Ios, Android |
| Founded | 2018 | 2010 |
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Square for Restaurants
- Table management
- Menu customization
- Split checks
- Offline mode
- Real-time reporting
- Caviar
- Postmates
- Web support
Only in CAKE POS
- Tableside ordering
- Online ordering
- Guest management
- Menu management
- Reporting
- Grubhub
- 7shifts
Both cover
- Kitchen display
- DoorDash
- QuickBooks
- Ios support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Square for Restaurants
- Point of Sale
- Order Management
- Inventory Control
- Staff Scheduling
CAKE POS
- 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.
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
CAKE POS
- The pricing page names three plans, Core, Growth and Scale, and publishes no monthly figure for any of them, offering only a phone and email sales contact
Pricing, plan by plan
Square for Restaurants
Free- FreeFree
- POS
- Menu management
- Basic reporting
- Plus$60/month
- Advanced features
- Live sales
- Seat management
- PremiumFree
- Custom pricing
- Dedicated support
CAKE POS
$69/month- Essentials$69/month
- POS
- Online ordering
- Professional$125/month
- Guest management
- Advanced features
Which should you pick?
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.
Choose CAKE POS if
- You need tableside ordering.
- You work on Ios, Android.
- You also want online ordering.
Questions people ask
- Is Square for Restaurants or CAKE POS better?
- Neither clearly leads. Square for Restaurants starts at Free and CAKE POS at $69/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Square for Restaurants or CAKE POS?
- Square for Restaurants has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Square for Restaurants and $69/month for CAKE POS.
- Does Square for Restaurants or CAKE POS run on more platforms?
- Square for Restaurants runs on Web, Ios, Android. CAKE POS runs on 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. CAKE POS starts at $69/month.
- What is Square for Restaurants best used for?
- Square for Restaurants is most often used for point of sale, order management, inventory control, staff scheduling.
- What can Square for Restaurants do that CAKE POS cannot?
- Square for Restaurants covers Table management, Menu customization, Split checks, Offline mode. CAKE POS covers Tableside ordering, Online ordering, Guest management, Menu management. Both handle Kitchen display, DoorDash, QuickBooks, Ios support.