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Square for Restaurants vs Deputy

Square for Restaurants logo

Square for Restaurants

Software

Restaurant POS system that works for you

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Deputy logo

Deputy

Software

Workforce management for restaurants

From
$3.5/user/month
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: Square for Restaurants the Square KDS and Square Kiosk apps are not available on the free plan; Deputy a $30 monthly minimum applies to every plan, so a team of four on the $5 Lite plan pays for six
  • They diverge on capability: Square for Restaurants covers Table management, Deputy covers AI scheduling.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Square for Restaurants and Deputy differ
AttributeSquare for RestaurantsDeputy
Starting priceFree$3.5/user/month
Free tierYesNo
Founded20182008

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 Square for Restaurants

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

Only in Deputy

  • AI scheduling
  • Time tracking
  • Demand forecasting
  • Compliance
  • Team communication
  • Performance tracking
  • Toast
  • Square

Both cover

  • QuickBooks
  • Web support
  • 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 Salenot Deputy
  • Order Managementnot Deputy
  • Inventory Controlnot Deputy
  • Staff Schedulingnot Deputy

Deputy

  • Staff scheduling and shift management for hourly teamsnot Square for Restaurants
  • Time clocking, timesheets and labour cost trackingnot Square for Restaurants

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

Deputy

  • A $30 monthly minimum applies to every plan, so a team of four on the $5 Lite plan pays for six
  • Auto scheduling, demand forecasting and labour optimisation all require a plan above Lite
  • SSO and custom access levels are Pro only at $9 per user per month
  • Payroll is an add on at $8 per user per month plus a $49 monthly base fee
  • Messaging and analytics are separately priced add ons at $1.95 and $1.50 per user per month

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

Deputy

$3.5/user/month
  • Scheduling$3.5/user/month
    • Scheduling
    • Communication
  • Time & Attendance$3.5/user/month
    • Time clock
    • Timesheets
  • Premium$4.9/user/month
    • Full features
    • Reporting

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.
Square for Restaurants review

Choose Deputy if

  • You need ai scheduling.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want time tracking.
Deputy review

Questions people ask

Is Square for Restaurants or Deputy better?
Neither clearly leads. Square for Restaurants starts at Free and Deputy at $3.5/user/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Square for Restaurants or Deputy?
Square for Restaurants has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Square for Restaurants and $3.5/user/month for Deputy.
Does Square for Restaurants or Deputy 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. Deputy starts at $3.5/user/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. Of those, point of sale and order management are not what Deputy is typically brought in for.
What can Square for Restaurants do that Deputy cannot?
Square for Restaurants covers Table management, Menu customization, Split checks, Offline mode. Deputy covers AI scheduling, Time tracking, Demand forecasting, Compliance. Both handle QuickBooks, Web support, Ios support, Android support.
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