Software · head to head
Square for Restaurants vs Grubhub
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; Grubhub commission fees of 15-30% significantly reduce restaurant profit margins
- They diverge on capability: Square for Restaurants covers Table management, Grubhub covers Delivery network.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Square for Restaurants and Grubhub actually diverge.
| Attribute | Square for Restaurants | Grubhub |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $15/order |
| Pricing model | subscription | transaction |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Founded | 2018 | 2004 |
Identical on both: 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 Grubhub
- Delivery network
- Order management
- Customer reach
- Marketing tools
- Analytics
- Loyalty programs
- Toast
- Square
Both cover
- 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 Sale
- Order Management
- Inventory Control
- Staff Scheduling
Grubhub
- 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
Grubhub
- Commission fees of 15-30% significantly reduce restaurant profit margins
- Limited geographic coverage compared to competitors like DoorDash
- Driver availability issues in some areas leading to canceled orders
- Limited independent restaurant partnerships compared to competitors
- Average delivery time of 40 minutes is slower than Uber Eats (33 minutes) and DoorDash (38 minutes)
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
Grubhub
$15/order- Basic$15/percent
- Marketplace listing
- Order management
- Standard$20/percent
- Delivery
- Marketing
- Premium$25/percent
- Priority placement
- Promotions
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 Grubhub if
- You need delivery network.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want order management.
Questions people ask
- Is Square for Restaurants or Grubhub better?
- Neither clearly leads. Square for Restaurants starts at Free and Grubhub at $15/order, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Square for Restaurants or Grubhub?
- Square for Restaurants has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Square for Restaurants and $15/order for Grubhub.
- Does Square for Restaurants or Grubhub 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. Grubhub starts at $15/order.
- 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 Grubhub cannot?
- Square for Restaurants covers Table management, Menu customization, Split checks, Offline mode. Grubhub covers Delivery network, Order management, Customer reach, Marketing tools. Both handle Web support, Ios support, Android support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Grubhub: How much does Grubhub charge restaurants?
Grubhub charges restaurants a marketing commission of 5%, 15%, or 20% depending on the Marketplace plan, plus a processing fee of $0.30 plus 3.05% per order.
SourceGrubhub: What does Grubhub cost customers?
Grubhub charges customers a $2.25 order processing fee plus $0.99 for delivery. A subscription offers $6.95 or $19.95/month for unlimited free delivery on eligible orders.
SourceGrubhub: Does Grubhub offer promotional tools for restaurants?
Yes, Grubhub offers Sponsored Listings (3-10% premium on commissions) and Boost Programs (10-20% additional cost per order) to increase restaurant visibility.
SourceGrubhub: Is Grubhub available in all cities?
No, Grubhub delivery service is not available in all cities, and the platform is less convenient in small cities with limited driver availability.
Source