Softwr

Restaurants · head to head

Square for Restaurants vs Zomato

Square for Restaurants logo

Square for Restaurants

Restaurants

Restaurant POS system that works for you

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zomato logo

Zomato

Restaurants

Indian food delivery and restaurant discovery app, now operating under parent brand Eternal

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Square for Restaurants the Square KDS and Square Kiosk apps are not available on the free plan; Zomato restaurant commission of roughly 15 to 25 percent is commonly passed through as higher in-app menu prices, so the delivered price is not simply the counter price plus a fee.
  • They diverge on capability: Square for Restaurants covers Table management, Zomato covers Food delivery marketplace.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Square for Restaurants and Zomato differ
AttributeSquare for RestaurantsZomato
Pricing modelsubscriptionFree to download; delivery and platform fees per order, optional paid membership
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidiOS, Android, Web
Founded2018Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Restaurants).

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 Zomato

  • Food delivery marketplace
  • Zomato Gold membership
  • Dine-out table booking
  • Restaurant reviews and ratings
  • Blinkit quick commerce
  • Zomato for Business

What people use each for

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

Square for Restaurants

  • Point of Salenot Zomato
  • Order Managementnot Zomato
  • Inventory Controlnot Zomato
  • Staff Schedulingnot Zomato

Zomato

  • A diner in an Indian city ordering food delivery or comparing restaurants before eating outnot Square for Restaurants
  • A frequent orderer weighing whether Zomato Gold discounts outweigh its subscription costnot Square for Restaurants
  • Someone booking a table at a partner restaurant through the dine-out featurenot Square for Restaurants
  • A restaurant owner using Zomato for Business to manage online orders and view sales analyticsnot 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

Zomato

  • Restaurant commission of roughly 15 to 25 percent is commonly passed through as higher in-app menu prices, so the delivered price is not simply the counter price plus a fee.
  • The company exited most markets outside India in 2019, so international coverage is far narrower than the brand recognition suggests.
  • Zomato Gold benefits and discount depth vary by city and restaurant partner, and heavy users report the value of the membership eroding over time as terms are revised.
  • Delivery riders are engaged on a gig basis with pay tied to order volume and distance, a model that has drawn wage and working-condition criticism in India.
  • The 2024 rebrand of the parent company to Eternal, alongside the Blinkit and Hyperpure businesses, means Zomato the consumer app is now one product line inside a multi-business group rather than a standalone company, which affects how disclosures and strategy are reported.

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

Zomato

Free
  • Pay per orderFree
    • Delivery fee scaling with distance and demand
    • Platform fee on order total
    • Restaurant menu prices often marked up versus dine-in
  • Zomato Gold$299/month
    • Discounts and free-item offers at partner restaurants
    • Priority service and reduced wait times at partner dine-in venues
    • Delivery perks vary by plan tier and market

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 Zomato if

  • You need food delivery marketplace.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want zomato gold membership.
Zomato review

Questions people ask

Is Square for Restaurants or Zomato better?
Neither clearly leads. Square for Restaurants starts at Free and Zomato at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Square for Restaurants or Zomato?
Square for Restaurants starts at Free and Zomato at Free.
Does Square for Restaurants or Zomato run on more platforms?
Square for Restaurants runs on Web, Ios, Android. Zomato runs on iOS, Android, Web.
Can I use Square for Restaurants for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Zomato is typically brought in for.
What can Square for Restaurants do that Zomato cannot?
Square for Restaurants covers Table management, Menu customization, Split checks, Offline mode. Zomato covers Food delivery marketplace, Zomato Gold membership, Dine-out table booking, Restaurant reviews and ratings.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Square for Restaurants: What are Square's main pricing plans for restaurants?

Square offers a free tier and Square Plus. The Free plan has $0 cost with standard processing fees. Square Plus is described as the best value tier and includes lower card processing rates than the free plan.

Source
Zomato: Is Zomato only available in India?

Its core market is India; it exited most other countries in 2019 and has minimal presence elsewhere.

Square for Restaurants: Does Square have locked-in contracts or can I cancel anytime?

Square explicitly states no hidden fees or locked-in contracts. Customers can cancel or switch anytime. The pay-as-you-go model means you only pay when you take a payment.

Source
Zomato: What did Zomato rename to?

The parent company renamed itself Eternal Limited in 2024; the Zomato consumer app kept its own name.

Square for Restaurants: Does Square Plus include a free trial period?

Yes, Square Plus offers a free trial, though the specific trial duration is not clearly displayed on the pricing page.

Source
Zomato: Does Zomato Gold apply to delivery or dine-in or both?

Both, though the specific discounts and which restaurants participate vary by plan tier and city.

Square for Restaurants: What features does Square Plus add compared to the free plan?

Square Plus includes all free plan features plus advanced POS tools, a loyalty program, email and text marketing (500 free texts, then 3 cents per text), and staff management tools.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Square for Restaurants

More on Zomato

Keep looking

Other head to heads