Best Online Ordering Software for 2026 - Krowdbase

Online Ordering Software: Features, Benefits, Pricing, and How to Choose the Right Software

Online ordering software is a category of technology that lets customers browse a menu, place an order, and pay for it digitally, whether through a restaurant's own website, a branded mobile app, a QR code at the table, or a third-party marketplace app. Once an order is placed, the software routes it into the business's operational workflow, typically appearing on a kitchen display, a ticket printer, or directly inside the restaurant's point-of-sale system.

The category spans two broad models. Direct ordering platforms let a restaurant collect orders through its own branded channels, usually for a flat software fee rather than a per-order commission, which preserves margin and customer data ownership. Marketplace platforms, by contrast, list a restaurant alongside competitors inside a broader app, handling discovery and often delivery logistics in exchange for a commission on each order, typically in exchange for meaningfully more order volume from customers actively searching within that marketplace.

Many modern restaurant POS systems now include online ordering as a built-in module rather than a separate purchase, which has blurred the line between pure-play online ordering vendors and full restaurant management platforms. Regardless of the model, the core job of online ordering software remains the same: turning digital browsing into a clean, accurate order the kitchen can execute without confusion or delay.

Why Businesses Need Online Ordering Software

Customer expectations have shifted decisively toward digital ordering, and a restaurant without a credible online ordering presence risks losing business to competitors who make it easier to order ahead, skip the line, or have food delivered. For many restaurants, online orders now represent a substantial and growing share of total revenue, particularly during dinner and late-night hours when phone lines are busiest and staff are stretched thinnest.

Beyond simply capturing demand, online ordering software reduces order errors that come from mishearing a phone order or misreading messy handwriting, since the customer enters their own selections directly. It also frees staff from answering the phone constantly during a rush, letting them focus on food preparation and in-person service instead of juggling both at once.

Online ordering software also generates something restaurants have historically lacked: a direct data relationship with the customer. Orders placed through a restaurant's own branded channel, rather than through a third-party marketplace, typically come with the customer's contact information, order history, and preferences, which the business can use for marketing and loyalty programs in a way that marketplace-routed orders usually do not allow.

Competitive pressure reinforces all of these reasons. When a handful of nearby restaurants offer seamless online ordering and one does not, customers increasingly default to whichever option requires the least friction, regardless of food quality. A restaurant that treats online ordering as optional risks losing not just incremental orders but entire customer relationships to competitors who made it easier to buy in the first place, which is why the category has shifted from a differentiator to a baseline expectation across nearly every segment of foodservice.

Key Features of Online Ordering Software

The strongest online ordering platforms share a consistent set of capabilities, though the depth and polish of each varies considerably between vendors. The sections below cover the features buyers should expect to evaluate.

Automation

Automated order confirmations, estimated ready times, and kitchen ticket routing remove manual steps that would otherwise require a staff member to relay each order by hand. The strongest platforms also automate menu availability, pulling an item off the digital menu the moment it sells out in the POS.

Reporting and Analytics

Dashboards showing order volume by channel, time of day, and menu item let owners understand which digital ordering sources are actually profitable once fees and discounts are factored in. This reporting is particularly important for businesses running orders through multiple marketplaces alongside their own branded channel.

Integrations

Direct integration with a restaurant's POS, kitchen display system, and delivery dispatch tools prevents staff from having to manually re-key orders from a tablet into the main system. Strong integration support also extends to accounting and marketing platforms, letting sales and customer data flow automatically rather than requiring manual export.

Security

Encrypted payment processing and PCI-compliant checkout flows protect customer card data, while account-based ordering systems need secure customer login and password handling to protect stored payment methods and order history.

Cloud Accessibility

Cloud-hosted platforms let owners manage menus, pricing, and promotions from anywhere, which matters for multi-location brands that need to push a price change or a limited-time item across every store simultaneously rather than updating each location by hand.

Mobile Functionality

A fully responsive ordering experience on a customer's phone is essential, since the overwhelming majority of online food orders now originate from a mobile device rather than a desktop browser. On the operations side, mobile apps for staff let a manager monitor incoming orders and update menu availability from anywhere in the restaurant.

Workflow Management

Order routing logic that sends dine-in, pickup, and delivery orders to the correct prep station or printer keeps kitchens organized during high-volume periods when all three order types are arriving simultaneously. Well-designed systems also manage order pacing, throttling incoming orders when the kitchen signals it is at capacity.

Collaboration Tools

Shared dashboards let front-of-house, kitchen, and delivery staff see the same order status in real time, reducing the miscommunication that happens when different teams are working from separate systems or a printed ticket that quickly goes out of date.

User Permissions

Role-based access lets managers control who can change menu pricing, issue refunds, or edit promotional campaigns, which matters for multi-location brands where a local manager should have narrower permissions than corporate marketing staff.

Customization

Menu builders with support for modifiers, combos, and upsell prompts let a restaurant recreate its full in-person ordering experience online, while branded storefront customization helps a business maintain visual consistency with its physical location and marketing.

Commission-Free Direct Ordering

A defining feature for many buyers is whether the platform charges a flat software fee versus a per-order commission, since commission-based marketplace orders can quietly erode margin on every sale, sometimes by 15% to 30% per order, while direct ordering tools preserve more of each transaction.

Delivery Logistics Integration

For restaurants that do not run their own delivery fleet, integration with third-party delivery dispatch networks lets online orders be fulfilled without the restaurant needing to hire and manage its own drivers, an increasingly important capability as delivery demand has become a standard customer expectation.

Benefits of Using Online Ordering Software

The most direct benefit is incremental revenue captured from customers who would not have placed an order by phone or walked in, including late-night orders, orders placed during a busy signal, and customers who prefer browsing a menu visually before deciding. This expanded order volume often occurs during hours or moments a restaurant's phone-based ordering process could never fully capture.

Order accuracy improves meaningfully once customers enter their own selections directly, reducing the costly mistakes and remakes that come from a rushed phone order or a misheard modifier. This accuracy also reduces customer complaints and refund requests, which protects both revenue and reputation.

Online ordering software also gives businesses a foundation for building direct customer relationships through owned data, rather than remaining entirely dependent on third-party marketplaces that control the customer relationship and can change commission terms unilaterally. Restaurants that invest in their own branded ordering channel typically see stronger customer retention and lower long-term acquisition costs than those relying solely on marketplace traffic.

Industries That Use Online Ordering Software

While restaurants remain the primary users of online ordering software, adjacent industries have adopted the same underlying technology for their own digital sales needs. In Healthcare, hospital cafeterias and campus food service programs use online ordering to let staff and visitors pre-order meals and skip long cafeteria lines during shift changes. In Finance, corporate campuses with on-site food service use online ordering to streamline employee meal programs and reduce midday congestion in shared dining areas.

Retail businesses, particularly grocery stores and specialty food shops, have adopted online ordering for prepared foods and deli counters, letting customers order ahead for pickup rather than waiting in line. Manufacturing facilities with on-site cafeterias use similar tools to manage meal ordering across shift schedules, reducing the bottleneck that occurs when an entire shift breaks for lunch at the same time.

Education has become one of the largest adopters, with university dining halls and campus food courts using online ordering to manage high-volume meal periods and reduce lines between classes. Professional Services firms use online ordering for office catering and client meeting meals, while the Technology sector, especially large tech campuses with subsidized dining, has built extensive internal online ordering ecosystems for employee meals. Logistics operations, including distribution centers and trucking hubs, use online ordering to coordinate meal delivery for workers on irregular shift schedules who cannot easily leave a facility during a break.

What ties these industries together is not that they operate restaurants themselves, but that each faces a similar operational bottleneck: a large group of people needing meals within a short, predictable window, with limited staff or space to serve them efficiently in person. Online ordering software solves that bottleneck the same way whether the venue is a hospital cafeteria, a corporate dining hall, or a university food court, which is why the underlying technology has traveled so easily from restaurants into these adjacent settings.

Who Should Use Online Ordering Software?

Startups, including newly opened independent restaurants, typically need an affordable, quick-to-launch ordering solution that can go live on a website within days, without requiring significant upfront investment in custom development. Small Businesses running one or two locations benefit most from platforms that combine direct ordering with optional marketplace listings, letting them capture both loyal repeat customers and new discovery traffic.

Mid-Sized Businesses operating several locations need centralized menu management and reporting that lets a single team push updates across every store rather than managing each location's online presence separately. Enterprises, including national restaurant chains and franchise groups, require platforms with robust APIs, white-label branding, and the ability to standardize the ordering experience across hundreds of locations while still supporting local menu variation.

Agencies that manage digital ordering programs on behalf of restaurant clients need reporting and multi-account management tools that let them oversee several brands from one dashboard. Industry-Specific Organizations, such as ghost kitchens, virtual restaurant brands, and institutional food service operators, often need specialized configurations like multi-brand menu hosting or integration with meal plan and campus card payment systems that general-purpose platforms may not support without customization.

Cost and Pricing Considerations for Online Ordering Software

Pricing in this category falls broadly into two models. Direct ordering platforms typically charge a flat monthly software fee, sometimes combined with a small per-order fee to cover payment processing, but without taking a large commission on the sale itself. Marketplace platforms, by contrast, usually charge little or nothing upfront but take a commission on every order, which can range considerably depending on whether the restaurant or the marketplace handles delivery logistics.

Buyers should also account for setup and integration costs, particularly if the online ordering system needs to connect to an existing POS or kitchen display system that was not designed with that integration in mind. Some platforms charge separately for premium features like loyalty programs, SMS marketing, or advanced analytics that are bundled into a higher-tier plan.

Because commission-based and subscription-based pricing models are structurally different, comparing vendors purely on advertised monthly cost can be misleading. A restaurant should model both approaches against its actual order volume and average ticket size to understand which pricing structure genuinely preserves more margin over a full month of sales.

How Much Does Online Ordering Software Cost?

Direct, commission-free ordering platforms commonly range from roughly $50 to $200 per month per location for a full-featured plan, sometimes with an additional small transaction fee to cover payment processing. Many restaurant POS platforms bundle online ordering into their existing software subscription at little or no additional monthly cost, making the incremental price difficult to isolate from the overall POS bill.

Marketplace platforms typically charge commissions in the range of roughly 15% to 30% per order, with the rate depending heavily on whether the marketplace or the restaurant handles delivery, and whether the restaurant opts into premium placement or marketing features within the app. Self-delivery arrangements generally sit toward the lower end of that range, while full marketplace-managed delivery sits toward the higher end.

Because pricing structures vary so significantly, from flat subscription fees to per-order commissions to bundled POS add-ons, the most reliable way to estimate true cost is to model several pricing scenarios against actual expected order volume rather than comparing advertised rates in isolation.

It is also worth budgeting for the cost of running parallel channels during a transition period, since many restaurants keep an existing marketplace listing active while building up their own direct ordering channel rather than switching all at once. That overlap period can temporarily raise total software and commission costs even as it lays the groundwork for lower blended costs once direct order volume grows large enough to offset the marketplace fees.

Pros and Cons of Online Ordering Software

Advantages

Online ordering software captures incremental revenue from digital-first customers and expands a restaurant's reach beyond walk-in and phone traffic. Order accuracy improves substantially compared to phone orders, reducing costly remakes and customer complaints. Direct ordering channels give restaurants ownership of customer data, enabling more effective marketing and loyalty programs than marketplace-routed orders typically allow. Integration with kitchen display systems and POS platforms streamlines operations by removing manual order re-entry.

Potential Challenges

Marketplace commissions can erode margin significantly on orders routed through third-party apps, sometimes to the point where a busy delivery night barely breaks even after fees. Running multiple ordering channels simultaneously, a branded website, a mobile app, and several marketplace listings, can create operational complexity and inconsistent menu pricing if not carefully managed. Integration issues between an online ordering platform and an existing POS can lead to order errors or delays if the systems are not properly connected. Kitchens can also become overwhelmed during peak periods if order pacing and throttling features are not configured correctly, leading to slower fulfillment across all order types.

Cloud-Based vs On-Premise Online Ordering Software

Online ordering software is almost universally cloud-based today, since the entire premise of the category depends on a customer-facing website or app being reachable from anywhere at any time. A cloud architecture lets a restaurant push menu and pricing updates instantly across every ordering channel, and it allows the vendor to handle traffic spikes during peak ordering windows without the restaurant needing to manage its own server infrastructure.

True on-premise online ordering systems are effectively nonexistent in current commercial offerings, since a customer-facing ordering page hosted entirely on local restaurant hardware would be both impractical to scale and vulnerable to downtime whenever the restaurant's own internet connection or local server has an issue. The category's entire value proposition depends on centralized, always-available cloud hosting.

The more relevant architectural distinction in this category is not cloud versus on-premise, but rather how deeply the online ordering system integrates with on-site hardware like a kitchen display or POS terminal. Systems with tight, real-time integration into on-premise kitchen equipment tend to reduce order errors and delays compared to those that rely on a tablet sitting separately from the main POS, even though both approaches are fundamentally cloud-hosted on the customer-facing side.

How to Choose the Best Online Ordering Software

Start by deciding how much of the business's online ordering strategy should run through direct, commission-free channels versus third-party marketplaces, since this decision shapes nearly every other requirement. A restaurant prioritizing margin preservation will weigh direct ordering tools more heavily, while one prioritizing new customer discovery may accept marketplace commissions in exchange for exposure to a much larger existing user base.

Next, evaluate how well a candidate platform integrates with the business's existing POS and kitchen display system, since a poor integration can create more operational friction than the online ordering channel is worth. Ask vendors directly how orders flow from the customer's screen to the kitchen, and whether that connection requires manual re-entry at any point.

Finally, consider the platform's reporting depth and how easily its data can be compared across multiple channels. A business running orders through its own website, a branded app, and two or three marketplaces needs a way to see true, apples-to-apples profitability across all of them, not just raw order counts from each source individually.

How to Compare Online Ordering Software Solutions

Build a comparison matrix that weighs commission structure, POS and kitchen display integration, mobile ordering experience, reporting depth, and customer data ownership side by side across each vendor under consideration. This structured approach makes it easier to see past marketing claims and identify which platform actually fits the business's margin and operational priorities.

Read reviews and case studies from businesses of a similar size and service style, since the needs of a single quick-service counter differ meaningfully from those of a full-service restaurant managing dine-in, pickup, and delivery simultaneously. Pay particular attention to feedback about how reliably orders sync to the kitchen during peak volume, since this is where many platforms show their weaknesses.

Finally, request a live trial or sandbox environment to place test orders through the actual customer-facing interface, checking how clearly menu items, modifiers, and pricing display on a phone screen. A confusing or slow ordering flow directly translates into abandoned carts and lost revenue, so testing the real experience matters more than reading a feature list.

It is also worth comparing how each vendor handles contract terms and exit costs, since some platforms require a minimum commitment period while others allow month-to-month cancellation. A restaurant switching from a marketplace-heavy strategy to a more direct-ordering-focused approach benefits from flexibility to adjust its vendor mix as order patterns and margins become clearer over the first several months of use.

Implementation Best Practices

Begin by building out the full digital menu carefully, including accurate modifiers, allergen information, and combo pricing, since errors introduced at this stage propagate into every order placed afterward. Testing the ordering flow internally with staff before launch helps catch menu configuration issues before a real customer encounters them.

Coordinate launch timing with kitchen staff so the team is prepared for a new order channel appearing on the kitchen display or ticket printer, and consider a soft launch with limited promotion before fully announcing the new ordering option to customers. This gives the team time to adjust to the new workflow without the added pressure of a marketing push driving unusually high volume on day one.

After launch, monitor order accuracy and kitchen ticket times closely for the first several weeks, since this period often reveals integration issues or workflow bottlenecks that were not apparent during testing. Vendors that provide dedicated onboarding support during this window typically produce a smoother transition than those that leave the restaurant to troubleshoot alone.

It also helps to designate a single staff member, often a manager or shift lead, as the point person for the new ordering channel during the first few weeks, someone who can field questions from both the kitchen and front-of-house staff and escalate issues to the vendor quickly. Having one clear owner for the rollout tends to prevent small configuration problems from lingering unresolved simply because no one on the team felt responsible for chasing them down.

Common Challenges and Solutions

Menu pricing inconsistency across channels is a frequent challenge, particularly when a restaurant runs both direct ordering and marketplace listings with different fee structures. The solution is centralizing menu management wherever possible, ideally through a platform that pushes updates to every channel simultaneously rather than requiring manual edits in multiple systems.

Order volume spikes during peak periods can overwhelm kitchens that have not configured order pacing or throttling correctly, leading to long wait times and customer frustration. Working with the vendor to set realistic order caps or estimated ready times during known busy periods helps keep fulfillment times honest and manageable.

Margin erosion from marketplace commissions remains one of the most persistent challenges in the category. Restaurants increasingly address this by actively promoting their own direct ordering channel through in-store signage, receipt messaging, and loyalty incentives, gradually shifting order volume away from higher-commission marketplaces over time.

Duplicate or conflicting order entries can also occur when a restaurant runs several ordering systems that are not properly synchronized, occasionally resulting in a single order appearing twice on a kitchen display or, worse, not appearing at all. Reducing the number of disconnected point solutions in favor of a smaller set of well-integrated tools, or adopting an aggregation layer that consolidates every channel into one feed, is generally the most effective long-term fix for this kind of reliability problem.

Return on Investment (ROI) of Online Ordering Software

The clearest ROI driver is incremental order volume captured from customers who would not have called in or walked in otherwise, particularly during hours when phone lines are busiest or a restaurant's dining room is at capacity. This additional volume often represents close to pure margin gain once the fixed cost of the software is already covered.

Reduced order errors also contribute meaningfully to ROI, since fewer remade orders and refunds directly protect both revenue and food cost. Businesses that previously relied heavily on phone orders often see a measurable drop in comps and complaints after shifting volume to a digital ordering channel where the customer enters their own selections.

Finally, the customer data captured through direct ordering channels compounds in value over time, powering more effective marketing, personalized promotions, and loyalty programs that increase repeat visit frequency. Restaurants that invest early in building a direct ordering relationship with customers typically see stronger long-term customer lifetime value than those that remain dependent entirely on marketplace-routed, anonymous order traffic.

Top Online Ordering Software Companies

The vendors below include platforms with a verified Krowdbase profile confirming their online ordering capabilities, alongside well-known dedicated online ordering and delivery marketplace brands included for completeness.

1. Toast POS

Toast POS is an all-in-one POS and restaurant management system built to improve efficiency and cut costs, with Online Ordering Software listed explicitly among its Krowdbase category tags alongside Restaurant POS, Food Delivery Software, and Food Truck POS Systems Software. Toast's online ordering module integrates directly with its POS and kitchen display system, so orders placed through a restaurant's branded website or app flow straight into the kitchen without manual re-entry. The platform supports both pickup and delivery order types, and its broader ecosystem of payroll, accounting, and marketing integrations makes it a common choice for restaurants that want online ordering managed as part of a single unified system rather than a bolted-on add-on. Toast's scale and established restaurant-industry footprint make it one of the most frequently shortlisted platforms in comparisons of full-service ordering and POS solutions.

2. Clover

Clover, provided by Fiserv, integrates online ordering directly into its all-in-one point-of-sale and payments platform, with Online Ordering listed among its Krowdbase category tags alongside Restaurant POS, Restaurant Management, and Food Truck POS Systems. Clover's app marketplace allows restaurants to add online ordering functionality as a module on top of its core POS, giving businesses flexibility to start with basic hardware and add digital ordering capability as needs grow. Because Clover's pricing depends on the specific hardware, software plan, and processing agreement selected, restaurants should request a direct quote to understand the true cost of adding online ordering to an existing Clover setup. For businesses already using Clover for in-person transactions, its native online ordering module offers a natural, integrated extension rather than a separate system to manage.

3. Square Point of Sale

Square Point of Sale is described on its Krowdbase profile as the customizable point-of-sale system built for businesses of all shapes and sizes, explicitly supporting selling in person, online, over the phone, or out in the field from one unified system. Square Online, its digital ordering component, lets restaurants build a branded ordering website that syncs directly with in-store inventory and sales reporting, and its free-to-use base tier makes it an accessible entry point for smaller restaurants testing online ordering for the first time. Category tags on Krowdbase include Restaurant POS, Bakery Software, and Payment Processing, reflecting the platform's broad reach across foodservice and retail. For businesses that want online ordering, in-person POS, and payment processing unified under one login without separate contracts, Square remains one of the most commonly chosen starting points.

4. TouchBistro

TouchBistro is an all-in-one, cloud-based POS and restaurant management system used by more than 16,000 restaurants globally, with Online Ordering Software listed among its Krowdbase category tags alongside Restaurant POS, Restaurant Management, and Bar POS Software. Pricing starts at $69 per month according to its Krowdbase profile. TouchBistro's online ordering integrates with its broader restaurant management suite, letting orders placed digitally flow into the same reporting and kitchen workflow as dine-in and phone orders. Its strong emphasis on menu and modifier flexibility, originally built for full-service restaurant floor operations, translates well to a digital ordering experience that needs to represent a complex menu accurately online. Restaurants already using TouchBistro's core POS often adopt its online ordering module to keep all channels within a single reporting system.

5. SpotOn

SpotOn lists Online Ordering explicitly among its Krowdbase category tags, alongside Restaurant Management, Restaurant POS, Customer Loyalty, and Food Delivery Software, reflecting a platform built with digital ordering as a core rather than secondary feature. SpotOn's profile describes fast, easy-to-use POS and handhelds with contactless payment options, reservations, waitlist management, marketing tools, and detailed reporting, and its online ordering module ties directly into these marketing and loyalty features, letting restaurants target repeat customers based on their digital order history. This integration between ordering, loyalty, and marketing sets SpotOn apart from platforms where online ordering functions as a more isolated module. For restaurants that want online ordering data to directly power marketing campaigns rather than sitting in a separate silo, SpotOn is a strong contender.

6. Revel Systems

Revel Systems is a cloud-based iPad point-of-sale solution described on its Krowdbase profile as quick, intuitive, and secure, with Online Ordering Software listed among its category tags alongside Restaurant POS and Inventory Management Software. Revel's online ordering integrates with its inventory management tools, which helps restaurants avoid selling items online that have already sold out in the physical location, a common source of customer frustration on platforms with weaker inventory synchronization. The platform is generally positioned toward established, higher-volume restaurant operators, and its enterprise sales process reflects a focus on businesses ready to invest in a full-featured system rather than a lightweight starter tool. For multi-location restaurant groups that need tight inventory-to-order synchronization, Revel is a common shortlist entry.

7. Loyverse POS

Loyverse POS lists Online Ordering Software among its Krowdbase category tags alongside Restaurant POS, Customer Loyalty Software, and iPad POS, with pricing starting at just $0.01 per month and a genuinely free tier available according to its profile. Loyverse is described as a free cloud POS for cafes and shops providing inventory management, a loyalty program, electronic receipts, and customer communication tools, and its low-cost entry point makes it a common choice for small cafes and quick-service operators adding online ordering for the first time without a large software investment. Its built-in loyalty program complements online ordering by helping convert first-time digital customers into repeat visitors. For very small or budget-constrained operators, Loyverse offers one of the lowest-risk ways to add a real online ordering capability.

8. ChowNow

ChowNow is a dedicated online ordering platform built around a commission-free pricing model, charging restaurants a flat monthly fee rather than taking a percentage of each order, a structure specifically designed to help restaurants preserve margin compared to marketplace-commission competitors. The platform provides a branded ordering website and app experience, along with marketing tools aimed at driving direct, repeat orders rather than one-time marketplace traffic. ChowNow has built a reputation specifically among independent restaurants seeking an alternative to commission-heavy delivery marketplaces. Restaurants researching ChowNow should confirm current pricing and integration options directly with the vendor, since detailed profile verification was not available for this guide.

9. Olo

Olo is an enterprise-focused digital ordering and delivery platform used widely by large multi-location restaurant chains to unify orders arriving from a restaurant's own channels and third-party marketplaces into a single operational system. Its core value proposition centers on order aggregation, pulling orders from multiple sources into one dashboard and POS integration point rather than requiring separate tablets for each marketplace. Olo has built particularly deep integrations with major POS providers and marketplace platforms, making it a common choice for national restaurant brands managing digital ordering complexity at scale. As with other unverified listings in this guide, current pricing and feature details should be confirmed directly with the vendor.

10. Grubhub for Restaurants

Grubhub for Restaurants is one of the longest-established delivery marketplace platforms in the United States, connecting restaurants to a large existing base of app users in exchange for a commission on each order. The platform offers both marketplace listing and, in some markets, direct ordering tools for a restaurant's own website. Grubhub's marketplace reach makes it a common choice for restaurants prioritizing new customer discovery over margin preservation on every transaction. Restaurants considering Grubhub should verify current commission structures and available markets directly with the vendor.

11. DoorDash Storefront

DoorDash Storefront is the commission-free, direct ordering product offered by DoorDash alongside its core delivery marketplace, letting restaurants embed an ordering widget directly on their own website while optionally still accessing DoorDash's delivery driver network for fulfillment. This dual approach lets restaurants capture direct orders without a marketplace commission while still tapping into an established delivery logistics network when needed. DoorDash's broader marketplace remains one of the largest delivery platforms by user base, making its ecosystem relevant even for restaurants that primarily use Storefront for direct orders. As with other unverified listings here, buyers should confirm current terms directly with DoorDash.

12. Deliverect

Deliverect is an order aggregation and integration platform that connects multiple online ordering channels and delivery marketplaces into a single feed that syncs directly with a restaurant's POS, reducing the need for separate tablets for each marketplace app. Rather than functioning as a customer-facing ordering platform itself, Deliverect operates in the background to unify order management for restaurants juggling several marketplace and direct ordering sources simultaneously. This positioning makes it a common complementary tool alongside dedicated ordering platforms rather than a direct substitute for one. Current integration coverage and pricing should be confirmed directly with the vendor.

13. GloriaFood

GloriaFood is a widely used online ordering system aimed at independent restaurants, offering a free base tier that lets a restaurant add ordering functionality to its website without an upfront software cost, monetizing instead through optional paid add-ons like SMS marketing and advanced customization. Its accessible pricing model has made it a popular choice among smaller, budget-conscious restaurants looking to add basic online ordering quickly. As with the other unverified vendors in this guide, current features and pricing should be confirmed directly with GloriaFood.

Related Software Categories

Online ordering rarely operates in isolation from the rest of a restaurant's technology stack, and businesses evaluating this category typically end up considering several adjacent tools as well. The sections below cover the categories most commonly paired with online ordering software.

Payment Processing Software

Payment Processing Software handles the actual transaction behind every online order, and restaurants comparing online ordering vendors often evaluate the underlying payment processor's rates separately, since some platforms allow a restaurant to bring its own processor while others require using a bundled one.

Accounting Software

Accounting Software such as QuickBooks Online or Xero typically ingests online ordering sales data to reconcile revenue across channels, particularly important for restaurants running multiple ordering platforms with different fee structures that need to be accounted for separately.

CRM Software

As restaurants collect customer contact information and order history through direct ordering channels, many eventually adopt dedicated CRM Software to manage marketing campaigns and customer segmentation beyond what a basic loyalty module can support.

Restaurant POS Software

Restaurant POS Software forms the operational backbone that online orders ultimately flow into, and the strength of this integration is one of the most important factors in choosing an online ordering platform that fits an existing restaurant's setup.

Restaurant Management Software

Restaurant Management Software covers broader operational needs like scheduling and labor cost tracking that sit alongside online ordering as part of a restaurant's full technology stack, particularly for multi-location businesses.

Food Truck POS Systems Software

Food Truck POS Systems Software shares significant overlap with online ordering, since mobile food vendors increasingly rely on digital pre-ordering to manage lines at popular locations and coordinate pickup timing with customers.

Point of Sale Software

Point of Sale Software is the broader category that many online ordering features are now bundled into, reflecting the industry trend of consolidating ordering, payment, and reporting into a single unified platform rather than separate point solutions.

Bar POS Software

Bar POS Software becomes relevant for restaurants with a significant bar program taking online orders for beverages alongside food, requiring age verification and alcohol-specific compliance features that standard food ordering flows may not include.

Customer Loyalty Software

Customer Loyalty Software often works hand in hand with online ordering, since digital order history provides the data foundation that loyalty programs need to identify and reward a restaurant's most valuable repeat customers.

Latest Trends in Online Ordering Software

The category continues to evolve rapidly as digital ordering matures from a novelty into a default customer expectation. AI-Powered Menu Personalization is emerging as platforms use past order history to suggest items and upsells tailored to individual customers rather than showing every diner the same static menu. Order Aggregation Tools are becoming standard for multi-channel restaurants, consolidating orders from a branded app and several marketplaces into a single kitchen-facing feed rather than requiring separate tablets for each source. Direct Ordering Incentive Programs continue to expand, as restaurants increasingly use pricing, loyalty perks, and in-store messaging to actively shift volume away from commission-heavy marketplaces toward their own branded channels. Voice and Conversational Ordering is beginning to appear through AI-driven phone and chat interfaces that can take an order without tying up staff, particularly useful during peak call volume. Dynamic, Demand-Based Pricing is gaining traction, letting restaurants adjust menu pricing or delivery fees based on real-time kitchen capacity and order volume. Finally, Deeper Loyalty and CRM Integration is tightening the link between online ordering platforms and customer marketing tools, turning every digital order into a data point that feeds more targeted, effective retention campaigns.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is online ordering software?

It is a category of software that lets customers browse a menu, place an order, and pay digitally through a restaurant's website, app, or a third-party marketplace, routing the completed order into the business's kitchen and POS workflow.

How much does online ordering software typically cost?

Direct, commission-free platforms commonly range from roughly $50 to $200 per month per location, while marketplace platforms typically charge little upfront but take a commission of roughly 15% to 30% per order instead.

What is the difference between direct ordering and marketplace ordering?

Direct ordering routes orders through a restaurant's own branded website or app for a flat fee, preserving margin and customer data, while marketplace ordering lists a restaurant inside a third-party app in exchange for a commission on each sale.

Which online ordering platforms are commission-free?

Platforms like ChowNow, GloriaFood, and DoorDash Storefront are built specifically around commission-free, flat-fee direct ordering models rather than charging a percentage of each order.

Can online ordering software integrate with my existing POS system?

Most established platforms, including Toast POS, Clover, Square, TouchBistro, SpotOn, Revel Systems, and Loyverse POS, offer native or built-in online ordering that integrates directly with their own POS, and third-party aggregators like Deliverect can connect additional marketplaces to other systems.

Do I need a separate app for online ordering, or can it work through my website?

Most platforms support both, letting customers order through a mobile-responsive website widget as well as a dedicated branded app, though not every vendor offers a fully custom native app option.

How do online ordering marketplaces make money?

Marketplaces typically earn revenue through a commission charged on each order placed through their platform, with rates varying based on whether the restaurant or the marketplace handles delivery logistics.

Is it better to use one marketplace or several at once?

Using multiple marketplaces can expand customer reach but increases operational complexity and the risk of inconsistent pricing, which is why many businesses adopt an order aggregation tool to manage several channels from one system.

How long does it take to launch online ordering for a new restaurant?

Basic online ordering can often go live within days once the digital menu is built and tested, though a full rollout with staff training and POS integration testing typically takes one to two weeks.

Does online ordering software support delivery, or just pickup?

Most platforms support both order types, and many integrate with third-party delivery dispatch networks so restaurants without their own delivery fleet can still fulfill delivery orders.

Which online ordering platforms have a free entry tier?

Square Point of Sale, Loyverse POS, and GloriaFood all offer genuinely free entry-level access to online ordering functionality, making them common starting points for small or budget-constrained restaurants.

Can online ordering software help with customer loyalty programs?

Yes, several platforms, including SpotOn and Loyverse POS, build loyalty and customer communication tools directly into their online ordering functionality rather than requiring a fully separate loyalty system.

What causes the most order accuracy problems with online ordering?

Poor integration between the ordering platform and the kitchen display or POS is the most common source of errors, often caused by manual re-entry steps or menu items that are not properly synced between systems.

How do I compare online ordering vendors before choosing one?

Build a comparison matrix covering commission structure, POS integration quality, mobile ordering experience, and reporting depth, then test the actual customer-facing ordering flow directly before making a final decision.

What is the biggest mistake restaurants make with online ordering software?

Relying entirely on commission-based marketplaces without building a parallel direct ordering channel is one of the most common and costly mistakes, since it leaves the restaurant fully dependent on third parties for both customer access and pricing terms.

Conclusion

Online ordering software has moved from an optional convenience to a core piece of restaurant infrastructure, shaping not just how customers place orders but how much margin a business keeps on every sale and how well it can build a lasting relationship with its customers. The decision between commission-based marketplace exposure and commission-free direct ordering, or more commonly some blend of both, has become one of the more consequential technology choices a restaurant makes.

Platforms like Toast POS, Clover, Square, TouchBistro, SpotOn, Revel Systems, and Loyverse POS have integrated online ordering deeply into their broader restaurant management systems, while dedicated players like ChowNow, Olo, Grubhub, DoorDash Storefront, Deliverect, and GloriaFood each bring a distinct approach to commission structure, order aggregation, or marketplace reach. Matching a vendor's model to a restaurant's specific priorities, whether that means preserving margin, maximizing new customer discovery, or simplifying multi-channel order management, is the clearest path to choosing well.

As customer expectations continue to shift further toward digital-first ordering, the software supporting it will keep deepening its integration with loyalty programs, AI-driven personalization, and order aggregation tools. Restaurants that invest deliberately in owning their direct customer ordering relationship, rather than remaining fully dependent on marketplace traffic, are positioned to build more durable, profitable digital sales channels over time.