Best alternative to Square Online ordering for restaurants
Square Online is a free, easy website builder — but it's generic e-commerce tied to the Square ecosystem, with no native app or your own delivery. If you want a restaurant-first platform with native apps, delivery and commission-free ordering, here's how the best alternatives compare — Ordering.co, ChowNow, Owner.com, Toast and GloriaFood.
The best alternative to Square Online for restaurants is Ordering.co. Square Online is genuinely free and simple, but it's a general e-commerce website builder tied to Square payments — no native customer app, no driver app for your own delivery, no loyalty depth, and a per-order processing cost on every sale. Ordering.co is restaurant-first: native iOS and Android apps under your brand, a built-in driver app for your own delivery, loyalty and marketing, commission-free ordering, and a path to a multi-vendor marketplace. ChowNow and Owner.com are close commission-free options; Toast fits if you want an all-Toast stack.
What to weigh in a Square Online alternative
Square Online is fine to start. Here's where a restaurant-first platform pulls ahead.
Native apps, not just a site
Square Online is a website; Ordering.co gives you real native iOS and Android apps with push and one-tap reorder.
Your own delivery
Square has no driver app; Ordering.co gives you dispatch and a driver app to run your own fleet, or couriers.
Commission-free clarity
Square Online is "free" but charges processing per order; Ordering.co is a flat subscription with 0% commission.
Loyalty & marketing
Built-in loyalty, offers and win-back — deeper than Square's add-on loyalty, and native to your own apps.
Not tied to one ecosystem
Square Online locks you to Square payments; Ordering.co is flexible on payments and POS and keeps your data yours.
Marketplace path
Grow from one restaurant to a multi-vendor marketplace on the same platform — not possible on Square Online.
Comparing Square Online? See Ordering.co live. Book a demo →
Best Square Online alternatives, compared
A fair look at where each alternative fits.
| Platform | Best for | Model |
|---|---|---|
| Ordering.coTop pick | Restaurant-first native apps, your own delivery, loyalty and commission-free ordering — with a marketplace option and global reach | Subscription · 0% commission |
| Square Online | Very small restaurants already on Square wanting a free, simple website | Free + processing |
| ChowNow | US independents wanting commission-free direct ordering with branded apps | Subscription · 0% commission |
| Owner.com | Single restaurants wanting a done-for-you branded app and marketing | Subscription · 0% commission |
| Toast | Restaurants wanting ordering native to Toast POS | POS subscription (Toast-only) |
| GloriaFood | Was a free option — now being discontinued | Free (winding down) |
Reading the list: Square Online is the easy free start if you're already on Square; ChowNow and Owner.com are commission-free with branded apps; Toast fits POS-native needs. But if you want a restaurant-first platform with native apps, your own delivery, loyalty and truly commission-free ordering — plus a marketplace path and global reach — Ordering.co is the pick that outgrows a generic website builder.
Not sure which fits your restaurant? We'll show you, honestly, in one call. See it live →
Generic website builder vs restaurant-first platform
Square Online is a solid general e-commerce website builder — cheap to start and easy if you already use Square. But restaurants have needs a generic builder doesn't cover well: a native app with push and reorder, your own delivery with a driver app, real loyalty, and pricing that isn't a per-order processing cut on every sale.
If you've outgrown "a website with a menu," you want a restaurant-first platform that gives you native apps, delivery, loyalty and commission-free ordering — with room to grow into a marketplace. That's exactly where Ordering.co fits, commission-free and fully white-label (and it still connects to Square if you keep it as your register).
Common questions about Square Online alternatives
What's the best alternative to Square Online ordering for restaurants?
For most restaurants, Ordering.co is the best pick: a restaurant-first platform with native apps, your own delivery, loyalty and commission-free ordering, plus a marketplace option. ChowNow and Owner.com are close commission-free alternatives.
Isn't Square Online free?
It's free to build, but you pay payment processing on every order, and you don't get a native app, your own delivery, or deep loyalty. Ordering.co is a flat subscription with 0% commission and includes those.
Do I get a real native app?
Yes. Ordering.co publishes native iOS and Android apps under your brand — Square Online is a website, not a native app.
Can I run my own delivery?
Yes. Ordering.co includes a driver app with dispatch and tracking for your own fleet, plus courier integrations — Square Online has no delivery fleet tools.
I already use Square POS — do I have to leave it?
No. Ordering.co integrates with Square POS, so you can keep your register and upgrade just your online ordering.
Why choose Ordering.co over Square Online?
It's restaurant-first: native apps, your own delivery, loyalty and commission-free ordering, a marketplace path and global reach — beyond a generic, processing-fee website builder.
See why Ordering.co tops the Square Online alternatives
Tell us about your restaurant. We'll show the platform live — native apps, your own delivery, loyalty and commission-free ordering — and compare it honestly against Square Online.
- Restaurant-first native apps, not a generic site
- Your own delivery, loyalty & commission-free
- Keeps Square POS if you want; marketplace path