Ordering.co vs ChowNow
ChowNow gives independent restaurants a commission-free storefront. Ordering.co gives you that same direct-ordering foundation plus the operational layer around it: kiosk, AI ordering agents, your own delivery fleet, and a platform you can extend with API, MCP, and frontend source code. Start with a free pilot and compare the two on your own menu.
| Capability | Ordering.co | ChowNow |
|---|---|---|
| Free pilot | Included | Not listed |
| Self-ordering kiosk | Included | Not listed |
| AI ordering agents | Included | Not listed |
| Call center console | Included | Not listed |
| MCP for AI tools | Included | Not listed |
| Frontend source code license | Eligible plans | Not listed |
Ordering.co at a glance
- years building ordering technology
- 12+
- of orders a month, on auto-scaling infrastructure
- Millions
- products across ordering channels, operations, and delivery
- 20+
- features, from catalog to dispatch
- 1,500+
Enterprise brands running on Ordering.co technology
Why restaurants choose Ordering.co over ChowNow
Four reasons that come up when independent and multi-location restaurants compare the two.
Enterprise-grade
The same foundation that runs enterprise groups
Ordering.co runs ordering for enterprise groups such as Alsea, which operates Domino's, Starbucks, Burger King, and seven more brands on one platform across more than 4,000 locations. Its auto-scaling infrastructure can process millions of orders a month, so the same foundation scales from one location to a multi-brand group.
Free pilot
Start with a free pilot
Prove Ordering.co on your own menu, store, and order paths before you commit. Start with a free pilot and make the switch decision on results your team has seen for itself.
20+ products, 1,500+ features
One platform for ordering, operations, and delivery
Websites, branded apps, self-ordering kiosks, AI ordering agents, store operations, delivery with your own drivers, marketing, and loyalty run on the same catalog and order flow. More than 20 products and 1,500 features come from one provider, so a new channel is a configuration, not another add-on to buy.
API, MCP, source code
An open platform your team can build on
Connect any system through the Ordering.co API and webhooks, plug AI tools in through MCP, and, on eligible plans, build on the frontend source code of the storefront and apps. Your team can change the ordering experience without waiting on a vendor roadmap.
Side by side
Every row is something your restaurant can run on Ordering.co.
| Capability | Ordering.co | ChowNow |
|---|---|---|
| Cost and commitment | ||
| Published pricing | Published plans: from $99 per active location a month, and Enterprise from $2,500 a month for the starting band. | Published plans from $99 a month (Launch Lite, limited-time offer), and Launch, Grow, and Elevate from $229 to $409 a month billed annually ($249 to $449 monthly), plus a $119 to $499 setup fee and 2.95% + $0.29 per transaction. |
| Free pilot | Start with a free pilot on your own operation before you commit. | Not listed |
| Ordering channels | ||
| Web ordering and branded apps | Ordering Web and branded iOS and Android apps on your domain and developer accounts, with the source code on eligible plans. | A commission-free ordering website and a branded mobile app. |
| Self-ordering kiosk | Ordering Kiosk: customers order and pay from tablets or large screens in the store, managed from the dashboard. | Not listed |
| AI ordering agents | AI Ordering Agents take orders through voice, WhatsApp, chat, and web conversations on your catalog. | Not listed |
| Call center console | A call center console lets agents take and manage phone orders on your catalog. | Not listed |
| Store and delivery operations | ||
| Driver app for your own fleet | Driver App and delivery dashboard: automatic assignment, order batching, a live map, and proof of delivery. | Supports in-house drivers alongside Flex Delivery; no driver app listed. |
| Courier partners | Connected delivery partners with per-store selection and fallback rules, alongside your own drivers. | Flex Delivery dispatches orders across Uber Direct and DoorDash Drive at a flat delivery fee per order; no driver app of its own. |
| Kitchen and pickup displays | Send accepted orders to a kitchen display and show customers which orders are ready for pickup. | Through POS and kitchen-display partner integrations, such as Fresh KDS. |
| Build and extend | ||
| API and webhooks | The Ordering.co API and webhooks, included in every plan. | POS and delivery integrations through its published integration directory; no public developer API listed. |
| MCP for AI tools | Connect compatible AI tools to your Ordering.co account through MCP. | Not listed |
| Frontend source code license | On eligible plans, source code for the web storefront, customer apps, Merchant App, and Driver App. | Not listed |
| Reseller or white-label program | Build a white-label ordering business on Ordering.co as a reseller. | Not listed |
“Not listed” means the capability does not appear in ChowNow's product lineup. Confirm scope and terms with each provider.
Where ChowNow stops
What restaurants run into on ChowNow.
No free pilot
ChowNow sells its plans through a sales demo or direct purchase, including the limited-time $99-a-month Launch Lite plan. It lists no free trial or pilot.
Delivery built around third-party couriers
Flex Delivery dispatches orders across Uber Direct and DoorDash Drive at a flat fee per order. ChowNow lets you use in-house drivers but lists no driver app for them.
No kiosk, and kitchen display through partners
ChowNow lists no self-ordering kiosk of its own, and kitchen-display support runs through POS and KDS partner integrations such as Fresh KDS rather than a first-party kitchen display.
No public developer platform
ChowNow publishes a POS and delivery integration directory but lists no public API, webhooks, MCP connection, or source code license for restaurants to build on.
Proven with enterprise brands.
The platform you would run on already runs ordering for Alsea, a multi-brand restaurant group with more than 4,000 locations.
Alsea runs WOW+ and ten restaurant brands on one ordering platform.Domino's, Starbucks, Burger King, Vips, and six more brands share one app, one website, call centers, and a delivery operation that assigns drivers automatically.10 brands on WOW+4,262 locationsMexico and ColombiaRead the Alsea storyRun Ordering.co in your own cloud.
Every plan runs on infrastructure Ordering.co manages for you. Organizations that need the platform inside a cloud account they control can install it on AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, or Railway with an enterprise package.
- The whole backend: API, webhooks, and real-time.
- One contract at a fixed rate, with no charges per store or by transaction volume.
How to move from ChowNow to Ordering.co
A ChowNow move is more than a storefront change. Start with a free pilot, trace how one real order moves through your operation, and switch traffic only after the checks pass while ChowNow keeps taking orders.
What moves
Menus and catalogs
Products, categories, modifiers, prices, and images, checked on one representative store before the full import.
Stores and teams
Store records, hours, service areas, handoff modes, and the roles and access levels your team uses to run the day.
Customers and order history
Customer and order records that your ChowNow exports contain and that your data rights and retention rules allow you to move.
Domains and apps
Your ordering domain points to the new storefront. With the same developer accounts and app listing, the new build can ship as an update under the existing icon.
POS, payments, and delivery
POS, payment, delivery, loyalty, and analytics connections, reconfigured against your existing provider accounts where the provider supports it.
How the move runs
Start with a free pilot
Bring your menu, the order paths your guests use, and the systems that must stay connected, so the pilot tests the operation you actually run.
Trace one real order
Follow an order from menu to payment, fulfillment, support, and reporting. That path shows which decisions the new setup must keep and which ones you want to change.
Build the move map
List each domain, channel, and menu to replace; the menu, store, customer, and order data that matters for launch; who handles each order handoff; and the credentials and callbacks every connected system needs.
Configure and test
Agree on the scenarios that must work before traffic moves: a guest orders and gets a confirmation, the team accepts and completes the order, and every connected system has an owner and a fallback.
Switch store by store
Point your domain and apps to Ordering.co once the checks pass, and keep ChowNow live until the new setup has proven itself. Check your ChowNow agreement's term and notice period before you set the date.
Duration depends on store count, menu complexity, POS and payment connections, delivery, and app-store access, so the scope, responsibilities, and timing are set in your project plan. Apple and Google decide app review and approval.
Questions from ChowNow customers
Why choose Ordering.co over ChowNow?
ChowNow gives you a commission-free storefront. Ordering.co gives you that direct-ordering foundation plus kiosk, AI ordering agents, your own delivery fleet, and an open platform with API, webhooks, MCP, and, on eligible plans, frontend source code, all on the same catalog and order flow. You can start with a free pilot.
How does Ordering.co pricing compare to ChowNow?
Ordering.co's Restaurant plan is published from $99 per active location a month, with access to the AI Ordering Suite and Delivery Suite and their usage billed separately. Bring your current ChowNow bill and we'll compare it against your order volume.
Can we try Ordering.co before we switch?
Yes. Start with a free pilot on your own menu, store, and order paths, and decide on what you have seen working in your operation. ChowNow's published path does not list a free trial or pilot.
Can Ordering.co grow with us from one location to many?
Ordering.co runs the same foundation from a single restaurant to enterprise groups such as Alsea, which operates ten brands across more than 4,000 locations on auto-scaling infrastructure that can process millions of orders a month.
Can we deliver with our own drivers instead of a courier network?
Yes. The Driver App and a live delivery dashboard handle assignment, batching, and proof of delivery for a fleet of your own, alongside connected courier partners. ChowNow's Flex Delivery dispatches through Uber Direct and DoorDash Drive, with no driver app of its own.
Can we keep our POS, payment, and delivery providers?
Ordering.co connects with POS, payment, delivery, loyalty, and analytics systems. Each connection you want to keep is confirmed against your provider accounts in the move plan.
Can our developers build our own ordering experience?
Yes. The Ordering.co API and webhooks are included in every plan, MCP connects compatible AI tools, and eligible plans include the frontend source code of the storefront and apps. ChowNow publishes a POS and delivery integration directory but no public developer API.
How long does a move from ChowNow take?
It depends on store count, menu complexity, POS and payment connections, delivery, and app-store access. There is no standard timeline; the plan for your restaurant sets the sequence, responsibilities, and dates, starting with the free pilot.
ChowNow and every other product name on this page are trademarks of their respective owners. Ordering.co is not affiliated with ChowNow.
Run ordering, kiosk, and your own delivery on one platform.
Bring your ChowNow plan, your location count, and your monthly orders. We'll show you the Ordering.co setup, the free pilot, and the cost at your volume in a live demo.