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Prices last checked Sep 26, 2026
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Online ordering software for the trades

A restaurant that wants a branded ordering site without paying marketplace commission fits ChowNow or Owner.com, with Owner.com adding a full website and marketing layer. A restaurant that already runs its POS on Toast, SpotOn, or TouchBistro can add online ordering inside that same system instead of a separate account.

By Amine from KitFinch Prices verified Sep 26, 2026How we pick

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Commissions never decide our picks or the order of a list, and vendors cannot pay to change a price we show. Every outbound vendor link is marked as sponsored.

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Our pick for each trade

All 5 tools for online ordering

Popular comparisons

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The full guide

Our picks by business type

Profile Pick Why Watch out for
Independent restaurant avoiding marketplace commission ChowNow Branded ordering websites and apps positioned as a direct alternative to commission-heavy marketplaces Single-purpose tool, so a separate POS and reservations system are still needed
Restaurant wanting website, ordering, and marketing in one plan Owner.com AI-powered website, branded app with loyalty points, and automated email, SMS, and push marketing bundled together Sold as a flat-rate plan aimed at higher-volume restaurants
Restaurant already running Toast for its POS Toast Online ordering built into the same platform as the register and kitchen display Best value when you are already committed to the Toast ecosystem
Restaurant wanting ordering plus delivery network connections SpotOn Commission-free SpotOn Order connects directly to DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Deliverect-linked networks Delivery driving still depends on the connected partner network, not SpotOn itself
iPad-based table-service restaurant TouchBistro Direct ordering with no commission fees, cloud menu management, and integration with TouchBistro Marketing Built around TouchBistro's own POS ecosystem rather than as a fully standalone product

What to look for

  • A branded ordering page or app, so guests order from a page that looks like your restaurant, not a marketplace listing next to competitors.

  • POS integration that avoids a second tablet. A new online order should trigger a notification directly on the POS you already use to run the register.

  • Commission structure compared at your real order volume, weighing a flat monthly subscription against a per-order fee rather than the sticker price alone.

  • Delivery network connections, if you don't have your own drivers. Confirm whether the platform connects to a partner network for the actual driving or expects you to arrange it.

  • Marketing automation layered on top of ordering, if repeat direct orders matter as much as the first sale.

  • Self-serve menu management, so a price change or sold-out item can be updated from anywhere without a support call.

Why the commission math changes the right pick

A restaurant running most of its online volume through a marketplace app is paying a real cost on every order, one that scales with sales rather than shrinking as the business grows. Moving even part of that volume to a branded, direct-ordering page changes the math permanently: a flat monthly fee stays flat no matter how many orders come through it. That is the core pitch behind ChowNow and Owner.com, and it's also why TouchBistro and SpotOn market their own direct-ordering tools as commission-free rather than as a simple add-on feature.

ChowNow

ChowNow provides branded online ordering websites and apps for independent restaurants, built as an alternative to commission-heavy third-party delivery marketplaces so the restaurant keeps its own branding and customer data. It is a single-purpose ordering tool, so a restaurant will still need a separate POS and, if relevant, a reservations system alongside it.

Owner.com

Owner.com builds an "AI-powered restaurant website" aimed at "higher Google rankings," paired with SEO optimization, a reviews engine, and listings management across Google and other directories.

The platform gives a restaurant "its own mobile app," with a rewards program giving guests points for using the branded app, and it delivers "smart follow-ups that grow your repeat orders" through email, SMS, and push-notification marketing campaigns.

Kitchen tablet ordering, reporting analytics, and POS integrations round out the operational side of the platform.

Toast

Toast bundles online ordering into its wider restaurant point-of-sale platform, alongside the register, kitchen display, and add-ons like payroll and staff scheduling. It is one of the most widely deployed restaurant POS systems in the US, and its ordering system is built to work inside that same ecosystem rather than as a standalone product.

SpotOn

SpotOn Order is described as a "commission-free online ordering system" designed to help a restaurant "take back your profit" instead of paying a per-order marketplace fee.

It connects directly to SpotOn's own POS and the GoTo Place app, and for delivery it integrates with DoorDash Drive for flat-rate delivery, plus direct connections to DoorDash and Uber Eats and additional networks like Grubhub, Postmates, and Caviar through a Deliverect aggregator integration.

Deliverect itself works as an order-aggregation layer, centralizing "online orders, menus, and delivery channels in one secure, AI-powered platform" across many third-party marketplaces at once, which is what lets a restaurant on SpotOn manage several delivery apps without a separate tablet for each one.

TouchBistro

TouchBistro notifies staff on the POS "as soon as a diner places an order online," so an order can be accepted right away without a second device.

Direct orders carry no commission fees, unlike aggregator services that charge per order, and a restaurant can "manage and update your online menu from anywhere" through TouchBistro Cloud.

The platform also integrates with TouchBistro Marketing, combining guest data with email marketing and an integrated loyalty program to drive repeat orders.

Related reading

Frequently asked questions

What is commission-free online ordering?
Commission-free online ordering means guests order directly through a restaurant's own branded website or app, and the restaurant pays a flat subscription instead of a per-order cut to a marketplace. ChowNow and Owner.com are both built around this model, and TouchBistro's direct ordering is positioned the same way against third-party aggregator fees.
Does online ordering software work with my existing POS?
Often, yes, if the ordering tool is sold by the same vendor as your POS. Toast, SpotOn, and TouchBistro each connect their ordering system directly to their own point-of-sale, so an order triggers a notification on the same system your staff already use to run the register.
Do I need a branded restaurant app, or is a website enough?
A website ordering page is usually enough to start taking direct orders. Owner.com adds a branded mobile app on top of the website specifically to reach customers accustomed to ordering from an app, with a rewards program that gives guests points for using it, but an app is not required to take online orders.
Can online ordering software help with marketing, not just taking orders?
Some platforms bundle marketing on top of the ordering system itself. Owner.com runs automated email, SMS, and push-notification campaigns aimed at growing repeat direct orders, and TouchBistro integrates with its own marketing product to combine guest data with email promotions.
Does online ordering software include delivery, or just pickup?
Coverage varies by vendor. SpotOn connects to delivery partners including DoorDash and Uber Eats directly, plus additional networks through an aggregator integration, so a restaurant without its own drivers can still offer delivery through a connected partner rather than building it in-house.
Is a standalone ordering tool worth it if I already have a restaurant POS?
It depends on whether your POS's built-in ordering already meets your needs. If you want a dedicated branded site, a full marketing layer, or a stronger alternative to marketplace commissions than your POS vendor offers, a focused tool like ChowNow or Owner.com can run alongside your existing POS.
Can I manage my online menu without calling a vendor for every change?
Yes, on the platforms reviewed here. TouchBistro lets a restaurant manage and update its online menu from anywhere through its cloud dashboard, and similar self-serve menu editing is standard on Toast, SpotOn, ChowNow, and Owner.com so pricing and availability changes do not require a support call.

Sources we checked

Every feature and policy on this page comes from these vendor or government pages, last checked Sep 26, 2026. See how we review.

  1. owner.com — owner.com/
  2. touchbistro.com — touchbistro.com/online-ordering/
  3. spoton.com — spoton.com/restaurants/
  4. deliverect.com — deliverect.com/en

Cite this page

Amine from KitFinch. “Online Ordering Software for Restaurants.” Kitfinch, updated Sep 26, 2026. https://kitfinch.com/tasks/online-ordering

Plain-text version for AI assistants: /tasks/online-ordering.md

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