Online Ordering Platform Comparison for Restaurants Grubhub, DoorDash, Uber Eats & More
This comparison guide helps restaurants evaluate online ordering platforms by cost structure, ease of use, customer reach, order control, POS integration, and hardware requirements. It also links to platform-specific restaurant hardware guides for DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub, Toast POS, and ChowNow.
Online ordering is not just a software decision. Restaurants may also need the right receipt printers, kitchen printers, label printers, receipt paper, thermal labels, cash drawers, barcode scanners, and other POS hardware to keep online orders moving accurately.
Before choosing a platform or ordering hardware, review the POS Hardware Compatibility Guide, POS Hardware Setup and Troubleshooting Center, What’s Included with POS Hardware?, and Contact a POS Hardware Expert if you are unsure what your restaurant needs.
Quick Answer: Which Online Ordering Platform Is Best for Restaurants?
The best online ordering platform depends on your goal. Third-party marketplaces like Grubhub, DoorDash, and Uber Eats are usually strongest for reaching new customers and handling delivery demand. Direct ordering tools like Toast, ChowNow, Square Online, and restaurant website ordering are usually stronger for margin control, repeat customers, customer data, and branded ordering.
Most restaurants should think in two tracks: use marketplaces for customer discovery, but build direct ordering for long-term margin control. The right hardware setup depends on whether orders print to your kitchen, route through your POS, appear on a tablet, print pickup labels, trigger prep stations, or connect to delivery workflows.
Compatibility depends on your POS software, operating system, connection type, drivers, accessories, and configuration. Confirm compatibility before ordering.
Platform-Specific Restaurant Hardware Guides
Use these platform-specific guides if you already know which online ordering system you are evaluating or using.
| Platform Guide | Best For | Hardware Topics Covered |
|---|---|---|
| DoorDash Restaurant Hardware Guide | Restaurants using DoorDash Marketplace, DoorDash delivery, pickup, tablet workflows, or POS-integrated DoorDash ordering. | Order tablets, receipt printers, kitchen printers, label printers, pickup labels, delivery labels, POS integration, and order staging. |
| Uber Eats Restaurant Hardware Guide | Restaurants using Uber Eats for delivery, pickup, self-delivery, marketplace ordering, or delivery handoff workflows. | Order tablets, printer routing, kitchen tickets, pickup labels, bag labels, POS integration, and delivery order organization. |
| Grubhub Restaurant Hardware Guide | Restaurants using Grubhub for marketplace exposure, pickup orders, delivery orders, or tablet-based ordering. | Tablet workflows, receipt printers, kitchen printers, order tickets, label printers, delivery labels, and pickup staging. |
| Toast POS Hardware Compatibility Guide | Restaurants using Toast POS, Toast Online Ordering, Toast kitchen routing, Toast-approved hardware, or Toast restaurant workflows. | Toast-supported hardware, kitchen printers, receipt printers, POS terminals, order routing, label printing, and compatibility checks. |
| ChowNow POS Hardware Guide | Restaurants using ChowNow for direct ordering, branded ordering, commission-conscious ordering, pickup, and delivery workflows. | Direct-order hardware, printer setup, tablets, receipt printers, kitchen printers, label printers, and pickup/delivery order handoff. |
Marketplace Apps vs Direct Online Ordering
Online ordering platforms generally fall into two groups: marketplace platforms and direct-ordering platforms. Marketplace platforms help restaurants get discovered by customers browsing delivery apps. Direct-ordering platforms help restaurants bring customers to their own website, branded ordering page, POS system, or loyalty program.
| Ordering Type | Examples | Best For | Primary Tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Third-party marketplace ordering | Grubhub, DoorDash, Uber Eats | Customer discovery, delivery demand, marketplace visibility, and new-customer reach. | Usually higher commission exposure and less control over the customer relationship. |
| First-party direct ordering | Toast Online Ordering, ChowNow, Square Online, direct website ordering | Repeat customers, branded ordering, margin control, customer data, loyalty, and direct marketing. | Restaurant must drive traffic through its website, Google profile, social media, email, SMS, QR codes, and in-store promotion. |
| Hybrid strategy | Marketplace apps plus direct ordering | Restaurants that want marketplace visibility while moving repeat customers toward direct ordering. | Requires clear menu management, hardware routing, staff training, and pickup/delivery organization. |
Online Ordering Platform Comparison
Costs and features change frequently, so restaurants should verify current platform pricing, contracts, delivery fees, payment processing, POS integration costs, and hardware requirements before signing up. The comparison below is a practical planning guide for restaurants evaluating common options.
| Platform | Best For | Cost Direction | Ease of Use | Typical Hardware Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grubhub | Restaurants that want marketplace exposure and access to pickup and delivery customers. | Usually commission-based, with delivery and marketing options depending on the plan and services used. | Generally easy to start because orders can be managed through a merchant portal, tablet, or POS integration. | Order tablet or POS integration, reliable internet, receipt printer or kitchen printer if integrated, and optional label printer for pickup and delivery accuracy. |
| DoorDash | Restaurants that want large marketplace reach, delivery logistics, pickup volume, and customer discovery. | Usually commission-based, with plan, delivery, pickup, marketing, and promotion costs depending on setup. | Easy for marketplace ordering, but operational complexity can increase with multiple tablets, busy shifts, or non-integrated POS workflows. | DoorDash tablet or POS integration, strong Wi-Fi, receipt printer, kitchen printer, and optional order labels. |
| Uber Eats | Restaurants that want marketplace reach, delivery logistics, pickup, self-delivery options, and delivery from direct channels. | Usually commission-based for marketplace orders, with different cost structures for pickup, self-delivery, direct delivery, and online ordering tools. | Easy for marketplace listing and delivery access, but restaurants should monitor order costs, menu pricing, and fulfillment workflow closely. | Uber Eats tablet or POS integration, reliable network connection, receipt printer or kitchen printer if integrated, and optional pickup label printer. |
| Toast Online Ordering | Restaurants already using Toast that want direct online ordering, POS integration, kitchen routing, and restaurant workflow control. | Usually tied to the Toast ecosystem, including POS package, payment processing, online ordering, hardware, delivery, and add-on services. | Often strong for Toast restaurants because online orders can route directly through the restaurant’s existing Toast workflow. | Toast-supported POS hardware, terminals, receipt printers, kitchen printers, kitchen display hardware where used, and supported network setup. |
| ChowNow | Independent restaurants that want branded direct ordering, commission-conscious ordering options, marketing tools, and customer data access. | Often subscription-based with processing, setup, optional hardware, delivery, and add-on costs depending on plan. | Good for restaurants that want a guided direct-ordering solution without relying only on third-party marketplaces. | Printer or tablet setup, POS integration where available, reliable internet, receipt printer, kitchen printer, and optional order aggregation tools. |
| Square Online | Restaurants, cafes, bakeries, food trucks, and small businesses already using Square that want pickup, local delivery, and online ordering connected to Square tools. | Usually built around Square website plans and payment processing rather than marketplace commissions. | Easy for Square users because online and in-person sales can stay connected inside the Square ecosystem. | Square-compatible POS hardware, tablets, receipt printers, kitchen printers where supported, cash drawers, and compatible accessories. |
| Direct website ordering | Restaurants that want the most control over customer data, brand, pricing, menu, loyalty, and repeat ordering. | Usually lower marketplace commission exposure, but may include website, ordering software, payment processing, delivery dispatch, marketing, or POS integration costs. | Can be very effective but requires more ownership of marketing, website traffic, menu updates, order support, and customer communication. | POS integration or order tablet, receipt printer, kitchen printer, label printer, reliable network, and delivery dispatch setup. |
Cost Comparison: Marketplace Commissions vs Direct Ordering
The biggest cost difference is usually between marketplace orders and direct orders. Marketplaces can help customers discover your restaurant, but they often carry higher fees because they provide traffic, ordering technology, payment handling, customer support, and delivery logistics. Direct-ordering platforms usually reduce marketplace dependency, but the restaurant must drive more of its own traffic.
| Ordering Model | Typical Cost Direction | What You Pay For | Best Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Third-party marketplace delivery | Higher percentage-based costs | Marketplace visibility, customer reach, ordering platform, delivery logistics, support, and payment handling. | Customer acquisition, delivery growth, and visibility in competitive local markets. |
| Third-party marketplace pickup | Often lower than marketplace delivery, but still platform-dependent | Marketplace visibility and ordering technology without full delivery logistics. | Restaurants that want pickup orders from marketplace shoppers. |
| Self-delivery through marketplace | Often lower than marketplace-managed delivery | Marketplace order flow while the restaurant handles delivery operations. | Restaurants with their own drivers and strong local delivery process. |
| First-party online ordering | Usually lower commission exposure, but may include monthly software and payment processing | Website ordering, branded app, customer database, menu tools, marketing, payment processing, and POS integration. | Repeat customers, direct marketing, margin control, and long-term customer ownership. |
| Delivery dispatch from your own website | Often flat-fee or per-delivery cost depending on provider | Delivery fulfillment without relying completely on marketplace visibility. | Restaurants that want direct orders but still need outside delivery drivers. |
Restaurant operators should calculate costs based on average ticket size, delivery percentage, pickup percentage, repeat customer rate, marketing spend, staff time, order errors, refund risk, and whether the platform gives access to customer data.
Cost Factors Restaurants Should Compare
Do not compare online ordering platforms only by headline commission rate. The real cost can include multiple layers.
| Cost Factor | Why It Matters | Where It Commonly Appears |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplace commission | Can materially reduce margins on delivery and pickup orders. | Grubhub, DoorDash, Uber Eats, and other marketplace apps. |
| Delivery fee | Delivery logistics may cost more than pickup or direct-ordering workflows. | Marketplace delivery, third-party dispatch, direct delivery services, and in-house delivery workflows. |
| Payment processing | Every online order has some type of payment processing cost. | Direct ordering, Square Online, Toast, ChowNow, websites, and marketplaces. |
| Subscription or monthly software fee | Direct-ordering systems may use a monthly plan instead of higher marketplace commissions. | ChowNow, POS-native online ordering, website ordering tools, and order aggregators. |
| Setup or onboarding fee | Some platforms or integrations may charge setup, onboarding, menu buildout, or implementation costs. | Direct-ordering platforms, POS integrations, and restaurant POS systems. |
| Marketing or sponsored listings | Restaurants may pay extra for visibility inside marketplace apps. | Delivery apps and marketplace platforms. |
| Hardware cost | Printers, tablets, labels, cables, mounts, and accessories may be needed for reliable operations. | All online ordering workflows. |
| Staff time and order errors | Non-integrated tablets and manual entry can create hidden labor costs and mistakes. | Tablet-only marketplace setups and multi-platform workflows. |
Platform Cost Notes
Pricing changes often and can vary by market, restaurant size, negotiated agreement, delivery method, subscription level, payment processing, and add-on services. Use this section as a planning guide, then confirm current pricing directly with each platform before signing up.
| Platform | Cost Notes to Review | Cost Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Grubhub | Review marketplace plan, pickup costs, delivery costs, marketing options, processing fees, direct-ordering options, and whether delivery is handled by Grubhub or the restaurant. | Marketplace and delivery fees can affect margins, especially on lower-ticket orders. |
| DoorDash | Review marketplace plan, delivery commission, pickup cost, promotions, sponsored listings, tablet costs, and online-ordering processing fees. | Higher visibility plans, ads, and promotions can increase the total cost per order. |
| Uber Eats | Review marketplace plan, pickup fees, self-delivery options, direct delivery options, Webshop-style ordering, ads, offers, and customer subscription participation. | Marketplace and delivery-plan choices can materially change the cost per order. |
| Toast Online Ordering | Review Toast package, hardware, implementation, payment processing, online ordering, delivery services, website, branded app, and supported hardware requirements. | Best fit is often for restaurants already committed to the Toast ecosystem; hardware flexibility may be limited. |
| ChowNow | Review subscription plan, setup fee, transaction fee, branded app costs, printer costs, delivery costs, marketing tools, and POS integrations. | Monthly fees may be worthwhile for direct-order volume, but low-volume restaurants should calculate break-even. |
| Square Online | Review Square plan, payment processing, pickup and delivery options, restaurant feature needs, and hardware compatibility. | Good for Square users, but not the same as being listed in a large delivery marketplace. |
Ease of Use Comparison
Ease of use depends on whether orders are managed on a tablet, integrated directly into the POS, printed to the kitchen, routed by station, or manually entered by staff. A platform can be easy to launch but harder to operate if it creates extra tablets, double entry, or order-routing confusion.
| Platform Type | Ease of Setup | Ease of Daily Operation | Operational Watch-Out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketplace tablet only | Usually easy to launch | Can become harder with multiple tablets or high order volume | Staff may need to watch tablets, manually enter orders, and maintain multiple menus. |
| Marketplace with POS integration | More setup required | Easier once configured correctly | Integration, menu mapping, modifiers, taxes, routing, and printer setup must be correct. |
| First-party direct ordering | Moderate setup | Strong when integrated with POS and kitchen workflow | Restaurant must drive traffic through website, Google, QR codes, packaging inserts, email, and social media. |
| Restaurant POS native online ordering | Easiest for restaurants already using that POS | Often easiest operationally because orders route through the existing restaurant system | May require supported hardware and may limit flexibility outside the POS ecosystem. |
| Order aggregator | Moderate setup | Useful when managing multiple marketplaces | Requires careful menu management, POS mapping, printer routing, and staff training. |
Hardware Requirements for Online Ordering
Online ordering is not only a software decision. Restaurants also need the right hardware to receive orders, route them to the kitchen, print tickets, label orders, organize pickup shelves, and reduce mistakes.
| Hardware | Why It Matters for Online Ordering | Shop Hardware |
|---|---|---|
| Receipt printers | Print customer receipts, prep tickets, pickup tickets, and counter order slips depending on the POS setup. | Shop Receipt Printers |
| Kitchen printers | Route online orders to kitchen, bar, prep, expo, or production areas. | Shop Kitchen and Impact Printers |
| Label printers | Print pickup labels, delivery labels, drink labels, bag labels, tamper labels, and food prep labels. | Shop Label Printers |
| Receipt paper | Required for receipt printers and many kitchen ticket workflows. | Shop Receipt Paper |
| Thermal labels | Used for order labels, bag labels, shelf labels, food labels, pickup labels, and delivery handoff labels. | Shop Thermal Labels |
| Barcode scanners | Useful for order lookup, pickup validation, inventory, prepared item labels, and back-office workflows. | Shop Barcode Scanners |
| Cash drawers | Still needed when online ordering is combined with front-counter pickup, walk-in payments, or hybrid POS checkout. | Shop Cash Drawers |
| POS hardware | Includes terminals, printers, cables, stands, drawers, tablets, displays, and accessories that support the full ordering workflow. | Shop POS Hardware |
Hardware Requirements by Platform Type
Hardware requirements vary depending on whether the platform uses a tablet, direct POS integration, printer integration, or a first-party website ordering workflow.
| Platform / Setup | Likely Hardware Needed | Best Hardware Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Grubhub tablet-only setup | Marketplace tablet, reliable Wi-Fi, charging station, optional printer connection if supported. | Order station setup, receipt printing, kitchen ticket workflow, and pickup label process. |
| DoorDash tablet-only setup | DoorDash tablet, internet connection, staff order station, optional printer or POS integration. | Dedicated order station, kitchen visibility, ticket printing, and delivery pickup staging. |
| Uber Eats tablet-only setup | Uber Eats order tablet, Wi-Fi, power, and optional printer or integration depending on setup. | Order acceptance workflow, kitchen routing, and pickup/delivery organization. |
| Toast Online Ordering | Toast-supported terminals, printers, kitchen display or kitchen printer, network hardware, and supported accessories. | Restaurant printer routing, kitchen workflow, pickup labels, and Toast-supported hardware setup. |
| ChowNow direct ordering | Printer or tablet setup, possible POS integration, direct order notifications, and optional delivery/order aggregation tools. | Printer reliability, POS integration, pickup order labels, and customer handoff workflow. |
| Square Online ordering | Square-compatible POS hardware, receipt printers, tablets, kitchen printing where supported, and connected online/in-person order workflow. | Square-supported hardware, counter pickup, receipt printing, and order management. |
| Direct website ordering | POS integration or order tablet, receipt printer, kitchen printer, label printer, delivery dispatch tool, and strong network setup. | Direct-order reliability, printer routing, branded pickup labels, and repeat-customer workflow. |
Which Online Ordering Platform Should You Choose?
There is no single best platform for every restaurant. The right choice depends on customer acquisition, margins, delivery control, POS integration, operational complexity, and whether the restaurant wants to own the customer relationship.
| Restaurant Goal | Best Platform Direction | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Get more new customers fast | DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub | Large marketplaces can put the restaurant in front of customers who are already browsing for delivery or takeout. |
| Reduce commission dependency | Toast Online Ordering, ChowNow, Square Online, direct website ordering | First-party ordering can reduce marketplace dependency and improve control over customer relationships. |
| Own customer data | Direct ordering, ChowNow, Toast Online Ordering, Square Online | Direct channels are usually better for email, loyalty, repeat ordering, and customer retention. |
| Use existing restaurant POS workflow | POS-native online ordering or strong POS integration | Orders can route into the restaurant system instead of being manually entered from a tablet. |
| Handle peak delivery volume | Marketplace plus integrated POS and proper printer routing | High order volume requires strong kitchen ticketing, label printing, prep timing, and pickup staging. |
| Build long-term brand loyalty | Direct website ordering, branded app, email and SMS marketing, loyalty tools | Repeat customers are more valuable when the restaurant can market to them directly. |
Marketplace Ordering vs Direct Online Ordering
Restaurants often benefit from using both marketplace and direct ordering, but each channel should have a clear purpose.
| Comparison | Marketplace Ordering | Direct Online Ordering |
|---|---|---|
| Examples | Grubhub, DoorDash, Uber Eats | Toast Online Ordering, ChowNow, Square Online, restaurant website ordering |
| Main value | Customer discovery and delivery volume | Margin control, customer data, brand ownership, repeat ordering |
| Cost structure | Often commission-based | Often subscription, processing, delivery dispatch, or POS-package based |
| Customer ownership | Usually platform-controlled | Usually stronger restaurant control |
| Ease of launch | Usually easy to start | May require website, menu, payment, marketing, and setup work |
| Operational risk | Tablet overload, menu mismatch, fees, third-party customer experience | Requires restaurant to drive traffic and maintain menu/order workflow |
| Best strategy | Use for discovery and incremental demand | Use for loyal customers and higher-margin repeat orders |
Online Ordering Hardware by Restaurant Workflow
Online ordering hardware should match the way orders move through the restaurant. The hardware needs for a pizza shop, quick-service restaurant, cafe, ghost kitchen, food truck, deli, or full-service restaurant can be very different.
| Restaurant Type | Common Online Ordering Workflow | Recommended Hardware Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Pizza shops | High takeout and delivery volume, timed orders, modifiers, kitchen routing, and delivery staging. | Receipt printers, kitchen printers, order label printers, and labels. |
| Cafes and bakeries | Pickup orders, drink labels, bakery labels, counter receipts, and rush-period handoff. | Label printers, receipt printers, and receipt paper. |
| Quick-service restaurants | High-speed order acceptance, prep tickets, pickup shelving, and third-party delivery pickups. | Receipt printers, label printers, and POS hardware. |
| Food trucks | Mobile ordering, limited counter space, simple receipt printing, and pickup organization. | Compact receipt printers, POS hardware, and reliable supplies. |
| Ghost kitchens | Multiple brands, multiple marketplaces, heavy order volume, and delivery handoff accuracy. | Label printers, ticket printers, order labels, and strong network setup. |
| Full-service restaurants | Takeout and delivery layered onto dine-in operations. | Online-order ticket routing, pickup labels, kitchen printers, receipt printers, and clear expo workflow. |
Why Pickup and Delivery Labels Matter
As online order volume grows, restaurants often need more than a printed kitchen ticket. Order labels can help identify customer names, order numbers, pickup times, delivery services, item modifiers, bag contents, drink names, allergens, and handoff instructions.
A label printer and compatible thermal labels can help cafes, quick-service restaurants, ghost kitchens, pizza shops, bakeries, and delivery-heavy restaurants reduce mistakes at pickup shelves and delivery handoff stations.
Common Online Ordering Label Uses
- Pickup order labels
- Delivery bag labels
- Drink labels
- Food prep labels
- Customer name labels
- Order number labels
- Pickup shelf labels
- Delivery service handoff labels
- Tamper-evident bag labels when required by the workflow
Shop label printers, thermal labels, and barcode labels for restaurant pickup, delivery, prep, and order identification workflows.
Kitchen Printing and Order Routing
Online ordering platforms are only useful if orders reach the right team at the right time. A missed tablet notification or poorly routed ticket can create delays, refunds, remakes, and unhappy customers.
Restaurants should decide whether online orders should print at the counter, kitchen, bar, prep station, expo area, or multiple stations. This decision affects printer type, connection type, paper type, and POS integration.
| Routing Need | Hardware Direction | Shop / Learn More |
|---|---|---|
| Customer receipt at front counter | Thermal receipt printer with compatible receipt paper. | Receipt Printers and Receipt Paper |
| Kitchen prep ticket | Kitchen printer or impact printer where heat, steam, or kitchen conditions are a concern. | Kitchen and Impact Printers |
| Pickup bag or drink identification | Label printer with compatible direct thermal labels. | Label Printers and Thermal Labels |
| Multiple prep stations | POS-integrated routing with station-specific printers or kitchen display workflow. | POS Hardware |
| Order lookup or pickup validation | Barcode scanner for order barcode, receipt barcode, or prepared-order lookup when supported by software. | Barcode Scanners |
Setup and Troubleshooting Considerations
Online ordering can create operational problems if orders do not print correctly, menu modifiers are wrong, tablets are ignored, or pickup labels are missing. Before going live, test the complete workflow from customer order to kitchen prep to pickup handoff.
Before Going Live, Test:
- Online menu categories, items, modifiers, taxes, tips, and delivery settings
- Pickup and delivery order timing
- Printer routing to the kitchen, bar, prep, or expo station
- Receipt printer and kitchen printer output
- Order labels, drink labels, bag labels, or pickup labels
- Tablet notifications and sound alerts
- POS integration and menu sync
- Refund, cancel, and out-of-stock workflows
- Internet and Wi-Fi reliability
- Staff responsibility for accepting and confirming orders
For more help, review the POS Hardware Setup and Troubleshooting Center and Contact a POS Hardware Expert if you need help comparing the correct printer, label, paper, or accessory setup.
Online Ordering Hardware Shopping List
Use this list to prepare your restaurant for online ordering, pickup, delivery, and direct-order workflows.
- Receipt printers for order tickets, customer receipts, and counter workflows
- Kitchen printers for hot kitchens, prep stations, and order routing
- Label printers for pickup labels, bag labels, food labels, and delivery handoff labels
- Receipt paper for thermal and impact printer workflows
- Thermal labels for order labeling and food prep workflows
- Cash drawers for hybrid pickup and walk-in checkout setups
- Barcode scanners for order lookup, inventory, and prepared-item labels
- POS hardware for complete restaurant checkout, pickup, and counter setups
Before ordering hardware, review What’s Included with POS Hardware? so you know whether power supplies, cables, adapters, labels, ribbons, paper, mounts, and accessories must be ordered separately.
Compatibility Before Ordering Restaurant Hardware
Online ordering hardware must match the platform, POS software, connection type, printer routing, operating system, and kitchen workflow. Not every printer, tablet, cash drawer, scanner, label printer, or accessory works with every platform.
Compatibility depends on your POS software, operating system, connection type, drivers, accessories, and configuration. Confirm compatibility before ordering.
Before buying restaurant hardware for online ordering, review the POS Hardware Compatibility Guide, What’s Included with POS Hardware?, and POS Hardware Warranty and Return Policy Guide.
Common Online Ordering Platform Mistakes
- Only comparing commission rates: Look at delivery fees, payment processing, tablet costs, marketing spend, ads, refunds, staff time, and order errors.
- Relying only on marketplaces: Marketplaces can bring customers, but direct ordering helps protect repeat-customer margins.
- Skipping hardware planning: Online orders need reliable printing, routing, labels, and pickup handoff.
- Running too many tablets: Multiple tablets can create missed orders, staff confusion, and menu mismatches.
- Not integrating with the POS: Manual order entry can create errors during busy periods.
- Forgetting customer data: Direct ordering is usually better for building email, SMS, loyalty, and repeat-order campaigns.
- Not testing kitchen routing: Orders must reach the correct prep station at the correct time.
- Using the wrong printer or labels: Online order accuracy often depends on clear tickets, receipts, and order labels.
Simple Decision Guide
Use this quick decision guide if you are unsure where to start.
| If You Need... | Start With... | Hardware to Review |
|---|---|---|
| More new delivery customers | DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub | Tablet setup, receipt printer, kitchen printer, order labels, and network reliability. |
| Lower long-term commission exposure | Toast Online Ordering, ChowNow, Square Online, direct website ordering | POS integration, kitchen printer, label printer, receipt printer, and delivery dispatch process. |
| Best setup for an existing Toast restaurant | Toast Online Ordering | Toast-supported printers, terminals, kitchen workflow, network, and supported accessories. |
| Best setup for an existing Square restaurant | Square Online | Square-compatible printers, tablet setup, counter hardware, pickup workflow, and receipt paper. |
| Better pickup and delivery order accuracy | Direct ordering plus label printing | Label printers, thermal labels, receipt printers, kitchen printers, and order staging supplies. |
| Better repeat-customer marketing | Direct online ordering with customer data access | POS integration, branded ordering page, receipt printer, pickup labels, email/SMS workflow. |
Shop Restaurant Online Ordering Hardware
Use these collections to compare hardware for restaurant online ordering, pickup, delivery, kitchen routing, counter checkout, and order labeling workflows.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest online ordering platform for restaurants?
The cheapest option depends on order volume, average ticket size, delivery method, payment processing, monthly software fees, and whether the restaurant needs customer discovery or direct ordering. Direct ordering can often reduce commission exposure, while marketplaces may cost more but can bring new customers.
Is Grubhub cheaper than DoorDash or Uber Eats?
It depends on the plan, delivery method, market, promotions, payment processing, and whether the restaurant uses marketplace delivery, pickup, self-delivery, or direct ordering. Restaurants should compare total cost per order, not just the headline commission rate.
Is direct online ordering better than delivery apps?
Direct online ordering is often better for repeat customers, margin control, customer data, loyalty, and branded ordering. Delivery apps can be better for visibility and customer discovery.
Do restaurants need a receipt printer for online orders?
Many restaurants use receipt printers or kitchen printers to print online order tickets, prep tickets, and customer receipts. The exact printer depends on the POS software, platform integration, and kitchen workflow.
Do online ordering platforms require special hardware?
Some platforms use tablets, some integrate with the POS, and some require supported hardware. Restaurants should confirm whether orders print to a receipt printer, kitchen printer, label printer, or kitchen display system.
What hardware helps reduce delivery order mistakes?
Order labels, pickup labels, receipt printers, kitchen printers, clear prep tickets, barcode scanners, and organized pickup staging can help reduce errors in takeout and delivery workflows.
Should restaurants use more than one delivery app?
Using multiple apps can increase reach, but it can also create tablet overload, menu management issues, staff confusion, and higher operational complexity. POS integration or order aggregation may help.
What is the best online ordering setup for a small restaurant?
Many small restaurants use a combination of one or more marketplaces for discovery and a direct ordering channel for repeat customers. Hardware should include a reliable order notification workflow, receipt or kitchen printer, and labels if pickup or delivery accuracy is important.
What should restaurants compare before choosing a platform?
Compare commission rates, payment processing, monthly fees, delivery costs, pickup fees, customer data access, POS integration, menu sync, hardware requirements, marketing tools, and staff workflow.
Can Spartan POS help with online ordering hardware?
Yes. Spartan POS can help customers compare receipt printers, kitchen printers, label printers, receipt paper, labels, cash drawers, barcode scanners, POS hardware, and accessories used in online ordering, pickup, delivery, and restaurant workflow setups.
Bottom Line
Grubhub, DoorDash, Uber Eats, Toast Online Ordering, ChowNow, Square Online, and direct website ordering can all support restaurant pickup and delivery, but each platform has different costs, customer reach, ease of use, data control, and hardware requirements. Before choosing a platform, compare total cost per order, POS integration, delivery workflow, kitchen routing, customer data access, and the hardware needed to keep orders moving accurately. For the hardware side of online ordering, compare receipt printers, kitchen printers, label printers, receipt paper, thermal labels, cash drawers, barcode scanners, and complete POS hardware before going live.