Pick by what you need connected. If you only want direct online orders, an ordering platform on your own website is the lightest change. If you want tills, kitchen screens and online orders in one place, look at an all-in-one POS, and check what hardware it needs before you sign anything.
A busy Friday service tells you quickly whether your ordering setup works. Olo describes itself simply as a restaurant technology platform, so if you're looking around, the real question is what you want connected and what you're happy to keep separate. These eight alternatives are listed in no particular order, with a note on where each fits.
One system or three: settle this first
Restaurant software tends to arrive in pieces: a till at the counter, a screen in the kitchen, a website for online orders and a tablet for each delivery app. The job any replacement has to pass is joining that up: does every order, from a table, the counter or your website, land in one place, and what kit would you have to buy or swap to get there?
Some tools on this list only handle online ordering and send orders to the printer or POS you already have. Others want to be the POS, which means new terminals, kitchen screens or kiosks. Neither is wrong, but they're very different projects. Swapping an ordering page takes an afternoon; swapping a till touches every shift.
Before you book any demo, write down what you already own: card readers, printers, tablets, kitchen screens. Then ask each vendor which of those it works with and which it would replace. That one list will cut your shortlist in half.
Hardware is also where agreements tend to get sticky. If a system supplies terminals, screens or kiosks, ask what happens to them if you leave, and whether your card payments are tied to the same supplier. It's far easier to ask before you sign than to untangle it later.
Online ordering changes the kitchen, too. Before going live, check how orders show up during a rush: whether they print, appear on a screen or need someone to accept them on a tablet. A system that's lovely for customers but slows the pass isn't a good swap.
Restaurant ordering tools, A to Z
Listed by name, not by merit. Each note is my summary of the vendor's own description.
Flipdish
Best for: Restaurants wanting POS, online ordering, kiosks and AI phone agents from one supplier, which the vendor calls an all-in-one AI platform.
GloriaFood
Best for: Independent restaurants starting online ordering on their website, Facebook page and app; the vendor says it's free and commission-free.
Lunchbox
Best for: Larger restaurant groups handling B2B catering, ordering across channels and guest engagement on one platform built, says the vendor, for enterprise operations.
MenuTiger
Best for: Cafes and small restaurants wanting POS, a kitchen display system and QR ordering together; the vendor names a free plan.
Orderli
Best for: Bars, cafes and venues where guests order from their phone at the table, at a self-order screen or online, with orders going straight to the POS or printer.
Orders.co
Best for: Operators juggling several delivery apps who want them pulled into one POS alongside direct ordering, loyalty, reporting and catering, per the vendor.
Owner.com
Best for: Independent restaurants wanting tools the vendor says big national brands use: online ordering, a mobile app with rewards and help being found online.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
RestoLabs
Best for: Owners who want their own branded website, app, delivery, loyalty and analytics, so customer relationships stay with the restaurant, as the vendor puts it.
Eight ordering options side by side
| Tool | Category | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Flipdish | AI restaurant platform | POS, online ordering, kiosks and phone ordering together |
| GloriaFood | Online ordering system | Getting online orders running from your own website |
| Lunchbox | Enterprise order management | Catering and ordering for larger operators |
| MenuTiger | Restaurant management with QR ordering | QR ordering linked to POS and kitchen display |
| Orderli | Venue ordering system | QR table ordering, kiosks or a webshop |
| Orders.co | Restaurant POS | Bringing delivery app orders into one POS |
| Owner.com | Restaurant growth platform | Online ordering, a branded app and rewards |
| RestoLabs | Direct ordering platform | A branded website, app and delivery you control |
Where each one fits in a restaurant
Direct online ordering for independents
GloriaFood, RestoLabs and Owner.com help an independent restaurant take orders on its own website and app instead of relying on delivery apps. They're the lightest change if your till works and you only want more direct orders.
All-in-one POS setups
Flipdish, Orders.co and MenuTiger aim to run more of the restaurant: POS, online ordering and, in some cases, kitchen display, kiosks or delivery app consolidation. Expect a bigger setup and a hardware conversation.
Table, kiosk and multi-site ordering
Orderli focuses on ordering inside the venue, by QR code at the table or at a kiosk, while Lunchbox is built for larger groups with catering and several ordering channels to manage.
My advice to any owner shopping around
Start with where your orders come from today. If most arrive through delivery apps, a tool that pulls them into one screen will save the most stress at the pass. If most come over the phone or at the counter, a direct ordering page with loyalty rewards is the bigger opportunity. Don't buy a whole new POS to fix an online ordering problem.
Whatever you pick, run one quiet lunch service on it before you trust it with a Friday night. There's more choice in my roundups of restaurant online ordering systems and restaurant POS systems.
Moving your menu without a lost weekend
- Export your current menu, modifiers and item photos into one spreadsheet before you start.
- List every place you take orders today: counter, phone, website, QR codes and each delivery app.
- Set up the new system on a quiet day and place test orders from each channel you plan to keep.
- Check that each test order prints or shows in the kitchen with the right modifiers and notes.
- Brief your team, update your website ordering link and swap any printed QR codes on the same day.
Do you make restaurant ordering software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
What does commission-free ordering mean?
It means orders come through your own website or app rather than a delivery platform that takes a cut of each order. Check each vendor's terms to see exactly what's included.
Should I still list on delivery apps?
Many restaurants keep them for reach and push regulars towards direct ordering. Using both is common, as long as orders land in one place.
Do I need to show allergen information online?
Rules on allergen and food information vary by country. Check with your food safety regulator, and make sure your online menu carries the same information as your printed one.
Can customers order from a QR code without an app?
Usually, yes. Many QR ordering systems open a web page in the phone's browser, so there's nothing to download. Confirm this with each vendor.
How do I get regulars to order direct?
Tell them, on receipts, bags and table cards, and give them a reason such as loyalty rewards. Make the direct ordering page quick to use on a phone.
