After exploring various platforms, I’ve rounded up the best ChowNow alternatives that give you more control, better features, and real value for your money. Whether you need stronger branding, lower fees, or tools to help you drive more orders, there’s a solution out there for you. Let’s take a closer look at the top options.

What Makes a Great Alternative to ChowNow?

ChowNow markets itself as a commission-free online ordering platform, but its pricing comes with key limitations that make it less than ideal for many restaurants. Below are its main drawbacks, categorized for easy comparison:

1. Branding & Website Customization

• Limited website options – Only offers a single pre-built Squarespace template with minimal customization.
• No multilingual support – Lacks the ability to serve diverse customer bases in multiple languages.

2. Operational Challenges

• No centralized multi-location management – Each restaurant location requires a separate dashboard.
• Limited POS integrations – Primarily relies on third-party aggregators instead of direct POS connections.
• No built-in delivery management – Lacks tools for handling in-house delivery operations.
• No dedicated catering solution – Doesn't support a separate catering menu or ordering system.

3. Loyalty & Customer Retention

• Basic loyalty program – Only provides a simple digital punch card with no advanced rewards system.
• No loyalty partner integrations – Unable to connect with external loyalty or rewards programs.

4. Subscription & Cancellation Issues

• No free trial – Requires upfront commitment without a risk-free test period.
• Rigid pricing structure – Billing starts after 30 days, even if setup is incomplete.
• Complicated cancellation process – Requires contacting support instead of offering a simple self-service option.

5. Marketing & Customer Engagement

• Traffic redirection risk – Integrations with Yelp, Nextdoor, and TripAdvisor may send customers away, with commission fees of up to 15%.
• No SMS marketing – Misses an essential tool for driving repeat business.
• Limited email automation – Allows only three emails per month, which stop after initial customer engagement.

6. Customer Support & Reputation

• Poor customer service reviews – Frequent complaints about slow response times and unresolved issues.
• Marketplace app issues – Negative Trustpilot reviews indicate widespread dissatisfaction.

Key Takeaway:

A strong alternative should offer full website customization, seamless multi-location management, strong marketing tools, robust loyalty programs, and flexible subscription terms—empowering restaurants without these limitations.

The Best ChowNow Alternatives for Restaurants

As your business grows, operational demands grow with it. ChowNow is a beginner-friendly platform that may not meet evolving scalability, customization, and enhanced customer engagement needs.

We'll explore the top ChowNow alternatives, breaking down their features, pricing and potential. 

1. RestoLabs: 

RestoLabs is a powerful online ordering platform designed for restaurants of all sizes. With an easy setup, it streamlines order management, integrates seamlessly with existing systems, and enhances efficiency with smart order throttling, automation, and secure payments. Customers can order effortlessly through websites, apps, and QR codes—boosting sales while reducing checkout time by 50%.

Why Choose RestoLabs?

1. Branding & Website Customization

• Fully Customizable Website – Provides multiple design options and white-label branding.
• Multilingual Support – Enables ordering in different languages to cater to a diverse audience.
• Custom Branded URL - Enables restaurants to have their branded URL which helps with SEO ranking.

2. Operational Advantages

• Centralized Multi-Location Management – Manage multiple locations from a single dashboard.
• Direct POS Integrations – Supports seamless integration with popular POS systems.
• Built-In Self-Delivery Management – Has built in products that allows restaurants to handle their own deliveries efficiently
• Dedicated Catering Features – Offers a structured catering management solution.

3. Loyalty & Customer Retention

• Advanced Loyalty Program – Supports points-based and coupon based loyalty systems.
• Third-Party Loyalty Integrations – Works with external loyalty programs and gift card providers seamlessly.

4. Marketing & Customer Engagement

• No Traffic Redirection – Unlike ChowNow, RestoLabs keeps customers within your ecosystem and helps with Google ranking of your site with custom branded URL.
• Advanced Email Automation – Provides more flexibility in campaign frequency and targeting.5. Subscription & Cancellation Flexibility

5. Subscription

• Transparent Pricing & Risk-Free Trial – 30-day free trial with no hidden fees.
• Easy Cancellation – No need to go through customer support to cancel.

6. Customer Support & Reputation

• Dedicated Support Team – Fast response times and hands-on assistance.
• Proven Customer Satisfaction – Positive reviews for usability, customization, and customer service.

Where RestoLabs can Level Up

1.Marketing & Customer Engagement

• No SMS Marketing – Does not currently offer built-in SMS marketing tools.
• Marketing  Features could expand – While robust, there is room for more automation and deeper integrations.

Pricing

‍2. Owner.com

Owner.com helps restaurants attract customers and boost sales with SEO-optimized websites and automated marketing tools. Its mobile-responsive designs ensure a smooth browsing experience across all devices, while built-in email and SMS campaigns help drive repeat orders. Restaurants can track customer behavior with detailed analytics, enabling data-driven marketing decisions.

Why Choose Owner.com?

1.  Search Optimized Websites

• Optimized Restaurant Websites – Provides a search optimized website template to keep customers on the restaurant’s website rather than third-party marketplaces.

2. Marketing & Customer Retention

• Customer Engagement via SMS & Email – Helps restaurants reconnect with customers to encourage repeat order.

‍3. Subscription & Cancellation

• Month-to-Month Pricing Available – No requirement for long-term contracts.

Where Owner.com Can Level Up

1. Pricing & Fees

• High Setup Fees & Monthly Subscription – Requires a significant upfront investment and ongoing costs.
• Additional 5% Commission Per Order –The restaurant’s customers pays the 5% fee. Owner.com adds it to the bill at checkout, increasing the total cost per order. 

2. Website Customization

• Basic Design Template – Provides very limited flexibility compared to fully customizable solutions.

3. Operational Challenges

• Limited Integrations – Lacks seamless connectivity with some key POS systems and third-party tools.
• Complex Setup & Management – Requires more effort to configure compared to plug-and-play alternatives.

4. Marketing & Customer Engagement

• Aggressive Automated Campaigns – Pre-set marketing sequences may not align with every restaurant’s strategy.
• Limited Customization in Messaging – Some users find it difficult to tailor marketing communications to their brand voice.

5. Customer Support

• Mixed Reviews on Support Responsiveness – Some users report slow resolution times and inconsistent service quality.
• No 24/7 Support – Unlike some competitors, Owner.com does not offer round-the-clock assistance.

Pricing:

3. GloriaFood

GloriaFood is a budget-friendly, commission-free online ordering platform ideal for small restaurants. Its intuitive, mobile-optimized interface ensures seamless ordering, while built-in upselling boosts order value. The platform allows easy menu updates with photos, pricing changes, and new items, helping restaurants stay flexible and responsive to customer needs.

Why Choose GloriaFood?

1.Operational Advantages

• Mobile-friendly platform – Allows customers to place orders directly from their phones and tablets for added convenience.
• Reservations tool – Enables food pre-ordering to streamline dine-in and takeout operations.

2. Loyalty & Customer Retention

• Promo codes & loyalty programs – Help retain customers and encourage repeat business.

3. Marketing & Customer Engagement

• Built-in upselling tools – Suggest complementary items at checkout to increase order value.

4. Subscription

• $0 cost for cash pickup – Restaurants can take cash orders without fees.
• Paid subscription required for online payments & delivery – Digital transactions and deliveries are locked behind a monthly fee.

Where GloriaFood Can Level Up

1. Branding & Website Customization

• Clunky UI/UX – The interface feels outdated and could be improved for a better customer experience.

2. Operational Challenges

• Limited POS compatibility – Primarily supports Oracle POS, making integration with other systems difficult.

3. Loyalty & Customer Retention

• Basic loyalty features – Limited capabilities that may impact customer engagement.
• Additional cost for loyalty program – Requires a $19/month fee for access.

4. Subscription

• Misleading free pricing – Without the $30/month subscription, restaurants can’t accept online payments or offer delivery.

Pricing:

4. LunchBox.io:

Lunchbox is an online platform that enhances restaurant operations by offering scalable solutions to streamline online ordering, marketing, and customer retention. It delivers a convenient ordering experience across platforms like websites and mobile apps. 

Best suited for mid to large-sized restaurants, Lunchbox's marketing and loyalty features help build strong customer relationships and can seamlessly manage multi-location chains.

Why Choose Lunchbox?

1.Multi Location Management

• Ease of management: Manages multi-location sales orders, menus, and reports within a centralized dashboard, ensuring consistency.

2.Operational advantages

• Integration facility: Its open API integrations make it ideal for restaurants that prefer a flexible technology stack.
• Management tools: It offers a robust suite of features that streamline restaurant management, from online ordering to marketing

3.Loyalty & customer retention

• Customizable loyalty programs: Loyalty programs and advanced marketing tools help restaurants build strong business relationships with their customers.

4. Marketing & customer engagement

• Integrated tools: Used to send personalized emails, SMS, and push notifications to effectively engage customers.

Where Lunchbox Can Level Up

1.Operational challenges

• Training required: Due to the platform’s broad set of features, onboarding is quite difficult compared to other platforms and may require comprehensive training. 
• Set up: Users have reported technical complications in setting up the software.
• Limited Operability: Lunchbox only works with 50+ location chains

2.Loyalty & customer retention

• Technical issues: Platform faces technical glitches and loyalty programs don’t work in some cases, impacting customer retention.

3.Subscription

• Pricing: Lacks transparency, which leads to unpredictability for growing businesses.
• Autorenewals: Ongoing issues with autorenewals and high cancellation penalties can be frustrating for users.

4.Customer support & reputation

• Lack of proper support: Slow onboarding process and delayed response times from support teams impacts user experience.

Pricing:

$300+ /month on average, with setup fees starting at $5,000+

5. Square Online:

Square Online is ideal for mobile-first businesses like food trucks and small restaurants. Its real-time order tracking allows customers and restaurant staff to monitor order status. With its easy menu management, restaurants can update menu items and their pricing based on availability. Through features like Busy Mode, Pre-orders, and Pause Online Orders, Square Online offers greater flexibility and control over sales operations for online and omni-channel sellers.

Why Choose Square Online?

1.Branding and website customization:

• Ease of Use: Square Online offers an easy-to-use, drag-and-drop website builder with a few customization options (themes, logos, etc.). The platform is more focused on simplicity and ease of use for small businesses.

2.Operational advantages 

• POS Integration: Square Online integrates seamlessly with Square POS, which is a major benefit for businesses already using Square's ecosystem.

3.Loyalty and Customer Retention: 

• Loyalty Program: It includes point-based rewards and is integrated with Square’s POS system, so it's useful for businesses already in the Square ecosystem.

4.Marketing & customer engagement

• Upselling features: Square Online includes email marketing tools, such as campaign creation and automated follow-ups. Integrations with third-party platforms like Google Ads and Mailchimp are available.

Where Square Online Can Level Up

1.Operational challenges 

• POS Integration: Despite the seamless integration with Square POS, restaurants are restricted to Square’s POS and payment processing terms, limiting flexibility and choice.
• Account deactivation: Cases of accounts deactivating randomly and without explanation have become quite common with Square.

2. Loyalty & customer retention

• Loyalty features: Square’s loyalty program is relatively basic and lacks advanced tools like personalized marketing campaigns and loyalty programs.

3. Customer support & reputation

• Support: Its 24/7 customer support is walled behind the most expensive tier.
• Unresponsiveness: Customers have given frequent complaints about unrealistic redressal timeframes and delayed response times.

4. Subscription:

• Pricing: Though Square’s pricing approach is straightforward, subscription is entirely based on the number of subscribed customers you have in your customer directory. 

Pricing:

‍6. BentoBox

BentoBox is a comprehensive restaurant marketing and commerce platform designed to enhance online presence and streamline operations. It offers SEO-optimized website designs tailored to the hospitality industry, ensuring higher visibility in search results. The platform includes commission-free online ordering for takeout and delivery, enabling restaurants to manage orders directly through their websites. 

It offers multiple contactless payment options to enhance faster checkouts. Additionally, BentoBox provides tools for event management, reservations, and catering, efficiently handling private events and large orders. Features like digital waitlists and gift cards aid revenue growth and customer engagement.

Why Choose BentoBox?

1. Branding & website customization

• Website design: Facilitates the creation of visually appealing websites that reflects a restaurant’s brand and style

2. Marketing & customer engagement

• Convenient payment: Offers convenient payment options for a smoother checkout experience.
• Menu visuals: Appealing menus help customers understand what they’re ordering and set clear expectations.
• Automated promotions: Restaurants can send automated promotions and follow-ups via email and SMS to engage customers. 

Where BentoBox Can Level Up

1. Operational challenges

• Setup: Launching the website and ordering system involves a lengthy setup process, where restaurants are billed even during the waiting period. 
• Delivery features: Lacks advanced delivery features like dynamic delivery zones and customizable delivery pricing. 
• Security: Customers have reported safety issues with the platform’s Google integration.

2.Branding & website customization

• Website templates: Restaurants may struggle in scaling their businesses due to dependency on the support team for website and ordering page build out. 

3. Subscription

• Higher charges: Restaurants need to pay an additional $40-$60 per month for online ordering, making it pricier than its foundation plan.

Pricing:

Bentobox offers flexible pricing with a Build Your Own Package option, allowing restaurants to customize features based on their needs. A basic restaurant website starts at US$119 per month, with add-ons like Takeout & Delivery for US$49 per month and Online Catering at US$79 per month. For those seeking comprehensive solutions, popular packages such as the Foundations Plan are available at US$279 per month, and the Signature Plan at US$479 per month.

Now that we’ve dug deep into the top ChowNow alternatives for your restaurant, let’s talk about the winner!

RestoLabs: Your Go-To Solution For Online Ordering 

Managing a restaurant has its challenges, from handling orders efficiently to delivering a seamless customer experience. You might also encounter issues like high commissions, inconsistent branding, or disconnected workflows. This is where RestoLabs stands out as a wise choice. The table below illustrates why RestoLabs is your ideal choice over ChowNow:

Trusted by over 2,000 restaurants across 10+ countries, RestoLabs simplifies online and offline ordering processes. Its intuitive dashboards allow you to track key metrics like cash flow and sales. It integrates easily with existing POS systems, thereby eliminating manual errors. Its dynamic delivery zones, order scheduling, and loyalty management features help you with sales and revenue growth. 

RestoLabs provides a superior alternative to ChowNow with more customization, better customer retention tools, and a more flexible pricing model—ensuring restaurants get the most out of their online ordering platform.

Try the 30-day free trial and prepare to be surprised at how it transforms your restaurant's online presence and profitability. Get in touch with us today!Running a restaurant is tough, and choosing the right online ordering platform shouldn’t make it harder. While ChowNow is a well-known option, it might not be the best fit for every restaurant. Maybe you want more marketing support, better flexibility, or a pricing model that aligns with your business goals. Whatever the reason, finding the right alternative can make a big difference in your sales and customer experience.