Struggling with chaotic order management?
Manual order-taking leads to mistakes, frustrated customers, and shrinking profit margins. It’s a recipe for disaster in a competitive market.
Juggling phone calls, third-party apps, and walk-ins creates a mess. It’s nearly impossible to keep track of everything without a unified, central system.
According to Statista, a 35-minute average delivery time leads to customer dissatisfaction. Inefficient internal operations directly impact your customer’s experience and your reputation.
But there’s a better way. The right software helps you streamline your entire ordering process from one simple, central dashboard.
While streamlining your ordering process, understanding the best food delivery software options is also crucial for seamless operations.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through the best online food ordering software. I’ll help you find a system that cuts costs and improves efficiency fast.
You’ll discover tools that boost order accuracy, reduce your labor costs, and ultimately increase revenue without implementation headaches.
Let’s get started.
Quick Summary:
| # | Software | Rating | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Owner.com → | Independent restaurants | |
| 2 | ChowNow → | Small to mid-size eateries | |
| 3 | Toast → | Full-service restaurants | |
| 4 | Square → | Small to medium food businesses | |
| 5 | Olo → | Multi-location chains |
1. Owner.com
Struggling to streamline your restaurant’s online ordering?
Owner.com offers an online ordering system designed for ease and familiarity, helping you get more direct orders. This means you can simplify operations while attracting more customers.
The software addresses the challenge of overwhelming options by providing a comprehensive platform to increase online sales. This ensures you have everything needed without disrupting existing workflows.
Ready for a powerful, all-in-one solution?
Owner.com solves the problem of high third-party fees and fragmented systems, enabling your restaurant to regain control. You can boost direct sales and keep more of your profits, allowing for significant savings.
Their AI-powered website builder converts more visitors into customers, while the online ordering platform mimics big brands for user familiarity. This integrated approach ensures consistent brand experience and growth. Plus, a custom mobile app and loyalty program drive repeat business, while automated marketing campaigns help you attract and retain customers effectively.
The result is increased sales and loyal customers.
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Key features:
- AI-powered website builder: Creates high-ranking, customer-converting restaurant websites to drive more Google traffic and online sales.
- Zero-commission delivery: Offers profitable delivery options with top-rated drivers, helping you minimize third-party service fees.
- Automated marketing campaigns: Delivers proven campaigns that drive sales from existing customers and grow repeat orders automatically.
Learn more about Owner.com features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: Owner.com provides a comprehensive suite of tools, from AI-powered websites to automated marketing, enabling restaurants to increase direct online sales significantly. Their focus on reducing third-party fees and building customer loyalty makes it an excellent choice as the best online food ordering software.
2. ChowNow
Tired of losing profits to high fees?
ChowNow offers direct website ordering and branded mobile apps, allowing you to protect profits with commission-free orders.
This means you can easily boost takeout sales, build diner loyalty, and keep your brand front and center.
Here’s how to simplify your operations.
ChowNow makes it easy for restaurant owners to boost takeout sales, increase profits, and build diner loyalty. They offer tools like POS integrations, which reduce errors by sending orders directly to your system.
Additionally, with order aggregation, you can manage all your orders and menus from one device, including third-party platforms. You also get advanced reporting, providing real-time analytics to uncover insights and optimize your business.
Plus, automated email marketing helps you re-engage diners and send promotions proven to drive sales. You can also implement a rewards program to encourage repeat direct orders, maximizing your profits and keeping customers returning.
This all leads to more direct orders.
Key features:
- Direct Website & App Ordering: Enable commission-free orders directly from your website or a custom-built branded mobile app, protecting your profits from third-party fees.
- Integrated Order Management: Streamline operations by syncing all orders, including third-party ones, to your POS system and managing menus from a single device.
- Marketing & Loyalty Tools: Attract and retain diners with automated email marketing campaigns, restaurant website optimization, and a customizable rewards program.
Learn more about ChowNow features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: ChowNow is an excellent choice for procurement managers seeking the best online food ordering software, as it boosts profits by cutting commission fees (partners save an average of $16K annually). Its comprehensive tools simplify operations, enhance customer loyalty, and provide actionable analytics for optimizing your restaurant business.
3. Toast
Is your online ordering system truly working for you?
Toast offers a unified platform specifically designed to streamline your operations, connecting your restaurant’s digital presence directly to your kitchen.
This comprehensive approach addresses your pain points by integrating every aspect, ensuring your online orders flow smoothly from click to kitchen.
Here’s how you can gain control.
Toast centralizes your restaurant’s entire digital experience, from online ordering to loyalty programs. This means you can manage everything from one place, simplifying your daily tasks.
You’ll gain access to tools like their commission-free online ordering platform, which means more profit goes directly to your bottom line, not third-party fees. Plus, Toast integrates with tools for marketing, loyalty, and labor management, giving you a complete operational overview. This enables better decision-making and improved efficiency across your entire business, from front-of-house to back-of-house.
Imagine the ease of management.
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Key features:
- Commission-free online ordering: Keep more of your revenue by eliminating third-party fees, directly boosting your profit margins with every order.
- Integrated marketing and loyalty: Drive customer retention and increase order frequency by creating targeted promotions and rewarding loyal patrons.
- Unified restaurant management: Centralize operations from ordering to labor, providing a holistic view that enhances efficiency and simplifies decision-making.
Learn more about Toast features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: Toast stands out as the best online food ordering software by offering a comprehensive, integrated solution that eliminates common pain points like commission fees and fragmented systems. Its unified platform, encompassing online ordering, marketing, and labor management, directly addresses the need for streamlined operations, improved order accuracy, and enhanced customer satisfaction.
4. Square
Tired of clunky online food ordering systems?
Square offers a comprehensive solution to manage your orders from one place, ensuring seamless operations for any food service business.
This means you can improve operations and scale your business, making it easier to handle everything from coffee shops to catering.
Streamline your food business.
Square addresses your core challenges by centralizing your operations, helping you take payments, manage orders, and [track performance efficiently]. This allows you to improve efficiency and reduce potential errors, which is crucial for customer satisfaction.
You can manage orders from one place and track inventory, ensuring your menu is always accurate and up-to-date. Plus, with capabilities like scheduling and paying your team, and managing your cash flow, Square helps you gain better control over your entire business, allowing you to focus on growth and keeping customers coming back.
The result is truly integrated business management.
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Key features:
- Manage orders from one place: Centralize all your online and in-person orders to streamline workflows and reduce order accuracy issues.
- Keep customers coming back: Utilize marketing, loyalty programs, and integrated messaging to build lasting customer relationships and boost retention.
- Improve operations and scale your business: Gain comprehensive insights into your performance and manage your team and cash flow for sustained growth.
Learn more about Square features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: Square stands out as a strong contender for the best online food ordering software, especially for businesses seeking an integrated solution. Its capabilities across payments, order management, customer retention, and staff scheduling mean you can truly streamline your operations, making it ideal for procurement managers aiming for efficiency.
5. Olo
Are you struggling with fragmented online ordering systems?
Olo offers a unified platform for restaurants, integrating online ordering, payments, and delivery to increase orders and streamline operations. This means you can easily manage customer interactions.
This platform helps you drive revenue, reduce complexity across channels, and personalize guest touchpoints using real-time data. You’ll find it easy to scale your brand with tools built for growth.
So, how does Olo help you grow?
Olo helps you increase sales by making it easy for guests to order directly from your website, app, or kiosk. Your team delivers faster service, keeping more margin on every ticket.
Additionally, Olo simplifies large catering orders with built-in controls and flexible menus. This results in seamless workflows that capture high-value orders without extra work for your team. You can also process online and in-store payments through a secure platform, giving guests fast, frictionless checkout while protecting against fraud. The platform unifies direct and third-party delivery into one workflow, eliminating multiple tablets and controlling costs, while boosting repeat business through personalized marketing driven by guest data.
It’s truly a comprehensive solution for your business.
Key features:
- Online Ordering & Delivery: Drive more digital orders directly from your website or app, while efficiently managing both direct and marketplace deliveries from a single platform.
- Catering & Payments: Simplify large catering orders with integrated controls and flexible menus, plus process secure online and in-store payments with built-in fraud protection.
- Guest Data & Marketing: Personalize guest experiences and build loyalty using real-time guest data to automate campaigns and deliver smarter, targeted communications with measurable ROI.
Learn more about Olo features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: Olo stands out as the best online food ordering software, powering over 88,000 locations by unifying critical operations like online ordering, delivery, and payments. Its integrated catering and guest data capabilities address key pain points for procurement managers, ensuring improved order accuracy and enhanced customer satisfaction.
6. BentoBox
Struggling with complex online ordering systems?
BentoBox offers an all-in-one marketing and commerce platform designed to streamline your restaurant’s online operations.
This system empowers your restaurant to attract more diners and boost profitability, moving beyond basic ordering to a comprehensive solution. This means a smarter approach to hospitality.
Here’s how BentoBox helps transform your business.
It provides a centralized platform for all your diner-facing modules. This allows you to manage everything from your restaurant website to online ordering, reservations, and events management, ensuring your brand stands out.
You can easily accept commission-free online food orders for takeout and delivery, and even manage online catering up to a year in advance. Additionally, features like QR Code Order & Pay reduce server workload by allowing customers to order and pay directly via their mobile devices, saving time and labor costs.
This integrated approach helps you capture valuable diner data, which can then be used to deliver even better hospitality through targeted marketing and optimized menu offerings. You can also sell merchandise and gift cards, adding new revenue streams.
The result is increased revenue and operational efficiency.
Key features:
- Commission-free online ordering enables you to manage takeout, delivery, and catering directly, driving higher-value sales without third-party fees, which directly impacts your bottom line.
- Integrated marketing and commerce tools like restaurant websites, email, and SMS marketing boost web traffic and revenue, helping you attract new customers and engage existing ones.
- Comprehensive operational management including reservations, digital waitlists, and QR code order & pay streamlines your dining room and staff, reducing labor costs and improving customer satisfaction.
Learn more about BentoBox features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: BentoBox is an ideal best online food ordering software, offering comprehensive features like commission-free online ordering, integrated marketing, and efficient operational tools. With reported success metrics like 40% more web traffic and 50% more revenue, it directly addresses critical pain points for procurement managers, ensuring streamlined operations and increased profitability.
7. UpMenu
Are high third-party commissions eating your profits?
UpMenu’s online ordering system lets you sell directly from your website or a branded mobile app with no commissions. This means you retain more revenue from every order.
You can take control of your customer relationships and profit margins, avoiding reliance on external platforms. This empowers you to build direct connections with your patrons.
Gain full control over your operations.
UpMenu introduces an intuitive order management system that lets you handle all online and offline orders, from kitchen prep to customer drop-off. You can also integrate with existing POS systems and other food ordering platforms, ensuring seamless compatibility with your current setup. This significantly reduces implementation concerns and training overhead for your staff. Additionally, you can easily manage delivery processes and drivers with a dedicated courier app, or even leverage third-party fleets if you don’t have your own. Plus, their marketing tools, like loyalty programs and email campaigns, automatically engage customers to boost sales. The result is higher customer retention through streamlined experiences and actionable insights from powerful analytics.
While we’re discussing customer retention and marketing, understanding customer advocacy software is equally important to scale your efforts.
Key features:
- Commission-free Online Ordering: Sell directly from your website or a branded mobile app, keeping more of your revenue without high third-party fees.
- Integrated Order & Delivery Management: Control all orders (online/offline), manage deliveries, assign drivers, and even use third-party fleets from one centralized platform.
- Built-in Marketing & Loyalty Tools: Create engaging email campaigns, implement loyalty programs, and use push notifications to boost customer retention and drive sales.
Learn more about UpMenu features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: UpMenu stands out as the best online food ordering software by empowering restaurants to boost sales and customer satisfaction while significantly cutting commission costs. With features like direct commission-free ordering, integrated delivery management, and robust marketing tools, it helps businesses like Sushi Kushi save over $1,500,000 on third-party commissions.
8. TouchBistro
Struggling with online ordering software overload?
TouchBistro streamlines your operations by bringing all your restaurant management needs onto one integrated platform. This means simplifying everything from front-of-house to guest engagement.
It addresses your pain points by helping you boost on- and off-premise orders, turn tables faster, and increase your average check size, all while guaranteeing order accuracy.
Here’s a holistic solution.
TouchBistro’s platform is designed to increase your sales and deliver a standout guest experience. This is achieved by centralizing your core restaurant operations, including your menu, sales, and staff management, into a single, intuitive system.
You can take orders directly on your website, accept payments quickly and securely, and even manage reservations, ensuring every guest feels like a VIP. Their Kitchen Display System connects your front and back of house, ensuring timely order fulfillment. Additionally, features like Inventory Management and Labor Management help you control costs and maximize profitability.
TouchBistro also offers guest engagement solutions like Loyalty programs and Marketing tools to keep customers returning. This comprehensive approach means you can reduce food waste, monitor staff performance, and improve communication across your restaurant, saving you time and money.
Boost your profits and enhance guest experiences.
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Key features:
- Integrated Online Ordering: Take orders directly from your website, manage menus from anywhere, and accept payments quickly and securely for a seamless customer experience.
- Comprehensive Management Tools: Centralize your operations with features like inventory management, labor scheduling, and cloud-based reporting for informed decision-making and cost control.
- Guest Engagement Solutions: Drive repeat business with built-in loyalty programs, gift cards, and marketing automation, keeping your customers coming back for more.
Learn more about TouchBistro features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: TouchBistro stands out as a strong contender for the best online food ordering software by offering an all-in-one platform for sales, operations, and guest engagement. Its integrated POS, inventory, and labor management features directly address pain points like order accuracy and cost control, helping you maximize profits and deliver an unparalleled guest experience.
9. GloriaFood
Struggling to manage online food orders efficiently?
GloriaFood offers an online ordering system that helps you turn website visitors into loyal customers. This system facilitates free, unlimited orders without commissions or hidden fees, directly boosting your profitability.
You can easily transform your existing website into a money-making machine with online ordering capabilities. This allows you to increase customer retention and sales significantly.
Here’s how it works.
GloriaFood helps you convert your website into a powerful sales tool, enabling you to receive more orders. You can add “See MENU & Order” and “Table reservation” widgets, making the online ordering process fast and easy.
This simplifies customer interactions, reducing lost sales due to complex ordering. You can also build a strong online presence, even generating a fully functional restaurant website with online ordering in seconds, no coding skills needed. Clients using this sales-optimized website have reported up to a 162% increase in online sales.
Additionally, you can take your first online order within minutes by simply creating an account, adding widgets, and using their restaurant online ordering app to confirm orders from your website, Facebook page, or restaurant app. This entire process is seamless.
It’s truly that simple to operate.
Key features:
- Free Unlimited Orders: Take unlimited online food orders with zero commissions, helping your business grow without incurring additional costs.
- Sales-Optimized Website: Generate a fully functional restaurant website with online ordering capabilities in seconds, boosting online sales by up to 162%.
- Mobile Order Management: Accept and confirm incoming online food orders directly from your smartphone, tablet, or iPad using their intuitive free order-taking app.
Learn more about GloriaFood features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: GloriaFood stands out by offering a free, commission-free solution for online food ordering, website generation, and mobile order management. This system helps procurement managers streamline operations, increase sales by up to 162%, and reduce costs, making it a compelling choice for the best online food ordering software.
Conclusion
Still losing profits to third-party apps?
I know choosing the right system is tough. You need to cut high commission fees without sacrificing the customer experience or adding operational headaches.
The market shift is clear. A Statista report notes a 33.58% increase in meal kit subscriptions. This proves customers want structured solutions that simplify their lives and your operations.
Here’s my top recommendation.
After reviewing all these options, Owner.com stands out. It directly helps your restaurant regain control and keep more of your hard-earned profits.
For a complete business strategy, my guide on online reputation management software offers vital insights.
Their AI-powered website builder is a game-changer for driving direct, commission-free orders. It’s why I’ve named it the best online food ordering software.
I strongly suggest you book a free demo of Owner.com to see for yourself how it can transform your business.
You’ll see more direct sales fast.
