ChowNow
ChowNow is an online ordering and marketing platform that helps independent restaurants build their own branded digital storefronts to take commission-free orders directly from their customers.
SOCi
SOCi is a marketing platform for multi-location brands that helps you manage local search, social media, and online reviews across hundreds or thousands of business locations from one central dashboard.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | ChowNow | SOCi |
|---|---|---|
| Website | chownow.com | soci.com |
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Custom |
| Starting Price | Free | Custom Pricing |
| FREE Trial | ✘ No free trial | ✘ No free trial |
| Free Plan | ✓ Has free plan | ✘ No free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2011 | 2012 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, USA | San Diego, USA |
Overview
ChowNow
ChowNow provides you with the tools to take control of your restaurant's digital presence and eliminate high third-party delivery fees. You can launch your own branded ordering system across your website, social media profiles, and a custom-built mobile app. This allows you to keep 100% of your profits on every order while capturing valuable customer data that third-party apps usually keep for themselves.
The platform focuses on sustainable growth by providing you with automated marketing tools and a dedicated success manager to help increase your order volume. Whether you run a single local eatery or a growing regional chain, you can manage your entire digital menu and track sales performance through a centralized dashboard. It integrates directly with your existing POS system to keep your kitchen operations running smoothly without manual data entry.
SOCi
SOCi is a marketing platform built specifically for multi-location enterprises. You can manage your brand’s entire digital presence across thousands of local pages, ensuring every storefront stays active and engaged with its specific community. Instead of logging into individual accounts for every location, you handle social media, reviews, and local listings from a single, unified interface that scales with your business growth.
The platform solves the complexity of local marketing by giving you tools to automate content distribution while maintaining brand standards. You can respond to local reviews at scale using AI-assisted tools, track local search rankings, and launch localized ad campaigns. It is designed for marketing teams at franchises, retail chains, and property management firms who need to empower local managers without losing corporate oversight.
Overview
ChowNow Features
- Commission-Free Ordering Keep every dollar you earn from your online orders instead of paying 15-30% in fees to third-party delivery platforms.
- Branded Mobile Apps Launch your own custom-branded iOS and Android apps so your customers can order directly from their home screens.
- OrderBetter Network Get discovered by new diners through a network of high-traffic sites like Google, Yelp, and TripAdvisor with integrated ordering.
- Automated Marketing Send automated email campaigns and push notifications to your customers to drive repeat business and increase order frequency.
- POS Integrations Sync your online orders directly with your existing point-of-sale system to eliminate manual entry and reduce kitchen errors.
- Customer Data Ownership Access your own customer database including email addresses and order history to power your personalized marketing efforts.
SOCi Features
- Social Media Management. Schedule and publish localized content across all your social pages simultaneously while maintaining consistent brand messaging and compliance.
- Reputation Management. Monitor and respond to customer reviews across all major platforms from one inbox to improve your local ratings.
- Local Listings Sync. Update your business hours, address, and contact info across Google, Yelp, and Facebook to ensure customers always find accurate data.
- SOCi Genius AI. Generate personalized, brand-consistent responses to customer reviews and social comments automatically using advanced artificial intelligence tools.
- Local Pages Builder. Create and manage mobile-responsive local landing pages that drive foot traffic and improve your local search engine rankings.
- Localized Advertising. Deploy targeted ad campaigns for specific locations to reach local customers exactly where they are searching and browsing.
Pricing Comparison
ChowNow Pricing
- Commission-free ordering
- Ordering on your website
- Google Search & Maps ordering
- Digital menu management
- Standard payment processing
- Everything in Free, plus:
- Custom-branded mobile app
- Automated email marketing
- Dedicated Success Manager
- Loyalty program tools
- Advanced data reporting
SOCi Pricing
Pros & Cons
ChowNow
Pros
- Eliminates expensive per-order commissions entirely
- Provides full ownership of customer contact data
- Responsive customer support and dedicated success managers
- Easy-to-use interface for updating menus quickly
Cons
- Initial setup fees can be high
- Requires your own staff for local delivery
- Limited customization options for the mobile app
SOCi
Pros
- Centralized control over thousands of local social media profiles
- Streamlined review management with helpful AI-generated response suggestions
- Robust reporting that tracks performance across individual locations
- Excellent customer support and dedicated account management teams
Cons
- Initial setup and data syncing can be time-consuming
- Mobile app functionality is limited compared to the desktop version
- Learning curve for teams unfamiliar with complex enterprise platforms