Blog / August 22, 2026 · Updated November 4, 2026
ChowNow alternativeA ChowNow alternative with no monthly fee
Short answer: ChowNow is commission-free, but the restaurant pays for it: plans start at $229 a month billed annually ($249 monthly), plus 2.95% + $0.29 on every transaction and a $119–$499 setup fee. Ser.vi online ordering has no monthly fee and costs the restaurant $0 per order: the guest pays a flat 5% convenience fee, shown at checkout. Ser.vi also runs QR ordering and a POS on your existing iPad, on the same menu.
Updated November 4, 2026 · ChowNow details read from get.chownow.com/pricing on November 4, 2026
Ser.vi vs ChowNow (what each publishes)
The ChowNow column is what ChowNow lists on its pricing page. The Ser.vi column is our pricing and online ordering pages.
| Ser.vi | ChowNow | |
|---|---|---|
| Commission on direct orders | 0% | 0% (with Profit Protector enabled) |
| Monthly fee for online ordering | $0, no monthly fee | Launch $229 (annual) or $249 (monthly); Grow $319 or $349; Elevate $409 or $449 |
| Setup fee | No setup fee | $119–$499 |
| What the restaurant pays per order | $0: no commission, no card fee | 2.95% + $0.29 per transaction |
| What the guest pays | A flat 5% convenience fee, shown at checkout ($2.00 on a $40 order) | No guest fee listed |
| POS | Included: $0 monthly software on your existing iPad (iPadOS 15 or later); Ser.vi hardware optional, offered on terms | Not included; connects to POS systems such as Toast, Square, Revel and Clover |
| QR ordering | Included, at the table or counter, same menu | On Grow and Elevate, not Launch |
| Delivery | Ser.vi can send a DoorDash driver; delivery fees go to the provider, from $6.50 plus tip | Flex Delivery, $7.98 per order |
| Other listed costs | Optional marketing plans $249, $449, $749 a month | Printer $250–$420; $99 a year Apple developer fee for a branded app |
| Contract | None for online ordering or POS software | Lower prices shown for annual billing |
ChowNow: pricing page, read November 4, 2026 (QR Code Ordering plan placement read October 28, 2026). Your ChowNow quote may differ, so check yours. ChowNow is a trademark of its owner; Ser.vi is not affiliated with ChowNow. Ser.vi: our pricing page and online ordering page.
The math on 600 online orders a month
Take a restaurant with 600 online orders a month at $40, or $24,000 in direct orders.
- ChowNow Launch: about $1,111 a month. $229 billed annually, plus 2.95% of $24,000 ($708) and $0.29 × 600 ($174), after a one-time $119–$499 setup fee. Billed monthly at $249, it is about $1,131. That is roughly $13,300 a year before setup, printer or delivery.
- Ser.vi: the restaurant pays $0. No monthly fee, no commission and no card fee on online orders. Guests pay 5%, which is $2.00 on each $40 order, or $1,200 across the month.
- Delivery apps, for scale: at a typical 25–30% commission, the same $24,000 costs $6,000–$7,200 a month.
Read the Ser.vi line honestly: the cost doesn't vanish, it moves to the guest. ChowNow keeps the guest's total at the menu price and bills the restaurant instead. If you'd rather not add a fee to your guests' checkout, ChowNow or another restaurant-paid system may suit you better. Ser.vi fits when you want online ordering without a monthly bill, with QR ordering and a POS on the same menu.
Fee models side by side: 14 commission-free online ordering systems compared and who pays the online ordering fee.
Which one fits your restaurant
Stay on ChowNow when
- You want guests to pay the menu price with no checkout fee, and the plan plus card processing works for your volume.
- You get real orders from ChowNow's marketplace app and discovery listings on Google, Apple and Yelp.
- You lean on its built-in loyalty, email and SMS tools, or its fraud and chargeback protection.
- You are happy with your current POS and want ordering that plugs into it.
Pick Ser.vi when
- You want commission-free online ordering with no monthly fee and $0 per order to the restaurant.
- You'd rather drop a separate POS bill: the Ser.vi POS runs on your existing iPad with $0 monthly software.
- You want online, QR and counter orders on one menu, so a sold-out item is switched off once.
- You want marketing only if and when you choose it, as a separate plan.
How to compare before you switch
- Pull last month's ChowNow statement. Add the plan, the 2.95% + $0.29 on each order, and any Flex Delivery or add-on charges. Note your billing term and renewal date.
- Count your direct orders. Write down orders a month and your average ticket, so you can put your own numbers in the math above.
- Book a 20-minute Ser.vi demo. We'll show your storefront, a guest checking out with the 5% fee shown, the ticket printing in your kitchen and the POS on an iPad, then put your statement next to Ser.vi's fees.
- Go live. We guarantee a 1-week setup from the time we receive all required information from you. Then point your website's order button to your new storefront.
Still weighing your options? See the Owner.com alternative, the Menufy alternative, the GloriaFood alternative or the DoorDash alternative.
Questions restaurants ask
- How much does ChowNow cost per month?
- On ChowNow's pricing page, read November 4, 2026, Launch starts at $229 a month billed annually or $249 billed monthly, Grow at $319 or $349, and Elevate at $409 or $449. On top of the plan, ChowNow lists a $119–$499 setup fee, 2.95% + $0.29 per transaction, $99 a year for the Apple developer account behind a branded app, $250–$420 for a printer, and $7.98 per Flex Delivery order. Your quote may differ, so ask for it in writing.
- What is a good ChowNow alternative?
- It depends on what you want to stop paying for. If you want commission-free online ordering with no monthly bill, Ser.vi is one option: the restaurant pays no monthly fee, no commission and no card fee on online orders, and the guest pays a flat 5% convenience fee shown at checkout. Ser.vi also runs QR ordering and a POS on the same menu. If you mainly use ChowNow for its marketplace app, discovery listings and loyalty, compare those features too; our roundup lays out 14 systems by who pays which fee. Compare 14 commission-free systems
- Does ChowNow charge commission?
- ChowNow says restaurants can take unlimited commission-free orders from their website, branded app, ChowNow's marketplace app and discovery channels with its Profit Protector feature enabled. Instead of commission, the restaurant pays the monthly plan and 2.95% + $0.29 on each transaction. Ser.vi is 0% commission too; the difference is who pays the rest.
- Who pays the fees on a Ser.vi online order?
- The guest. Ser.vi adds a flat 5% online ordering convenience fee, shown at checkout, with no per-order add-on. On a $40 order that is $2.00, and it covers card processing and the platform, so the restaurant pays $0. With ChowNow the guest pays the menu price and the restaurant pays the plan and card processing. The cost moves to the guest rather than disappearing, so decide whether that fits your guests before you switch. Who pays the online ordering fee
- Does Ser.vi include a POS?
- Yes. ChowNow is an ordering and marketing layer that connects to POS systems such as Toast, Square, Revel and Clover, which you pay for separately. Ser.vi includes a POS with $0 monthly software that runs on your existing iPad (iPadOS 15 or later); Ser.vi hardware is optional, charged separately and offered on terms. Staff-entered POS orders are 3.0% + 20¢, paid by the restaurant by default, and you can pass that to customers with a cash discount program. See the POS
- Can I keep my current POS and use Ser.vi just for online ordering?
- This page assumes you move to the Ser.vi POS, so online, QR and POS orders share one menu. If you want to keep your current POS, ask us in a demo and we will tell you straight whether Ser.vi online ordering fits your setup.
- How does delivery work?
- ChowNow lists Flex Delivery at $7.98 per order. With Ser.vi, online orders stay at 0% commission when you add delivery: Ser.vi can send a DoorDash driver to pick up the order, and delivery fees go to the delivery provider, not Ser.vi, starting at $6.50 plus tip. Delivery apps typically charge restaurants 25–30% commission on marketplace orders.
- Is there a contract?
- Online ordering and POS software have no contract with Ser.vi. The POS runs on your existing iPad; Ser.vi hardware is optional. ChowNow's lower prices are shown for annual billing, so check the term on your ChowNow agreement before you cancel.
- How much does Ser.vi cost?
- Online ordering: no monthly fee and 0% commission to you; the guest pays a flat 5% at checkout. POS: $0 monthly software on your existing iPad; staff-entered orders are 3.0% + 20¢, paid by the restaurant by default or passed to customers with a cash discount program. Optional Ser.vi hardware is charged separately and offered on terms. Optional marketing plans are $249, $449 and $749 a month. See pricing
Bring your ChowNow statement to a demo
In 20 minutes we'll show direct ordering on your menu and put last month's ChowNow bill next to Ser.vi's fees. No credit card, no obligation.
More comparisons: Commission-free ordering systems · Owner.com alternative · Best QR code ordering systems · Toast POS alternative · iPad POS for restaurants
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