Is Ser.vi a Square for Restaurants alternative?

Yes. Ser.vi is an integrated restaurant POS with $0 monthly software, staff-entered POS at 3.0% + 20¢ (restaurant pays by default; cash discount program available), and 0% commission online ordering where the guest pays 5%. Hardware is separate. Compare Square's published plan and processing fees in the table above.

Does Square for Restaurants have a free plan?

Square publishes a Free plan at $0 a month per location, with in-person processing at 2.6% + 15¢ and online at 3.3% + 30¢. Plus is $49 a month and Premium $149 a month per location. KDS and kiosk software are paid add-ons on Plus and Premium: Square Kiosk is $99 a month per device. Source: Square's restaurant pricing page, read October 18, 2026.

How much does Ser.vi cost vs Square?

Ser.vi POS and online ordering software: $0 a month. Online: the guest pays 5%. POS: the restaurant pays 3.0% + 20¢ by default, with a cash discount program available. Square: $0, $49, or $149 software tiers plus the processing rates in the table. Hardware is separate on both.

Is online ordering commission-free on both?

Ser.vi online ordering is 0% commission to the restaurant; the guest pays 5% at checkout. Square describes a branded online ordering profile that is commission-free, but you still pay Square's online card processing (3.3% + 30¢ on Free, 2.9% + 30¢ on Plus and Premium). Different models: a guest-paid fee versus a restaurant-paid card rate.

Can I keep my Square hardware?

You can keep your iPad and cash drawer. The payment terminal is separate, and often free with most Ser.vi accounts. We do not claim Square readers, Square Register, or Square Terminal work with Ser.vi. Online ordering can also run on your own compatible tablet and printers once we confirm compatibility.

Can you migrate my menu from Square?

Yes. We help import and migrate your menu from Square when you switch, and walk through the plan on the demo.

Ser.vi online ordering and POS software have no contract. Hardware financing, if you choose it, is a separate agreement. Square's public FAQ says you can cancel or switch plans anytime.

Does Ser.vi have a self-serve kiosk like Square?

We do not sell a Square-style standing or counter kiosk app. Instead, QR self-service at the table covers the same job: guests order from their phone without waiting on staff, with no kiosk line, on the same menu as the POS and online ordering.

Blog / October 18, 2026

Square for Restaurants alternative

A Square for Restaurants alternative with $0 monthly software

Short answer: Ser.vi is an integrated restaurant POS with $0 monthly software, no software contract, and the same menu powering 0% commission online ordering (guest pays 5% at checkout) and QR self-service. On POS orders the restaurant pays 3.0% + 20¢ by default, or you can pass that fee to customers with a cash discount program. Square's published plans are Free, Plus, and Premium at $0, $49, and $149 per location per month.

Square fees quoted from Square's public restaurant pricing page, read October 18, 2026. Ser.vi fees from our pricing page.

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Ser.vi integrated restaurant POS, a Square for Restaurants alternative

Ser.vi vs Square for Restaurants (fees)

Square column is what Square publishes on its own site. Ser.vi column is our pricing page.

	Ser.vi	Square for Restaurants (published)
Monthly software (per location)	$0 for POS and online ordering	Free $0 / Plus $49 / Premium $149
In-person / POS card rate	Restaurant pays 3.0% + 20¢ by default; can pass to customers with a cash discount program	Free 2.6% + 15¢; Plus 2.5% + 15¢; Premium 2.4% + 15¢
Online ordering	0% commission to you; guest pays a flat 5% at checkout	Commission-free ordering profile; online card fee 3.3% + 30¢ (Free) or 2.9% + 30¢ (Plus, Premium), paid by the restaurant
Kitchen display (KDS)	Ask on a demo	Not on Free; $30/mo (Plus) or $20/mo (Premium) per device
Self-serve / kiosk	Table QR self-service on the same menu; no standing kiosk line	Not on Free; Square Kiosk $99/mo per device; Kiosk Lite (iOS) $50/mo (Plus) or $30/mo (Premium) per device
Hardware	Keep your iPad and cash drawer; payment terminal separate (often free with most accounts)	Sold separately; options starting at $59
Contract (software)	No contract on POS and online ordering software	Cancel or switch plans anytime, per Square's FAQ

Square: squareup.com restaurant POS pricing, read October 18, 2026. Square says custom pricing may apply above $250,000 a year in processing. Ser.vi: get.ser.vi/pricing/. Prices change, so check each vendor before you decide. Square is a trademark of Block, Inc.; Ser.vi is not affiliated with Square.

What a Square alternative really costs

Most restaurant POS bills have three parts: software, card processing, and hardware. Square Free has no monthly software fee, the same headline as Ser.vi, so the software line alone does not settle the comparison.

On Square Free, a $40 in-person ticket costs the restaurant about $1.19 at 2.6% + 15¢. Online, Square Free charges 3.3% + 30¢ on the card, paid by the restaurant. Move to Plus or Premium for KDS, kiosk, or lower processing and you pay $49 or $149 a month per location, plus $20–$30 per device for KDS and $30–$99 per device for kiosk software.

On Ser.vi, POS software is $0 a month. On that same $40 POS ticket the restaurant pays 3.0% + 20¢ ($1.40) by default, or you can pass the fee to customers with a cash discount program (most of our POS restaurants do). Online ordering is 0% commission to you; the guest pays 5% at checkout. Hardware is separate, on terms.

Neither model is free end to end. Ser.vi's pitch is $0 monthly software plus a clear who-pays story on POS and online, not a claim that card processing disappears. For the full math, see what a free restaurant POS really costs.

When Square still fits, and when Ser.vi is better

Stay with (or pick) Square when

You want one vendor for POS, banking, payroll, and a broad retail-style toolkit, and you are fine paying Square's published processing rates. You are a small counter-service, café, food truck, or pop-up that can live on Square Free without KDS or kiosk add-ons. You prefer the restaurant to absorb card fees rather than show a guest-paid fee or run a cash discount program.

Pick Ser.vi when

You want $0 monthly POS software and 0% commission direct online ordering on the same menu as the POS and QR codes (delivery apps typically take 25–30%; delivery fees go to the delivery provider, from $6.50 plus tip). You want the option to pass the 3.0% + 20¢ POS fee to customers with a cash discount program. You are weighing Square Plus or Premium plus per-device KDS and kiosk fees and want a simpler software bill. You want self-serve ordering without a kiosk line.

Switching from Square to Ser.vi

Menu: we help you migrate your menu from Square.
Hardware: keep your iPad and cash drawer. The payment terminal is separate, and often free with most Ser.vi accounts. We do not claim Square readers, Register, or Terminal work with Ser.vi.
Contract: online ordering and POS software have no contract.
Timing: our pricing page guarantees a 1-week setup from the time we receive all required information.
Self-serve: table QR self-service on the same menu as POS and online.
Reservations are coming (no date yet).

Questions restaurants ask

Is Ser.vi a Square for Restaurants alternative?: Yes. Ser.vi is an integrated restaurant POS with $0 monthly software, staff-entered POS at 3.0% + 20¢ (restaurant pays by default; cash discount program available), and 0% commission online ordering where the guest pays 5%. Hardware is separate. Compare Square's published plan and processing fees in the table above.
Does Square for Restaurants have a free plan?: Square publishes a Free plan at $0 a month per location, with in-person processing at 2.6% + 15¢ and online at 3.3% + 30¢. Plus is $49 a month and Premium $149 a month per location. KDS and kiosk software are paid add-ons on Plus and Premium: Square Kiosk is $99 a month per device. Source: Square's restaurant pricing page, read October 18, 2026.
How much does Ser.vi cost vs Square?: Ser.vi POS and online ordering software: $0 a month. Online: the guest pays 5%. POS: the restaurant pays 3.0% + 20¢ by default, with a cash discount program available. Square: $0, $49, or $149 software tiers plus the processing rates in the table. Hardware is separate on both.
Is online ordering commission-free on both?: Ser.vi online ordering is 0% commission to the restaurant; the guest pays 5% at checkout. Square describes a branded online ordering profile that is commission-free, but you still pay Square's online card processing (3.3% + 30¢ on Free, 2.9% + 30¢ on Plus and Premium). Different models: a guest-paid fee versus a restaurant-paid card rate.
Can I keep my Square hardware?: You can keep your iPad and cash drawer. The payment terminal is separate, and often free with most Ser.vi accounts. We do not claim Square readers, Square Register, or Square Terminal work with Ser.vi. Online ordering can also run on your own compatible tablet and printers once we confirm compatibility.
Can you migrate my menu from Square?: Yes. We help import and migrate your menu from Square when you switch, and walk through the plan on the demo.
Is there a contract?: Ser.vi online ordering and POS software have no contract. Hardware financing, if you choose it, is a separate agreement. Square's public FAQ says you can cancel or switch plans anytime.
Does Ser.vi have a self-serve kiosk like Square?: We do not sell a Square-style standing or counter kiosk app. Instead, QR self-service at the table covers the same job: guests order from their phone without waiting on staff, with no kiosk line, on the same menu as the POS and online ordering.

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