Cheaper Alternatives to Square for Restaurants
Is Square too expensive once you add kitchen screens and kiosks? A dated look at cheaper restaurant options, their numbers and the catches.
3 min read
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Key takeaways
- Square is hard to beat at the very start, because it has a free plan, so a cheaper option usually means cheaper at your size and device count, not cheaper on day one.
- Square charges per device for kitchen screens and kiosks, and its card rate is fixed to its payments, so costs grow with devices and sales.
- Alternatives that charge per location or include screens can win for busy restaurants; those that let you pick a payment provider can win on card fees.
- Run the sum for a full year with your own sales and device list before you move.
In short: Square is cheap to start and can get dearer as you add devices. Cheaper alternatives exist for busy restaurants, but only if you count devices, add ons and card fees over a year. Figures below are from each vendor's page in October 2026.
What Square actually charges
From Square's UK pricing page and its restaurants page:
- A free plan with no monthly fee, and Plus at £69 a month per location on the restaurants page (the general page shows Plus from £29, so confirm which applies).
- Cards in person at 1.75% for UK cards, online at 1.4% plus 25p.
- Kitchen display from £15 per device a month, a kiosk at £35 per device a month.
- Hardware sold separately, for example a Register at £699 plus VAT, a Terminal at £149 plus VAT and a Reader at £19 plus VAT.
Square says its online ordering has no monthly fees or commissions. That is a strong point, and our Square comparison lists where Square leads.
A worked example
This is an example with round, made up numbers, not a quote. A restaurant with two tills, two kitchen screens and one kiosk, on Plus:
| Item | Monthly |
|---|---|
| Plus plan | £69 |
| Two kitchen screens at £15 | £30 |
| One kiosk at £35 | £35 |
| Software total | £134 |
Card fees come on top: at 1.75%, £20,000 of card sales a month is £350. Hardware is extra. Now compare against a per location plan that already includes screens.
Where a cheaper total can come from
- Per location pricing: devices are included up to a limit, so adding a screen costs nothing extra.
- Your own card provider: you can shop for rates instead of accepting one.
- Fewer paid add ons: loyalty, kitchen screens and online ordering inside the plan.
Options to price against Square
| Option | What it publishes (October 2026) | Catch |
|---|---|---|
| Lightspeed Restaurant | Basic €89, Core €159, Pro €249 a month, extra registers €49 (Lightspeed) | Euro and pound conflict on its page; kiosk price not shown |
| SumUp readers | Reader prices from £25 excluding VAT, 1.69% in person, or 0.99% on domestic consumer cards with Payments Plus at £19 a month (SumUp) | Readers, not a full restaurant system |
| Epos Now | Bundles with a subscription from £54 a month (Epos Now) | Several promo prices, rates not shown |
| Flipdish | POS plus ordering from €99 a month billed annually (Flipdish) | Kiosk and kitchen display by quote |
| DineHarbor | £69, £129 or £219 a month per location, screens included (pricing) | No hardware, no delivery app integration, no App Store app yet |
On DineHarbor's Starter plan the example above would cost £69 a month for software, because two kitchen screens are included. The kiosk is part of Growth at £129. So the same restaurant is £129 against Square's £134, before card fees and hardware. That is close, which is the point: the saving depends on your devices.
Cutting card fees without moving
If your system lets you change provider, compare card rates first. Our guide to card payment fees explains how to read a quote, including the fixed amount per transaction that matters on small orders.
Before you leave Square
- Export your sales and menu.
- Check what your hardware will do with another system.
- Run both for a week if you can.
- Tell customers if you change an online ordering address.
Our switching guide covers the timing.
Questions and answers
Is Square expensive for restaurants?
Square can be the cheapest way to start, since it has a free plan. Costs rise with processing fees and per device add ons such as kitchen display and kiosks, so total your own setup.
What are Square's card fees in the UK?
Its UK pricing page shows 1.75% for UK cards in person and 1.4% plus 25p online, as of October 2026. Check the page for current rates.
Can I use another payment provider with an alternative?
Some systems let you, including DineHarbor. Others tie you to their own payments. Ask before you commit.
What would I lose by leaving Square?
You would lose its published card rates and hardware range, and you need to move your menu and customers. Plan the switch outside peak season.
See it in DineHarbor
About the author
Editorial team
The DineHarbor team writes this blog for restaurant owners and managers. Every article is checked against the product before it is published, so what we describe is what the software does.
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