The short answer
The best online ordering system depends on what you already use and what else you need. If you only want a way to take orders online, the cheapest options cost nothing a month. If you want ordering in the same system as your till, bookings or loyalty, you pay more, but you run one system instead of three.
| System | Published monthly price (checked 3 Nov 2026) | Fee on orders | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square for Restaurants | Free plan £0; Plus £69 per location | Card processing only: 1.4% + 25p on UK cards online | Small venues that want online ordering with no monthly fee |
| Flipdish | Essential £119 per site (annual) or £139 (monthly) | Not published | Takeaways and restaurants that want a till and ordering together |
| Slerp | £125 to £250 per site | A platform fee on orders, not published | Brands that want a native app, delivery and catering orders |
| Toast | Not published for the UK | Not published | Venues already using Toast’s till |
| Growtality | £29 (Standard) or £119 (Pro) | 1% on completed online orders | Independents that want ordering, bookings, CRM and loyalty in one system |
| Uber Eats (for comparison) | No monthly fee | 30% when Uber delivers, 13% when you deliver | Reaching new customers |
| Just Eat (for comparison) | No monthly fee | 14% | Reaching new customers |
Growtality publishes this guide, so we’ve included ourselves as one option and said where another system may suit you better. Every other price comes from the vendor’s own website on 3 November 2026. Marketplace rates are from our UK delivery commission data and are before VAT.
What it costs on £10,000 a month of orders
Take a restaurant with £10,000 a month of online orders, about 400 orders at £25. This is the monthly platform cost on each route, before card processing and VAT:
| Route | Monthly cost |
|---|---|
| Uber Eats, Uber delivers (30%) | £3,000 |
| Just Eat (14%) | £1,400 |
| Uber Eats, you deliver (13%) | £1,300 |
| Slerp | £125 to £250, plus its platform fee on orders |
| Flipdish Essential | £119 (annual billing) or £139, plus any order fees |
| Square for Restaurants Plus | £69 |
| Square for Restaurants Free | £0 |
| Growtality Standard (£29 + 1%) | £129 |
Card processing applies on top for every direct system. On Square, online payments with UK cards cost 1.4% + 25p, which is £240 on these 400 orders.
The gap between marketplaces and direct ordering is large whichever system you choose. Between direct systems, the difference is smaller and depends mostly on what else is included.
How to choose
Start with what you already run
If you already have a till you like, check whether it has its own online ordering first. Square for Restaurants includes a till and online ordering, Flipdish’s Essential package includes the Flipdish POS, and Toast sells online ordering as part of its Digital Storefront suite. If you’re happy with bookings, CRM and marketing elsewhere, a till-led system keeps everything about the order in one place.
Count every fee
A low monthly price can hide a fee on every order. Ask each supplier for the total at your order volume, including:
- Any platform or per-order fee, and whether it differs between collection and delivery.
- Card processing, for UK and non-UK cards.
- Any fee added to the customer’s basket. A surprise checkout fee sends customers back to the apps.
- Setup or onboarding fees, and the contract length.
Decide how you’ll deliver
Some systems send delivery orders to courier networks at a per-delivery price, some let you use your own drivers, and some do both. Work out what a delivery costs you each way before you choose.
Check who owns the customer
The main reason to move off the marketplaces is to own your customer list. Check that every order creates a customer record you can export and use for email, SMS and loyalty. Our guide to direct ordering vs delivery apps covers what a good direct ordering setup needs.
The systems compared
Square for Restaurants
Square’s Free plan costs £0 a month and includes online ordering, with unlimited devices and locations. Online payments with UK cards cost 1.4% + 25p, and 2.5% + 25p for non-UK cards. A kitchen display costs £15 a month per device on the Free plan. Plus is £69 a month per location, with a 30-day free trial and unlimited kitchen displays. Premium has custom pricing for businesses taking more than £200,000 a year.
Flipdish
Flipdish’s Essential package combines the Flipdish POS with online ordering, a branded website and apps, a CRM, automated marketing and integrated payments. It costs £119 a month per site on annual billing or £139 billed monthly, excluding VAT. Its pricing page doesn’t state a fee on orders or the card processing rate. Self-service kiosks, a kitchen display system and Uber Direct delivery are add-ons sold through its sales team.
Slerp
Slerp provides branded ordering on your own domain for delivery, click and collect, pre-orders and catering. It costs £125 to £250 per site a month, depending on whether a branded native app is included. A platform fee applies on orders and varies by plan and order type, with card processing on top. There’s a one-off £500 onboarding fee, waived if you go live within 30 days, and contracts are typically 12 or 24 months, with rolling terms available. Loyalty is included; CRM is a paid add-on. Delivery uses a single rate card across its integrated couriers.
Toast
Toast’s online ordering is part of its Digital Storefront suite. We couldn’t find UK prices for it on Toast’s website, so ask for a quote in pounds that includes card processing.
Growtality
Growtality is an ordering system and a booking system in one, with a guest CRM, loyalty and email and SMS marketing included. Customers order on your own branded page for collection, delivery with your own drivers, or at the table, all from one menu. Orders go to the Kitchen Display app on a standard Android tablet. Standard is £29 a month and Pro is £119, plus 1% on completed online orders, with no fee added to the customer’s order and a 14-day free trial with no card required. It doesn’t connect to courier networks such as Uber Direct, so if you rely on couriers rather than your own drivers, a system with courier integration may suit you better. See the online ordering system for restaurants or plans and pricing.
Before you sign
- Get the total monthly cost in writing at your current order volume and at double it.
- Ask whether any fee is added to your customers’ orders, and whether you can switch it off.
- Check the contract length and what it costs to leave.
- Ask whether orders reach your existing kitchen screen, printer or till.
- Ask whether you can export your full customer list with order history.
- Test the ordering page on your own phone. If it’s slower than the app your customers use now, they’ll go back to the app.
Questions owners ask
What is the best online ordering system for UK restaurants?
It depends on what else you need. Square's free plan suits a small venue that only wants online ordering with no monthly fee. Flipdish bundles its own till with ordering for £119 a month per site on annual billing. Slerp suits brands that want a native app, delivery and catering, from £125 to £250 a month per site. Growtality combines ordering with bookings, a guest CRM and loyalty for £29 a month plus 1% on completed online orders.
How much does an online ordering system cost in the UK?
From £0 to around £250 a month per site, plus card processing. Square's Free plan costs nothing a month but charges 1.4% + 25p on online payments with UK cards. Flipdish's Essential package is £119 a month on annual billing or £139 monthly. Slerp is £125 to £250 a month per site plus a platform fee on orders. Growtality is £29 or £119 a month plus 1% on completed online orders.
Is an online ordering system cheaper than Uber Eats or Just Eat?
For most restaurants, yes. Uber Eats publishes UK commission of 30% when it delivers and 13% when you deliver, and Just Eat charges 14%, before VAT. On £10,000 a month of orders, that's £1,300 to £3,000 a month in commission, against £0 to a few hundred pounds a month for a direct ordering system, plus card processing either way.
Do I still need the delivery apps if I have my own ordering system?
Usually, at first. Marketplaces bring customers who haven't found you yet. Most restaurants keep them running and move their regulars to direct ordering, so they stop paying commission on customers they already have.
What should I check before choosing an online ordering system?
The total monthly cost at your order volume, including any per-order platform fee and card processing; whether a fee is added to the customer's basket; the contract length; whether you can deliver with your own drivers; whether orders reach your kitchen screen or till; and whether you own and can export the customer data.
