PlatePages vs Square Online for restaurants

Square Online is excellent for taking online orders, and its free plan has no monthly fee, only card fees on each order. PlatePages is a menu-first website: it shows your food beautifully and links to Square (or any other service) for ordering. Many restaurants use both.

Prices checked 13 October 2026 · US dollars, yearly billing

The short answer

Choose Square Online if

Online ordering and payments are the most important thing
You already use Square at the counter
You don't mind your website looking like an ordering page

Choose PlatePages if

You want a website that shows off your food, your story and your space
You want an allergy filter and a menu guests enjoy reading
You want QR codes for tables and a matching printed menu
You use more than one ordering service, or none

Try PlatePages free for 14 days

Side by side

Square OnlinePlatePages

What it costs Free plan with card fees on every online order (about 2.9% to 3.3% + 30¢ in the US). Plus plan US$49 a month per location US$99 a year, everything included (about US$8 a month)

Made for Selling online, for businesses using Square Cafés, restaurants, bakeries and bars only

Putting your menu online Add items to your Square item library Paste your menu text: sections, prices and sizes are read for you

Daily changes Mark items sold out in Square Sold-out switch and today's specials from your phone, reset by themselves tomorrow

Helping guests choose Designed around ordering Search, dietary filters and an allergy filter, built in

QR codes QR ordering on the Plus plan Included and never expire, with print-ready table cards and posters

Printed menu Made separately An A4 menu that always matches your website

Design Simple themes, more options on paid plans 4 restaurant templates and 9 font pairings (36 looks), any colour, your logo, your own homepage order

Extra pages Yes Up to 10 pages: catering, events, private dining, vouchers, jobs

Online ordering Built in: pickup, delivery and payments Buttons to the ordering service you already use (Uber Eats, DoorDash, Square and others)

Your own domain Can connect your own domain Included every year, or a free yourname.platepages.com

Who does the design You set it up Done for you: you choose, and it always works on phones

We make PlatePages, so we're not neutral, but we've tried to be fair. Square Online's details come from their public website, checked 13 October 2026. Prices change and differ by country, so check before you decide. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it. Wix, Squarespace, Canva, Square, Carrd and Hostinger are trademarks of their owners. PlatePages is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.

Questions owners ask

Is Square Online really free?

The Square Online free plan has no monthly fee, but Square charges card fees on every online order (about 2.9% to 3.3% + 30¢ in the US, depending on the plan). Plus is US$49 a month per location.

Can I use PlatePages and Square together?

Yes, and many restaurants should. PlatePages is your website and menu; add your Square ordering link as an "Order online" button. Guests read your menu on PlatePages and order through Square.

Does PlatePages take online orders?

Not yet. PlatePages links to the ordering services you already use, like Square, Uber Eats or DoorDash, so you don't pay for two ordering systems.

More comparisons

PlatePages vs WixFirst year: about US$204 PlatePages vs SquarespaceFirst year: about US$192 PlatePages vs CanvaFirst year: free, or a Canva Pro plan PlatePages vs CarrdFirst year: about US$19, plus a domain PlatePages vs Hostinger Website BuilderFirst year: about US$36 at first, then about US$132 The cheapest way to get a restaurant websiteEvery option, honestly compared

See your menu on PlatePages today.

Paste your menu, add a few photos and you're live. Free for 14 days, no card needed.

Start your free trial See the demo café ↗