The Best Online Ordering System for Restaurants? Compare for Yourself.
Toast, ChowNow, Owner.com and ActiveMenus all promise commission-free ordering. The differences show up in what you pay every month. In who delivers the food. And in who picks up the phone when an order goes wrong. Here's the side-by-side.
Book Free DemoThe side-by-side comparison
| ActiveMenus | ChowNow | Owner.com | Toast Online Ordering | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly software cost | $0. Just 2.89% + $0.29 card processing. $150/Mth | $249–$449/mo | $499/mo flat, or $249/mo + 5% per order | Requires Toast POS ($69/terminal/mo) plus a ~$75/mo ordering add-on |
| Setup | Including. Menu entry, design and onboarding. | $119–$499 setup fee | Included | Toast hardware purchase required |
| Extra fees your guests pay | None. Optional tip only. | None published | 5% order support fee on every order | 99¢ per online order |
| Delivery | Uber and DoorDash drivers, from $4.99 a delivery. We handle any issues. | Handed off to DoorDash/Uber at $7.98 flat per order | Outsourced to third-party fulfillment | Toast Delivery Services (third-party drivers) |
| Who handles order problems | Our US-based team, acting on your behalf. Delivery and takeout. | Your staff | Guest-funded support fee | Your staff |
| Marketing | AI campaigns you approve by text. SMS, email and push. Included at no extra charge. | Email contacts capped at 500–5,000 by plan | Templates and dashboard included | Marketing bundle ~$185/mo add-on |
| AI voice order taking | Included at no extra cost with ActiveMenus Online Ordering | Not included | Not included | Not included. Separate third-party add-on required. |
| POS requirement | Works with your POS. Or use our tablet. | Not required | Not required | Toast POS required |
Competitor pricing as published by each company or reported by independent reviews, August 2026. Always confirm current pricing directly. And while you're at it, ask who answers your customers' calls.
Coming from GloriaFood? See the alternative and migration guide›Who takes the 9 PM phone call?
An online ordering system is easy to buy. The problems that come with it are not. Wrong address. Cold food. A driver who can't find the gate. On every other platform in this comparison, those calls go to one person. Your manager. ActiveMenus is the only one that answers them for you. Our US-based support team acts on behalf of your restaurant for every delivery and takeout issue. Re-deliveries. Refunds. 'Where's my order' calls. All of it. Your guests get taken care of. Your managers stay on the floor. Every. Single. Shift.
Restaurants big and small love ActiveMenus.
We are fans of ActiveMenus. It was easy to get set up, and it has also been easy for us to maneuver. And our customers have found it easy to use.
Gretchen M. — Manager, Sizzlers
You guys helped us out in a real big pinch got us up and running really quickly. And as far as support goes, you guys have been excellent and always responsive.
Peter P. — Owner, Baldino's Giant Jersey Subs
Marketing you approve from a text.
Every platform on this page says 'automated marketing.' Here's what ours actually looks like. We send you a campaign idea by text, Slack, or email. Something like: 'Rainy Tuesday. Send your regulars 15% off delivery tonight?' You reply yes, no, or change it. That's it. The campaign goes out over SMS, email, and push notifications, coupon codes and all. You manage results in real time with a few clicks. No dashboards to learn. No agency retainer. Included at no extra charge. ChowNow caps your email contacts by plan. Owner.com hands you templates. ActiveMenus puts a marketing team in your pocket.
See how marketing & loyalty programs work›Delivery drivers you never have to deal with.
You don't want to run a fleet. You want food delivered. Through ActiveMenus you use Uber and DoorDash driver networks for an average of $4.99 a delivery. Go direct to Uber or DoorDash yourself and restaurants pay about $6.99 on average. And if something goes wrong with a delivery, we handle it. Not your managers.
Learn more about logistics and delivery›
We answer the phone too.
Live representatives answer phones, chats, or texts from your customers and handle issues. Re-deliveries. Refunds. Order-status questions. Upset guests. Our US-based team acts on your behalf so your managers can stay on the floor. This is what sets us apart from every other platform on this page.
See how customer and delivery support works›Prefer AI voice ordering for taking orders? That is included with ActiveMenus at no additional charge.
See how AI voice ordering works›
The honest read on each platform.
Toast Online Ordering
A genuinely great POS company. But online ordering is an add-on to hardware you have to buy. Marketing is another add-on on top of that. And your guests pay 99¢ on every online order. Already deep in the Toast ecosystem? It's convenient. Want ordering, delivery, support and marketing without replacing your POS? It gets expensive fast.
ChowNow
The commission-free pioneer, and a solid product. You'll pay $249 to $449 a month plus a setup fee. Delivery is a flat-fee handoff to DoorDash or Uber. And when a guest has a problem, that problem belongs to your team.
Owner.com
Slick websites and strong marketing automation. But the flat plan runs $499 a month, or 5% of every order on Flex. Your guests pay a 5% order support fee on top of their meal. On every single order.
ActiveMenus
$150 flat setup. $0 a month for web ordering. Real delivery options. A US-based team that handles customer support for you. AI marketing you approve from a text. All included at no extra charge. We're biased. Book a demo and make us prove it.
Frequently asked questions
The one that fits how you operate. Want zero monthly software cost, real delivery options, and a team that handles customer support on your behalf? That's ActiveMenus. Committed to Toast hardware? Their add-on may be convenient. ChowNow and Owner.com are solid products. They run $249 to $499 per month, and support and delivery are left to your staff or your guests to cover.
Anywhere from $0 to over $500 per month. ActiveMenus web ordering is $0 per month with 2.89% + $0.29 card processing. ChowNow runs $249 to $449 per month plus a setup fee. Owner.com is $499 per month flat, or $249 per month plus 5% per order. Toast requires its POS at $69 per terminal per month, plus an online ordering add-on around $75 per month.
All four platforms here market commission-free direct ordering. The difference is what gets layered on top. Owner.com guests pay a 5% order support fee. Toast guests pay 99¢ per online order. ChowNow charges $249 to $449 monthly. ActiveMenus charges no monthly fee and no commissions. Just standard card processing.
We do. Our US-based support team acts on behalf of your restaurant for both delivery and takeout orders. Re-deliveries, refunds, order-status calls, upset customers. Your managers don't have to deal with it.
Yes. Our AI marketing system sends you campaign ideas by text, Slack, or email. You reply yes, no, or change. The campaign goes out automatically over SMS, email, and push notifications, coupon codes included. You manage everything in real time with a few clicks.
See it with your own menu.
Book a free demo and we'll show you exactly what ordering, delivery, support and marketing look like for your restaurant. Or run the numbers yourself in our savings calculator.