ChowNow vs Menufy for restaurants: the monthly plan, the order fee and where the two prices cross

ChowNow charges a monthly plan, reported at $119 to $298 on an annual contract, a one-time setup fee and 2.95% + 29¢ per card [1]. Menufy charges a plan reported at $149 a month annual or $179 month to month, a $1.75 convenience fee on every order and card processing reported near 2.75% + 30¢ [2] [3]. Neither takes a commission on orders from your own page. The difference is the order fee: Menufy's is per order, so its bill grows with volume faster than ChowNow's, unless you pass the fee to the diner.

If you want a menu page with pickup ordering and no monthly plan, you can build a free menu site with pickup ordering from a photo of your menu. Below: both price lists, a month at three sizes, the volume where they cross, who pays Menufy's fee, contract questions and who each fits.

Both price lists in one table

Both lists come from third-party sites and each company's own posts, and they disagree in places. Details and sources are in our ChowNow pricing and Menufy pricing guides. Treat every figure as a starting point for a written quote.

A month at three sizes

All orders at $30. ChowNow is the Hub plan ($119) and the Pro plan ($199) on annual pricing. Menufy is the $149 annual plan, once with the $1.75 fee absorbed by the restaurant and once passed on to the diner.

The sums at 300 orders. ChowNow Pro: 2.95% of $9,000 is $265.50, plus 300 × 29¢ is $87, plus the $199 plan: $551.50. Menufy: 2.75% of $9,000 is $247.50, plus 300 × 30¢ is $90, plus the $149 plan is $486.50, plus 300 × $1.75 = $525 if you absorb the fee: $1,011.50.

What the table says

If the restaurant pays Menufy's fee, ChowNow is cheaper at every size here, and the gap grows with volume: about $200 at 150 orders and nearly $1,000 at 600. If the diner pays the fee, the two are within a few dollars to under $100 of each other, and the plan price decides. The fee is the lever: who pays it matters more than which logo is on the page.

Where the two prices cross

Take Menufy with the fee absorbed against ChowNow Pro. Menufy's cost per order is the card ($0.825 + $0.30 = $1.125) plus $1.75: $2.875. ChowNow's per order is $0.885 + $0.29 = $1.175. Menufy costs $1.70 more per order, but its plan is $50 cheaper ($149 against $199). So ChowNow Pro is cheaper from about 30 orders a month ($50 ÷ $1.70 = 29.4). Above that, every order widens the gap. Against ChowNow Hub ($119), Menufy's plan is $30 dearer, so ChowNow Hub is cheaper from the first order.

With the fee passed on, Menufy's cost per order is the card only ($1.125), 5¢ below ChowNow's $1.175. Against Pro, Menufy is cheaper at every volume: its plan is $50 lower and its per-order cost is lower too. Against Hub, Menufy's plan is $30 dearer, so Hub wins until 600 orders ($30 ÷ $0.05) and Menufy wins above that. These crossovers use our assumed $30 ticket and the rates above, so recompute with yours.

Who pays Menufy's $1.75?

Menufy's comparison page says the restaurant can pay $0 if the fee is passed to the customer [3]. That means the diner sees a $1.75 line at checkout. It makes an online order look dearer than the same food at the counter. On a $30 order it is 5.8%; on a $9 coffee, almost 20%. If your tickets are small, the flat fee hurts more. ChowNow has no per-order fee, so the diner's total is the menu plus tax and any delivery or tip.

Setup, support and what you do not know yet

ChowNow's reported setup fee of $119 to $499 is a one-time cost that Menufy's third-party listings do not mention. Ask both what is included: building your menu, photos, a branded page, an app, and how many menu changes a month. Menufy is part of HungerRush, a restaurant software company [4], which may matter if you ever want its POS. ChowNow is independent of any POS and says it connects to several.

Delivery and marketplaces

Neither brings you new diners the way a marketplace does. Menufy says it negotiated a 12.5% commission with DoorDash and Uber Eats for its partners; that is Menufy's own claim and we could not verify it [5]. ChowNow's own blog says restaurants fulfil their own delivery [1]. For the usual commission levels, see DoorDash commission. If you stay on a marketplace for reach, choose the cheaper tool for your own orders and keep the two separate.

Contract questions for both

1. What is the term, and what does cancelling early cost?
2. Is the card rate fixed, and who is the processor?
3. Who owns the domain and the customer list, and can I export it?
4. Does the page sit on my own website or on theirs?
5. For Menufy: is the $1.75 shown to my diners, and can I switch it?
6. For ChowNow: is the setup fee waived on an annual plan?

Who each one fits

ChowNow fits a restaurant with 150 or more online orders a month that wants a predictable bill and does not want to charge the diner a fee. Its cost per order stays low as you grow.

Menufy fits a restaurant that is happy to pass the fee to the diner, or whose volume is modest and wants the lower plan price, and a pizzeria or takeout place that likes a flat monthly figure.

Neither fits a place under about 100 online orders a month: a plan of $119 to $179 is then over 3% of $4,500 of sales before card fees. A free pickup page costs only the card fee; see commission-free online ordering and best online ordering systems.

How to test before you sign

1. Count your online orders and average ticket for the last two months.
2. Fill the month table with your numbers, with Menufy's fee both ways.
3. Ask each for a written quote with term, fees and rate.
4. Choose the shorter term. After 60 days, compare orders and bill to your sums.

Mistakes restaurants make comparing the two

• Comparing the plan alone. A $30 difference in the plan is small next to a $1.75 fee on 300 orders ($525). Always add the per-order and card fees.
• Forgetting the setup fee. A one-time $119 to $499 spreads over a year to $10 to $42 a month. Include it when you compare a 12-month cost.
• Assuming every order is new. Neither service brings diners. If your regulars already phone in, online ordering moves orders, it does not add them. Judge it on the labour and the commission you save.
• Not testing on a phone. Most diners order from a phone. Open each demo page on yours, on mobile data, and time a test order from menu to confirmation.
• Skipping the exit. Ask what happens to your domain, menu and customer list when you cancel. A cheap plan you cannot leave is not cheap.

What the monthly plan should include

For $119 to $199 a month you should expect a working ordering page under your name, menu updates, order printing or a tablet, support, and a way to see your orders and customers. If a vendor lists marketing as part of the plan, ask what is done for you and what is a template you fill in. Marketing tools you will not use are not worth paying for; a page that takes orders reliably is.

Frequently asked questions

Is ChowNow or Menufy cheaper?

At 150 or more orders a month with the fee absorbed, ChowNow is cheaper on these numbers. With the fee passed to the diner, Menufy can match or beat it.

Does Menufy charge commission?

Not on its own ordering: a plan, a per-order fee and card fees [2].

Does ChowNow have a per-order fee?

No: only the card rate and the plan [1].

Which has a setup fee?

ChowNow is reported at $119 to $499. Ask Menufy.

Can I switch later?

Ask about the term and exporting your customers before you sign.

Is there a cheaper way to take pickup orders?

Yes: build a free menu site with pickup ordering, and see all our guides.

Sources

1. Our ChowNow pricing guide (plans, setup fee, 2.95% + 29¢), with its sources; ChowNow, self-published.
2. Our Menufy pricing guide ($149 to $179 plan, $1.75 fee, about 2.75% + 30¢), with its sources.
3. Online Ordering Comparison, Menufy (fee passed to the customer).
4. Menufy by HungerRush, Fitgap, as shown in search results Nov 11, 2026.
5. Restaurant Delivery App Fees, Menufy (12.5% claim; self-published).

Prices change and most comparison pages are written by a rival. Confirm with each company in writing.