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Bistro vs Square for Restaurants

Square is a full POS with hardware that lives behind the counter. Bistro is a menu and table OS that lives on the phone in your guest's hand. Here's when each one wins.

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CRITERIA
Bistro
Square for Restaurants
Monthly software
$9 to $180
$0 Free, $49 Plus, $149 Premium per location, plus a custom Pro tier.
Hardware
None. Use the phones and tablets you own.
Runs on an iPad you own. Paid hardware optional: contactless reader $59, Stand $149, Terminal $299, Handheld $399, Register $799+.
Add-on device fees
None.
KDS and Kiosk billed per device: $30-$50/device/mo on Plus, $20-$30 on Premium.
Payment processing
Stripe (≈ 2.9% + 30¢). You connect your own account.
In person 2.6% + 15¢ Free, 2.5% + 15¢ Plus, 2.4% + 15¢ Premium. Online 3.3% + 30¢ Free, 2.9% + 30¢ Plus/Premium.
Bistro per-transaction fee
No platform fee on pay at table. Reservation deposits carry 1% + $1.00, paid by the guest.
Not applicable. Square keeps you on Square payments.
Digital menu and QR per table
Included on every plan.
Self-serve ordering via Square QR, each code mapped to a table. Ships through Square Online.
Weekly menus and meal periods
Included on every plan.
Native menu hours and dayparting per menu.
Pay at the table
Included on every plan.
QR self-serve checkout, or a Square Handheld (~$399). Kiosk is a paid per-device add-on.
Phone reservations
AI voice agent answers 24/7 and books tables and events. Included on Full Bistro OS.
AI voice ordering takes pickup orders on Plus/Premium. Square states it does not handle reservations.
Tip splitting and tracking
Tip tracking per waiter on Multi and Full Bistro OS.
Tip splitting on Plus and Premium.
Multi-location
Up to 5 on Multi. Unlimited on Full Bistro OS.
Per location pricing. Each location pays separately.
Time to launch
Same day, no hardware shipping.
Same day on an iPad you own. Longer if you order hardware.
Contract
Month to month.
Month to month on software, hardware purchased upfront.

Square pricing, processing rates and features verified July 2026 against Square's own pricing and support pages. Square adjusts rates by plan and region, and raised processing rates in January 2026. Check Square's site for current numbers before signing.

PICK BISTRO IF

  • You don't want to bring a Square Reader or terminal to every table.
  • You want one QR per table plus a real digital menu, not a POS tile grid.
  • You want pay-at-table where diners scan and pay from their own phone.
  • You want an AI agent answering your phone and booking tables and events, not just pickup orders.
  • You want per-waiter tip tracking without paying per device for extras.
  • You want to keep your own Stripe account.

PICK SQUARE IF

  • You need a full POS with cash drawer, kitchen printer, and inventory.
  • You're a quick-service restaurant where staff rings up at a counter.
  • You already use Square for retail or other businesses and want one platform.
  • You need built-in payroll and team scheduling on the same vendor.

READY?

Add a digital menu and pay-at-table without replacing your POS.

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