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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.

Try BistroSee pricing
SPEC
Bistro
Square for Restaurants
Monthly software
$9 to $89
$0 Free, $49 Plus, $149 Premium per location
Hardware required
None.
Square Reader, Stand, Register, or Terminal.
Payment processing
Stripe (≈ 2.9% + 30¢). You connect your own account.
2.5%–2.6% + 10¢–15¢ in-person, 2.9% + 30¢ online.
Bistro per-transaction fee
1% Starter, 0.5% Pro/Team/Multi (in-app payments only).
Not applicable.
Digital menu and QR per table
Included on every plan.
Self-serve ordering via Square QR. Configurable on Plus+.
Weekly menus and meal periods
Included on every plan.
Not native. Workarounds with multiple menus.
Pay at the table
Included on every plan.
Square Self-Serve add-on or staff handheld.
Tip splitting and tracking
Tip tracking per waiter on Team and Multi.
Tip splitting on Plus+.
Multi-location
Up to 2 on Team, up to 5 on Multi.
Per location pricing. Each location pays separately.
Time to launch
Same day, no hardware shipping.
Reader ships fast, full Register install longer.
Contract
Month to month.
Month to month on software, hardware purchase upfront.

Square pricing and processing rates verified May 2026 from public sources. Square adjusts rates by plan and region. 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 weekly menus, meal periods, and per-waiter tip tracking out of the box.
  • You want to keep your 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.

Get startedSee pricing