Best Restaurant Ordering Platform: 5 Options Compared for 2026
Choosing the right ordering platform affects your margins, your brand, and your customer relationships. We compare QwikEat, Uber Eats, Deliveroo, GloriaFood, and Flipdish on commission, features, and who owns the customer relationship.
How to evaluate a restaurant ordering platform
Restaurant ordering platforms fall into three categories: marketplaces like Uber Eats and Deliveroo that bring customers but charge 25-35% commission; white-label platforms like Flipdish that offer branded apps for a monthly fee plus commission; and direct ordering tools like QwikEat and GloriaFood that let restaurants accept orders through their own channel. Each model has trade-offs in cost, control, and customer ownership.
The most important factor for most restaurants is total cost per order. A platform might look affordable on paper but become expensive when you add subscription fees, commission percentages, add-on charges, and the hidden cost of not owning your customer data. A €25 order that costs you €7.50 in commission is fundamentally different from one that costs a flat monthly plan, no matter its value.
Beyond cost, you should evaluate branding control, customer data ownership, setup complexity, and feature completeness. Can you run loyalty programs? Do you get analytics? Can you handle multiple ordering channels from one dashboard? These capabilities determine whether a platform helps you grow or simply processes transactions.
Total cost of ownership matters
Compare all costs: subscription, commission, transaction fees, and add-ons. QwikEat is a simple monthly plan with 0% commission, the most predictable model available.
Customer data is a long-term asset
Platforms that own your customer data prevent you from marketing directly. Over time, this is more costly than any commission because you cannot build retention without knowing who your customers are.
Multi-channel capability
The best platform handles online ordering, click and collect, and dine-in QR ordering from one place. Platforms that only cover delivery leave you managing separate tools for other channels.
Brand control
Marketplace platforms show your restaurant alongside competitors. Direct ordering platforms let customers experience your brand exclusively, which increases trust and repeat ordering.
Setup speed and simplicity
Enterprise platforms can take weeks to onboard. QwikEat's AI menu import and instant setup mean you can go from signup to live ordering in under 10 minutes.
Analytics and insights
Understanding order patterns, peak hours, and customer behavior helps you make better business decisions. Not all platforms provide this data, and some charge extra for it.
Platform comparison: commission and features
Based on a restaurant processing 300 orders/month at €25 average order value
| Marketplace | QwikEat | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly subscription | Uber Eats: €0 | Deliveroo: €0 | GloriaFood: €0 | Flipdish: €99+ | Simple monthly plan |
| Per-order commission | Uber Eats: 15–30% | Deliveroo: 25–35% | GloriaFood: 0% | Flipdish: 5–7% | 0% |
| Monthly commission (300 orders) | Uber Eats: €1,125–€2,250 | Deliveroo: €1,875–€2,625 | GloriaFood: €0 | Flipdish: €375–€525 | None (0% commission) |
| Branded ordering page | Uber Eats: No | Deliveroo: No | GloriaFood: Limited | Flipdish: Yes | Yes, fully customizable |
| Customer data ownership | Uber Eats: No | Deliveroo: No | GloriaFood: Partial | Flipdish: Shared | 100% yours |
| QR dine-in ordering | Uber Eats: No | Deliveroo: No | GloriaFood: Yes | Flipdish: Add-on | Included |
| Loyalty programs | Uber Eats: No | Deliveroo: No | GloriaFood: Paid | Flipdish: Paid | Included |
| Analytics | Uber Eats: Basic | Deliveroo: Basic | GloriaFood: Basic reports | Flipdish: Varies | Included |
| AI menu import | None of them | Included |
| Contract required | Uber Eats: No | Deliveroo: No | GloriaFood: No | Flipdish: Often yes | No contract |
| Setup time | Uber Eats: 3–7 days | Deliveroo: 3–7 days | GloriaFood: 30–60 min | Flipdish: Days–weeks | Under 10 minutes |
Annual commission at 300 orders/month
Uber Eats at 30% commission: €27,000/year. Deliveroo at 30%: €27,000/year. Flipdish at 6% commission: €5,400/year, plus its subscription. GloriaFood: no commission, but Oracle has announced it will be retired on April 30, 2027. QwikEat: 0% commission on a simple monthly plan, with every feature included. That is up to €27,000 a year in commission that stays in your restaurant.
FAQ
Which platform is best for a new restaurant?
Is GloriaFood really free?
Can I use multiple platforms at the same time?
What about platforms not listed here, like Toast or Square?
How important is customer data ownership?
Does the best platform depend on my restaurant type?
The best value in restaurant ordering
Full-featured direct ordering on a simple monthly plan. No commission percentage, no contract. Set up in under 10 minutes.
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