TabTake vs Square for Restaurants
Compare TabTake and Square for Restaurants across direct online ordering, POS hardware compatibility, kitchen workflow tools, customer data ownership, pricing, and payment processing.
- Last reviewed
- 17 August 2026
- Market
- United Kingdom
- Verification status
- Verified
This draft comparison requires further source review. Product features, availability, pricing and terms may change.
Quick comparison summary
TabTake
A connected restaurant direct commerce and operations platform offering 0% commission fees, custom branded storefronts, ESC/POS ticket routing, built-in CRM, and 100% customer data retention.
- Best suited for
- Restaurants, takeaways, and multi-location operators looking for flexible direct online ordering, kitchen management, and customer CRM without proprietary hardware locks or add-on costs.
- Pricing status
- Flat monthly subscription, 0% commission on order revenue.
Square for Restaurants
A popular all-in-one POS system and restaurant solution combining in-person table management, proprietary POS hardware, payment processing, and Square Online ordering.
- Best suited for
- Full-service restaurants, bars, and cafes seeking an integrated in-person POS system with sleek proprietary hardware and built-in payment processing.
- Pricing status
- Free plan available; Plus plan from £69/mo per location + payment processing fees (1.75% in-person, 2.5% online).
24 criteria
Detailed comparison
2 entities, 24 criteria, United Kingdom market.
| Criterion | TabTake | Square for Restaurants |
|---|---|---|
| Direct Online Ordering | Available (custom web storefront & domain) | Available (Square Online ordering page) |
| Delivery Ordering & Dispatch | Available (custom postcodes & radius fee tiers) | Available (Square Order Manager & courier dispatch) |
| Collection / Pickup Support | Available (scheduled collection slots) | Available (in-store pickup time-slots) |
| QR Table Ordering | Available (dine-in QR table ordering) | Available (Square Order with QR code) |
| Table Reservations | Available (built-in table booking & guest management) | Supported (via Square Appointments or POS integration) |
| Scheduled Advance Ordering | Available (pre-orders for specific time-slots) | Available (scheduled pickup & delivery) |
Direct Online Ordering
- TabTake
- Available (custom web storefront & domain)
- Square for Restaurants
- Available (Square Online ordering page)
Delivery Ordering & Dispatch
- TabTake
- Available (custom postcodes & radius fee tiers)
- Square for Restaurants
- Available (Square Order Manager & courier dispatch)
Collection / Pickup Support
- TabTake
- Available (scheduled collection slots)
- Square for Restaurants
- Available (in-store pickup time-slots)
QR Table Ordering
- TabTake
- Available (dine-in QR table ordering)
- Square for Restaurants
- Available (Square Order with QR code)
Table Reservations
- TabTake
- Available (built-in table booking & guest management)
- Square for Restaurants
- Supported (via Square Appointments or POS integration)
Scheduled Advance Ordering
- TabTake
- Available (pre-orders for specific time-slots)
- Square for Restaurants
- Available (scheduled pickup & delivery)
| Criterion | TabTake | Square for Restaurants |
|---|---|---|
| Branded Restaurant Storefront | 100% custom restaurant website & domain | Square Online website builder (templated) |
| Custom Domain Support | Available (connect custom domain) | Available (custom domain on paid plans) |
| Theme & Colour Customisation | Available (multiple curated themes & brand tokens) | Limited (Square Online brand styles) |
| Multi-concept / Multi-brand Support | Available (manage multiple concepts under one login) | Supported (multi-location account setup) |
Branded Restaurant Storefront
- TabTake
- 100% custom restaurant website & domain
- Square for Restaurants
- Square Online website builder (templated)
Custom Domain Support
- TabTake
- Available (connect custom domain)
- Square for Restaurants
- Available (custom domain on paid plans)
Theme & Colour Customisation
- TabTake
- Available (multiple curated themes & brand tokens)
- Square for Restaurants
- Limited (Square Online brand styles)
Multi-concept / Multi-brand Support
- TabTake
- Available (manage multiple concepts under one login)
- Square for Restaurants
- Supported (multi-location account setup)
Strengths and considerations
TabTake
Strengths
- 0% order commission with flat transparent monthly subscription
- 100% customer data retention (collect emails & phone numbers for direct marketing)
- Hardware-agnostic design — runs on existing tablets, PCs, browsers, and thermal ESC/POS printers
- Built-in customer loyalty, SMS/email marketing, and delivery zone management without add-on charges
Potential limitations
- Software-first focus — does not sell proprietary hardware terminals like Square Register
- Integrations ecosystem is expanding across UK hospitality software partners
Questions to ask
- Do you already have existing tablets, PCs, or thermal printers you want to re-use?
- How important is capturing customer email and phone numbers for direct marketing?
Square for Restaurants
Strengths
- Sleek, user-friendly in-person POS software with custom floor plans and table management
- High-quality proprietary hardware line (Square Register, Stand, Terminal)
- Free entry-level plan for simple counter-service or small cafes
- Seamless integration with Square Online ordering and Square Pay
Potential limitations
- Locked into Square Payments for processing (cannot bring own gateway rate)
- Square KDS (£10+/mo), Square Marketing (£15+/mo), and Square Loyalty (£35+/mo) incur extra per-location monthly fees
- Custom storefront design options are more limited compared to dedicated website builders
Questions to ask
- Are you looking for an all-in-one in-person POS hardware terminal?
- What will your total monthly cost be once KDS, Loyalty, and Marketing add-ons are included?
Which option may suit your restaurant?
Restaurants focused on growing direct online ordering & delivery revenue
Choose TabTake for comprehensive direct ordering, custom storefront design, delivery zone control, and built-in marketing tools without add-on fees.
TabTake includes customer CRM, automated SMS/email campaigns, and loyalty features out of the box, saving on per-location add-on subscriptions.
What to verify: Compare the cost of Square's Plus plan with KDS, Loyalty, and Marketing add-ons against TabTake's flat subscription.
Dine-in restaurants & bars prioritizing in-person POS hardware
Choose Square for Restaurants if your primary requirement is sleek in-person POS hardware terminals and table layout management.
Square provides an intuitive in-person POS interface with dedicated hardware like Square Register and Stand.
What to verify: Check your expected card processing volume to calculate payment processing fees with Square Payments.
Considerations for restaurants in United Kingdom
- •Hardware Strategy: Square relies on proprietary hardware ecosystem (Register, Stand, Terminal), whereas TabTake is hardware-agnostic and runs on existing web browsers, tablets, and standard ESC/POS printers.
- •Subscription Model: Square offers a free basic POS tier, but advanced restaurant features (KDS, Loyalty, Marketing) add recurring per-location fees. TabTake provides an all-inclusive feature set under a flat subscription.
- •Payment Gateway Choice: Square mandates Square Payments processing. TabTake supports flexible payment gateways including Stripe Connect.
Questions to ask before choosing restaurant software
- Which ordering channels are included?
- Are transaction or commission fees charged?
- Is pricing public or quotation-based?
- Which features require an add-on?
- Can the restaurant use its own domain?
- Who owns the customer relationship?
- Can menus be managed centrally?
- Are delivery and collection both supported?
- Does the platform support multiple locations?
- Which printers and hardware are supported?
- What onboarding is included?
- Is there a minimum contract period?
- Can data be exported?
- Which integrations are available in the UK?
How this comparison was prepared
Criteria were selected for UK restaurant purchasing research. Unavailable or unreviewed data is marked as not publicly confirmed. TabTake is currently under development, no provider paid for placement, and this draft represents no referral relationship.
This comparison is intended as a practical planning resource. Product features, availability, pricing and terms may change. Confirm current details directly with each provider before making a purchasing decision.
The comparison is based on publicly available provider documentation, official pricing pages, and TabTake product specifications.
Features, pricing tiers, hardware compatibility, and payment processing rates are subject to change by each provider.
TabTake publishes this comparison and is one of the platforms evaluated.
No provider paid for placement, and no endorsement or referral partnership is implied.
Sources
- TabTake Direct Ordering & Operations Platform — TabTake UK (external)
official-product-page · accessed 17 August 2026
- Square for Restaurants UK POS & Software Solutions — Square UK (external)
official-product-page · accessed 17 August 2026
- Square for Restaurants Pricing & Plans UK — Square UK (external)
official-pricing-page · accessed 17 August 2026