ChowNow and Owner.com are two of the best-known commission-free online ordering platforms for independent restaurants in the US. Both include a website, direct ordering and marketing. Their pricing works very differently, though, and so does who pays the fees. Here is a side-by-side using both companies' 2026 pricing pages, plus a third option: AIOrders.
From ChowNow's pricing page (get.chownow.com/pricing, as of Oct 2026):
From Owner.com's pricing page (owner.com/pricing, as of Oct 2026):
AIOrders is a Vancouver-based restaurant platform that serves restaurants in Canada and the USA. Its homepage describes commission-free ordering, review automation, local SEO and repeat-customer campaigns for one flat monthly fee (aiorders.io, as of Oct 2026). Pricing is a flat-monthly plan with 0% order fees (see pricing; the entry plan adds a per-order fee).
| Feature | ChowNow | Owner.com | AIOrders |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $229–$409/mo annual, or $249–$449 monthly | $249/mo (Flexible) or $499/mo (Flat Rate) | Flat-monthly plan with 0% order fees; entry plan adds a per-order fee (see pricing) |
| Per-order fees | 2.95% + $0.29 per transaction; $7.98 per Flex Delivery order | Flexible: 5% restaurant fee; guests pay 5% order support fee on both plans | No commission on the flat-monthly plan; Uber Direct delivery billed per delivery |
| Commission | Commission-free direct ordering | Flat plan: no restaurant fees | 0% on direct orders |
| QR ordering | Grow and Elevate plans | Not listed on pricing page | Yes, Smart QR table ordering |
| Website | SEO-optimized website included | AI-optimized website included | AI website builder included |
| SEO | Included | Included | AI SEO and Google listings included |
| Review automation | Not listed | Not listed | Voice of Guest, included |
| Loyalty | Included | Included | Included |
| AI phone | Not listed | AI Phone Ordering listed as a product | Optional add-on |
| Contract | Annual or monthly; $119–$499 setup fee | Month to month, no cancellation fees | Cancel anytime; money-back guarantee, see pricing |
| Canada / USA | USD pricing; ask about Canada | Both (USD/CAD toggle) | Vancouver-based; serves restaurants in Canada and the USA |
| POS | Not a POS; 30+ integrations | Owner POS offered; integrations | Not a POS; Order Hub syncs to Square, Clover, Toast |
"Not listed" means we did not find it on the public pricing page when we checked. Ask the vendor if it matters to you.
Assume a $30 average ticket (about 333 orders).
Processing is included in the ChowNow figure because ChowNow publishes it. Owner and AIOrders do not itemise restaurant processing on their pricing pages, so ask both for an all-in quote.
Toast is a POS with its own commission-free online ordering sold as a quoted package (Toast, as of Oct 2026). ChowNow and Owner both integrate with POS systems instead of replacing them (Owner also offers its own POS). Menufy is the budget option at $149–$179/month (Menufy, as of Oct 2026). See our Toast and Menufy alternative pages.
ChowNow is better for restaurants that want published, predictable plan pricing with branded apps, 30+ POS integrations and printed marketing, and that prefer not to add a fee to guests' orders.
Owner.com is better for restaurants that want a very hands-off website and ordering launch, are comfortable with a 5% guest fee, and have enough online sales (Owner suggests $5k+/month) to use the $499 Flat plan.
AIOrders charges a flat monthly fee with no per-order restaurant fee, adds Order Hub for delivery apps and an AI phone receptionist add-on, and serves restaurants in Canada and the USA.
Ready to compare on your own numbers? Try the savings calculator, see pricing, or book a demo.
At $10,000/month in online orders, ChowNow Launch is about $641 including processing, Owner Flat is $499 before processing, and Owner Flexible is $749. Owner guests also pay a 5% fee.
Yes. Owner says guests pay a 5% order support fee on both plans (Owner, as of Oct 2026).
A $119–$499 setup fee, 2.95% + $0.29 per transaction, $99/year for branded Apple apps, $250–$420 for a printer and $7.98 per Flex Delivery order.
AIOrders: a flat-monthly plan with 0% order fees (see pricing; the entry plan adds a per-order fee).