MasOrder vs ChowNow: A Flat $99 Online Ordering Alternative for Restaurants
ChowNow is a well-known name in commission-free restaurant ordering. Here is an honest look at who each platform fits, what each costs, and how the features compare.
The short version
ChowNow is one of the best-known direct-ordering platforms for restaurants. MasOrder is a smaller alternative built around one idea: a single flat price, with no setup fee. If you run an independent restaurant and want branded online ordering, rewards, email marketing and a kitchen tablet without a pricey subscription, this comparison is for you.
We are MasOrder, so we are biased. To keep this useful, we stick to what each company says on its own site, and where we cannot verify something we tell you to check their current pricing.
Who each one is for
- run an independent restaurant or food truck and want one predictable bill, with no setup fee
- want direct ordering, rewards, email marketing and a kitchen tablet in one plan
- like starting without risk: no card to begin, no contract, and billing starts 30 days after your first order
- want a branded iOS and Android app built and maintained for you. ChowNow lists one on its Grow and Elevate plans, with a $99 yearly Apple developer fee
- want orders from several channels on one tablet. ChowNow’s site describes order aggregation for third-party delivery orders
- are comfortable with their pricing: $229 to $449 a month depending on plan and billing, plus a setup fee
Pricing, side by side
- 0% commission to the restaurant
- Unlimited orders, one plan, no tiers
- No contract and no setup fee
- Free kitchen tablet while you are a customer
- Launch plan. Or $249 a month billed monthly
- Grow is $319 ($349 monthly) and Elevate is $409 ($449 monthly)
- The branded app and SMS come with Grow and above
- Setup fee of $119 to $499, as listed on their pricing page, October 2026
Two footnotes on our side. Customers pay a small 5% service fee at checkout (never more than $7.50), and Stripe’s standard card processing, 2.9% + 30¢, comes out of each payment. Neither goes to MasOrder as commission. ChowNow lists its own card processing at 2.95% + $0.29, so processing doesn’t change the comparison. See the full breakdown on our pricing page.
What it means in practice: ChowNow’s Launch plan is $130 a month more than ours on annual billing, or $150 more billed monthly, before the setup fee. Launch does not include their SMS marketing or branded app. Those start on Grow, which is $220 a month more than ours on annual billing, or $250 billed monthly. Whether their extras are worth that gap is your call, so run it with your own numbers. Plans change, so check their current pricing before you decide.
Features, side by side
Both cover the basics. ChowNow’s column reflects what its own site lists.
| Feature | MasOrder | ChowNow |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $99 flat | Launch $229 billed annually or $249 monthly. Grow $319 or $349. Elevate $409 or $449. Check their current pricing. |
| Setup fee | None | $119 to $499, per their pricing page |
| Commission to the restaurant | 0% | None on direct orders, per ChowNow. Their pricing FAQ ties this to its Profit Protector feature, so check their terms. |
| Fee on your guests | 5% service fee, never more than $7.50 | Not listed on their pricing page |
| Branded online ordering | Yes. Your own ordering site, on a MasOrder address or your domain. | Yes. A website, plus a branded iOS and Android app on Grow and above, built and maintained by ChowNow. |
| Loyalty | Yes. Points on every dollar, redeemed for menu items you choose. | Yes. A built-in rewards program. |
| Email marketing | Yes. Win-back, cart-recovery, holiday and one-off emails, with AI-drafted copy. | Yes. Email to your diner list, with limits by plan. |
| SMS marketing | Coming soon. | Yes, on Grow and above. SMS to your diner list, with credits by plan. |
| Kitchen tablet and printing | Free tablet while you are a customer. Auto-prints to Star and ESC/POS printers (printer not included). | Yes. A kitchen tablet and wireless printer. Hardware is separate: their pricing page lists printers at $250 to $420. |
| Contract | None. Cancel anytime. | Annual plan at the lower price, or monthly billing at the higher one. Read their agreement for cancellation terms. |
What MasOrder looks like
Your ordering page
Your name, your photos and your menu on your own site, with a rewards sign-in and an Order online button. More on online ordering and rewards.
Your dashboard
The owner app shows today’s orders, earnings and Google rating in one place, with the same numbers as your dashboard. Your customer list builds itself, so email campaigns have someone to send to.
Your kitchen tablet
New orders flash and chime on the tablet, and tickets print on their own. See the kitchen tablet page for the details.
Common questions
- Is MasOrder really $99 a month with no commission?
- Yes. The subscription is a flat $99 and MasOrder takes 0% of your orders. Customers pay a small service fee at checkout (5%, never more than $7.50), and Stripe’s standard card processing applies to each payment. An optional add-on, like Phone Routing, is billed on top only if you ask for it.
- Can I switch from ChowNow to MasOrder?
- Yes. Check your ChowNow agreement for how to cancel, how your plan is billed, and whether any hardware has to go back. On our side, you can build your menu from a photo of your printed menu, and we set up your ordering site with you.
- Does MasOrder have text-message (SMS) marketing?
- Coming soon. Email campaigns are live today, and text-message campaigns are on the way. We will say so on our site when they ship.
- What do I need for the kitchen tablet and printing?
- The tablet is free while you are on MasOrder and ships set up. For printed tickets you need a Star or ESC/POS thermal printer on your network. The printer itself is not included, and we help you set it up.
Start free. No card, no contract, and billing begins 30 days after your first order.
Written in October 2026 from each company’s public site. Prices and features change, so check ChowNow’s current pricing, hardware terms and agreement before you decide.