Restaurant POS Studio vs Square for Restaurants
Square for Restaurants is easy to start with and has a free plan. Restaurant POS Studio is built for full-service dining rooms that want their own processor and multilingual staff screens. Here is a fair, dated look at both, including where Square is the better pick.
Restaurant POS Studio
$59
Full Service · per location / month · no PCI fee from us
Square for Restaurants
$0 / $49–$60 / $149
Published list price range · checked 2026-10-17
The short answer
Square for Restaurants is a good choice if you want a free plan, built-in card processing and quick setup on Square hardware or an iPad, with month-to-month terms. Restaurant POS Studio is the better fit if you want to keep your own card processor, run coursing and tip pooling in one full-service plan, give staff screens in their own language, or operate in the UAE or Pakistan.
Feature by feature
| What matters | Restaurant POS Studio | Square for Restaurants |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly software price | See pricing — Full Service plan per location | Free plan $0; Plus about $49–$60; Premium $149 per location per month (as published in third-party pricing reviews checked October 17, 2026 — confirm with the vendor) |
| Extra fees | No PCI or statement fees from us | No separate PCI fee reported; card processing fees apply (as published in third-party pricing reviews checked October 17, 2026 — confirm with the vendor) |
| Contract | Month to month; cancel in Settings | Month to month |
| Hardware | Your own iPad, Android tablet or PC; common ESC/POS printers and cash drawers | Square hardware, or an iPad for some features |
| Online ordering | Included on every plan; online store built from your menu | Included on paid plans; card fees apply |
| Kitchen display (KDS) | Unlimited kitchen screens on Full Service, with station routing and ticket timers | Square KDS available; ask how many screens your plan includes |
| Coursing | Course markers, fire and hold from the POS, rush and re-fire | Available on some plans; confirm which |
| Tip pooling | Card and declared cash tips per server; pools by role points or hours | Tip tools available; ask which plan includes tip pooling |
| Split checks | Evenly, by seat, by item or by amount; several payment methods per bill | Split checks supported |
| Languages for staff screens | Each user picks: English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Arabic, Urdu | Ask which languages staff screens and kitchen tickets support in your country |
| Markets (US / UAE / Pakistan) | Sold in the USA, UAE and Pakistan with local currency and tax setup | Available in the US and several other countries; confirm availability in the UAE and Pakistan |
| Card processing | Works with your own processor | Square processing is built in |
List prices as published by the vendor or by third-party pricing reviews on the date checked. Sources disagree in places; ranges are shown. Confirm with each vendor before relying on them. Sources: Chowly — Toast vs Square for Restaurants (2026) · CostBench — Square for Restaurants vs Toast pricing (2026)
Which one fits your restaurant?
Choose Square for Restaurants if…
- You are opening on a tight budget and want to start on a free plan.
- You want card processing built in, with one account and one deposit.
- You run a counter-service or quick-service spot more than a full dining room.
- You already use other Square tools, such as payroll or appointments, and want them in one place.
Choose Restaurant POS Studio if…
- You want to keep your current processor or the rate your bank gives you.
- You need coursing, tip pooling, split checks and bookings in one full-service plan.
- Your team reads Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Arabic or Urdu better than English.
- You run a restaurant in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Karachi, Lahore or Islamabad.
Is Square for Restaurants free, and what does the paid plan add?
Square for Restaurants has a free plan, and paid plans are reported at about $49 to $60 and $149 per location per month, as published in third-party pricing reviews checked October 17, 2026; confirm with the vendor. Paid plans add more full-service tools. Card processing fees apply on every plan.
A free plan is a fair way to start. The question for a sit-down restaurant is which tools you need on a Friday night, such as coursing, multiple kitchen screens and tip pooling, and which plan includes them. Ask Square for a plan-by-plan list before you choose.
Our Full Service plan is one plan with floor plan, coursing, unlimited kitchen screens, split checks, tips and tip pooling, bookings and an online store. There is no free tier, but there is a 14-day free trial with no card required.
- List the full-service tools you use every night.
- Ask Square which plan includes each one.
- Add card processing at your monthly volume to both totals.
- Try both on a mock service before you decide.
Can I use my own card processor instead of Square?
With Square for Restaurants, payments run through Square, which is simple but means Square's rates. Restaurant POS Studio works with your own card processor or acquiring bank, so you can keep a rate you negotiated. Card data stays with your processor when you use an integrated terminal.
Built-in processing has real benefits: one account, fast setup and one place for support. It also means you cannot shop your rate. For restaurants with high card volume, a small difference in rate can matter more than the software price.
If you want to keep your processor, ask them which integrated terminals they support. In the UAE, cards and Apple Pay run through your acquirer. In Pakistan, we work with cards, JazzCash, Easypaisa and bank transfer.
- Get your current effective rate from your last processor statement.
- Compare it with Square's published rate for your card mix.
- Ask your processor which terminals they integrate with.
Restaurant POS Studio vs Square for Restaurants: questions
Onboarding desk · usually replies within a business day
Should I start on Square's free plan and switch later?
You can, and many owners do. Starting free lowers your opening costs, and Square is month to month, so switching later is simple. If you already know you need coursing, tip pooling and several kitchen screens, compare paid plans now so you only train staff once.
Does Restaurant POS Studio work on an iPad like Square does?
Yes. It runs in a browser, so it works on an iPad, an Android tablet or a PC with no install. A mobile app is also available. You can mix devices, for example iPads for servers and a PC at the host stand.
Is Square for Restaurants good for a full-service dining room?
It can be, especially on its paid plans. Square has added many full-service tools over time. Check how coursing, seat-level ordering, tip pooling and multiple kitchen screens work on the plan you would buy. Restaurant POS Studio puts all of those in the Full Service plan.
What happens to my Square online store if I switch?
You would set up a new online store, but with us it builds itself from your menu. Products, prices, photos and stock create the store automatically, plus a QR contactless menu. Export your Square item list first, and we import the menu for free when you switch.
What costs should I ask Square about besides the plan?
Reviewers report no separate PCI fee, but card processing fees apply on every plan, including online orders. Ask about hardware costs and any add-ons you might need, such as extra kitchen screens. With us, you pay the plan price and your own processor's fees, with no PCI or statement fees from us.
Can Square print kitchen tickets in Chinese or Vietnamese?
Ask Square which languages are supported for staff screens and tickets in your country. With Restaurant POS Studio, each user picks their interface language. We set up English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Arabic and Urdu, and you can edit translations for your own menu terms.
Which is easier to set up, Square or Restaurant POS Studio?
Both are self-serve. Square is quick if you buy its hardware and use its processing. With us, you sign up, add locations, tables and staff PINs, then add or import your menu, and the online store goes live from it. Most owners take a test order the same afternoon.
Does Square for Restaurants work in the UAE or Pakistan?
We could not confirm Square for Restaurants availability in the UAE or Pakistan, so check with Square. Restaurant POS Studio is sold in both, with AED and PKR pricing, 5% VAT in the UAE, sales tax in Pakistan, and Arabic or Urdu screens.
Compare it on your own menu.
Free trial, no card. We import your menu for free when you switch.
