Square for Restaurants alternative
Weighing Square for Restaurants? See how Platter compares.
Square for Restaurants has been available in Canada since 2021 and publishes its Canadian pricing in CAD. Platter is a restaurant POS made in Canada that runs on iPad, iPhone and Android and works with your Moneris account. Here is a side-by-side look, as of October 2026.
Platter vs Square for Restaurants at a glance
Based on publicly available information as of October 2026. Check each provider for current details.
| Topic | Platter | Square for Restaurants |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing published in CAD | Yes. Plans are listed in CAD on our pricing page. | Yes. Square publishes Canadian restaurant pricing in CAD. |
| Starting price | $79 CAD per location per month (Essentials). Pro is $149, and Multi-location is $129 per location for 3+ sites. | Free plan at $0/month. Plus is $60/month per location, plus $40/month for each additional POS device. Premium is custom-priced. |
| Hardware | Runs on iPad, iPhone and Android. Works with Epson printers and Moneris terminals. Hardware not included. | Square hardware, including Square Handheld (launched in Canada in 2025). |
| Payments | Card payments processed by Moneris, at Moneris preferred pricing for Platter customers (subject to Moneris approval). Tap to Pay on phones powered by Stripe. | Square payment processing. See Square’s Canadian pricing page for current rates. |
| SkipTheDishes, Uber Eats and DoorDash | Uber Eats, DoorDash and SkipTheDishes orders arrive in Platter through Deliverect (your own Deliverect account). | SkipTheDishes integration included at no extra cost with any Square for Restaurants subscription. Uber Eats is in the Square App Marketplace. Contact Square about DoorDash options. |
| Reservations | In-POS reservations built in, with no per-cover fees. Online booking, waitlist and deposits come with Advanced Reservations (coming soon). | OpenTable integration in Canada for Square for Restaurants Plus subscribers, with an OpenTable Core or Pro account. |
| Kitchen display | $15/month per screen. | Unlimited Square KDS devices included with Square for Restaurants Plus. |
| Canadian company and support | Made in Canada. Support by phone, email and our online help centre. | US-based company with a Canadian website and help centre in English and French. |
| French and Quebec | Contact us. | Square publishes French Canadian pages. Square’s Quebec guide describes using a WEB-SRM-certified partner integration. |
Why restaurants switch from Square for Restaurants to Platter
Moneris preferred pricing for Platter customers
Card payments are processed by Moneris, with interchange at cost plus a published margin that drops as you grow. Terminals pair with Platter over Wi-Fi. Subject to Moneris approval; preferred pricing applies while you use Platter, and merchants already with Moneris may not qualify.
Runs on iPad, iPhone and Android
Platter’s POS app runs on iPad, iPhone and Android. The main iPad is included in your plan, extra tablets are $10/month, and phones for tableside ordering are free and unlimited.
Uber Eats, DoorDash and SkipTheDishes in one place
Orders from all three apps arrive in Platter, where your team can accept or cancel them, connected through your own Deliverect account. Takeout, curbside and phone orders sit in the same list.
Made in Canada, with 500+ restaurants live
Platter is built in Canada and used by more than 500 restaurants. Every new account gets a welcome call with an onboarding specialist, who helps set up menus, the floor plan, printers, Moneris and staff roles before you launch.
When Square for Restaurants may be the better fit: If you want to start on a free plan, or you want unlimited kitchen displays included in one subscription, Square for Restaurants may be the better fit. It also suits owners who already use Square for retail.
Switching from Square for Restaurants to Platter
Most of the work happens before launch day, with an onboarding specialist.
- 1
Book a demo with your current setup in mind
Tell us how you use Square for Restaurants today: your menu, floor plan, printers, delivery apps and how many devices you run. Bring a recent card processing statement so we can show your costs side by side.
- 2
Check your current agreement
Look up your Square for Restaurants contract end date, any cancellation terms and whether you lease hardware. Platter offers a contract buyout credit for restaurants that switch, so ask us how it applies to you.
- 3
Send us your menu
An export, a PDF or photos of your menu are all fine. Your onboarding specialist builds your items, modifiers, taxes and prices in Platter with you.
- 4
Set up Moneris, devices and printers
We introduce you to Moneris if you’re new, and your terminals pair with Platter over Wi-Fi. Platter runs on the iPad, iPhone and Android devices you may already own, with Epson printers.
- 5
Practise, then pick your launch day
Your account stays in set-up mode while your team practises. Many restaurants launch on a quiet weekday, with the onboarding specialist on hand.
Read more about how switching works.
Questions about switching
Sources (checked October 2026)
- Square Canada: Square for Restaurants pricing
- Square help (Canada): Square for Restaurants pricing
- Square help (Canada): Set up your SkipTheDishes integration
- Square Canada: Uber Eats app
- Square Canada: OpenTable integration in Canada
- Square Canada: Square KDS in Canada
- Square Canada: Square for Restaurants launches in Canada
- Fintech.ca: Square launches unified POS app in Canada (May 2025)
- Square Canada: WEB-SRM guide for Quebec
- Square Canada (French): restaurant pricing
Product names are trademarks of their owners. Information about other providers is gathered from their public websites and may change; contact them for current details.
Also compare: Toast · TouchBistro · Lightspeed Restaurant · Clover
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