Cafe app buyer's guide
Owner.com alternatives for coffee shops
Owner.com sells restaurants a website, app and marketing bundle from $249 a month, with a 5% fee on guests' orders. If your coffee shop mostly wants regulars ordering from its own app, here are five options, with prices and fees taken from each vendor's own site.
The short answer
- Crate is $80/month for up to five locations, with rewards included and no fee on your guests' orders. It is our product, so we list it first and say where it does not fit.
- ChowNow is the closest like-for-like bundle. Per Diem, Craver and Gegsy are app-first and connect to Square, priced per location with a fee on orders.
- Owner.com may still be right if you want a new website, SEO pages and email and text marketing run for you, or you are on Toast or Lightspeed.
Why coffee shops look for an Owner.com alternative
Owner.com is built for restaurants that want everything run for them: a website built to rank on Google, online ordering, a branded mobile app, automated SEO pages, loyalty, email and text campaigns, catering orders, setup and 24/7 support, all in one plan (Owner.com pricing). That is a lot to pay for if you already have a website and mostly want your regulars ordering ahead.
- A fee on every guest order. On both plans, guests pay a 5% order support fee (Owner.com). At 500 orders of $10 a month, your regulars pay about $250 on top of their coffee.
- A fee on your side too, or a higher plan. Flexible is $249 a month plus a 5% restaurant fee per order. Flat Rate drops that fee for $499 a month, and Owner.com says it is best for restaurants above $5,000 a month in online sales (Owner.com).
- A bundle sized for restaurants. A coffee shop with a website it likes, and an average ticket under $10, pays for a new site and marketing services it may not use.
Owner.com alternatives side by side
| Option | Monthly price | Fee on orders | Website included | POS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crate | $80 for up to 5 locations | None from Crate | Web ordering page on your own domain; keep your site | Square |
| ChowNow | $249 Launch ($229 yearly), plus $119 to $499 setup | Processing listed at 2.95% + $0.29 | SEO website listed in its ordering suite | 30+, including Square |
| Per Diem | $99 per location (20% off yearly) | $0.50 per pickup, $1 per delivery, passed to customers | Web and QR ordering | Connects to Square |
| Craver | $99 per location | 5% guest fee, capped at $2 | Web ordering site | Square; a tablet app for other POS |
| Gegsy | $69 per location ($59 yearly) | $0.40 per pickup, $1.00 per delivery | Web storefront; website builder on Pro | Square only |
| Owner.com | $249 Flexible, $499 Flat Rate | Flexible: 5% restaurant fee. Both: 5% guest fee | Yes, a new website with SEO pages | Toast, Square, Clover, Lightspeed |
What it costs at 500 orders a month
| Option | Your monthly cost | What guests pay on top |
|---|---|---|
| Crate | $80 | Nothing from Crate |
| Owner.com Flexible | $249 + $250 in restaurant fees = $499 | About $250 in 5% fees |
| Owner.com Flat Rate | $499 | About $250 in 5% fees |
| ChowNow Launch | $249, or $229 billed yearly, plus a one-time $119 to $499 setup | Not listed |
| Per Diem Starter | $99 | About $250 in pickup charges |
| Craver Core | $99 | About $250 in 5% fees |
| Gegsy Starter | $69 + $200 in pickup fees = $269 | Not listed |
The five alternatives
1. Crate: your own app on Square, one flat price
Crate puts your Square menu in your own iOS and Android app, designed around your brand, plus a web ordering page you can put on your own domain for guests who do not want to download anything. It is $80/month for up to five locations, and Crate adds nothing to your guests' orders, so a busy month costs the same as a quiet one.
- Keep your website. Link the app and the ordering page from the site you already have.
- Rewards included. Crate stamps or points come with the plan, so you do not need a Square Loyalty subscription.
- Orders land in Square. Each app order is a real Square order with its pickup time, and the menu and hours you set in Square apply in the app.
- Pickup and shipping. Ship beans and merchandise to US addresses from the same app. For delivery, the app can link to your DoorDash store.
- Square gift cards. Once we switch them on, customers buy, add and pay with real Square gift cards in the app, and the same card works at your register.
Where Crate does not fit: Crate does not build you a new website, run email or text campaigns, or take catering orders, and the cafe app works with Square only. If you need those, Owner.com or ChowNow may suit you better.
2. ChowNow: the closest bundle to Owner.com
ChowNow's plans start at $249 a month for Launch, $229 billed annually, with Grow at $349 and Elevate at $449. It lists a $119 to $499 setup fee, processing at 2.95% plus $0.29 per transaction, and a $99 yearly Apple developer fee for branded apps. Its suites list an SEO optimized website, a branded mobile app, email and SMS marketing, loyalty and more than 30 POS integrations, including Square (ChowNow pricing).
Where it may still fit: ChowNow may still fit if you want a website, ordering and marketing bundle; its pricing page lists no guest fee. Crate vs ChowNow.
3. Per Diem: lower monthly start, a charge on each pickup
Per Diem Starter is $99 per location per month, Pro Plus $199 and Premium $499, with 20% off yearly. Starter lists $0.50 per pickup and $1 per delivery, passed to customers; Premium has no usage fees (Per Diem).
Where it may still fit: Per Diem may still fit if you want web, QR, catering and group ordering from one vendor. Crate vs Per Diem, or the full Per Diem alternatives guide.
4. Craver: a coffee-shop app with a guest fee
Craver Core is $99 per location per month with a custom-branded app and web ordering site, and it lists a 5% guest fee capped at $2 per order. Square is its only POS integration for app orders (Craver).
Where it may still fit: Craver may still fit if you want paid coffee-club memberships. Crate vs Craver, or Craver alternatives.
5. Gegsy: built for Square, lower monthly start
Every Gegsy plan includes a branded iOS and Android app and a web storefront. Starter is $69 and Pro $119 per location per month, or $59 and $99 yearly, with no setup fees. Pickups cost $0.40 on Starter and $0.20 on Pro, and deliveries $1.00 (Gegsy).
Where it may still fit: Gegsy may still fit if you want a website builder and your own domain from the same vendor, both on Pro. Crate vs Gegsy.
How to choose
- 01Decide whether you need a new website. If yours works, pay for an app, not a website bundle.
- 02Count your orders. Multiply a month of online orders by each vendor's fee, and decide whether you or your regulars should pay it.
- 03Check your POS. On Toast or Lightspeed, Crate, Craver and Gegsy will not fit.
- 04Count your locations for the next year. Per-location pricing multiplies; a flat plan does not.
- 05Ask each vendor for the full first-year cost, including setup and app store fees, in writing.
For a closer look at one vendor, see Crate vs Owner.com, all cafe app comparisons, or how a branded ordering app works with your Square menu.
Questions
- What are the best Owner.com alternatives for a coffee shop?
- If you mainly want your own ordering app on Square, look at Crate, Per Diem, Craver and Gegsy. If you want a website, marketing and app bundle like Owner.com, look at ChowNow. Crate is $80/month for up to five locations with rewards included and no Crate fee on orders. Per Diem and Craver start at $99 and Gegsy at $69 per location, each with a listed fee on orders. ChowNow starts at $249 a month, or $229 billed annually, plus a setup fee.
- How much does Owner.com cost?
- Owner.com lists two US plans: Flexible at $249 a month plus a 5% restaurant fee on each order, and Flat Rate at $499 a month with no restaurant fee. On both, guests pay a 5% order support fee. Plans are month-to-month and setup is included.
- Is there an Owner.com alternative without a fee on guests' orders?
- Yes. Crate adds no fee to your guests' orders, at $80/month for up to five locations. Per Diem Premium lists no usage fees at $499 per location. Owner.com lists a 5% guest order support fee on both plans, and Craver a 5% guest fee capped at $2. Payment processing is separate everywhere.
- Do I need a new website to get a coffee shop app?
- No. Crate connects to your Square menu and leaves your website alone. You get a branded iOS and Android app and a web ordering page you can put on your own domain. Owner.com includes a new website in every plan, which helps if you want one and is paid for if you do not.
- Which Owner.com alternative works with Toast or Lightspeed?
- Owner.com lists Toast, Square, Clover and Lightspeed. ChowNow lists more than 30 POS integrations, including Square. Crate and Gegsy run on Square only, Craver sends app orders into Square only, and Per Diem connects to Square. If you are on Toast or Lightspeed, Owner.com or ChowNow may suit you better.
- What does an Owner.com alternative cost at 500 orders a month?
- At 500 orders of $10 a month, one location: Crate is $80. Owner.com Flexible is $249 plus $250 in restaurant fees, about $499, and Flat Rate is $499; guests pay about $250 more on either. Per Diem Starter is $99 plus $250 in pickup charges, Craver $99 with about $250 in guest fees, and Gegsy Starter $69 plus $200 in pickup fees.
Sources
- 1. Owner.com: US pricing, restaurant and guest fees
- 2. Owner.com: POS integrations
- 3. ChowNow: plans and additional fees
- 4. Per Diem: plans and usage charges
- 5. Craver: pricing and guest fee
- 6. Gegsy: plans and order fees
Vendor pages read November 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm on each vendor's site before you sign.
See your coffee shop in its own app
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