Per Diem alternatives for Square cafes

Per Diem alternatives side by side

Orda's site says two things about order fees: the Starter plan lists a $0.25 commission fee, while its home page FAQ says Orda charges no commission (Orda pricing, Orda FAQ). Ask Orda which applies before you sign.

What it costs at 500 pickups a month

The five alternatives

1. Crate: one flat price, rewards included

Crate puts your Square menu in your own iOS and Android app, designed around your brand. It is $80/month for up to five locations, with no Crate fee on any order, so a busy month costs the same as a quiet one.

• 01Rewards included. Crate stamps or points come with the plan, so you do not need Square Loyalty or a separate loyalty bundle.
• 02Orders land in Square. Each app order is a real Square order with its pickup time. Menu and menu group hours you set in Square apply in the app.
• 03Pickup and shipping. Ship beans and merchandise to US addresses from the same app. For delivery, the app can link to your DoorDash store.
• 04Square 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 has no group ordering or self-ordering kiosk, and the cafe app works with Square only. If you need those, look at Per Diem, Gegsy or Orda.

2. Gegsy: built for Square, fees on each order

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 on annual billing, with no setup fee and month-to-month terms. Pickups cost $0.40 on Starter and $0.20 on Pro, deliveries $1.00, and catering 2% or 1% of the order (Gegsy).

Where it may still fit: Gegsy may still fit if you want group orders or a website builder alongside your app, both on Pro. Crate vs Gegsy.

3. Orda: lowest per-location start, kiosks on Pro

Orda is a mobile ordering app for Square. Starter is $59 per location per month and includes branded iOS and Android apps, web ordering on your own domain, e-gift cards and Square Loyalty, plus a one-time $124 Apple and Google setup fee. Pro is $129 per location and adds self-ordering kiosks, DoorDash delivery and push notifications (Orda). Paying yearly brings Starter to $49 (Orda). Orda's terms let it add per-transaction or percentage fees of up to 30% at its discretion and say payments are nonrefundable, so read them first (Orda terms).

Where it may still fit: Orda may still fit if you want self-ordering kiosks and DoorDash delivery from the same vendor as your app. Crate vs Orda.

4. Craver: one plan, a fee your guests pay

Craver Core is $99 per location per month, with two months free on annual billing and no setup fee. It includes a custom-branded app and web ordering site with a Square Loyalty integration, and adds a 5% guest fee capped at $2 per order. A paid membership add-on starts at $49 per month (Craver). Square is its only POS integration; other POS systems run through its tablet app (Craver).

Where it may still fit: Craver may still fit if you want paid memberships, or need to take app orders without a Square integration through its tablet app. Crate vs Craver.

5. MyOrderApp: start free, pay for iOS

MyOrderApp has a free web ordering plan at 5% per transaction, Starter at $29 a month plus 2.5% with an Android app, and Complete at $99 a month with iOS, Android and web and no transaction fees (MyOrderApp). The fee is charged to you on the order subtotal, on top of Square processing (MyOrderApp FAQ). Its site does not mention loyalty, and its newest blog post is from February 2024.

Where it may still fit: MyOrderApp may still fit if you want to start at no monthly cost on the web and only pay for an app later. Crate vs MyOrderApp.

How to choose

1. 01Count your pickups. Multiply a month of app orders by each vendor's per-order fee, and decide whether you or your customers should pay it.
2. 02Count your locations for the next year. Per-location pricing multiplies; a flat plan does not.
3. 03Decide on rewards. If you already pay for Square Loyalty, an app that uses it may suit you. If not, an app with rewards included saves that cost.
4. 04List the extras you will really use: kiosks, group orders, catering, QR table ordering, memberships, shipping.
5. 05Ask each vendor for the full first-year cost, including setup and app store fees, in writing.

If a web ordering page is enough and you do not need an app in the App Store, Square's own website and online ordering profile come with every Square plan (Square).

For a closer look at one vendor, see Crate vs Per Diem, all cafe app comparisons, or how a branded ordering app works with your Square menu.

Coming from Go Parrot

On January 30, 2026, Square told Square for Franchises sellers it would retire the Go Parrot online and mobile ordering app before March 31, 2026, after which Go Parrot no longer takes orders. Square named Per Diem its preferred partner for branded mobile ordering, offered free onboarding and training, and asked sellers to point their website, social and QR code links at the new ordering link (Square).

Per Diem offers former GoParrot sellers 50% off its plans on their first location, and on Starter 25 cents off each order, half its usual charge (Per Diem). Before you settle, three things are worth knowing:

• 01The discount is for one location. Per Diem gives the 50% plan discount on your first location, so each other store is at its normal per-location price.
• 02Links change either way. Whichever app replaces Go Parrot, update your website, social and QR code links, and tell regulars where to order now. For what happens to points, gift cards and your App Store listing, see switching cafe ordering apps without losing customers.
• 03A flat price suits a small group. If you run one cafe or a few under your own name, Crate is $80/month for up to five locations with rewards included and no Crate fee on any order.

May still fit: If you run a franchise with many stores on Square for Franchises, Per Diem is the move Square set up, with one dashboard for every store (Per Diem). Crate has no franchise tools.

Questions

What are the best Per Diem alternatives for a Square cafe?

Five apps connect to Square and give a cafe its own branded iOS and Android app: Crate, Gegsy, Orda, Craver and MyOrderApp. Crate is $80/month for up to five locations with rewards included and no Crate per-order fee. Gegsy starts at $69 and Orda at $59 per location plus a per-order fee, Craver is $99 per location with a 5% guest fee, and MyOrderApp has iOS on its $99 Complete plan.

Is there a Per Diem alternative with no per-order fee?

Yes. Crate adds no per-order or per-pickup fee, at $80/month for up to five locations. MyOrderApp Complete lists no transaction fees at $99/month. Per Diem's own Premium plan has no usage fees, at $499 per location. Gegsy, Orda and Craver each list a fee on orders. Payment processing is separate everywhere.

Who pays Per Diem's pickup fee?

Per Diem lists $0.50 per pickup and $1 per delivery on Starter, and $0.25 per pickup and $1 per delivery on Pro Plus, passed to customers by default. Premium has no usage fees.

Which Per Diem alternatives include loyalty without Square Loyalty?

Crate includes its own stamps or points in the plan, so you do not need Square Loyalty. Gegsy, Orda and Craver run rewards through Square Loyalty. MyOrderApp does not mention loyalty on its site. Per Diem supports Square Loyalty on Starter and sells its own Loyalty + CRM bundle at $99 per location, included in Pro Plus and Premium.

Do these apps work with Clover or Toast?

All five are built around Square. Craver says other POS systems can run through its tablet app without an integration, and orders flow straight into the POS only on Square. Per Diem, Gegsy, Orda and MyOrderApp name only Square.

What replaced Go Parrot for Square franchises?

Square retired the Go Parrot online and mobile ordering app before March 31, 2026 and named Per Diem its preferred partner for Square for Franchises sellers. Per Diem offers former GoParrot sellers 50% off its plans on the first location. A franchise with many stores will likely follow that path; a single cafe or a small group can also look at flat-priced apps such as Crate, $80/month for up to five locations.

What does a Per Diem alternative cost for three locations?

At 500 pickups a month per location: Crate is $80/month in total. Per Diem Starter is $297 plus $750 in pickup charges. Gegsy Starter is $207 plus $600 in pickup fees. Orda Starter is $177 before its listed $0.25 fee, plus a $124 setup fee. Craver Core is $297, and guests pay about $750 in 5% fees on $10 orders.