The ChowNow alternative built for Square
Both platforms exist to get you off marketplace commissions. The differences are in Square integration depth, what a branded app includes, and how pricing works.
What ChowNow is
ChowNow is a commission-free ordering platform that spreads itself across many POS systems, adds a discovery marketplace of its own, and sells managed marketing on top. Pricing is quote-based — publicly reported figures start around $149/month, with the mobile app typically priced separately.
Breadth is the trade. Supporting a dozen POS systems means integrating with each one shallowly enough to keep them all working, and on Square that shows up as a menu import rather than a live sync.
Why Square restaurants pick Gegsy
Gegsy is built only for Square, and the focus is the product:
- Catalog sync is total. Items, prices, modifiers with min/max rules, categories, locations, and hours sync in real time. Menu edits happen once, in Square.
- The app and website are both included. Your branded iOS and Android app and your web ordering storefront ship on every plan — the app isn't an upsell.
- Pricing is public. Plans are $69 or $119 a month per location with flat per-order fees, listed on the pricing page. ChowNow's pricing is quote-based; publicly reported figures start around $149/month, with the mobile app typically priced separately.
- Delivery is dispatched, not resold. Orders go to Nash or DoorDash Drive couriers with live tracking. The courier quotes each delivery, and nothing Gegsy charges is a percentage of the ticket.
Side by side
| Feature | ChowNow | Gegsy (recommended) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | Quote-based (reported ~$149+) | $69 or $119 per location, public pricing |
| Commission | None | None |
| Branded mobile app | Available (typically add-on) | Included on every plan |
| Ordering website | Yes | Yes, on your domain |
| Square catalog sync | Menu import | Real-time, incl. modifiers & locations |
| POS support | Many POS systems | Square only — by design |
| Courier delivery | Yes (partner networks) | Nash + DoorDash Drive, live tracking |
| Square Loyalty & Gift Cards | No | Fully integrated |
New to taking orders on Square? Start with online ordering for Square restaurants. For the wider field, see every comparison, the roundup of online ordering apps for Square restaurants, or run your numbers in the savings calculator.
Common questions
Neither charges commission, so the decision comes down to what you get for the monthly fee. Gegsy includes the branded app and the web storefront on every plan, syncs your Square catalog live rather than importing it, and publishes its pricing. ChowNow quotes per restaurant and typically prices the app separately.
ChowNow doesn't publish pricing; it's quoted per restaurant. Publicly reported figures start around $149/month, with the branded mobile app typically priced separately. Gegsy's pricing is public: $69/month per location on Starter, $119 on Pro, app and website included.
Gegsy. The sync is the deciding factor: your menu, modifiers with their min/max rules, locations, hours, loyalty, and gift cards all flow live from the Square account you already manage, and you never maintain a second menu. That depth is only possible because Gegsy does one POS rather than a dozen.
Your own app and ordering website, starting at $69/month per location
Don't let third-party apps take 30% of every order. Get your own branded mobile app and web storefront — powered by Square, managed from one dashboard.