# Free online ordering systems for restaurants: what free actually means in 2026

> The biggest free ordering platform is shutting down, and every 'free' that's left means something different. The three kinds of free, the honest comparison, and the maths to run.

Canonical: https://storekit.com/blog/free-online-ordering-system  
Last updated: 2026-06-11

By Harry Soar. Published 2026-06-11.

A free online ordering system is one with no monthly software fee - but every platform that offers one recovers its costs somewhere, and the somewhere is what you're actually choosing. In 2026 the question has fresh urgency: GloriaFood, the best-known free option with 123,000+ restaurants, [closed to new sign-ups in early 2025](https://storekit.com/blog/gloriafood-closed-to-new-restaurants) and shuts down entirely on 30 April 2027. Here's what "free" means now, who offers which kind, and the maths that actually decides it.

## The three kinds of free

- **Subscription-free.** No monthly fee; the platform earns a small per-order rate instead. You pay only when you sell - nothing in a dead January. Storekit sits between the two: Starter is free and carries a flat per-order rate, with no commission, and the paid plans add channels rather than taking a cut.
- **Free tier with paid walls.** The core is free but the things a working restaurant needs are add-ons. GloriaFood was the canonical example: [free for pickup, $29/month for card payments, $9 for the website, $19 for marketing](https://storekit.com/blog/gloriafood-pricing-breakdown) - most working setups paid $29–136/month.
- **"Free" as marketplace bait.** Aggregators list you for nothing and take 25–30% of every order. The most expensive free in hospitality.

And the constant across all three: card processing always costs money, on every platform - the difference is whether it's bundled into one transparent rate or sits on top of a subscription.

## The no-monthly-fee platforms, compared

| Platform | The deal | The catch to check |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Storekit | Free on Starter, plus a flat per-order rate - full product: storefront, QR ordering, branded apps | The per-order rate comes down as you move up the plans - run the maths on your volume |
| Square Online | No monthly ordering fee; 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction | Built for the Square POS ecosystem - adopting it just for ordering is a big swap |
| CloudWaitress | Limited free plan; paid all-in-one above it | Self-serve setup, lighter support |
| GloriaFood | The original free tier | Closed to new restaurants; shuts down 30 April 2027 |

Subscription platforms - Flipdish (~$79–199/month), Toast ($69+/month) - aren't free in any sense, but belong in the comparison at high order volumes, where a flat fee can beat a percentage. The [full alternatives guide](https://storekit.com/blog/alternatives-to-gloriafood-online-ordering-system-for-restaurants-2023) covers them.

## The maths that actually decides it

Take your real monthly direct-order revenue and run it through both models. A takeaway doing £4,000/month in online orders on a per-order rate pays in proportion to what it sells - against a £79–199 subscription _plus_ processing on top. Below that volume, per-order pricing wins comfortably and a quiet month costs you little. Well above it, subscriptions start earning their keep. The crossover is yours to find: put your numbers against the [plans](https://storekit.com/pricing).

## The mistake to avoid

Don't optimise the software fee while donating 25–30% of every order to a marketplace. The order of operations that matters: own your direct channel first - your menu, your guests, your data, on your own link - then choose the cheapest sound way to run it. GloriaFood's operators understood this; it's why the free tier worked. The platform ending doesn't end the logic. [Start free](https://storekit.com/start), or see [how to choose a system](https://storekit.com/blog/how-to-choose-online-ordering-system) end to end.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is any online ordering system genuinely free?

Free of monthly fees, yes - Storekit, Square Online, CloudWaitress's free plan. Free of all cost, no: payments always carry processing, on every platform.

### What happened to GloriaFood's free plan?

Closed to new restaurants since early 2025; the whole platform shuts down 30 April 2027.

### No monthly fee or cheap subscription - which is better?

Per-order pricing wins at low and seasonal volume; subscriptions can win at very high volume. Run your real numbers both ways.

> Free was never the point. Keeping what you earn was. Pick the model that does that at your volume.

## Questions

### Is there a genuinely free online ordering system for restaurants?

Free of monthly fees, yes - Square Online (per-transaction), CloudWaitress's limited free plan, and Storekit's Starter plan. Completely free, no: card payments always carry processing costs on any platform, and platforms cover their costs through either subscriptions, per-order rates, or paid add-ons.

### What happened to GloriaFood's free plan?

GloriaFood - the best-known free online ordering system - closed to new restaurants in early 2025, and Oracle shuts the whole platform down on 30 April 2027. Its 123,000+ restaurants are migrating to alternatives.

### Is no-monthly-fee or a cheap subscription better for my restaurant?

It depends on volume. Per-order pricing wins at low and seasonal volume because you pay nothing in quiet months; a flat subscription can win at very high volume. Run both models against your real monthly order numbers before deciding.