If you take orders online, you are already paying for a system — you just might not have chosen it on purpose. For most independent Canadian operators, that system is a marketplace app taking 20% to 30% of every ticket. The alternative is an ordering system you own, where the same customer pays the same price and you keep almost all of it.
This is a buyer's comparison of the best online ordering systems for a Canadian restaurant in 2026: what each one actually charges, which are built in Canada, and where the lock-in traps hide. It is the "which one do I pick" companion to our commission-free online ordering guide for Canadian restaurants, which covers the why. Here we get specific about the what.
Key takeaways
- The real cost gap is commission, not the monthly fee. A marketplace app takes 20% to 30% per order; a system you own takes roughly 3% card processing and no commission — so a "free" app plan is far more expensive than a paid ordering system.
- Square Online is the clearest published price. A free plan at C$0, paid plans from about C$36 per month, and a 2.8% + 30¢ processing fee per online transaction — all listed openly, no quote required.
- Three of the strongest options are Canadian-built: TouchBistro (Toronto), Lightspeed (Montreal) and UEAT (Québec City, now owned by Moneris). All three quote pricing rather than publish it.
- The aggregators sell commission-free tools too. DoorDash's own online ordering advertises "no commission rates on orders" and Uber Eats' Webshop charges a 2.9% order-processing fee — worth knowing if you already use their marketplace.
- Check portability before you sign. The trap in restaurant tech is a system tied to one POS or one payment processor. Ask who owns your customer data and what leaving costs before you commit.
What counts as an "online ordering system"?
The phrase covers four different things, and the differences decide what you pay.
Marketplace apps — SkipTheDishes, DoorDash and Uber Eats — list you alongside every other restaurant nearby, own the customer, and charge a commission on each order. They bring demand you did not have; that is what the commission buys.
The aggregators' own first-party tools are a newer wrinkle: DoorDash Storefront and Uber Eats Webshop let the same company build an ordering page for your site, without the marketplace commission. Same brand, very different pricing.
POS-integrated ordering comes built into a point-of-sale system — Square, TouchBistro, Lightspeed, Clover. Orders flow straight to the same terminal and reports as your in-person sales, which is why operators who already run one of these POS systems often start here.
Standalone ordering platforms — such as UEAT — bolt an ordering page onto whatever you already run. For a fuller picture of the POS side of this decision, see our roundup of the best POS systems for Canadian restaurants.
How we compared the systems
Six questions decide whether an ordering system earns its place:
- Commission and fees. The headline number. A per-order commission is the one that compounds; a flat card-processing fee is the one you can live with.
- Monthly cost in C$. What you pay whether or not orders come in.
- Canadian fit. Support hours, C$ billing, GST/HST handling and — for some owners — whether the company is Canadian.
- Lock-in and portability. Whether the system ties you to one POS or payment processor, and what switching costs.
- Integrations. Whether orders land in your existing POS and kitchen, or create a second screen to watch.
- Delivery options. Pickup only, your own drivers, or an on-demand courier bolted on.
The best online ordering systems for Canadian restaurants in 2026
Square Online — the transparent, low-commitment starting point
Square is the easiest system to price because it publishes everything. Square Online offers a free plan at C$0 that "includes every feature you need to start selling online," with paid plans starting at about C$36 per month for advanced features. The per-order cost is a 2.8% + 30¢ processing fee per online transaction, charged only "when you make a sale," per Square's Canadian online-store page. There is no marketplace commission and no long contract, which makes it the natural first step for an operator testing pickup ordering without committing to a monthly bill.
TouchBistro Online Ordering — Canadian-built, commission-free
TouchBistro is "a Toronto based company" that makes an iPad point-of-sale for restaurants (Ivey Business School), and its ordering add-on is aimed squarely at restaurants already on that POS. TouchBistro states its online ordering "is 100% commission-free," adding that "Card processing fees will still apply. However, TouchBistro Online Ordering does not charge any commission fees on online orders, unlike many third-party providers," per its online-ordering page. Pricing is quote-based rather than published, so you will need to ask — but the commission model is the point: orders sync to the POS you already run.
Lightspeed Order Anywhere — Montreal-based, no marketplace fees
Lightspeed is "proudly headquartered in Montreal, Canada" (Lightspeed) and its Order Anywhere tool turns a menu into a direct pickup-and-delivery page. On the delivery side, Lightspeed is explicit: "There are no commissions or marketplace fees to use on-demand delivery with Order Anywhere. You'll pay a fee per delivery (based on distance and speed of delivery) and nothing else," per its Order Anywhere page. As with TouchBistro, subscription pricing is quoted, and the system is most compelling if you already run — or are considering — the Lightspeed POS.
UEAT — a Québec ordering specialist, now part of Moneris
UEAT is "a proud start-up from Québec, QC" that became "a wholly owned subsidiary of Moneris," "Canada's largest provider of innovative, unified solutions for mobile, online and in-store payments," per the acquisition announcement. That pairing matters for a Canadian operator: an ordering platform built for restaurants, backed by a domestic payment processor most Canadian businesses already recognize. UEAT does not publish standard pricing, so treat it as a quote-based option and ask specifically how orders and payments reconcile with your POS.
Clover Online Ordering — bundled with the POS plan
If you already run a Clover terminal, ordering may already be included. Clover states its online ordering "is included with our Counter Service or Table Service Restaurant software plans; the only fees you will pay are the card-not-present transaction fees associated with online orders," and confirms in a footnote that "No additional subscription is required," per Clover's Canadian blog. No commission, no extra monthly line — just the processing fee on each order. The catch, as always with Clover, is that the value depends on the plan and processing rate you are already on.
DoorDash Storefront and Uber Eats Webshop — the aggregators' own tools
The marketplaces will build you a commission-free page too, which surprises many owners. DoorDash's own online ordering advertises "commission-free online ordering," "No monthly software fees" and "No commission rates on orders," per DoorDash's Canadian pricing page — you pay only payment processing. Uber Eats' first-party Webshop charges "a 2.9% order processing fee," and its Uber Direct courier service carries "No commissions; tailored pricing is based on distance," per Uber Eats' Canadian pricing page. These are worth a look if you are already on the marketplace and want a low-friction direct channel without adding another vendor.
The systems side by side
| System | Built in | Commission per order | Monthly cost (C$) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square Online | US | None (2.8% + 30¢ processing) | C$0 free; from ~C$36 | Testing pickup with no commitment |
| TouchBistro Online Ordering | Canada (Toronto) | "100% commission-free" (card processing applies) | Quote | Restaurants already on TouchBistro POS |
| Lightspeed Order Anywhere | Canada (Montreal) | No commissions/marketplace fees (per-delivery fee only) | Quote | Lightspeed POS users wanting direct delivery |
| UEAT (Moneris) | Canada (Québec City) | Quote | Quote | Operators wanting a Canadian ordering specialist |
| Clover Online Ordering | US | None (card-not-present processing only) | Included with restaurant plan | Existing Clover terminal owners |
| DoorDash Storefront | US | "No commission rates on orders" (processing only) | No monthly software fees | Existing DoorDash merchants |
| Uber Eats Webshop | US | 2.9% order processing | Quote | Existing Uber Eats merchants |
Read that commission column against the marketplace. A DoorDash Premier delivery order runs a 29% commission (DoorDash) and Uber Eats Premium a 30% Delivery Fee (Uber Eats), per their 2026 pricing pages. Every system above replaces that with a card-processing fee of roughly 3% or less. The full net-payout math on a real C$100 order is in our teardown of how much delivery apps really cost Canadian restaurants.
What about SkipTheDishes?
Skip is the notable absence, and deliberately so. It publishes no public merchant-pricing page, so its commission is negotiated individually by volume, location and cuisine, and the figures quoted on comparison blogs are not confirmed by the company. You cannot benchmark a rate you cannot see — so if Skip is a big part of your business, ask your rep to put your commission in writing before comparing it with anything here. For the platform-versus-platform view, see our SkipTheDishes vs DoorDash vs Uber Eats comparison.
A note for B.C. operators
If you run in British Columbia, one number is set by law. The province's Food Delivery Service Fee Act "limits fees for core services to no more than 20% of the dollar amount of an order, excluding tax and tip," and "applies to food delivery platforms that serve 500 or more restaurants," per the Province of British Columbia (page updated 21 January 2026). Before the cap, the province noted "delivery fees as high as 30%" (Government of B.C.). The practical effect: a marketplace's top tier cannot legally be charged in full in B.C. Everywhere else in Canada, the pandemic-era caps have lapsed, and building a channel the commission does not touch is your only durable lever.
Which online ordering system should you choose?
There is no single winner — there is a best fit for your situation.
- You want to start today with no commitment. Square Online. The free plan and published 2.8% + 30¢ rate let you take pickup orders this week and pay nothing until one comes in.
- You already run a restaurant POS. Start with that vendor's own ordering — TouchBistro, Lightspeed or Clover — so orders land on the terminal you already use instead of a second screen. The integration is usually worth more than a marginally lower fee elsewhere.
- You want a Canadian ordering specialist. UEAT, backed by Moneris, is built for restaurants and for the domestic payment rails most Canadian businesses already use.
- You lean heavily on one marketplace. Turn on that app's first-party tool — DoorDash Storefront or Uber Eats Webshop — as a low-friction direct channel while you keep the marketplace for discovery.
Whichever you pick, the setup work is the same short list: a page for the order button, a menu you can edit yourself, a card processor, and a way to fulfil. If your current "website" is a PDF menu or a page the nephew built and abandoned, that page is the missing piece — a builder such as DineHere can turn a menu photo into a working ordering site in an afternoon, for less than one week's delivery commission. The tool matters less than the principle: your regulars belong on a channel you own, not one that charges you a quarter of the ticket to reach a customer who already knows your name.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best online ordering system for a Canadian restaurant?
There is no single best system — it depends on your setup. Square Online is the easiest to start with (free plan, published 2.8% + 30¢ rate). If you already run a POS, that vendor's own ordering (TouchBistro, Lightspeed or Clover) usually integrates best. UEAT is a strong Canadian-built specialist.
Which online ordering systems are commission-free?
TouchBistro says its ordering is "100% commission-free," Lightspeed Order Anywhere has "no commissions or marketplace fees," Clover Online Ordering charges only card-not-present processing, and DoorDash's own online ordering advertises "no commission rates on orders." All still carry a card-processing fee of roughly 3%.
How much does Square Online cost in Canada?
Square Online has a free plan at C$0 and paid plans from about C$36 per month, plus a 2.8% + 30¢ processing fee per online transaction, per Square's Canadian online-store page.
Are TouchBistro and Lightspeed Canadian companies?
Yes. TouchBistro is a Toronto-based company, and Lightspeed is headquartered in Montreal. UEAT, another ordering option, is a Québec City start-up now owned by the Canadian payment processor Moneris.
Do the delivery apps offer commission-free ordering?
Yes, through their first-party tools. DoorDash's own online ordering advertises "no commission rates on orders" and Uber Eats' Webshop charges a 2.9% order-processing fee — separate from the 20% to 30% marketplace commission.
How much does SkipTheDishes charge for online ordering?
Skip publishes no public merchant-pricing page. Rates are negotiated individually, so ask your rep to confirm your commission in writing rather than relying on figures quoted online.
Will my own ordering system integrate with my POS?
It depends. POS-native systems (Square, TouchBistro, Lightspeed, Clover) send orders straight to your existing terminal. Standalone platforms and aggregator tools may need a separate screen or an integration — confirm this before you sign.
Is there a legal cap on delivery fees in Canada?
Only in British Columbia, where core-service fees are capped at no more than 20% of the order value (excluding tax and tip) for platforms serving 500 or more restaurants. Other provinces' pandemic-era caps have expired.
Does running my own online ordering actually grow sales?
TouchBistro's 2026 survey of 600 Canadian full-service operators found sales rose 18% on average after implementing online ordering (TouchBistro). Demand is habitual too: DoorDash's 2025 Canadian survey of 2,189 consumers found 45% of Canadians place repeat orders at least every two weeks (DoorDash).
Do I need delivery drivers to offer online ordering?
No. Pickup ordering needs no drivers and carries no delivery cost. For delivery, you can use your own staff or an on-demand courier such as Uber Direct while still owning the customer relationship.
The bottom line
The best online ordering system for your restaurant is the one that fits how you already work and replaces a 20% to 30% commission with a card-processing fee of around 3%. Square Online is the transparent, no-commitment starting point; TouchBistro, Lightspeed and UEAT are the Canadian-built options that shine when tied to your POS; Clover and the aggregators' own tools are the low-friction picks if you are already on them. Whatever you choose, the win is the same: every repeat customer who orders from a channel you own is money that stays in your business instead of the app's.
