If a ₹500 order leaves you with around ₹350 after commission, packaging, GST and the discounts you were pushed into, you already know the problem. Many owners now call aggregator commission "the new rent" — a fixed cut of every plate that goes out the door, payable whether the month was good or bad.
In 2026 there are, for the first time, three real ways to take some of those orders off the duopoly. None of them is a magic switch. This is an honest map of where each one helps, what it actually costs, and the catch nobody in the sales pitch mentions.
Key takeaways
- Swiggy and Zomato can take up to around 30% of order value once commission, platform fees, GST and forced discounts are added (Business Standard, 2025).
- ONDC is a government-backed open network with no single commission — what you pay depends on the buyer app you list through, and it is typically well below the duopoly, but logistics is billed separately.
- Rapido Ownly launched citywide in Bengaluru in March 2026 on a zero-commission model — restaurants pay nothing, customers pay a flat ₹30 delivery fee (MediaNama, 2026).
- Going direct (your own ordering page or WhatsApp) keeps the most margin but you have to drive your own demand.
- The smart play for most independents is a mix — stay listed where the orders are, push repeat customers to a cheaper channel.
How much are Swiggy and Zomato really taking?
More than the headline number. The commission line is only the start: on top of it sit platform fees, payment-gateway charges, GST and the "promotions" you join to stay visible. One NRAI executive estimated that incumbents like Swiggy and Zomato can take a total fee — discounts, delivery and commission combined — of up to 30% of order value (Business Standard, 2025).
The squeeze is getting tighter, not looser. In March 2026 both platforms raised their per-order platform fee again, to ₹17.58 inclusive of GST (Zomato's pre-GST fee is ₹14.90), the latest in a steady run of increases (Business Today, 2026). And the marketing spend can spiral: one restaurant owner reported weekly Zomato advertising jumping from ₹9,000 to over ₹18,000 in two to three weeks, with no clear attribution showing whether the ads drove any orders (MediaNama, 2026).
The result is familiar to anyone running an independent kitchen: price-parity rules and forced promotions have pushed some restaurants' margins down to 5–10% (MediaNama, 2026). For a fuller breakdown of where the money goes, see our teardown of how much Swiggy and Zomato actually cost an Indian restaurant.
There is also a regulatory backdrop worth knowing. The Competition Commission of India's investigation arm found that Swiggy and Zomato breached competition law through exclusivity contracts and price-parity clauses that "prevent the market from becoming more competitive"; the probe began in 2022 after an NRAI complaint, and a final ruling is still pending (Business Standard, 2024). It doesn't lower your bill today, but it explains why alternatives are finally getting oxygen.
The 2026 escape map: your three options
There are three genuinely different routes off the duopoly, and they suit different restaurants:
- ONDC — a government-backed open network you join through a "buyer app". Lower fees, broad reach, but you don't control the experience.
- Rapido Ownly — a zero-commission challenger aggregator, NRAI-partnered, currently live in Bengaluru.
- Going direct — your own ordering page, WhatsApp ordering or website, where you keep almost everything but supply your own customers.
The rest of this guide takes each one in turn: how it works, the real cost, the realistic order volume, and the catch.
Option 1 — ONDC: the government-backed open network
How it works. ONDC (the Open Network for Digital Commerce) is a non-profit network set up by the government's DPIIT as an open alternative to closed marketplaces (Business Standard, 2024). You don't list on "ONDC" directly — you join through a seller app, and customers find you through any number of buyer apps (Paytm, Magicpin, Ola and others). One listing, many shopfronts.
The real cost. This is where most articles get it wrong. ONDC has no single commission rate — and the old "3–5%" figure you'll still see quoted is a stale 2023 number. What you actually pay is a stack: a small network fee, the commission set by whichever buyer app you list through, plus third-party delivery billed separately. The honest summary: materially cheaper than the duopoly's up-to-30% model, but the exact figure depends on your buyer app and who pays for delivery.
Realistic volume. ONDC food delivery, in practice, largely runs through one app: Magicpin, which as of September 2024 was the largest food seller app on the network, logging around 150,000 orders a day and fulfilling roughly 90% of ONDC food orders from buyer apps like Paytm, Tata Neu and Ola, across about 70,000 restaurant partners (Business Standard, 2024). Real, but a fraction of Swiggy-Zomato scale — expect a trickle of orders at first, not a flood.
The catch. Because the network is open and delivery is stitched together from third parties, the customer experience is less polished — ETAs and tracking can be inconsistent, and if something goes wrong, it's less obvious who fixes it. Treat ONDC as a cheaper additional channel, not a same-day replacement for the apps that bring you volume today.
Option 2 — Rapido Ownly: the zero-commission challenger
How it works. Ownly is a food-delivery app from ride-hailing company Rapido, built on its existing two-wheeler network of "Captains". It launched citywide across Bengaluru on 3 March 2026, after a pilot that began in August 2025, and operates under a non-exclusive partnership with the NRAI, which represents over 50,000 eateries (MediaNama, 2026; Business Standard, 2025).
The real cost. This is the headline: restaurants pay nothing. Customers pay a flat ₹30 delivery fee per order, and that's it. "There are absolutely no charges to restaurants. There are no commissions, there are no marketing fees, there are no subscription fees," Rapido's Vivek Vashishta told restaurant partners at an NRAI town hall (MediaNama, 2026). One NRAI executive estimated the model could cut the total fee restaurants pay — roughly in half versus the up-to-30% they pay incumbents (Business Standard, 2025).
Realistic volume. Ownly had onboarded roughly 20,000 restaurant partners as of its citywide launch, with an initial target of a 10-city footprint by around July 2026 (MediaNama, 2026). NRAI president Sagar Daryani called the proposal "economically viable and democratic," adding that "the market will only grow if food becomes cheaper" (Business Standard, 2025).
The catch. Two of them. First, it's geographically narrow — if you're not in Bengaluru (or one of the cities it reaches as it expands), it isn't an option yet. Second, and more important: the zero-commission model has no obvious way to make money, and nobody has cracked that problem before. Ola and Uber both had logistics networks and deep pockets and still exited Indian food delivery (Uber Eats handed its operations to Zomato in 2020 for a 10% stake); as MediaNama put it, "the food delivery graveyard is full of well-funded platforms that couldn't crack this problem" (MediaNama, 2026).
The terms are great today. The open question is what they look like once Rapido needs the channel to pay for itself. Even restaurateurs backing it flag execution risk: Daryaganj's Amit Bagga warned that success "will ultimately rely on how well Rapido can manage end-to-end logistics" and keep riders available at peak (Business Standard, 2025).
Option 3 — Going direct: your own ordering channel
How it works. Instead of renting space on someone else's app, you take orders on a channel you own — a simple ordering page, a "Order on WhatsApp" link, or your own website with a menu and checkout. The customer orders from you; you handle (or arrange) delivery.
The real cost. This is the cheapest channel by a wide margin. There's no per-order commission to a marketplace — your costs are a low monthly fee for the ordering tool, your payment-gateway charge (typically a small percentage), and delivery if you don't do pickup. On a ₹500 order you keep almost all of it instead of losing up to ₹150. Building this used to mean hiring "the nephew who built it and then disappeared"; today an AI website builder like DineHere can turn a menu photo into a working ordering page in minutes, with no platform commission on the orders that come through it.
Realistic volume. Here's the honest part: a direct channel only works if you drive demand to it. Orders don't appear because the page exists — they come from the customers you already have. The owners who win at this push every existing diner toward it: a QR code and a "save 10% ordering direct" line on the bill, the link in your Google listing and Instagram bio, an SMS to repeat customers. Our commission-free online ordering pillar covers the playbook in depth.
The catch. No marketplace means no discovery — you don't get new customers browsing the app and stumbling on you. Going direct is brilliant for repeat business and useless for new business. That's exactly why it pairs well with the apps rather than replacing them.
Which option fits which restaurant?
| Your situation | Best first move |
|---|---|
| High repeat-customer base, strong local following | Go direct for regulars; keep one app for discovery |
| In Bengaluru (or an Ownly city), want lower fees now | Try Ownly alongside your current apps |
| Want broad reach at lower cost, comfortable with rough edges | Add ONDC via a buyer app like Magicpin |
| Brand-new, no customer base yet | Stay on the apps for now; build a direct channel in parallel |
| Margins critically thin, established kitchen | Mix — direct for repeats, apps trimmed back for discovery |
The pattern that works for most independents isn't "quit the apps." It's: stay listed where the new customers are, but stop paying full commission on the customers you've already won by moving them to a cheaper channel over time.
Before you switch: the caveats
- You can't ignore the apps overnight. They still own discovery. Cutting them off before you have another demand source just cuts your orders.
- Joining any channel needs your paperwork in order. A valid FSSAI licence and GST registration are prerequisites for onboarding to ONDC, Ownly or your own payment gateway — our FSSAI licence checklist for Indian restaurants covers what you need.
- Launch terms are launch terms. Ownly's zero-commission pricing is genuinely zero today, but it is a new model with no proven revenue stream — watch for changes as it scales beyond Bengaluru.
- Delivery is the hidden variable. On ONDC and direct, someone has to deliver. Factor in third-party logistics or your own riders before you assume the savings.
Frequently asked questions
What are the main alternatives to Swiggy and Zomato in 2026?
Three: ONDC (a government-backed open network you join through a buyer app), Rapido Ownly (a zero-commission challenger live in Bengaluru), and going direct with your own ordering page or WhatsApp ordering.
How much commission do Swiggy and Zomato charge restaurants?
The total deduction can reach up to around 30% of order value once commission, platform fees, GST and forced discounts are added (Business Standard, 2025).
Is Rapido Ownly really zero-commission?
As of its March 2026 Bengaluru launch, yes — restaurants pay no commission, platform, marketing or subscription fee; customers pay a flat ₹30 delivery charge per order (MediaNama, 2026). It is a new model, so confirm current terms when you sign up.
Where is Rapido Ownly available?
It launched citywide in Bengaluru on 3 March 2026, with an initial target of reaching 10 cities by around July 2026 (MediaNama, 2026). Check the app for current coverage.
What commission does ONDC charge?
There is no single ONDC commission. Your cost is a stack — a small network fee, the commission set by your buyer app, and separate logistics — generally well below the duopoly's up-to-30% take, but it varies by buyer app.
How do I actually join ONDC as a restaurant?
You onboard through a seller/buyer app on the network (Magicpin is the largest for food); your listing then appears across the buyer apps customers use (Business Standard, 2024). You'll need a valid FSSAI licence and GST registration.
Will I get fewer orders on the alternatives?
At first, almost certainly. The duopoly still controls discovery, so challengers and direct channels deliver lower volume initially. Use them to reduce commission on repeat customers, not to replace your main order source overnight.
Is going direct worth it for a small restaurant?
Yes for repeat business — you keep almost the full order value instead of losing up to a third. But you must drive customers to the channel yourself; it won't bring you new diners the way an app does.
Can I use the alternatives and Swiggy/Zomato at the same time?
Yes. Most independents run a mix: stay on the apps for discovery, and steer regulars to ONDC, Ownly or a direct channel to cut commission over time. Note that the apps' historical price-parity clauses are part of the CCI case, so keep your pricing consistent where required.
What's the single best first step to cut my commission?
Set up a direct ordering channel and start moving your existing regulars onto it — it's the one option available to every restaurant, in every city, today.
The bottom line
You don't have to choose between "all-in on Swiggy and Zomato" and "quit them tomorrow." The 2026 reality is that you finally have leverage: ONDC for cheaper reach, Ownly for zero-commission orders where it operates, and a direct channel for the regulars you've already earned. Keep the apps for discovery, move your repeat customers somewhere cheaper, and stop paying the new rent on the diners who'd come back anyway.
