Restaurant Apps
/Best Restaurant Apps for Online Ordering in the UK (2026)
An independent comparison of the leading branded restaurant app and online ordering platforms for UK restaurants, takeaways, cafés, pubs, and QSR brands
Oliver Hartley · Published 18 June 2026
Compare the best restaurant apps for online ordering in the UK in 2026, including Flipdish, Slerp, OrderYOYO, Hungrrr, Square, and GloriaFood.
A restaurant app is not just an icon on a customer's phone. Owned badly, it is a vanity project that sits unused after the launch buzz fades. Owned well, it is one of the most valuable assets a restaurant has: a direct channel to your best customers that no marketplace can tax, throttle, or take away from you. The difference is entirely down to the platform behind it.
The best restaurant apps do far more than take an order. They increase repeat direct orders, let you own the customer relationship and the data, reduce your dependence on Just Eat, Deliveroo, and Uber Eats, push offers and campaigns straight to a customer's lock screen, connect every order to your POS and kitchen, support loyalty and vouchers, and build long-term customer value rather than one-off transactions. An app that does not do those things is just a more expensive way to take an order you could already take on your website.
This guide compares the six best branded restaurant app and ordering platforms available to UK and Ireland operators in 2026, across takeaways, cafés, pubs, casual dining, and QSR brands. We assessed each on app quality, how well ordering connects to the rest of the operation, customer ownership, marketing tools, pricing, and overall value. The result is a clear winner. Flipdish takes the top spot because it gives restaurants a branded app connected to the entire operating system, not just a standalone ordering app bolted onto everything else.
That said, the right app depends on your venue type, budget, and whether you want an app alone or an app as part of a wider platform. Read on for full breakdowns of all six.
The best restaurant apps at a glance
- Flipdish: best branded app connected to a full restaurant operating platform
- Slerp: best premium white-label app for quality-led independents and bakeries
- OrderYOYO: best done-for-you branded app and marketing for local takeaways
- Hungrrr: best low-cost branded app with 0% commission
- Square: best simple ordering for cafés and small operators already on Square
- GloriaFood: best free entry point for testing app-style direct ordering
Prices are as published by each provider for the UK and Ireland market at the time of writing. Where pricing is not public, this is noted and quote-based pricing is indicated. Scores reflect our editorial assessment across the criteria set out at the end of this guide.
/quick comparison
| Vendor | Best for | Pricing From | Key Strengths | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flipdish | Branded app inside a full operating platform | From €69/month (per site, billed annually) | Branded app, web ordering, Order with Google, POS, kiosks, loyalty, vouchers, delivery, data | 4.8 |
| Slerp | Premium white-label app for quality-led brands | Quote-based monthly fee | Fully white-label app, Apple and Google Pay, courier dispatch, CRM, strong conversion | 4.5 |
| OrderYOYO | Done-for-you branded app for takeaways | Commission on weekly revenue (quote-based) | Branded app and website, Cloud POS, marketing support, UK and Ireland focus | 4.3 |
| Hungrrr | Low-cost branded app with 0% commission | Quote-based monthly fee (0% commission) | Branded iOS and Android app, table and QR ordering, loyalty, push notifications, no long contract | 4.1 |
| Square | Simple ordering for cafés and small operators | Free (1.4% + 25p UK online) | Free plan, clean ordering, click-and-collect, QR ordering, integrated payments | 3.9 |
| GloriaFood | Free entry point for direct ordering | Free (branded app is a paid add-on) | Free core ordering, no commission, branded app available as a paid upgrade | 3.7 |
/top 6 platforms
01. Flipdish
🏆 Best Branded App Connected to a Full Operating PlatformFlipdish is an all-in-one restaurant management platform used by more than 5,000 brands worldwide, built specifically for takeaways, QSR, and growing restaurant groups. Its branded app is not a standalone product. It is one ordering channel inside a connected operating system, which is exactly why it leads this guide.
Starting software price: From €69/month (per site, billed annually; €89 if billed monthly). Transaction fees from: Quote-based through Flipdish Pay.
A restaurant app is only as valuable as what sits behind it, and this is where Flipdish pulls ahead. Customers order through your own branded iOS and Android app, and every one of those orders flows straight into the same system that runs your website ordering, Order with Google, POS, in-store payments, self-service kiosks, kitchen display, and delivery. There is no reconciliation between the app and the rest of the business because they are the same business. The order a customer places on the app is on your kitchen screen and in your reporting the moment it is placed.
That connectivity is what turns an app from a convenience into a growth channel. Flipdish builds loyalty, vouchers, and customer marketing into the platform, so you can push a targeted offer to app users during a quiet midweek period, reward repeat orders automatically, and bring lapsed customers back, all using data you own rather than data a marketplace holds. Push notifications land on a customer's phone for free, which is a materially cheaper and more direct marketing channel than paying for reach on a third-party platform. If you also sell on Just Eat, Deliveroo, and Uber Eats, Flipdish gives you visibility of those orders alongside your direct app orders, so you can see how much of your volume is direct and own versus rented.
The honest drawback is that Flipdish may be more than a very small restaurant needs if all they want is a basic app or a simple ordering widget. The platform delivers its strongest value when it is used as a connected system rather than for one isolated feature. A single-site operator who only wants an app icon and nothing else can find cheaper, narrower tools. But for any restaurant that sees its app as part of a serious direct-ordering strategy, the connected model is the point.
Software pricing: Essentials from €69/month annually (€89 monthly). Pro from €99/month annually (€129 monthly). Advanced from €199/month annually (€249 monthly). Hardware and transaction fees are quote-based through Flipdish Pay.
- Branded iOS and Android app connected to web ordering, POS, kiosks, and delivery
- Loyalty, vouchers, and customer marketing built in to drive repeat orders
- Free push notifications straight to app users for low-cost direct marketing
- Full customer data ownership rather than renting the relationship from a marketplace
- Marketplace order visibility alongside direct app orders in one view
- Order with Google, kiosks, and POS all in the same connected system
- Scales cleanly from one site to a large multi-site group
- Branded iOS and Android app connected to web ordering, POS, kiosks, and delivery
- Loyalty, vouchers, and customer marketing built in to drive repeat orders
- Free push notifications straight to app users for low-cost direct marketing
- Full customer data ownership rather than renting the relationship from a marketplace
- Marketplace order visibility alongside direct app orders in one view
- Order with Google, kiosks, and POS all in the same connected system
- Scales cleanly from one site to a large multi-site group
- More than a very small restaurant needs if they only want a basic app
- Delivers most value as part of the wider Flipdish platform, not a single feature
- Transaction and hardware pricing is quote-based rather than a public rate card
Best for: Restaurants, takeaways, and groups that want a branded app as part of a connected operating platform covering ordering, POS, loyalty, delivery, and customer data.
View full profile →02. Slerp
Best Premium White-Label App for Quality-Led BrandsSlerp is a UK-focused ordering platform built for restaurants, bakeries, cafés, and QSR brands that care about polish and brand. Its fully white-label app is one of the best-looking branded ordering experiences available, which makes it a natural fit for premium independents that want their app to reflect the quality of their product.
Starting software price: Quote-based monthly fee. Transaction fees from: Competitive courier and processing rates, commission-free on orders.
Slerp's model is simple and attractive: a single monthly fee instead of per-order commission, and full ownership of the customer relationship. The white-label app carries your branding throughout, supports Apple Pay and Google Pay for fast checkout, and sends push notifications to bring customers back. Slerp claims direct ordering through its platform converts around seven times better than the industry average and drives meaningfully higher spend than marketplaces. The app handles click-and-collect, catering, and pre-orders, and direct delivery is fulfilled through courier partners including Uber, Stuart, and Addison Lee, with the courier invoicing handled in-house.
Built-in CRM and loyalty tools give you visibility of customer data and buying habits, which is the foundation of any serious repeat-order strategy. For a quality-led independent that wants an app customers are proud to have on their phone, Slerp is a strong choice.
The trade-off is scope. Slerp is focused on branded ordering and delivery rather than being a full operating platform. If you also want in-store payments, a POS, and deep inventory in the same system, you will need to compare it against more complete platforms or run it alongside other tools. Pricing is quote-based, so a demo is required to get your number.
Pricing: Single monthly fee, quote-based by site count and feature set. Commission-free on orders, with competitive courier pricing. No public rate card.
- Beautiful fully white-label app with Apple Pay and Google Pay
- Commission-free single monthly fee model
- Strong conversion and higher average spend than marketplaces
- Click-and-collect, catering, pre-orders, and courier dispatch
- Built-in CRM and loyalty with full customer data ownership
- Beautiful fully white-label app with Apple Pay and Google Pay
- Commission-free single monthly fee model
- Strong conversion and higher average spend than marketplaces
- Click-and-collect, catering, pre-orders, and courier dispatch
- Built-in CRM and loyalty with full customer data ownership
- Focused on ordering and delivery, not a full POS or operations platform
- No public pricing, so a demo is needed for a quote
- Less suited to operators who want payments and inventory in the same system
Best for: Premium independents, bakeries, cafés, and QSR brands that want a polished, high-converting branded app and full control of the customer relationship.
View full profile →03. OrderYOYO
Best Done-For-You Branded App for TakeawaysOrderYOYO focuses on helping local takeaways grow direct orders through their own branded website and app, with the UK and Ireland as its main market and an operations office in Manchester. It is trusted by more than 13,000 restaurant partners and is built around taking the work of running an app off the operator's plate.
Starting software price: Commission on weekly website and app revenue (quote-based). Transaction fees from: A small consumer service fee of around £0.50 per web and app order, paid by the customer.
OrderYOYO's pitch is done-for-you. You get a branded iOS and Android app, a branded website, a Cloud POS, and marketing support including Google search ads, all set up and managed for you. It positions itself on helping operators keep significantly more profit than they would on the marketplaces, and it gives the restaurant direct contact with its own customers. Pricing is commission-based on weekly revenue, banded so the rate falls as volume grows, and calculated weekly so you always pay the lowest applicable rate.
For a busy local takeaway that does not want to manage app development, marketing, and updates itself, the managed model is genuinely useful. The honest picture is more mixed than the marketing, though. Reviews are uneven, the commission structure is hard to pin down without a sales conversation, and you are paying a percentage on customers who are, by definition, already yours. The roughly £79 per year Apple developer account for the branded iOS app is an easily missed extra. Compare the all-in cost carefully against flat-fee alternatives like Hungrrr before committing.
Pricing: Commission on weekly website and app revenue, banded so higher volume means a lower rate, calculated weekly. Quote-based. Branded app, Cloud POS, and marketing support included.
- Done-for-you branded app and website for takeaways
- Cloud POS and marketing support, including Google search ads
- Weekly commission banding that falls as revenue grows
- Strong UK and Ireland focus and direct customer contact
- Done-for-you branded app and website for takeaways
- Cloud POS and marketing support, including Google search ads
- Weekly commission banding that falls as revenue grows
- Strong UK and Ireland focus and direct customer contact
- Commission charged on customers who are already yours
- Pricing is hard to pin down without a sales conversation
- Mixed customer reviews and an easily missed annual Apple developer cost
Best for: Local takeaways that want a branded app and marketing package done for them and are comfortable with a commission-based model.
View full profile →04. Hungrrr
Best Low-Cost Branded App with 0% CommissionHungrrr provides branded ordering apps and websites for hospitality businesses, from takeaways and restaurants to hotels, bars, and stadiums, with clients including Brewdog, Subway, and Hilton. Its appeal is a low-cost monthly plan with 0% commission, which makes it one of the best-value branded app options for operators watching every point of margin.
Starting software price: Quote-based low-cost monthly subscription. Transaction fees from: Card acquiring and transaction fees apply via the card acquirer; 0% commission on orders.
The maths is the draw. You pay a fixed monthly fee for your own branded iOS and Android app, and Hungrrr takes no commission no matter your takings, so the only per-order cost is standard card processing. The app covers click-and-collect, home delivery using your own drivers or delivery partners, table ordering, and QR ordering. A points-based loyalty scheme, free push-notification marketing, full menu control from one dashboard, and next-banking-day settlement round out a genuinely capable package. There is no lengthy contract, which lowers the risk of trying it, and it integrates with a wide range of EPOS systems.
The trade-offs sit in customisation and add-ons. You cannot fully customise the mobile or QR ordering landing page, and some of the more advanced features come as paid extras, so the true monthly cost depends on what you switch on. As a focused ordering platform rather than a full operating system, it lacks the depth of an all-in-one player like Flipdish. But for a business that specifically wants an affordable branded app with no commission and no long tie-in, it is a strong, low-risk choice.
Pricing: Subscription model with a low-cost monthly fee, quote-based. 0% commission on orders, with card acquiring and transaction fees charged separately. No lengthy contract.
- 0% commission on orders, so you keep more of every sale
- Branded iOS and Android app on a low-cost monthly fee
- Click-and-collect, delivery, table ordering, and QR ordering
- Points loyalty, free push-notification marketing, and next-day settlement
- No lengthy contract and broad EPOS integration
- 0% commission on orders, so you keep more of every sale
- Branded iOS and Android app on a low-cost monthly fee
- Click-and-collect, delivery, table ordering, and QR ordering
- Points loyalty, free push-notification marketing, and next-day settlement
- No lengthy contract and broad EPOS integration
- Limited customisation of the mobile and QR ordering landing page
- Advanced features come as paid add-ons that raise the real cost
- Not a full operating system, so less depth than all-in-one platforms
Best for: Restaurants, takeaways, and hospitality businesses that want an affordable branded app with 0% commission and no long contract.
View full profile →05. Square
Best Simple Ordering for Cafés and Small OperatorsSquare is used by millions of businesses and is a natural fit for cafés, bakeries, and small casual restaurants that want clean digital ordering without complexity. It does not offer a native branded mobile app in the way the platforms above do, but its ordering page and QR ordering give small operators an accessible, low-friction direct-ordering channel.
Starting software price: Free plan. Transaction fees from: 1.4% + 25p UK online; 1.75% in-person.
Square's strength is ease. Many operators already use it for payments and POS, so adding online ordering is a natural next step rather than a new project. Square Online provides a tidy ordering page, click-and-collect, QR code ordering, and integrated payments, all running on iOS and accessible from the same dashboard staff already know. You can start completely free and move up to the Square for Restaurants Plus plan when you need more takeaway-focused features.
The honest limitation for this guide is that Square is an ordering page rather than a branded app. It does not give customers an icon on their home screen, and it lacks the deeper loyalty, push marketing, and customer ownership tools that the dedicated app platforms provide. For a small café that wants simple, reliable ordering and already runs Square, it is a sensible and affordable choice. For an operator whose strategy depends on a branded app and repeat-order marketing, it will not be enough on its own.
Software: Free plan. Square for Restaurants Plus: £69/month per location. Premium: custom pricing. Transaction fees: 1.75% in-person, 1.4% + 25p UK online. 30-day free trial on paid plans.
- Genuinely free plan to get started
- Clean, modern ordering page that is quick to set up
- Click-and-collect, QR ordering, and integrated payments
- iOS friendly with transparent, publicly listed pricing
- Genuinely free plan to get started
- Clean, modern ordering page that is quick to set up
- Click-and-collect, QR ordering, and integrated payments
- iOS friendly with transparent, publicly listed pricing
- No native branded mobile app like the dedicated app platforms
- Lacks deeper loyalty, push marketing, and customer ownership tools
- Less suited to operators whose strategy depends on a branded app
Best for: Cafés, bakeries, and small casual restaurants already using Square that want simple, affordable direct ordering rather than a full branded app.
View full profile →06. GloriaFood
Best Free Entry Point for Direct OrderingGloriaFood, now part of Oracle, is the most popular entry-level online ordering system in the world, with more than 20,000 restaurants across 100 countries. It earns its place here as the lowest-risk way to start taking direct app-style orders, with a free core and an optional paid branded app.
Starting software price: Free core ordering. Transaction fees from: Card payment acceptance is a paid add-on; a branded mobile app is a paid upgrade.
For a small independent that wants to test direct ordering before committing budget, GloriaFood is hard to beat on price. The free plan covers online ordering for delivery, takeaway, and dine-in, plus table reservations, pre-orders, promotions, a QR ordering widget, and a basic customer database, all with no commission and unlimited orders. A branded mobile app is available as a paid add-on for operators that want to graduate from the ordering widget to an app icon on the customer's phone.
The catch is depth. GloriaFood is an ordering tool, not an operating platform. The branded app add-on gives you presence on a customer's phone but not the connected loyalty, marketing, and operational depth of a platform like Flipdish or the polish of Slerp. Card payment processing and the branded app both sit behind paid add-ons, so the true cost climbs once you move past the free basics. As a starting point it is excellent. As a long-term app strategy for an ambitious operator, most will outgrow it.
Pricing: Free core online ordering with unlimited orders and no commission. Branded mobile app, card payments, and marketing are paid add-ons. Optional POS bundle available.
- Free core ordering with no commission and unlimited orders
- Branded mobile app available as a paid upgrade
- Covers delivery, takeaway, dine-in, reservations, and pre-orders
- Lowest-risk way to test direct ordering before investing
- Free core ordering with no commission and unlimited orders
- Branded mobile app available as a paid upgrade
- Covers delivery, takeaway, dine-in, reservations, and pre-orders
- Lowest-risk way to test direct ordering before investing
- An ordering tool rather than a full app or operating platform
- Branded app and card payments are paid add-ons
- Lacks the connected loyalty, marketing, and operational depth of dedicated platforms
Best for: Small restaurants, cafés, and takeaways that want a free, low-risk way to start direct ordering before investing in a full branded app.
View full profile →/verdict
How to choose the right restaurant app
The right restaurant app depends on what you actually want the app to do for the business, not just how it looks on launch day.
Decide whether you want an app or a platform. This is the biggest fork. Slerp, OrderYOYO, and Hungrrr give you a strong branded app focused on ordering and delivery. Flipdish gives you a branded app as one channel inside a connected system that also runs your POS, kiosks, payments, and reporting. If your app is part of a wider operational strategy, the platform approach wins. If you only want a great ordering app, the specialists are excellent.
Work out how you pay. App platforms use a flat monthly fee (Flipdish, Hungrrr, Slerp) or commission on revenue (OrderYOYO), with Square and GloriaFood offering free or per-transaction entry points. On a commission model you keep paying a percentage on customers who are already yours, so as volume grows a flat fee usually wins. Model your expected monthly app orders against each structure before committing.
Make sure the app earns repeat orders. An app that only takes orders is a glorified website. Look for loyalty, vouchers, and push-notification marketing, because the whole point of an app is the cheap, direct line it gives you to your best customers. Platforms with built-in marketing (Flipdish, Slerp, Hungrrr) will drive more repeat value than a bare ordering app.
Check it connects to your kitchen and POS. An app order that does not flow automatically to your POS and kitchen creates manual work and mistakes during service. Connected platforms remove that friction. Standalone apps that need orders re-keyed will cost you time and accuracy at the worst possible moment.
Budget for the hidden costs. Apple and Google developer accounts, card processing, courier fees, and paid feature add-ons all add to the headline price. A free or low-fee app with paid extras can end up dearer than a higher all-in plan that includes everything.
How we ranked these apps
We assessed each platform across six factors weighted by importance to a restaurant app decision:
- App quality and customer experience (25%): how good the branded app is and how well it converts.
- Connection to operations (25%): how well app orders flow into POS, kitchen, and reporting.
- Customer ownership and marketing (20%): loyalty, vouchers, push marketing, and data ownership.
- Pricing and total cost (15%): monthly fees, commission, add-ons, and overall value.
- Ease of setup and use (10%): how quickly you can launch and run the app.
- Reputation (5%): customer reviews and feedback.
Flipdish leads because it scores strongly on app quality and customer marketing while being the only option here that connects the app to a full operating system. Slerp ranks second on the strength of its premium white-label app and conversion, and the remaining platforms each serve a clear and different operator need.
Next steps
The fastest way to see whether the top pick fits your restaurant is a walkthrough of the branded app, the channels you would use, and your exact pricing. You can book a Flipdish demo at flipdish.com and see a branded app connected to the rest of your operation.
/frequently asked questions
What is the best restaurant app for online ordering in the UK?
Flipdish is our top pick for 2026 because it gives restaurants a branded iOS and Android app connected to a full operating system, including web ordering, Order with Google, POS, kiosks, loyalty, vouchers, delivery, and reporting. Slerp is the strongest premium white-label app for quality-led independents, and Hungrrr is the best low-cost option with 0% commission.
Is Flipdish good for restaurant apps?
Yes. Flipdish provides a branded app as one ordering channel inside a connected platform, so app orders flow straight into your POS, kitchen, and reporting, and you can run loyalty, vouchers, and push-notification marketing to app users using data you own. Its main limitation is that it is more than a very small restaurant needs if all they want is a basic standalone app.
Do restaurants still need their own app?
Not every restaurant needs one, but for operators with a base of repeat customers an app is one of the cheapest and most direct marketing channels available. It reduces marketplace dependence, increases repeat direct orders, and lets you push offers straight to a customer's phone. For very small or low-frequency operations, a simple ordering page may be enough.
How much does a restaurant ordering app cost?
Costs range from free to start (GloriaFood core, Square base plan) to a flat monthly fee (Flipdish from €69/month per site billed annually, Hungrrr and Slerp quote-based), to commission on revenue (OrderYOYO). Remember to budget for card processing, courier fees, Apple and Google developer accounts, and any paid feature add-ons to get the true cost.
Should a restaurant app connect to POS?
Yes. An app order that does not flow automatically to your POS and kitchen creates manual re-keying and mistakes during service. Platforms like Flipdish connect app orders directly to the POS and kitchen display, which removes that friction. This is one of the most important things to check before choosing an app platform.
What is the best app for takeaway ordering?
For takeaways, Flipdish offers the strongest connected app with marketplace visibility and direct delivery, OrderYOYO offers a done-for-you branded app and marketing on a commission model, and Hungrrr offers a low-cost branded app with 0% commission. The best choice depends on whether you prefer a flat fee or a managed commission-based service.
Can restaurant apps reduce marketplace dependence?
Yes, that is one of their main purposes. A branded app gives customers a way to order directly, commission-free, while you keep the customer data and relationship. Platforms like Flipdish also show your marketplace orders alongside direct app orders, so you can track how much of your volume is direct and own versus rented from Just Eat, Deliveroo, or Uber Eats, and grow the direct share over time.