Online Ordering

Owner.com vs Restolabs: Pricing and ROI Comparison for Restaurants

Updated On :
December 22, 2025
Time To Read :
10
mins

Key Takeaways

  • Pricing predictability matters: Owner.com uses a flat $499/month subscription with a 5% customer service fee, while Restolabs offers fixed monthly plans with no per-order charges—making costs easier to control as order volume grows.
  • Control over your data drives long-term growth: Restolabs provides full ownership and export-ready access to your customer data, giving you more flexibility with segmentation, retention, and marketing.
  • Customization impacts brand experience: Owner.com uses standardized templates, while Restolabs offers custom-built, fully branded websites with multilingual support and deeper design flexibility.
  • Delivery setup affects efficiency and margins: Owner.com relies entirely on third-party drivers, whereas Restolabs supports in-house fleets, plus third-party delivery integrations with DoorDash, Postmates, Shipday, and Uber Direct.
  • Operational tools shape day-to-day performance: Restolabs offers advanced controls like order throttling, inventory tools, QR ordering, and broader POS integrations, giving restaurants more room to optimize their workflow.
  • ROI scales with multi-location growth: While Owner.com’s monthly fee stays the same regardless of order volume, its 5% per-order fee increases with volume and indirectly affects pricing control and customer relationships. In contrast, Restolabs’ flat-fee structure creates consistent savings across locations.

With nearly 76% of customers enjoying the experience of eating at home and 75% prioritizing convenience, it’s clear that digital ordering is indeed the norm. For many restaurants, this “push” has unlocked new revenue streams, but it has also introduced a new set of costs for them.

Let’s take Owner.com as an example. It positions itself as an all-in-one “restaurant growth engine,” combining online ordering, marketing, and delivery logistics in a single system. It’s easy to set up and has exceptional customer support.

That said, public reviews about Owner.com indicate that its cost isn’t as transparent as one might think. Here’s what one Reddit user wrote:

“The platform is marketed as a premium product with a price of over $500 per month, but it requires additional POS add-ons that were not clearly communicated during the sales process, and I need to police to ensure delivery. There is also a lack of guided onboarding or milestone tracking to help businesses achieve the case-study-level success touted by the sales team.”

This sentiment aligns with the fact that Owner.com charges $499/month, plus 5% on each order, which scales with volume and indirectly affects pricing control and customer relationships.

In comparison, Restolabs takes a different path and is known for its owner-first approach, stronger operational control, and more predictable pricing structure that’s apt for restaurants of all sizes. You can also try any plan for free for 30 days!

If you’re keen to learn further on how Owner.com vs Restolabs compare against each other, this blog is for you. It covers ways Owner.com structures its pricing and where restaurants often feel the financial pinch. We’ll also explore how Restolabs stands out in this context.

How Much Does Owner.com Cost?

Owner.com charges you a flat $499 per month, billed on a month-to-month basis with no long-term contracts. In addition to the platform fee, your customers pay a 5% service fee on every order, which Owner.com positions as a lower alternative to marketplace delivery charges.

Now, while this fee isn’t charged directly to you, it raises the total cost of every transaction for your customers. Owner.com basically makes money off them and of course, you, making the pricing structure not really commission-free.

Moreover, higher customer-facing fees can reduce conversion rates, suppress repeat orders, and weaken long-term customer loyalty, especially in price-sensitive markets.

Your subscription includes all of Owner.com’s features in a single package – your website, online ordering system, branded mobile app, loyalty program, automated email and SMS marketing, and 24/7 support.

Find out what switching to Restolabs could save you each year

Every restaurant’s order volume is different. Use the Restolabs ROI calculator to see your personalized savings compared to Owner.com. It takes less than 10 seconds and shows your estimated annual cost difference instantly.

TRY THE SAVINGS CALCULATOR NOW

Here’s how it works:

Step Calculation Result
Annual Online Sales 30 orders/day × $20 × 365 $219,000
Owner.com Cost $6,000 subscription + 5% of $219,000 $16,950/year
Restolabs Cost Flat annual price $828/year
Annual Savings by switching to Restolabs $16,950 − $828 $16,122

Challenges with Owner.com Pricing

Here are two of the most frequently mentioned pricing-related considerations about Owner.com:

1. Customer-facing fees that add to overall cost

Owner.com charges restaurants a flat $499 per month, and adds a 5% service fee to every customer order. That percentage-based fee is paid by customers on every transaction, directly inflating checkout prices.

In the below image you can see a real life example of owner.com’s service fees. A $33.00 order gets quickly inflated to $40.00 with taxes, tips and the online platform fees.

Even though the restaurant already pays $499 each month, Owner.com continues earning transaction-based revenue through this 5% fee. However, the cost isn’t taken from the restaurant. It’s taken from your customers.

And that’s where the friction starts:

  • Customers see higher checkout totals on your direct ordering site
  • Price-sensitive diners often compare that total with DoorDash or Uber Eats
  • When your “direct” price starts looking as high as a marketplace price, they default back to third-party apps

So while it’s labeled a service fee, the effect is the same as a 5% commission hidden inside your customers’ bill – a commission that keeps generating revenue for Owner.com long after the $499 subscription has been paid.

2. Setup and onboarding effort that requires extra time

Owner.com’s pricing isn’t limited to the $499 monthly subscription. There’s a mandatory implementation cost ~ $1000 that restaurants must pay before going live.
So in total this is how the complete pricing package looks like- 

  • ~ $1000 implementation fee
  • $299 for each additional new location
  • $499 per month subscription
  • 5% service fee applied to every customer order

In practice, the setup fee is an upfront cost that comes directly out of the restaurant’s pocket before you see any return.

3. A “premium” subscription that minimizes profit margins

Many small or mid-size restaurants operate with net profit margins of around 3–5%. That means if you’re earning $1 million in annual revenue, you get to keep only $30,000–$50,000 in net profit after all expenses.

When you place Owner.com’s subscription in that context, the numbers add up real fast:

Calculation Step Example Math Result
Annual revenue $1,000,000 (common benchmark for small/mid-size restaurants)
Net profit at 3% margin $1,000,000 × 3% $30,000
Net profit at 5% margin $1,000,000 × 5% $50,000
Owner.com annual subscription $5,988
Share of net profit consumed (3% margin) $5,988 ÷ $30,000 19.9% of yearly net profit
Share of net profit consumed (5% margin) $5,988 ÷ $50,000 11.9% of yearly net profit

So depending on margin, the subscription alone can absorb 12% to 20% of an entire year’s net profit.

How Restolabs Pricing Works

If Owner.com’s pricing feels rigid and costly, Restolabs offers the opposite: simple, predictable monthly plans with zero commissions and unlimited orders. No surprises. No percentages. No scaling costs as your business grows.

After reviewing how Owner.com structures its pricing, it helps to look at a model built around clarity, predictability, and transparent monthly costs.

Transparent, flat pricing that make sense for real restaurants

Restolabs offers three subscription plans:

  • $69/month for Basic
  • $99/month for Premium
  • $199/month for Enterprise

Every plan includes unlimited orders and a 30-day free trial, so you can experience the full platform before committing. You can also choose annual billing for an additional 20% savings.

What’s included in each Restolabs plan:

  • Basic covers all essential online-ordering needs: It comprises mobile-friendly ordering, secure payments, real-time notifications, built-in loyalty, customer analytics, unlimited menu items, and unlimited orders.
  • Premium adds operational power: It includes SMS/printer alerts, menu stock counter, Table QR ordering, tablet notifier, advanced promotions and integrations with delivery partners like DoorDash, Postmates, Shipday, and Uber Direct.
  • Enterprise is for restaurants with complex operations or multiple locations: It comprises everything in Premium plus extended POS integrations via Checkmate and loyalty integrations with Como, NTouch and EZ solutions.

How Restolabs pricing compares to Owner.com

Feature Owner.com Restolabs
Pricing Model Single monthly fee + 5% customer order fee Transparent, flat monthly plans
Plan Options One package, $499/month Tier Based: Basic ($69), Premium ($99), Enterprise ($199)
Per-Order Fees 5% service fee charged to customers on every order None (unlimited orders included)
Order Volume Impact Costs scale with order volume due to percentage-based fees No change in cost—pricing stays flat
Contract Terms Month-to-month, cancel anytime Monthly subscription (cancel anytime)
Free Trial Not publicly listed 30-day free trial

How the two platforms compare on features

Category Owner.com Restolabs
Online Ordering Included Included (Can go live in a week)
Website Template-based website White Glove Custom Build Out
Branding Flexibility Limited adjustments to layouts and design Full control over design, branding, and content
Loyalty Program Points-based reward system only Full Loyalty Suite, including Points, Coupons, Banners, Promotions + 3rd-Party loyalty integrations
Marketing Tools Automated email/SMS; feature depth varies Banners, coupons, push notifications, promotions, export-ready lists for Mailchimp, etc.
Delivery Setup Third-party delivery only In-house fleets + 3rd-party delivery system (DoorDash, Postmates, Shipday, Uber Direct)
Payment Gateway Limited support 50+ payment gateways including cards, wallets, and cash
POS Integrations Limited direct integrations Integrates with systems like Clover, PAR Pixel, Toast, etc.
Multi-Location Support Available Advanced tools for chains and franchises from a single dashboard
QR Dine-In Ordering Not supported Fully supported
Mobile App Included Fully branded add-on
Cancellation Requires contacting support One-click cancellation
Setup & Onboarding Setup time varies; templated approach Personalized onboarding including menu setup, website build, test orders, and launch prep
Multilingual Support Not supported Supports 10+ languages

Owner.com vs Restolabs: Which Platform Delivers Better ROI?

The biggest difference between Restolabs and Owner.com comes down to cost and value. Owner.com charges $499 a month and adds a 5 percent fee on every order, which means they continue earning from every transaction your customers make.

For restaurants already operating on tight margins, that structure cuts into both your profits and your customer experience.

Restolabs takes the opposite approach. You get a full-stack online ordering system at roughly 80 percent less cost, with no added percentage fees. The goal is simple: keep more money in your pocket and reduce the friction your customers feel at checkout.

Feature-wise, you also get more flexibility and depth:

  • Loyalty: Owner.com offers only reward points. Restolabs includes points, coupons, banner displays, push notifications, plus integrations with 3rd party loyalty systems so you can run loyalty the way you want.
  • Delivery: Run in-house delivery or use DoorDash/Uber Eats. Restolabs also offers better delivery rates thru Uber Direct to help you save even more.
  • Analytics: Even the basic plan gives you product performance like, customer behavior insights, repeat order trends, and day/hour analytics for fast menu and marketing decisions.

In the end, Restolabs gives you everything required to run and grow your online ordering channel without the premium pricing or hidden commissions. You keep more revenue, your customers get a smoother experience, and your margins stay protected.

If you want to explore how Restolabs fits your current workflow, book a quick demo to see it in action and understand what the monthly cost looks like for your operation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Owner.com suitable for small or independent restaurants?

Owner.com provides a bundled subscription at $499 per month, which includes a website, online ordering, a mobile app, loyalty tools, marketing automation, and delivery coordination. Some small restaurants appreciate this all-in-one structure because everything runs through a single system. Others prefer a lower monthly cost or more flexibility in how their website, delivery, or marketing tools are set up. The right fit depends on how much customization you want and how much value you place on having a bundled package.

Can Restolabs support multiple brands or virtual concepts under one restaurant?

Yes. Restolabs supports multi-brand and multi-location workflows from a single backend. You can manage separate menus, virtual brands, or secondary storefronts within the same system. This setup works well for ghost kitchens, restaurants testing new concepts, and operators running several brands from one production space.

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