One or two screens in a tight space: low monthly cost, using a tablet you already have and short commitments.
Weigh more here than in the overall ranking: 12-month cost of 2 kitchen screens, choice of kitchen screens, initial term, and early termination fee.
The ranking
Fresh KDS
By Fresh Technology
A kitchen display app for iPad and Android tablets that connects to more than 30 POS and ordering platforms, including Square, Clover, Lightspeed K-Series, SpotOn and TouchBistro. It is billed per screen, month to month, and you bring the tablet.
RTC SCORE
8.9
#1 for Food trucks and small kitchens
Pros
- Works with more than 30 POS and ordering platforms, so you can add it without changing your POS.
- Published per-screen prices, $20 a month on Essentials, month to month, with a 7-day trial of Premium.
- Runs on an iPad or Android tablet you may already own, and supports USB bump bars.
Cons
- Toast and Shift4 POS aren't on its integrations list.
- Whether it keeps working without internet depends on how it connects to your POS.
- Order-ready texts and ticket printing need Premium, at $27 per screen a month.
- Initial term
- Month to month
Strongest on 12-month cost of 2 kitchen screens, initial term, and routing by station. Weakest on keeps working without internet.
Square KDS
By Square
Square's kitchen display app for Android screens, for restaurants on Square Plus or Square Premium. It is billed per screen on top of the Square plan, and Square sells kitchen touchscreens from $699.
RTC SCORE
6.3
#2 for Food trucks and small kitchens
Pros
- Published prices: $30 per screen a month with Square Plus, month to month with a 30-day trial.
- Square sells kitchen touchscreens from $699, and other Android devices also work.
- Routes orders to prep and expo screens, with prep time reports and order-ready texts to guests.
Cons
- It only works with Square Plus or Premium, never with Square Free.
- Square says it is still working on keeping the KDS running without internet.
- 24/7 phone support comes only with Square Premium.
- Initial term
- Month to month
Strongest on 12-month cost of 2 kitchen screens, choice of kitchen screens, and initial term.
Not enough verified data to rank
We only rank a kitchen display system once we've verified enough of its key facts. These are listed so you know we looked at them.
This is general information about published contracts, not legal advice: read your own contract and check with a lawyer before you sign.