Counter service with many short orders and online orders: all-day item counts, order-ready texts and a fast cost to start.
Weigh more here than in the overall ranking: all-day item counts, order-ready text to the guest, and 12-month cost of 2 kitchen screens.
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
9.0
#1 for Quick service and fast casual
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, routing by station, and support 24/7. Weakest on keeps working without internet.
SpotOn KDS
By SpotOn
SpotOn's own kitchen display for restaurants on SpotOn POS, billed per station with published hardware and installation prices. For label printing or texts to guests, SpotOn points you to its Fresh KDS integration.
RTC SCORE
7.4
#2 for Quick service and fast casual
Pros
- Every price is published: $20 per station a month, $500 per device and $100 for installation.
- Offline mode: in-house orders keep reaching the screens when the internet is down.
- Routing by station, an all-day view and 24/7 support.
Cons
- It needs SpotOn POS at each location.
- No texts to guests or label printing: for those SpotOn points you to Fresh KDS.
- SpotOn doesn't document a kitchen time report for this KDS.
- Initial term
- Month to month
Strongest on 12-month cost of 2 kitchen screens, keeps working without internet, and routing by station. Weakest on POS systems it works with.
Lightspeed Kitchen Display System
By Lightspeed
Lightspeed's kitchen display for Lightspeed Restaurant (K-Series), billed per screen on top of the POS plan. It runs in a web browser on an iPad, Android tablet or other screen, with one POS device acting as the hub.
RTC SCORE
7.1
#3 for Quick service and fast casual
Pros
- Published price: $30 per screen a month on every Lightspeed Restaurant plan.
- Runs in a browser on an iPad, Android tablet or other screen you choose.
- Routing by station and an offline mode served from a POS device on your local network, with 24/7 support.
Cons
- It only works with Lightspeed Restaurant (K-Series), and one POS device must stay on as the hub.
- It falls under the Lightspeed Service Agreement: renewal notice of 90 days and the fees left in the term if you leave early.
- Initial term
- Quote only
Strongest on 12-month cost of 2 kitchen screens, keeps working without internet, and routing by station. Weakest on POS systems it works with.
Clover Kitchen Display System
By Clover
Clover's own kitchen display, a 14-inch or 24-inch device for restaurants on a Clover Register, Table Service or Counter Service plan. You buy each screen and pay a monthly KDS software fee per device.
RTC SCORE
6.2
#4 for Quick service and fast casual
Pros
- Published prices: $799 for the 14-inch screen and $25 a month per device.
- A kitchen-grade device rated for heat, with item-level routing, an expo mode and prep time reports.
- With Clover Local Connect, orders from Clover registers keep reaching the KDS when the internet is down.
Cons
- It needs a Clover Register, Table Service or Counter Service plan and Clover's own screens.
- The contract term and any termination fee depend on who sells you Clover.
- Initial term
- Quote only
Strongest on 12-month cost of 2 kitchen screens, keeps working without internet, and routing by station.
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
6.1
#5 for Quick service and fast casual
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, routing by station, and kitchen time reports.
Shift4 POS Kitchen Display
By Shift4
The kitchen display of Shift4 POS: a 16-inch or 22-inch screen with an optional bump bar, sold with the POS. Each screen carries the monthly software support fee set in your POS agreement, which Shift4 doesn't publish.
RTC SCORE
4.8
#6 for Quick service and fast casual
Pros
- Shift4 documents that the KDS keeps working over your local network when the internet is down.
- Routing by prep station, a bump bar and a live box score with average ticket times.
Cons
- The monthly fee per screen and the screen price aren't published.
- It only works with Shift4 POS, under a 36-month processing agreement with a 90-day notice to avoid renewal.
- Leaving early carries liquidated damages per device for each month left.
- Initial term
- 36 months
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Strongest on keeps working without internet, routing by station, and kitchen time reports. Weakest on published pricing.
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.
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