AppBuild vs ChowNow
A US commission-free online ordering and marketing platform for independent restaurants, with a branded app on its higher plans.
ChowNow: Best for US independent restaurants that want ordering plus bundled marketing and phone support.
AppBuild: Best for restaurants that want a branded ordering app for a fraction of ChowNow's price, with no setup fee.
Your business. Your own app.
A look inside AppBuild: mr chans menu, choose your dish, mr chans basket, order history.
ChowNow pricing
| Plan | Published price |
|---|---|
| Launch Lite (website ordering only) | $99/month |
| Launch | From $229/month (annual) or $249/month (monthly) |
| Grow | From $319/month (annual) or $349/month (monthly) |
| Elevate | From $409/month (annual) or $449/month (monthly) |
Plus a $119–$499 setup fee, 2.95% + $0.29 per card transaction, and $99/year Apple developer fee for branded apps.
Sources: ChowNow pricing, ChowNow Launch Lite (checked 7 October 2026).
AppBuild pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/month | Up to 10 app users. Your own app on iPhone, Android and the web. |
| Free – Ordering | $0/month + 5% per paid order | For restaurant ordering apps using Stripe Connect. Unlimited app users while eligible. The 5% is on the food and drink subtotal only. |
| Business | $49/month or $299/year | Up to 1,000 app users. 0% AppBuild commission on orders. |
| Business Pro | $99/month or $499/year | Unlimited app users. 0% AppBuild commission on orders. |
Card processing fees are charged by Stripe on top of any plan and are not set by AppBuild. Full details on the pricing page.
Feature comparison
 AppBuild.diy | ChowNow | |
|---|---|---|
| Your own branded app | Yes | Yes, on Launch and above |
| Listed on App Store and Google Play | Yes, plus an installable web app | Yes |
| Commission per order | 0% on Business plans; 5% on Free – Ordering | 0% on direct orders |
| Lowest published monthly price | $0 (Free); $49 Business | $99/month (no app); $229/month with app |
| Push notifications | Yes, unlimited | Not listed on pricing page |
| Loyalty / rewards | Yes (stamp cards and points) | Yes |
| Online ordering | Yes — pickup, delivery, curbside, table service | Yes |
| Set it up yourself today | Yes, or we build it for you | No — onboarding team builds it in 1–2 weeks |
Choose ChowNow if…
- You're a US restaurant that wants email/SMS marketing, a marketplace listing and 24/7 phone support bundled.
- You want third-party order aggregation in the same system.
Choose AppBuild if…
- You want a branded app for $49/month instead of from $229/month.
- You don't want a setup fee.
- You're outside the US — AppBuild works worldwide.
ChowNow vs AppBuild for restaurants & cafes
| Consideration | AppBuild.diy | ChowNow |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Branded business-app builder with ready-made pages and capabilities | Commission-free online ordering |
| Published pricing | Free: up to 10 users; Business: $49/month or $299/year; Business Pro: $99/month or $499/year | Hub $119/mo, Pro $229/mo, Premier $328/mo; setup $119 to $499 (third-party: getsauce.com) |
| Your own branded app | App Store, Google Play and installable web app; store setup and approval required | Not verified |
| Fees | 0% AppBuild commission on paid plans; payment processing and third-party fees may apply | 0% commission; processing 2.95% + $0.29 (third-party: getsauce.com) |
| Contract / trial | Free plan; monthly or annual paid plans | Not verified |
| Capabilities | Supported ordering, bookings, loyalty, push notifications and content pages; check the features your business requires | Online ordering, marketing tools |
| Market | Available worldwide, subject to store and payment-service availability | US |
Sources: getsauce.com (includes third-party figures). Figures recorded 7 October 2026; currencies, billing periods and packages differ. Confirm current terms with the provider.
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Start freeLast checked 7 October 2026. Competitor prices come from their own public pages, linked below each table. Where a price isn't published we say so. Spotted something out of date? Tell us via support.