Square is excellent at payments and shares Shisu's no-contract freedom — it even added AI voice ordering. The difference is depth: Shisu is built only for restaurants, with native reservations and an AI host that books tables and catering in Chinese, Spanish and English — not just prepaid English takeout.
Every figure is real and public.
| Best valueShisu$0–$299/mo | Square$0–$149/mo | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & fees | ||
| Plans & monthly software | $0 · $129 · $299Starter · Growth · Autopilot | $0 · $49 · $149Free · Plus · Premium |
| Free $0 plan to start | ||
| Pricing you can read without a sales call | ||
| Card-present rate | from 2.2% + 15¢ | 2.4–2.6% + 15¢by plan |
| Online / keyed rate | from 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.9–3.3% + 30¢3.5% + 15¢ keyed |
| Contract & early-termination fee | No contract · None | No contract · None |
| Surprise fees | None | Account holds reported |
| Hardware | ||
| Counter terminal | $500financing available | $899Square Register |
| Handheld | $375 | $299Square Terminal |
| Kitchen display (KDS) | $250 once | $20/device/mo |
| Extra devices included | Unlimited | Per device |
| Restaurant-grade POS | ||
| Coursing & seat management | seats on Premium | |
| Custom floor plans | Plus+ | |
| Split, merge & reopen checks | ||
| Native reservations & waitlist | via OpenTable / SevenRooms | |
| Self-order kiosks & offline mode | kiosk $30/device/mo | |
| Online ordering, marketing & team | ||
| Your own website + online ordering | included | Square Online, commission-free |
| Loyalty + email & SMS marketing | included on Growth | $45 + $15 + $20/mo add-ons |
| Scheduling & timekeeping | included on Starter | Shifts; free ≤5 staff |
| Payroll & tax filing | $25–39 + $5–8/emp | $35/mo + $6/person |
| New-hire onboarding & careers page | ||
| Inventory, vendor POs & multi-location | Basic | |
| AI that runs the shift Only on Shisu | ||
| AI phone host books tables & catering | Orders onlyEnglish, prepaid takeout | |
| Multilingual voice Chinese · Spanish · English | voice is English-only | |
| AI shift coverage | ||
| AI inventory & auto-ordering | ||
| AI hiring & screening | ||
| AI staff training | ||
| AI Google review response | ||
| All AI working together across the whole shift | AI assistant = insights | |
| Shows its work full audit trail | ||
| Support & language | ||
| 24/7 support | every plan | Premium only$149/mo |
| Chinese-language support | voice + menus | Spanish UI; voice English |
| Book a Demo | ||
Square pricing and terms compiled from squareup.com and public reviews (Merchant Maverick, NerdWallet, POS USA) as of June 2026 and subject to change. Square's AI Voice Ordering takes prepaid orders and is English per its support docs — confirm current terms at squareup.com.
Neither has a contract or exit fee — but Shisu is built for coursing, floor plans, native reservations and waitlist, and the pass. Square leans on OpenTable or SevenRooms for booking and is a retail-first generalist at heart.
Square's voice ordering is a real step — but it takes prepaid, English-only takeout orders. Shisu's host books tables and catering, handles dine-in and pickup into the POS, and answers in Chinese, Spanish and English.
Square's extras are software you switch on and pay for. Shisu's are staff: an AI coordinator that fills a sick shift before service, screens hires, and reorders stock — without you lifting a finger.
Square is hard to beat for a brand-new or very small shop, a mixed retail + food concept, or anyone who wants a genuine free tier and the simplest possible setup — and it now ships native AI voice ordering and an AI dashboard assistant. Shisu is for restaurants that want dining-room depth, a bundled back office, and AI staff that book and speak your guests' language.