Toast, Square, Clover, Lightspeed, Chowbus, MenuSifu — they take the order. Shisu answers the phones, books the tables, covers the shifts, and shows its work. People and AI, on the same shift.
Plans, processing, hardware — published, not quoted. No "contact sales" to find out what it costs.
No contracts, starting at $0. No 2–4 year lock-in, no annual prepay, no early-termination fee — add or drop anytime.
It answers calls, books tables, covers sick shifts, hires, trains, and reorders stock — in your guests' language.
Every action it takes and exactly why — on one live timeline. Most AI is a black box. This isn't.
The differences that matter, side by side. Every figure is real and public — pick a competitor on mobile.
| Best valueShisu$0–$299/mo | Toast$0–$69+/mo | Square$0–$149/mo | Clover$90+/mo | Lightspeed$69–$399+/mo | ChowbusQuote only | MenuSifuQuote only | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing & contract | |||||||
| Starts at $0/mo | — | — | |||||
| Every price published | Partial | Reseller-set | Quote-driven | ||||
| Card-present rate | from 2.2% + 15¢ | 2.49% + 15¢ | 2.6% + 15¢ | 2.3–2.6% + 10¢ | ~2.6% + 10¢ | Not public | Not public |
| Contract term | No contract | ~2 years | None | 3–4 years | Annual | — | — |
| Early-termination fee | None | $1k–$5k+ | None | Balance owed | Remaining term | — | — |
| Built for restaurants | |||||||
| Free on-site setup & menu build | Varies | Varies | |||||
| Unlimited devices included | Per terminal | Per device | Per terminal | $59/mo each | — | — | |
| AI that runs the shift Only on Shisu | |||||||
| AI phone host books tables & catering | Beta | Orders only | |||||
| Multilingual voice Chinese · Spanish · English | Menus only | Menus only | |||||
| AI staffing shifts · hiring · training | |||||||
| AI inventory & auto-ordering | Suggests | Rule-based | |||||
| AI Google review response | Suggests | ||||||
| All AI working together agentic, not just insights | |||||||
| Shows its work full audit trail | |||||||
Competitor pricing and terms compiled from public listings and reviews as of June 2026 and subject to change; Clover varies by reseller and Lightspeed, Chowbus & MenuSifu are largely quote-driven — see each provider's site for current terms.
A dedicated, line-by-line breakdown for each one.
Lose the 2-year contract and the $1k–$5k exit fee. Keep an AI that answers your phones.
Compare → Shisu vsGreat for a register. Shisu is built for a restaurant — with staff that work the shift.
Compare → Shisu vsOne transparent bill instead of a reseller's mystery rates and a 4-year lock-in.
Compare → Shisu vsPay monthly, not a year up front. Drop the processing penalty, keep AI that works the shift.
Compare → Shisu vsBoth speak your guests' language. Only one answers the phone in it — and shows its work.
Compare → Shisu vsThe Chinese-restaurant POS, reimagined — with an AI host and pricing you can actually read.
Compare → Not listed?Book a 20-minute demo and watch Shisu run a shift on your real numbers.
Book a Demo →Every call it answers, every order it fires, every shift it fills — on one live timeline, with the reason it acted. Nothing happens off-screen.
People and AI, working the same shift.