Kitchfly vs. a traditional POS vs. Excel

We make Kitchfly, so we have an obvious stake. That's why this comparison tries to be fair: it says what each option does well, including what Kitchfly doesn't do yet. By "traditional POS" we mean the most widely used restaurant payment systems in the United States. Each one is different, so check what the one you're considering includes.

Summary: who each one is for

• A traditional POS: if taking payments and running service matter most, you want a very proven system with its own hardware and lots of integrations, and you don't mind paying separately for costing or inventory.
• Excel: if you're just starting, have few dishes and only need to cost recipes without spending.
• Kitchfly: if you're an independent restaurant (from a food truck to a few locations) and want recipe costing, inventory and POS in one system, at a flat price, in English or Spanish.

Side-by-side comparison

General ranges for popular US systems in 2026, in US dollars before tax. Every system is different and prices change.

Kitchfly

What it does well:

• Real-time recipe costing included: every purchase you log recalculates the cost of every recipe that uses that ingredient, with yield and sub-recipes.
• Everything in one price: POS, kitchen display, inventory, expiration dates, commission-free online ordering, time clock, loyalty, P&L and prime cost. The Pro plan adds a table map, table QR, reservations and a prep list.
• No special hardware: it runs in the browser, with apps for Windows and Android.
• English and Spanish for the whole team.

What it doesn't do yet, or does differently:

• Card payments go through Square: you need a Square account and, to take cards in person, a Square terminal. Their rates apply.
• No card payments offline: it keeps taking orders and takes cash, but cards wait until the connection is back. Many traditional POS systems do accept cards offline.
• Online ordering is pickup only, no in-house delivery.
• It doesn't run payroll: it tracks hours and labor cost and gives you a payroll-ready export.
• Fewer integrations than the biggest systems, and it's a newer company.

A traditional POS

What it usually does well:

• Very complete, proven payments, often including offline card payments.
• Restaurant-grade hardware: countertop terminals, server handhelds, printers and kiosks.
• Large ecosystems: payroll, gift cards, marketing and many integrations.
• Some have free plans to get started, in exchange for higher card rates.

Where it often falls short:

• Recipe costing isn't included or costs extra, and inventory tends to be basic. If you want food cost by dish, you often need another tool.
• Total cost climbs: the base plan can be low, but kitchen screens, modules and hardware add up.
• Some require multi-year contracts, with fees if you cancel early.

Excel or spreadsheets

What it does well: it's free or nearly free, you know it and you can bend it to whatever you want. For costing 10 or 15 dishes when you're starting out, it works.

Where it falls short:

• It goes stale: every price change has to be updated by hand, and almost nobody does it every week.
• It isn't connected to your sales: it doesn't know what you sold, so it can't tell you actual food cost or theoretical inventory.
• One formula mistake gets copied everywhere and nobody notices.
• It doesn't take payments or send orders to the kitchen.

If you want something free to start, our food cost calculator does the math for a recipe without formulas.

How to decide

1. What hurts most today? If it's taking payments and running service, the POS matters most. If it's not knowing what each dish leaves you, costing and inventory matter most.
2. Add up the full monthly cost, not just the plan: software, modules, screens, hardware and card fees on your real sales.
3. Read the contract: how long it runs, whether it auto-renews and what it costs to leave.
4. Test it with your menu: ask for a demo or free trial and load your real dishes.
5. Ask about language and support if your team works in Spanish.

Frequently asked questions