Add up every fee
Subscription, setup, processing and delivery all count.
The restaurant owner's comparisonDinevate vs
Dinevate vs
ChowNow
Direct ordering should work for your guests and for your margins. Compare Dinevate and ChowNow on the full package: checkout, your app, delivery, marketing and the fees around each order.
Built with Dinevate
Check app inclusion
Confirm the plan, store account costs and launch work.
Keep your guest list
Ask how records are imported, used and exported.
Look beyond commission-free to the full ordering package.
DinevateA fit when direct ordering is the priority.
You want your website, branded app, wallet and detailed menu choices handled together, with a monthly plan and optional phone ordering.
Explore the Dinevate platformConsider it for your particular setup.
You want to compare a published ordering and marketing plan with ChowNow's marketplace, discovery channels and POS integrations.
Review the official sourcesThe details that shape a shiftDinevate and ChowNow,
Dinevate and ChowNow,
side by side.
Follow an order from the guest's first tap to the kitchen. Compare the complete proposal with that journey in mind.
| What to compare | Dinevate | ChowNow |
|---|---|---|
| Setup & ongoing cost | Four monthly plans include a $0/month option with a 20% online pricing adjustment. Compare the complete cost on our pricing page.What this includesCompare the monthly subscription, checkout fees or online pricing adjustment, who pays those charges, payment processing and delivery usage. Confirm the launch scope, equipment and optional products in your proposal. The current pricing page is the source for plan details. | Launch, Grow and Elevate have annual or monthly pricing, plus listed additional fees.[1]Read the detailsThe pricing page separates setup, processing, Apple developer, printer and Flex Delivery charges. Ask for the plan and billing term that apply to your restaurant. |
| Direct online ordering | Your website and app share the menu, priced choices, checkout and order management. | Website ordering, a marketplace and discovery channels are available.[1] |
| Restaurant mobile app | Your branded iPhone and Android app is included, with ordering, favorites and loyalty. | Branded apps are offered; the pricing page also lists an annual Apple developer fee.[1] |
| Delivery | Dinevate Delivery is charged when used. Confirm local availability and delivery fees. | Flex Delivery is offered with a separately listed per-order delivery charge.[1] |
| Loyalty & restaurant credit | Points, configurable stamp cards and a reloadable restaurant wallet, with first-deposit bonuses and cashback you control.What this includesGuests can apply wallet credit and pay the remainder by card. You set points earning and redemption, stamp-card rewards, first-load bonus eligibility and wallet cashback caps. See the example below to compare the complete return-visit experience. | Rewards and email/SMS marketing are listed in the plan comparison.[1]Read the detailsAsk to see the exact earning, redemption, stored-balance and split-payment flow included in your quote. A published loyalty feature does not by itself describe all of those details. |
| Guest information | Your guest records can be imported and exported for your restaurant. | ChowNow states restaurants have access to diner order and contact information.[1] |
Reviewed September 6, 2026. Products, availability and charges can change. Confirm the configuration and terms for your restaurant. Questions in the table identify details to verify, rather than missing features.
A reason to choose DinevateGood for the first order.
Good for the first order.
Built for the next one.
A return visit inside your brand
Your included app gives guests another direct route to favorites and loyalty. The wallet keeps a restaurant balance close to the next order.
Menu choices that carry through
A guest's size, topping placement and ingredient choices stay attached to the order. Show the team your most complex items during the demo.
Bring the returning guest into the call
Dinevate Voice connects menu orders and upsells with loyalty and saved cards through secure checkout. Ask to see a returning caller complete an order, then call back for its delivery status.
The restaurant wallet
Keep the next visit close.Website, branded app and guest wallet.
What the next visit can look like
A reward they can actually spend.
With Dinevate, your restaurant can combine points, a stamp card and a reloadable wallet. Set the offer, give guests credit toward a meal, and keep that balance close to the next order in your app.
- 01 · LOAD$50 + $5
A guest loads $50. Your first-load offer adds a $5 bonus.
- 02 · ORDER$55 → $30
They spend $25 on a meal and keep $30 in their restaurant wallet.
- 03 · RETURN$31.25
At 5% wallet cashback, $1.25 goes toward their next visit.
Example offer. Your restaurant sets eligibility, the bonus, cashback rate and cap. Points and stamp-card rules are configured separately.
Your offer, your controls.
Choose point values, stamp-card rewards and first-load incentives that suit your menu and margins.
A balance that works at checkout.
Guests can spend restaurant credit and pay any eligible remaining amount by card, without abandoning their order.
Your app is part of the plan.
Ordering, favorites and order history live under your restaurant’s name. Include that app and launch work when comparing total costs.
Dinevate Voice
The call after “order placed.”
A useful phone agent stays connected to the guest, the order and the next step. Put these three moments into your Dinevate and ChowNow demos.
“Can I book a table or plan a party?”
Voice handles reservations and catering requests, including configured estimates, deposits and restaurant follow-up. It can also suggest relevant extras while taking a menu order.
“Can I use my rewards and saved card?”
Loyalty and saved cards remain part of the returning guest’s experience. Voice connects the order to secure checkout, where the guest can use an eligible saved card.
“Where’s my food? Can I change my order?”
Voice can dispatch through your configured delivery provider, answer order-status questions and edit or cancel eligible placed phone orders, following your rules and the current order stage.
Ask each provider to complete these journeys using an actual order in the demo. Compare the actions completed, the staff handoffs and what is included in the quote. Dinevate Voice is an optional service with separate pricing and currently supports English.
Points. Stamps. A balance for next time.
Give every regular
a reason to return.
When you compare Dinevate with ChowNow, look at the reward a guest earns, how they use it and the rules you can set. Here’s what you can build with Dinevate.
- Points with your rules.
- Name the program, set earning and redemption values, add a signup bonus and choose expiration rules.
- A stamp card they can see.
- Choose the stamp goal, a head start with pre-filled stamps, the reward amount and the card’s expiration.
- Credit toward another meal.
- A first-load bonus, wallet cashback and gift cards give guests restaurant credit they can use. Wallet and card can work together at checkout.
Take a closer look
at online ordering.
From the menu to the next visit. Choose a topic to explore.
Let guests make it their own.
Build the choices into the menu so a guest can order precisely and your team can see what they chose.
- Size-based prices
- Required choices
- Half-and-half toppings
A pickup time you can deliver on.
Set a realistic pickup promise and let guests plan ahead within the hours you actually serve.
- Preparation times
- Pickup hours
- Advance orders
Serve your neighborhood.
Make the delivery area fit your operation, with a fee and a service promise that make sense for each trip.
- Custom delivery zones
- Fees by area
- Driver accounts
Keep the rush manageable.
Your ordering system should respond when the tickets start coming in faster than the kitchen can work.
- Order thresholds
- Automatic pauses
- Guest messages
Make the last step an easy one.
Choose how guests sign in, leave a tip and see applicable charges, with your restaurant’s setup guiding the payment options.
- Supported digital payments
- Tip options
- Wallet and card payments
Put your next special on the menu.
Show the offer beautifully, then make sure the right items, hours and orders qualify for it.
- Coupons or automatic offers
- Eligible items
- Offer hours and limits
Give regulars something back.
Choose the reward structure that fits your restaurant and give guests a clear way to see their progress.
- Points per dollar
- Digital stamp cards
- Your choice of reward
A good meal makes a good gift.
A reloadable restaurant wallet turns the promise of a future reward into credit a guest can use with you.
- Restaurant gift cards
- First-load bonuses
- Wallet cashback
Keep your team in the loop.
Give people their own access and send new-order alerts to the team that needs to act on them.
- Individual logins
- Staff permissions
- Order notifications
Help nearby guests find you.
Keep the places you serve and the food you make connected to your restaurant’s direct ordering presence.
- Neighborhoods you serve
- Cuisine and menu tags
- A direct path to order
What is ChowNow?
ChowNow offers direct ordering, a website, mobile apps, marketing and delivery tools. Its pricing page presents Launch, Grow and Elevate, with annual and monthly billing options. Setup, processing, app developer and delivery charges are listed separately. Sources
What is Dinevate?
Dinevate connects a restaurant website, direct online ordering, a branded mobile app, loyalty and a guest wallet. Dinevate Voice brings that experience to English phone calls: ordering, reservations, catering requests, upselling, loyalty, saved-card checkout, delivery dispatch and order updates, including eligible edits and cancellations of placed phone orders. Your menu, customer records and order workflow stay connected. The team helps prepare your menu, website and launch.
Before you decideGood questions.
Good questions.
Clear answers.
Pricing, product fit and the practical details of a switch.
Why choose Dinevate if ChowNow also offers loyalty tools?
Dinevate gives your restaurant several ways to encourage another visit: points, configurable stamp cards and a spendable restaurant wallet. You can set an eligible first-load bonus, cashback and its cap, then let a guest combine wallet credit with a card at checkout. Your branded app is included and keeps the menu, favorites and order history close. Compare that full guest journey with the specific ChowNow configuration in your quote, along with monthly fees, order charges and who handles launch. Choose Dinevate when those controls and the connected experience fit the way you want to run your restaurant.
What should I compare beyond taking a new phone order?
Ask each provider to demonstrate a reservation, catering request, relevant upsell, returning guest using loyalty and a saved card through secure checkout, delivery-driver dispatch, a caller asking where their food is, and an edit or cancellation after a phone order is placed. Dinevate Voice supports these connected caller journeys in English. Catering requests follow your configured estimate, deposit and follow-up process. Edits and cancellations apply to eligible placed phone orders within the supported change window, following restaurant rules, payment method and the current order stage. Compare what the quoted setup completes for the caller, what needs a staff handoff and how the result appears in the restaurant's order records.
What does Dinevate cost?
Four monthly plans include a $0/month option with a 20% online pricing adjustment. The restaurant, guest or an even split can cover the applicable adjustment, depending on the selected plan. Review the current pricing page and your proposal for the exact fees, launch scope, equipment and optional products. Compare the complete cost using the same order volume for every provider.
Does commission-free ordering mean there are no fees?
No. A commission-free label does not remove subscriptions, payment processing, setup or delivery charges. Review the full proposal and a sample guest checkout before comparing your net proceeds.
Can I keep customer information when switching from ChowNow?
ChowNow says restaurants can access diner ordering data and contact information. Confirm the export format, permissions and history available in your account, then have the Dinevate team plan the import before the switch.
Sources & review notes
This comparison is published by Dinevate. Competitor information comes from the official pages below, reviewed September 6, 2026. Dinevate product information is described in our feature pages and pricing. We have not independently tested every configuration of either provider.
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