INFI vs. ChowNow vs. Owner.com: Commission-Free Ordering Compared

If you're searching for a ChowNow alternative, you've probably already settled one thing: you're done handing 15-30% of every online order to a third-party marketplace. Commission-free ordering is now table stakes. The real question is which platform actually grows your business once the commissions are gone — and whether it fits the way your restaurant already runs.

This is a straight, operator-to-operator comparison of three names that show up on most shortlists: ChowNow, Owner.com, and INFI. No hype — just how they differ, where each fits, and how to pick.

First, what "commission-free" really means

"Commission-free" means the platform doesn't take a percentage of each order the way a delivery marketplace does. Instead, you typically pay a flat monthly subscription. At volume that's a genuinely better deal: a restaurant doing meaningful online sales usually comes out well ahead paying a fixed fee instead of a per-order cut.

But read the fine print with every vendor. "Commission-free" usually means your orders on your channels. Payment processing (card fees) is separate and unavoidable. Some tools still charge extra for the branded app, marketing sends, or premium modules. When you compare, weigh the all-in monthly cost, not the headline number.

ChowNow at a glance

ChowNow is one of the original commission-free players, built primarily around online ordering plus a branded app. You get an ordering page, an app in your name, and placement in ChowNow's own consumer marketplace — all on a subscription rather than per-order commissions.

It's a solid fit if online ordering is the one problem you're solving and you want a proven, ordering-first product. The trade-off is that it's largely a single-lane tool. Loyalty, in-store self-ordering, digital menu boards, and deeper marketing automation generally aren't part of the core package, so you end up stitching other vendors around it.

Owner.com at a glance

Owner.com is the newer entrant and leans hard into website plus online ordering plus automated marketing for independent restaurants. The pitch is an all-in-one digital storefront: a modern site, commission-free ordering, and built-in email/SMS and rewards to win customers back — again on a subscription.

If your gap is "my website is dated and I'm not marketing to my own customers," Owner.com is aimed squarely at you. Where it's thinner is the in-store and operational side. It's a direct-online-sales and reactivation engine, not a floor-and-kitchen platform — so it does less for the counter, the kitchen, and the dine-in experience.

INFI at a glance

INFI takes a different posture. It's The Restaurant Growth Platform: your POS runs the register, INFI runs your growth. Instead of replacing what you have, INFI layers on top of the POS you already run — Square, Toast, Clover, Lightspeed, or HungerRush — and adds the growth surfaces around it. INFI doesn't sell a POS and won't ask you to rip one out.

Commission-free online ordering is one piece, but it sits alongside a full stack: self-ordering kiosks, a branded mobile app, loyalty, digital menu boards and customer displays, KDS/kitchen, a website builder, and the GROW marketing engine. The idea is simple: one connected system moves more of the levers that actually raise revenue.

Self-ordering kiosks typically lift average order value by roughly 15-30%, and INFI's own numbers land in that range and beyond: PJ's Coffee saw a +45% average order value, Juice Press +15% per order, and Oak View Group venues doubled basket size. More than 1,800 restaurants run on INFI, which raised a $12M Series A. It's led by founder Lucas Liu, Ph.D., a former restaurant operator, with a mission to reduce labor strain, elevate the guest experience, and preserve each brand's uniqueness.

Side-by-side comparison

Here's how the three line up across the capabilities that matter most:

• Commission-free online ordering: all three.
• Pricing: all three run on a flat subscription instead of per-order commissions.
• Branded mobile app: all three.
• Website builder: basic on ChowNow, a core focus for Owner.com, included with INFI.
• Marketing and customer re-engagement: limited on ChowNow, a core focus for Owner.com, built into INFI's GROW engine.
• Loyalty: add-on or limited on ChowNow, rewards on Owner.com, included with INFI.
• In-store self-ordering kiosks: INFI only.
• Digital menu boards and customer displays: INFI only.
• KDS / kitchen: INFI only.
• Works on top of your existing POS: ChowNow and Owner.com are ordering-focused; INFI layers on Square, Toast, Clover, Lightspeed, and HungerRush.

Feature notes for ChowNow and Owner.com reflect their general product focus; packaging changes often, so confirm current details directly with each vendor.

How to choose your ChowNow alternative

Skip the feature-checklist trap and answer these questions honestly about your restaurant:

• Is online ordering the only gap? If so, a focused ordering-first tool like ChowNow can be enough on its own.
• Is your website and customer marketing the weak spot? Owner.com is purpose-built for that direct-online storefront and win-back motion.
• Do you also run a counter, kiosks, menu screens, or a kitchen you want connected? That's where a broader platform like INFI does more than a single-channel ordering tool.
• Do you want to keep your current POS? Confirm the tool layers on top rather than forcing a switch — INFI is built to sit on the POS you already run.
• What's the all-in monthly cost? Add subscription, app, marketing, and payment processing before you compare, not just the advertised rate.

The honest summary: ChowNow and Owner.com are each excellent in a lane — direct online ordering, and website-plus-marketing, respectively. INFI is the pick when you want online ordering to be one connected part of a wider growth system that also raises average order value at the counter and on screens, without replacing your POS.

See where INFI fits your restaurant

If a commission-free ordering page is just the start — and you want kiosks, loyalty, displays, and marketing working as one system on top of the POS you already run — INFI was built for exactly that. Explore the full platform, or book a demo and we'll map it to your setup. Reach us anytime at 888-857-9831 or support@infi.us.