Best restaurant menu software, September 2026Eight ways to make a menu. We sell one of them.
So read this knowing who wrote it. We checked every price and feature on each company’s own site, scored them against a checklist you can see, and said where the others beat us. If you only need a menu that is right tonight, in print and behind the QR, start here.
No card needed · then $19/mo or $190/yr · cancel anytime
The scorecard
| Tool | Price, one restaurant | Print menu | Live phone menu | Beyond the menu |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaslamp | $19/mo or $190/yr30-day free trial, no card | Print menu◆◆◆ | Live phone menu◆◆◆ | Beyond the menu◆◆◆ |
| iMenuPro | $16/mo or $135/yr30-day free trial | Print menu◆◆◆ | Live phone menu◆◆◆ | Beyond the menu◆◆◆ |
| MustHaveMenus | $24/mo, billed yearlyPro: $50/mo per location, billed yearly | Print menu◆◆◆ | Live phone menu◆◆◆ | Beyond the menu◆◆◆ |
| Canva | Free, or US$144/yrPro, per person, billed yearly | Print menu◆◆◆ | Live phone menu◆◆◆ | Beyond the menu◆◆◆ |
| Menubly | Free, or $95.99/yrPro, billed yearly; $9.99 monthly | Print menu◆◆◆ | Live phone menu◆◆◆ | Beyond the menu◆◆◆ |
| Square for Restaurants | $0/mo per locationQR ordering from Plus, $49/mo per location; card fees apply | Print menu◆◆◆ | Live phone menu◆◆◆ | Beyond the menu◆◆◆ |
| Toast | From $0/moStarter Kit, one location; Point of Sale from $69/mo | Print menu◆◆◆ | Live phone menu◆◆◆ | Beyond the menu◆◆◆ |
| A menu designer | US$199 to US$999Per 99designs contest, one time | Print menu◆◆◆ | Live phone menu◆◆◆ | Beyond the menu◆◆◆ |
Prices in US dollars as of September 2026, from each vendor’s pricing page, linked below. Vendors change plans; check before you buy.
The eight, one by one
Gaslamp
- Price$19/mo or $190/yr30-day free trial, no card
- Print menu2 of 3
- Live phone menu3 of 3
- Beyond the menu0 of 3
Source: gaslamp.ai, checked September 27, 2026.
Best for
An independent restaurant whose menu changes every week, that wants the printed menu, the hosted menu, and the QR code to match without a designer.
Watch out for
No print service, no online ordering, no POS. Eight designs with design controls, not a blank canvas. Yes, we wrote this page.
iMenuPro
- Price$16/mo or $135/yr30-day free trial
- Print menu2 of 3
- Live phone menu3 of 3
- Beyond the menu0 of 3
Source: imenupro.com, checked September 27, 2026.
Best for
An owner who likes laying out the menu personally and wants print plus a live QR menu for the lowest price here.
Watch out for
No templates, by design, so you do the layout. Print ordering is not listed.
MustHaveMenus
- Price$24/mo, billed yearlyPro: $50/mo per location, billed yearly
- Print menu3 of 3
- Live phone menu2 of 3
- Beyond the menu1 of 3
Source: musthavemenus.com, checked September 27, 2026.
Best for
A group with several locations that wants printing, signage screens, and listings from one company.
Watch out for
Pro is priced per location. Trial length is not listed. One edit updating print and phone together is not listed.
Canva
- PriceFree, or US$144/yrPro, per person, billed yearly
- Print menu3 of 3
- Live phone menu1 of 3
- Beyond the menu2 of 3
Source: canva.com, checked September 27, 2026.
Best for
Anyone who designs everything in house, from flyers to social posts, and changes the menu rarely.
Watch out for
A general design tool. The menu design, the QR code, and any web page are separate things to keep in step.
Menubly
- PriceFree, or $95.99/yrPro, billed yearly; $9.99 monthly
- Print menu0 of 3
- Live phone menu2 of 3
- Beyond the menu2 of 3
Source: menubly.com, checked September 27, 2026.
Best for
A hosted phone menu with a QR code on the smallest possible budget.
Watch out for
Printed menus are not listed. Paid plan covers one online menu and one QR menu.
Square for Restaurants
- Price$0/mo per locationQR ordering from Plus, $49/mo per location; card fees apply
- Print menu0 of 3
- Live phone menu2 of 3
- Beyond the menu2 of 3
Source: squareup.com, checked September 27, 2026.
Best for
A restaurant already on Square that wants online ordering and QR ordering from the menu in its POS.
Watch out for
Printed menu design is not listed. QR code ordering is not on the free plan.
Toast
- PriceFrom $0/moStarter Kit, one location; Point of Sale from $69/mo
- Print menu1 of 3
- Live phone menu2 of 3
- Beyond the menu2 of 3
Source: pos.toasttab.com, checked September 27, 2026.
Best for
A restaurant running on Toast that wants the menu, online ordering, and order and pay at the table in one POS.
Watch out for
Printed menus are do-it-yourself: 17 free PowerPoint templates. Hardware and add-ons change the price.
A menu designer
- PriceUS$199 to US$999Per 99designs contest, one time
- Print menu2 of 3
- Live phone menu0 of 3
- Beyond the menu1 of 3
Source: 99designs.com, checked September 27, 2026.
Best for
A signature menu for an opening, with a brand identity to match, when the menu will not change much.
Watch out for
Every later price change goes back to the designer, or into a file you may not be able to edit. No QR menu.
Head to head, with every row sourced: Gaslamp vs Canva, vs MustHaveMenus, vs iMenuPro, vs Popmenu, and vs Toast. Every comparison is on the compare page.
If the code on the table is the whole job, QR code menus explains how ours works, and how to make a restaurant menu covers the menu itself, whichever tool you use.
Choosing menu software, answered straight
- What is the best restaurant menu software?
- It depends on the job. For a single restaurant that changes its menu often and wants print and QR to match, we built Gaslamp, and iMenuPro is the closest alternative. For many locations with printing and signage, MustHaveMenus. For designing everything, Canva. For ordering, your POS.
- Who wrote this comparison?
- Gaslamp did. We sell one of the tools on this list. To keep it fair, every competitor fact comes from that company’s own site, checked on September 27, 2026, and the scores are counts against a stated checklist, not a vibe.
- Is there free restaurant menu software?
- Yes. Canva, Menubly, Square, and Toast all list a $0 plan, each with limits. Gaslamp has a 30-day free trial with no card, plus a live demo editor that needs no account, but no free plan.
- Do I need menu software if I have a POS?
- Your POS may already host an online ordering menu. It usually does not design the printed menu on the table. If the printed menu and the QR menu matter to you, a menu maker covers that part.
- How much does it cost?
- Start with a 30-day free trial, no credit card needed. Then it is $19 a month, or $190 a year (2 months free). No setup fee. Cancel anytime. The trial includes one published live menu with QR codes. PDF downloads and additional menus start when you pick a plan.
Change tonight’s menu from your phone. See if it is the one for you.
No card needed · then $19/mo or $190/yr · cancel anytime