Best QR Code Menu Apps in 2026: Free and Paid Options Compared
- Written by
- Ala Baganne
- Published on
- Oct 3, 2026
- Read time
- 6 min
- Category
- Comparisons
MenuMate, MenuTiger, Menubly, FineDine and UpMenu compared on free plans, prices, table ordering and payments, with facts taken from each tool's own site.
Short answer: if you want a free QR code menu with ordering from the table and no order limits, MenuMate and MenuTiger's free plan are the places to start; MenuMate has no caps on tables or orders but takes cash only, while MenuTiger's free plan adds Stripe payments but caps tables, items and orders. If you want online card payments, delivery or a branded app, paid tools like Menubly PRO, FineDine or UpMenu do more, from about $10 to $49 or more per month per location.
This comparison is published by MenuMate. To keep it fair, every fact below comes from each tool's own website, checked on 3 October 2026. Prices change, so check the linked pages before you decide.
The short list
| Tool | Free plan | Cheapest paid plan | Ordering from the table | Online payment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MenuMate | Yes, everything is free | None, it is free | Yes, no limit on tables or orders | No, guests pay in cash |
| MenuTiger | Yes, with limits (10 tables, 200 QR orders a month) | $17 a month | Yes, on every plan | Stripe and cash on the free plan |
| Menubly | Yes (pick-up and delivery ordering) | $9.99 a month | Yes; free plan not clear | Yes, many methods |
| FineDine | No (free trial) | $29 a month billed yearly, $36 monthly, per location | Yes, paid plans only | Yes |
| UpMenu | No (7-day trial) | From $49 a month per location* | Yes* | Yes, through Stripe* |
* UpMenu's pricing page could not be loaded for this review; these facts come from upmenu.com pages shown in search results.
MenuMate
MenuMate gives each restaurant or café a menu behind a QR code and lets guests order from the table. The order reaches the dashboard with the table number, and staff move it from accepted to ready.
- Price: free. No card to sign up, no commission on orders.
- Good at: getting a menu and table ordering running in minutes with no monthly bill; one QR code per table; staff logins; several venues in one account; a printable PDF of the menu.
- Limits: guests pay in cash; there is no card payment, delivery or pick-up ordering. The menu page works in English and French.
- Best for: cafés and restaurants that want table ordering without paying a monthly fee or payment fees.
MenuTiger
MenuTiger has a Freemium plan at $0 and paid plans from $17 a month.
- Free plan: 10 tables, 1 store, 7 categories with 7 items each, 200 QR orders and 250 online orders a month, cash and Stripe payments.
- Paid plans: Regular at $17, Advanced at $46 and Premium at $119 a month, with unlimited orders and more payment options (PayPal, Stripe, Adyen). The site says there is no commission per order and no setup fee.
- Menu languages: menu translation is listed on every plan.
- Best for: places that want online card payments and can live with the free plan's limits, or pay to remove them.
Menubly
Menubly is built around a small restaurant website and link-in-bio page with a menu.
- Free plan: "free forever", with a mini website, an online menu, a QR code menu and online ordering for pick-up and delivery.
- Paid plan: PRO at $9.99 a month or $95.99 a year, with a 30-day free trial. It adds a custom domain and custom design.
- Ordering and payments: guests can order for dine-in, pick-up or takeaway, and pay with "100+ payment methods". The site says you keep 100% of each order. Whether dine-in ordering is in the free plan is not stated.
- Best for: places that want a simple website and online ordering for pick-up and delivery.
FineDine
FineDine is a full-featured paid platform with a strong focus on AI tools.
- Price: Starter at $29 a month billed yearly or $36 billed monthly, per location. Growth and Premium cost more.
- Ordering: Order & Pay is included from Starter, with 20 dine-in tables and 1,000 orders a month; going over moves you to the next plan.
- Extras: menu in up to 40 languages on higher plans (one language and currency on Starter), tablet menus, reservations, a website builder.
- Best for: restaurants that want many features in one paid tool and take online payments.
UpMenu
UpMenu is mainly an online ordering, delivery and branded-app platform. Its pricing page blocked our requests, so these points come from upmenu.com pages shown in search results:
- Price: no free plan, a 7-day trial, and plans per location starting with Basic at $49 a month (up to 75 orders a month), then Standard at $89 and Premium at $169.
- Ordering and payments: QR table ordering is offered; payments run through Stripe, and UpMenu says it adds no fee of its own on top.
- Best for: restaurants that want delivery, a branded app and online payments in one place.
How to choose
- You want table ordering and no monthly bill: MenuMate, or MenuTiger's free plan if its limits fit.
- You want guests to pay by card on their phone: MenuTiger, Menubly, FineDine or UpMenu.
- You need delivery or pick-up ordering: Menubly or UpMenu.
- You only want a menu to read: any of them works; MenuMate can run with ordering switched off.
Frequently asked questions
Which QR code menu app is free?
MenuMate is free, including table ordering. MenuTiger and Menubly also have free plans, with limits listed above.
What is a good UpMenu alternative?
If you mainly need a QR menu and ordering from the table, MenuMate does that for free. If you need delivery and online payments, MenuTiger, Menubly or FineDine are closer to what UpMenu offers.
Do guests need an app with these tools?
No. All of them open the menu in the phone's browser when guests scan the QR code.
Try MenuMate
Create your free MenuMate menu and print your table QR codes. If it does not fit, the list above should help you pick another tool.
