DoorDash alternatives for restaurants: how to keep more of each order

The best DoorDash alternative for most restaurants is not another app. It is your own online ordering for repeat guests, plus pickup, with the delivery apps kept for people who don’t know you yet. Pickup from your own site costs card processing and your provider’s fee instead of a 15% to 30% commission.

This guide covers six real options, what each costs as of Nov 2026, and how to move guests over without losing sales.

Why owners look for a DoorDash alternative

DoorDash’s US Marketplace plans charge 15%, 25% or 30% of the subtotal on delivery orders, and 6% on pickup (DoorDash pricing page, Nov 2026). Uber Eats charges 20% to 30%. On a $40 order, that is $6 to $12 before promotions or ads. Our guide to delivery app fees breaks down every line.

The fee is one problem. The other is that the guest belongs to the app. You usually don’t get their email, you can’t invite them back, and the next time they open the app they see your competitors first.

Guests are open to ordering direct. NCR Voyix’s 2025 Customer Experience Report found 58% of US consumers use a restaurant’s own app or website for delivery orders, and the top reason was convenience (65%).

6 alternatives to DoorDash, compared

Option	What you pay (as of Nov 2026)	Delivery?	You keep guest details?	Best for
1. Your own online ordering (pickup)	Card processing + your provider’s fee	No	Yes	Every restaurant
2. DoorDash Online Ordering (direct)	0% commission + standard processing	Yes, guest pays delivery	Partly	Restaurants happy staying in DoorDash’s tools
3. Your site + flat-fee couriers	DoorDash Drive $6.99–$10.99 per delivery; Uber Direct from $7.99	Yes	Yes	Restaurants with steady delivery demand
4. Your own drivers	Driver pay, insurance, mileage	Yes	Yes	Dense areas, big catering orders
5. Ordering from your Google profile	Depends on the ordering provider you link	Depends	Depends	Every restaurant
6. Phone orders	Staff time, or an AI phone host	No	Yes	Older guests, big orders

Here is what each one means in practice.

1. Your own online ordering for pickup

This is the core of any plan to rely less on apps. Guests order from your website, pay online, and pick up. You pay card processing plus whatever your ordering provider charges.

Look for orders that go straight into your POS and print in the kitchen, so staff don’t retype them. If you run Clover, read our Clover online ordering guide for what Clover includes and what owners add.

2. DoorDash’s own direct ordering

DoorDash sells a separate product for orders on your own website. Its page lists 0% commission on these direct orders, with standard payment processing fees. The guest pays the delivery fee.

It is a fair option if you want DoorDash couriers and simple setup. The trade-off is that the ordering experience and guest data still sit inside DoorDash’s tools.

3. Your site plus flat-fee couriers

You take the order on your own site and pay a courier per trip instead of a percentage. DoorDash Drive On-Demand lists $6.99 to $10.99 per delivery with no commission. Uber Direct lists delivery starting at $7.99.

On a $40 order, a $8.99 trip is about 22% of the order. On an $80 family order, the same trip is about 11%. Flat fees favor bigger orders. Many restaurants pass part of the trip cost to the guest as a delivery fee.

4. Your own drivers

You control timing and service. You also take on pay, insurance and slow nights with drivers standing around. This tends to work only when you have steady volume in a tight area, or big catering drops.

5. Ordering from your Google profile

Google lets restaurants make it easier for guests to order takeout or delivery from their Business Profile, through ordering providers. Many guests find you on Google Maps first. If the “Order” button there points to a delivery app, you pay app fees on guests who were already looking for you.

Check which links show on your profile and make sure your own ordering link is there.

6. Phone orders

Phone orders cost no commission. The cost is a staff member on the phone during the rush, and missed calls when nobody picks up. See our guide to restaurant phone answering for ways to catch those calls.

Worked example: moving regulars off the app

Say 200 of your monthly app orders come from repeat guests, with an average order of $35. That is $7,000 a month.

Channel for those 200 orders	Fee rate	Monthly fees
DoorDash Plus delivery	25%	$1,750
DoorDash pickup	6%	$420
Your own site, pickup (example: 3% processing + 7% provider fee)	10%	$700

Your own rates will differ. Plug in your numbers with our delivery fee calculator.

If half those guests switch to pickup from your own site, you save over $500 a month against Plus delivery. You also get their contact details, so you can invite them back.

How to move guests from DoorDash to direct orders

You won’t switch everyone at once, and you don’t need to. Aim to win the second order.

1. Set up direct ordering first. Test it on your own phone: menu, modifiers, payment, pickup time.
2. Fix your Google profile. Put your own ordering link first and keep hours exact.
3. Add a card to every app bag. One line: “Order direct next time for pickup” with a QR code.
4. Give a reason. A small pickup perk, rewards points, or dishes you only sell direct.
5. Use your receipts and emails. Every direct guest should get an order confirmation and a ready-now message.
6. Ask for a review after good orders. Reviews help the next guest find you on Google. See how to get more Google reviews.
7. Track the share. Each month, divide direct orders by all takeout and delivery orders. Watch the trend, not one week.

Keep in mind the app pickup rates require matching in-store prices. If you use different prices on the app, read your merchant terms first.

Questions to ask any direct ordering provider

Before you sign with anyone, get clear answers to these:

1. What do I pay per order, all in? Monthly fee, percentage, and card processing.
2. Is anything added to my guest’s bill? Some platforms charge guests a service fee. Guests notice.
3. Do orders go straight into my POS? Retyping orders causes mistakes at the worst time.
4. Whose account does the money land in? Ideally your own merchant account.
5. Do I get guest names, emails and phone numbers? That list is what lets you invite them back.
6. Can I leave easily? Look for month-to-month terms and ask if you keep your domain.

When keeping DoorDash makes sense

• You are new and need guests to find you.
• Delivery is a big share of sales and you have no courier option yet.
• Your area has heavy app use and few walk-ins.

In those cases, stay listed, pick the lowest plan that still brings orders, and use the steps above to turn app guests into direct guests. For more ideas, read how to get more online orders.

How WhatsTable helps

WhatsTable gives your restaurant its own website and online ordering. Orders go into your Clover POS and print in the kitchen. Guests pay with Apple Pay or card, the money goes to your own Clover account, and nothing is added to their bill. Rewards points, referral links and review requests help bring guests back.

WhatsTable costs $0 a month plus 5% to 10% of sales through WhatsTable; walk-ins are free. Today it handles pickup and dine-in orders. Delivery from your own site with DoorDash couriers is coming next, not live yet. WhatsTable works with Clover POS only.