Digital Menu App Free and Paid tools: Top 5 Best Menu QR Code Software

Update:  May 29, 2023
Digital Menu App Free and Paid tools: Top 5 Best Menu QR Code Software

Free or paid digital menu applications can successfully meet the needs of restaurants in developing their digital menu app.

Food and beverage industries traditionally use digital menu boards on large LED or TV screens to display their menu. 

On the other hand, customers may find it difficult to see a digital menu board up high to order their food. In truth, order errors happen due to an unreadable menu on a digital menu board.

Digital menu boards allow customers to easily see and pick food orders that they will convey to the counter staff.

On the other hand, the restaurant trend today is all about automation.

Restaurants strive to provide fully automated services and lessen restaurant staff intervention as much as possible.

Hence, restaurants started incorporating QR technology into their business operations.

An interactive digital menu is a new tool that can provide digital menu ordering and paying.

Interactive digital menu app vs. digital menu board

phone holding interactive digital menu table tent menu qr codeDeciding whether to choose a digital menu board or interactive digital menu for your F&B business? Find out what works best for your business.

Interactive digital menu app:

An interactive digital menu app allows customers to order and pay directly through the menu. 

Customers can queue their orders online through the ordering page and pay online. Mobile payment channels like Stripe, PayPal, or Google Pay can be integrated.

This eliminates contact between customers and handheld menus, and between customers and staff.

Digital menu board:

On the other hand, a virtual menu boards promote contactless menu viewing, eliminating contact between customers and handheld menus. 

However, digital menu boards only lessen the contact between customers and staff. After choosing orders from the digital menu board, customers still need to relay their orders to the staff.

Additionally, digital menu boards can only be limited to fast foods and other quick-service F&Bs. Most fine dining restaurants, however, would prefer digital menus over digital boards.

Streamlining F&B operations

Interactive digital menu app:

Staff can be preoccupied with their duties at times.

Hence there is a need to use a digital tool that can eliminate or significantly reduce staff intervention and can provide quick and smooth operations.

cookie table tent menu qr code

An interactive digital menu fast-tracks orders by enabling customers to browse and order simultaneously without a staff’s assistance through a QR-code-powered menu.

Customers’ orders will reflect in the server dashboard in real-time, making order preparation faster and shorter waiting times. 

Moreover, online payment reduces the hassle in waiting for servers to bring the bill and payment back and forth to the customers and counter, making table turnover faster.

Digital menu board:

Meanwhile, having menus shown on a digital menu board or digital menu TV helps customers decide on their orders quicker, making their ordering process faster. 

Menu accessibility

Interactive digital menu app:

Using a menu QR code is convenient as customers can scan and access the menu anytime. They can use their Android or iOS devices as long as they are connected to wi-fi or cellular data.woman phone scanning menu qr code on plateBesides, customers can access the digital menu on the restaurant website anywhere to check for available items and promotions.

Digital menu board:

A digital menu board, considered a physical menu, provides a digital menu that customers can only view within the restaurant premises.

Marketing features

Interactive digital menu:

Through interactive digital menu software, restaurants can cross-sell food items. They can recommend related items to a popular menu item.tablet interactive digital menu restaurant websiteAdditionally, restaurants can upsell menu items by allowing customers to customize their orders and include add-ons.

On top of that, restaurants and bars can create exclusive promotions they can add and remove easily anytime. 

Digital menu board:

Digital menu boards can incorporate special items and promotions by manually changing the inserts of their panels or adding a new digital poster to digital menu TVs.

Updating menu

Interactive digital menu app: 

Menu items are vulnerable to price changes; hence restaurants should regularly update their costing and menu pricing.tablet interactive digital menu app on counterFurthermore, food item availability will reflect on the digital menu, so customers know what items are up for purchase.

Restaurants can conveniently update their interactive digital menus anytime. Edits will immediately reflect on the menu in real-time.

Digital menu board:

Updating a digital menu board is done manually. Restaurants may need to print updated inserts or make new digital menu board posters to spice up their menu board screens. 

Top 5 digital menu app free and paid software for restaurants

To help you begin your digital menu app free journey, here are the top 5 digital menu app software you can choose from:

1. MENU TIGER: QR code digital menu app with a Freemium plan

menu tiger qr code digital menu appPros: Multi-featured software

MENU TIGER is a user-friendly end-to-end software solution that makes a mobile-friendly menu for restaurants and other F&B businesses. 

Changes to the digital menu created using this program will reflect directly upon saving.

This software creates a no-code website containing a mobile-optimized digital menu. It enables customers to order and pay comfortably through their phones. Restaurants can also translate their online menus into different languages.

MENU TIGER also integrates with restaurant POS systems, and it also allows mobile payment integrations like PayPal, Stripe, and Google Pay. 

This software collects essential data such as number of orders, revenue, and the most sold food items and converts it into an in-depth downloadable sales and analytics report. 

Finally, MENU TIGER allows restaurants to customize their menu QR codes. Users can change the pattern, eye pattern and color, frame design, frame color, and call-to-action text, making them more on-brand and scannable.

Cons: currently available for dine-in ordering

MENU TIGER is currently designed for dine-in menu ordering. Takeout and delivery ordering features are yet to be optimized in this software.

2. Minimal Menu

minimal menu
Pros: Simple and user-friendly

This software includes a simple and easy-to-understand navigation system. It enables restaurants to generate and alter their digital menus using computers, tablets, or smartphones.

Cons: You can’t change the appearance of QR codes

Minimal Menu app creates a simple and minimally designed QR code, as the name implies. 

The menu QR code should stick out when surrounded by various items on the table. 

The scanning rate of a beautiful QR code with colors is higher than the typical black and white counterpart.

3. ScanIt.Menu

scanit menu
Pros: It’s possible to keep track of daily QR code scans

This program offers a unique feature that allows you to track QR code scans. It can keep track of how many scans the restaurants receive daily for analytical purposes.

Cons: You won’t be able to make a website.

Restaurants can use the ScanIt.Menu software to upload their digital menus to the ScanIt.Menu website. However, they can’t create their websites through this software.

Having a website and engaging in online marketing establishes an online presence.

Online presence is essential as people spend more time online than ever before.

4. Menutech

menutech
Pros: Suited for people with allergies and those with a specific diet.

Restaurants can use Menutech‘s feature to write menu items and automatically detect allergens. On the side of the menu item, icons will show denoting allergen content.

There are 14 allergens that this software can detect and help people who follow particular diets, such as vegans, vegetarians, and pescetarians.

Cons: You won’t be able to upload food photos.

Menus with no food images can make ordering a little harder and longer. It can be difficult to place an order without seeing a picture of the dish, especially for visual customers.

Customers eat with their eyes first; hence a food image is important to market menu items in your menu.

5. uQR.me

uqr me

Pros: Build digital menu QR code from scratch

uQR.me enables restaurants and brands to create a whole menu from scratch through their smartphones. Restaurants can create, select, and download the ideal QR solution for their QR code menu.

It also tracks data like the number of scans and new scans. Additionally, it can identify the places and days visitors scanned your codes. Lastly, it gathers demographic information about restaurant guests, and their devices used to scan the codes.

Cons: It contains a digital menu for viewing only 

However, this software can’t receive and track orders and payments. Therefore it is only limited to tracking menu QR code scan data. 

Features of MENU TIGER: The best interactive digital menu software

customer phone scanning coffee shop table tent menu qr codeMENU TIGER is the newest interactive digital menu software in the market that features:

  • An intuitive dashboard
  • Creates a mobile-friendly interactive digital menu 
  • Real-time update of menu items, prices, descriptions
  • Supports quicker table turnover
  • Create and personalize a no-code website
  • Create and customize digital menu QR code
  • No customer account sign up dine-in  ordering 
  • Integrates with major online payment methods
  • Boosts employee productivity
  • Manage multiple stores from a single account
  • Simple and fast POS integration
  • Effective order tracking (pending, in progress, completed)
  • Keep track of customer data
  • Sends revenue and sales report

MENU TIGER digital menu app FREE for 14 days

Testing the best menu QR code software can be a challenge, and there are more than a few options out there. 

A digital menu can improve customer service and increase sales for your restaurant. 

Join the growing number of MENU TIGER users now! Sign up and get 14 days completely on any paid subscription plan you wish to avail. 

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