Fee Free Ordering vs DoorDash
A consumer-facing food-delivery marketplace. Restaurants pay 15-30% commission depending on the plan (Basic / Plus / Premier).If you're comparing the two, here's how Fee Free Ordering stacks up.
Free core platform. First 100 orders every month free, 0% commission on direct orders. Turn on optional add-ons (card payments, hosted website, custom domain) only when you need them — see full pricing.
Optional $0/$0.99 customer-side fees for DashPass members.
What you actually pay
The real numbers, side by side. We keep ours public; theirs are from their published pricing.
| Fee Free Ordering | DoorDash | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup fee | $0 | $0 to join (activation may apply) |
| Monthly cost | $0 core + optional add-ons | $0 fixed — but 15–30% per order |
| Commission on direct orders | 0% (Stripe card fees only) | 15–30% per order (plan-dependent) |
| Hidden / customer-side fees | None on direct orders | Diner delivery + service fees on every order |
| Contract / commitment | None — cancel anytime | Plan-based; higher placement = higher tier |
| Free to try (no demo call) | Yes — paste your menu, live in seconds | Marketplace onboarding, not self-serve ordering software |
DoorDash is a delivery marketplace, not direct ordering software — the comparison is direct-ordering economics vs marketplace commission. Commission tiers as of 2026; our numbers are public at /pricing.
Run your own numbers.
Whatever DoorDashcosts, the bigger number is usually what the delivery apps take in commission. Drag your real volume in and see what you'd keep on direct orders with Fee Free Ordering.
See what the delivery apps really cost you.
About 1,200 orders a month.
Delivery marketplaces typically take 15–30% per order.
That's $126,000 a year gone to fees.
You keep $126,000 a year. 0% commission on direct orders.
Core platform is $0/month — free forever, first 100 orders on us.
Estimate only. Actual commission varies by app and market; direct orders through Fee Free Ordering are always 0% commission.
Why restaurants switch
The specific reasons owners moving from DoorDash pick Fee Free Ordering.
0% commission on your own ordering page
DoorDash takes 15-30% of every order it sends you, plus its tiered plans force you to pay MORE for higher placement. Fee Free's widget is on YOUR website and costs nothing per order.
You own the customer, not DoorDash
DoorDash treats your restaurant as inventory in their marketplace. Fee Free puts the customer in your CRM where you can market to them directly.
Combine them — don't replace
Stay on DoorDash for discovery, slip a QR card in the bag pointing to your Fee Free page, capture repeat orders at zero commission. Most restaurants see direct-order share grow to 60%+ within 6 months.
Side-by-side comparison
Every meaningful difference, laid out plainly.
| Feature | Fee Free Ordering | DoorDash |
|---|---|---|
| Commission per order | 0% on direct orders (discovery marketplace coming soon) | 15-30% (plan-dependent) |
| Higher placement costs | N/A | Premier plan = 30% for more visibility |
| Customer data ownership | Yours | DoorDash's |
| Marketing to past customers | Full (your DB) | Blocked |
| Payouts | Direct to your Stripe (instant capture) | Weekly batch |
Facts checked against DoorDash's public pricing as of May 2026. We update this page when their pricing changes — flag anything stale at support@feefreeordering.com.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a DoorDash alternative with no commission?
Yes — Fee Free Ordering. Direct orders cost 0% in platform commission (only standard Stripe card fees), and an optional DoorDash-style discovery channel — the Fee Free Marketplace — is coming soon, pricing announced at launch.
Why do restaurants hate the DoorDash commission?
On a $30 order, DoorDash takes $9 (30%), leaves you $21. Stripe takes another $1. After food cost (~35%) and labor (~25%), you might net $2. Fee Free's direct-order route leaves you the full $30 minus roughly $1 in card fees — after the same food and labor costs you net about $11 instead of $2.
Ready to switch from DoorDash?
5 minutes to set up. No credit card. No commission on direct orders. Email us if you'd like help moving your menu over — we're a small team and we'll do it for you.