Applova vs S4D vs Square for Drive-Thru vs thru

Applova is a US restaurant technology platform combining a POS, self-order kiosks, commission-free online ordering, branded websites and mobile apps, kitchen display and loyalty. S4D, formerly Solutions 4 Delivery, is omnichannel software for multi-location quick-service restaurant chains. Square for Drive-Thru is Square's drive-thru package for quick-service restaurants, announced in May 2026. thru is a drive-thru order-taking system for quick-service restaurants. All four are listed under Quick Service & Drive-Thru POS. The main differences are in audience and platforms.

Key differences

  • audience

    The audiences they list differ. Listed for one product only, for example: Applova: Fast-casual and quick-service restaurants; S4D: Quick-service restaurant chains; Square for Drive-Thru: Multi-location quick-service restaurants; thru: Quick-service restaurants with a drive-thru.

  • platforms

    Listed platforms: Applova: Web, iOS, Android; S4D: Web, iOS, Android; Square for Drive-Thru: iOS, Android; thru: Web.

Side by side

Applova vs S4D vs Square for Drive-Thru vs thru: side-by-side comparison from published vendor information
FieldApplovaS4DSquare for Drive-Thruthru
What it isApplova is a US restaurant technology platform combining a POS, self-order kiosks, commission-free online ordering, branded websites and mobile apps, kitchen display and loyalty.S4D, formerly Solutions 4 Delivery, is omnichannel software for multi-location quick-service restaurant chains.Square for Drive-Thru is Square's drive-thru package for quick-service restaurants, announced in May 2026.thru is a drive-thru order-taking system for quick-service restaurants.
Best forFast-casual and quick-service restaurants; Cafes, boba shops, pizzerias and food trucks; Restaurants already on Square or CloverQuick-service restaurant chains; Delivery-focused pizza and fast-food brandsMulti-location quick-service restaurants; Drive-thru-first coffee and fast-food conceptsQuick-service restaurants with a drive-thru; Multi-location drive-thru operators
Pricing modelQuote onlyQuote onlyQuote onlySubscription per lane
Starting priceNot publishedNot publishedNot publishedNot published
Free planNot publishedNot publishedNot publishedNot published
Free trialNot publishedNot publishedNot publishedYes
ContractNot publishedNot publishedNot publishedNot published
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, AndroidiOS, AndroidWeb
CountriesCanada, United StatesNot publishedUnited StatesUnited States
LanguagesNot publishedNot publishedNot publishedNot published
Number of integrations12148Not published
CertificationsNot publishedGDPRNot publishedNot published
Security practicesNot publishedFiscalisation compliance where required, including Belgian black boxNot publishedNot published
Founded201620172009Not published
HeadquartersUnited StatesNot publishedUnited StatesNot published
OwnerNot publishedNot publishedBlock, Inc. (Square)Not published
Last reviewed29 September 202629 September 202629 September 202629 September 2026

Integrations

No partner appears in every list.

Named only by Applova

  • Clover
  • DoorDash Drive
  • Fivestars
  • GoDaddy POS
  • Mailchimp
  • Omnivore (Micros)
  • Paysafe
  • rPower
  • Square
  • Stripe
  • TSYS

Named only by S4D

  • Adyen
  • Bloomreach
  • Deliverect
  • Deliveroo
  • Deployteq
  • DoorDash
  • DotDigital
  • Google Analytics
  • Just Eat Takeaway
  • Meta Pixel
  • Mollie
  • Raptor
and 2 more
  • Uber Eats
  • Wolt

Named only by Square for Drive-Thru

  • ChowNow
  • MarketMan
  • Nanonation
  • OpenTable
  • Paytronix
  • Restaurant365
  • The Howard Company

Named only by thru

thru does not name any integrations in the material we reviewed.

Which to choose

Applova

Choose Applova if you are in one of these groups: Fast-casual and quick-service restaurants; Cafes, boba shops, pizzerias and food trucks; Restaurants already on Square or Clover.

Less suited to: Restaurants outside the US: the FAQ says it is built for U.S. restaurants.

S4D

Choose S4D if your business matches one of the audiences it is listed for: Quick-service restaurant chains; Delivery-focused pizza and fast-food brands.

Our profile lists a weaker fit: Single restaurants. The vendor positions the platform for multi-location QSR chains.

Square for Drive-Thru

Choose Square for Drive-Thru if your business matches one of the audiences it is listed for: Multi-location quick-service restaurants; Drive-thru-first coffee and fast-food concepts.

thru

Choose thru if your business matches one of the audiences it is listed for: Quick-service restaurants with a drive-thru; Multi-location drive-thru operators.

What we could not confirm

Applova

  • Any price or contract terms
  • Founders, funding, headcount
  • HQ city
  • Security certifications
  • Interface languages
  • App store listings

S4D

  • Prices, plans and contract terms
  • Headquarters location, legal entity and team size
  • Funding
  • Named list of the 16+ countries
  • Security certifications
  • Interface languages

Square for Drive-Thru

  • Any Square for Drive-Thru price or plan
  • General availability date after the early access program
  • Which partner integrations are supported specifically in drive-thru
  • Countries where it is offered
  • Headquarters city
  • Security certifications

thru

  • Confirmed price (the $299 per lane figure is shown as an unconfirmed placeholder)
  • Named POS and KDS integrations
  • Whether the order taking is AI or human-assisted (the page does not say)
  • Countries, languages, security certifications
  • Founding year, headquarters, founders, funding, customers
  • Contract terms

Go further

Applova profileS4D profileSquare for Drive-Thru profilethru profile

Other comparisons with these products

Sources

Facts on this page come from the pages below. Prices and features change, so confirm with each vendor before you buy.

Square for Drive-Thru, reviewed 29 September 2026

  1. Launch announcement, features, availabilityhttps://squareup.com/us/en/press/square-for-drive-thru
  2. Product page, hardware partnerhttps://squareup.com/us/en/restaurants/drive-thru
  3. Square pricing page, drive-thru workflow linehttps://squareup.com/us/en/pricing
  4. Restaurant integration partnershttps://squareup.com/us/en/restaurants/partners
  5. KDS platformhttps://squareup.com/us/en/point-of-sale/restaurants/kitchen-display-system

thru, reviewed 29 September 2026

  1. Whole one-page site: product, flow, dashboards, trial, entity namehttps://www.thruglobal.com/