Crunchtime Kitchen vs Square KDS

Crunchtime Kitchen is a kitchen display system that routes orders to stations, paces tickets, forecasts what to cook, and shows order-ready boards, with rugged display hardware. Square KDS is a kitchen display app from Square that replaces paper tickets and kitchen printers with digital tickets on Android devices. Both are listed under Kitchen Display System. The main differences are in price, audience and platforms.

Key differences

  • price

    Square KDS publishes a starting price of USD 20 per device per month. Crunchtime Kitchen does not publish a starting price.

  • audience

    The audiences they list differ. Listed for one product only, for example: Crunchtime Kitchen: Large casual-dining and quick-service chains; Square KDS: Restaurants already running Square POS.

  • platforms

    Listed platforms: Crunchtime Kitchen: Web, Android, Windows; Square KDS: Web, Android.

  • integrations

    On integrations, Crunchtime Kitchen names 22 integrations and Square KDS names 7 integrations. No partner appears in every list.

  • security and compliance

    The security and compliance details they list differ. Crunchtime Kitchen: SOC 1 Type 2, SOC 2 Type 2; Square KDS: ISO 27001, PCI compliant.

  • company background

    Crunchtime Kitchen names Crunchtime Information Systems, Inc. (merged with QSR Automations, LLC in 2025; backed by Battery Ventures per its 2022 press release) as its parent company and Square KDS names Block, Inc. (Square, Inc. was renamed Block, Inc. in 2021).

Side by side

Crunchtime Kitchen vs Square KDS: side-by-side comparison from published vendor information
FieldCrunchtime KitchenSquare KDS
What it isCrunchtime Kitchen is a kitchen display system that routes orders to stations, paces tickets, forecasts what to cook, and shows order-ready boards, with rugged display hardware.Square KDS is a kitchen display app from Square that replaces paper tickets and kitchen printers with digital tickets on Android devices.
Best forLarge casual-dining and quick-service chains; Chains that want one vendor for kitchen, inventory and labourRestaurants already running Square POS; Quick-service and fast-casual kitchens; Full-service restaurants with several prep stations
Pricing modelQuote onlySubscription per device
Starting priceNot publishedUSD 20 per device per month
Free planNot publishedNot published
Free trialNot publishedNot published
ContractNot publishedNone stated: Square says its plans have no locked-in contracts and can be cancelled or switched anytime
PlatformsWeb, Android, WindowsWeb, Android
CountriesNot publishedUnited States
LanguagesNot publishedNot published
Number of integrations227
CertificationsSOC 1 Type 2, SOC 2 Type 2ISO 27001, PCI compliant
Security practicesHTTPS, multifactor authentication and encryption in transit and at restNot published
FoundedNot published2009
HeadquartersBoston, United StatesNot published
OwnerCrunchtime Information Systems, Inc. (merged with QSR Automations, LLC in 2025; backed by Battery Ventures per its 2022 press release)Block, Inc. (Square, Inc. was renamed Block, Inc. in 2021)
Last reviewed29 September 202629 September 2026

Integrations

No partner appears in every list.

Named only by Crunchtime Kitchen

  • Appetize
  • Cake
  • Curbit
  • Flybuy
  • Focus POS
  • Genius for Restaurants
  • GoTab
  • Lightspeed K-Series
  • Aloha
  • Olo
  • PAR POS
  • PixelPoint
and 10 more
  • POSiTouch
  • Qu
  • Revel
  • Simphony
  • Smart Bar USA
  • SpotOn Restaurant
  • Squirrel POS
  • Tabit
  • Toast
  • Zonal Aztec

Named only by Square KDS

  • DoorDash
  • OpenTable
  • Postmates
  • SevenRooms
  • Square POS
  • Square Online ordering
  • Uber Eats

Which to choose

Crunchtime Kitchen

Choose Crunchtime Kitchen if you are in one of these groups: Large casual-dining and quick-service chains; Chains that want one vendor for kitchen, inventory and labour.

Square KDS

Choose Square KDS if your business matches one of the audiences it is listed for: Restaurants already running Square POS; Quick-service and fast-casual kitchens; Full-service restaurants with several prep stations.

Less suited to: Kitchens that do not use Square POS or that cannot run Android devices: the app needs a Square Plus or Premium subscription and Android hardware.

What we could not confirm

Crunchtime Kitchen

  • Any price
  • Contract term
  • Founding year of Crunchtime or of QSR Automations, headcount, funding amounts
  • Full POS list beyond the entries shown; which are two-way
  • Mobile app availability
  • Whether SOC 2 covers Kitchen (the security page says all products)
  • Countries where Kitchen itself is sold

Square KDS

  • Length of the free trial of Square plans
  • Languages the KDS app supports
  • Countries where the KDS app is sold outside the US
  • Company headquarters, employee count and funding (Block is a public company)
  • Which Android devices are recommended or supported

Go further

Crunchtime Kitchen profileSquare KDS 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.

Crunchtime Kitchen, reviewed 29 September 2026

  1. Homehttps://www.crunchtime.com
  2. Kitchen product pagehttps://www.crunchtime.com/kitchen
  3. Hardwarehttps://www.crunchtime.com/kitchen/hardware
  4. Certified POS listhttps://www.crunchtime.com/kitchen-host-integrations
  5. Hosthttps://www.crunchtime.com/host
  6. Companyhttps://www.crunchtime.com/about-us
  7. Customershttps://www.crunchtime.com/our-customers
  8. Securityhttps://www.crunchtime.com/security
  9. Offices and contacthttps://www.crunchtime.com/contact
  10. Support policyhttps://www.crunchtime.com/support-policy-ct
  11. Merger releasehttps://www.crunchtime.com/press/qsr-automations-agrees-to-merge-with-crunchtime
  12. Renamehttps://www.crunchtime.com/blog/introducing-rebranded-product-names-for-qsr-automations-solutions
  13. Zenput acquisitionhttps://www.crunchtime.com/press/crunchtime-acquires-zenput

Square KDS, reviewed 29 September 2026

  1. KDS product page: features, price, FAQ, hardwarehttps://squareup.com/us/en/point-of-sale/restaurants/kitchen-display-system
  2. Plans, no lock-in contracts, coursing, reservation integrationshttps://squareup.com/us/en/pricing
  3. Full-service restaurant fit and KDS pricinghttps://squareup.com/us/en/point-of-sale/restaurants/full-service
  4. Quick-service fit, delivery integrations, auto-86https://squareup.com/us/en/point-of-sale/restaurants/quick-service
  5. Company history, countries served, Block renamehttps://squareup.com/us/en/about
  6. PCI and ISO 27001https://squareup.com/us/en/security