Square KDS

Square KDS is a kitchen display app from Square that replaces paper tickets and kitchen printers with digital tickets on Android devices. It receives orders from the Square POS, online ordering and delivery apps, routes them to prep stations and adds timers and prep-time reports. It is an add-on for restaurants already on Square's paid plans.

Last reviewed

Visit website
Best for
Restaurants already running Square POS, Quick-service and fast-casual kitchens
Pricing
From USD 20 per device per month
Runs on
Android, Web

Who it is for

  • Restaurants already running Square POS

    A Square Plus or Square Premium subscription is required, so it suits kitchens whose front of house is already on Square.

  • Quick-service and fast-casual kitchens

    Square pitches automatic routing of tickets to prep stations and auto-86 of sold-out items to quick-serve restaurants.

  • Full-service restaurants with several prep stations

    Dine-in, takeout and delivery orders can be routed to the right station; Square recommends the Premium plan when you need multiple KDS 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 it does

  • Digital order tickets

    Shows orders as digital tickets in the kitchen in place of paper tickets and kitchen printers.

  • Orders from all channels on one screen

    Displays orders taken through the POS, the online ordering page and delivery apps in one place.

  • Prep station routing

    Sends orders to the right prep station to improve order accuracy; multiple stations are supported.

  • Expeditor mode

    Lets an expeditor oversee order fulfilment and completion across stations.

  • Ticket timers and alerts

    Detailed ticket views with timers and alerts to prioritise and organise orders.

  • Customisable ticket layouts

    Ticket layouts, timers and notifications can be adjusted to the kitchen's setup.

  • Prep-time reports

    Reports on prep times and related kitchen measures.

  • Two-way ticket interaction

    Kitchen staff mark items as complete on the screen, keeping the kitchen and front of house in sync.

  • Auto-86 of sold-out items

    Square's restaurant POS marks items sold out across sales channels so diners cannot order them.

  • Coursing and seat management

    Course settings can be customised for each device so checks and kitchen tickets are prepared and served at the right time.

Pricing

Starting price
From USD 20 per device per month
Pricing model
Subscription per device
Minimum contract
None stated: Square says its plans have no locked-in contracts and can be cancelled or switched anytime

Square KDS costs $20 per month per device with Square Premium or $30 per month per device with Square Plus, and one of those subscriptions is required. Square states there are no installation costs. Square's pricing page mentions a free trial of the plans, but its length is not stated. Payments processing and plan fees are separate.

How it compares

Compared with the 9 products in Kitchen Display System that have a profile on this site. These figures describe the category. They are not a recommendation.

  • Names 7 integrations. The median in this category is 10.
  • One of 3 products in this category with an Android app. 7 products in this category state their platforms.
  • The category's 10 most-named integration partners are Uber Eats, DoorDash, Focus, Lightspeed K-Series, Aloha, Olo, Qu, SevenRooms, Micros Simphony, SpotOn. Of these, this product's listing names Uber Eats, DoorDash, SevenRooms.

Works with

Delivery
PostmatesDoorDashUber Eats
Other
Square Online ordering
Point of sale
Square POS
Reservations
OpenTableSevenRooms

The KDS page says orders from delivery apps such as Postmates arrive on the screen. DoorDash, Uber Eats, OpenTable and SevenRooms are named on Square's restaurant POS pages, not specifically for the KDS app. Square says its restaurant POS has 100+ app integrations.

Where and how it runs

Available in
United States
Platforms
Android, Web
Apps
Square KDS: Kitchen display app for Android devices, set up from the Square Dashboard
Hardware
Runs on Android devices; KDS hardware is sold through Square Shop. Square says setup takes minutes with no installation costs.

The KDS page and its pricing are the US (squareup.com/us) edition. Square's about page says the company serves 8 countries, but does not say where the KDS app is offered.

The company

Company
Block, Inc.
Founded
2009
Customers named by the vendor
BAO Tea House, Blended Bakery, El Ponce, Blank Street Coffee

Security and support

Security and compliance
ISO 27001 certified, PCI Data Security Standard, Level 1
Support
Phone support on 1 (855) 700-6000 and a help centre; 24/7 priority phone support is part of the top plan tier. Businesses processing over $250,000 a year can ask about onboarding and implementation support.

Listing details

Vendor
Square (Block)
Headquarters
United States
Built for
Restaurants, Cafés, Food trucks
Focus
Food-specific
Status
Active
Website
squareup.com

Alternatives to Square KDS

See all 13 in Kitchen Display System

  • RocketBox

    RocketBox is a kitchen display system for delivery and takeaway kitchens.

    Names 4 integrations, against 7 for Square KDS.

  • LINGA KDS

    LINGA KDS is the kitchen display module of the LINGA cloud POS for restaurants.

    Runs on iOS, against Web and Android for Square KDS.

  • Fresh KDS

    Fresh KDS is a kitchen display system that runs on iOS and Android tablets and shows POS orders on screens in the kitchen.

    Runs on iOS and Android, against Web and Android for Square KDS.

  • Annoncer

    Annoncer is kitchen management software and kitchen display hardware from Index Hospitality Systems in the Netherlands.

    Runs on Windows, against Web and Android for Square KDS.

Compare Square KDS

Side-by-side tables built from the same profile data.

What we could not confirm

These points were not confirmed when this page was written.

  • 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

Sources

Facts on this page come from the pages below, checked on 29 September 2026. Prices and features change, so confirm with the vendor before you buy.

  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