How much does a digital menu cost? A pricing guide for restaurants
What restaurants pay for QR code menus: free tools, monthly plans, hidden costs like printing and translation, and real savings.
Digital menus range from free to well over $100 a month. The right budget depends on what you need: a nicer menu, more languages, or full ordering.
The three price levels
| Level | Typical cost | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | A basic menu, limited design, one language or a few |
| Menu-focused plans | about $10–30/month | Themes, imports, translations, analytics |
| Ordering platforms | $30–100+/month | Ordering, payments, multi-store management |
Dishfolio's plans: Free (one menu, forever), Pro at $12/month (every theme, website and PDF import, AI translation, five menus) and Business at $29/month (table ordering, up to 10 locations, custom domain). Full comparison.
Costs people forget
- Reprinting: every price change on a printed menu costs design, print and lamination.
- Translation: paying a translator per language, then again for every change.
- Time: retyping a long menu by hand can take a whole afternoon. Imports save it.
- Commission: some ordering platforms charge per order. Check before you commit.
A simple way to estimate savings
Add up:
- How many times a year you reprint menus × the cost of each reprint
- Translation costs per year
- Hours spent updating menus × your hourly cost
For many restaurants, a single avoided reprint pays for a year of a menu-focused plan.
Try before you pay
Use a free plan with your real menu, test it on your phone with mobile data, and ask a few regulars what they think. Upgrade when you want imports, more languages or ordering.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free QR code menu?
Yes. Dishfolio's free plan includes one published menu with a basic theme, no time limit and no credit card.
What's the cheapest way to get a digital menu with translations?
Dishfolio Pro at $12/month includes up to 30 languages and 500 AI credits per month for translations and imports.
Keep reading
How to update menu prices without reprinting (and without annoying guests)
Change prices in seconds, keep the same QR codes.
PlaybooksRestaurant menu analytics without cookies: what to measure and why privacy matters
Know what guests look at, without tracking them.
Playbooks10 menu design tips for digital menus that sell more
Menu engineering, adapted for the phone screen.