Comparison

Kitchen Display Screen vs Small KDS

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ€” with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Kitchen Display Screen

Features
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Nomni Kitchen Display System (KDS) helps kitchen teams manage incoming orders with a fast, clear, and fully digital workflow. Orders placed through Nomni POS appear instantly on the kitchen display, allowing staff to prioritise preparation, manage timing, and keep service moving during busy periods. The interactive interface also supports order-ready workflows, helping front-of-house teams and customers stay updated on order progress in real time. What you can do with Nomni KDS * Replace paper dockets with a virtual kitchen queue * View incoming orders in real time * Organise preparation with first-in, first-out workflows * Use colour-coded statuses for faster visibility * Highlight urgent or delayed orders * Track completed and closed orders * Manage staged preparation workflows across stations * Support order-ready and pickup workflows Why venues use Nomni KDS * Improves kitchen communication and coordination * Reduces paper handling and docket loss * Speeds up preparation during peak periods * Gives teams clearer visibility of order status * Helps maintain consistent service flow across dine-in and takeaway Nomni KDS is part of the broader Nomni hospitality ecosystem, connecting front-of-house, kitchen operations, and multi-device workflows in a single platform. Learn more: https://www.nomni.ai Please note that an active Nomni account is required to access the platform and connected applications.

About

Small KDS

Features
Read full description

Small KDS turns your iPad into a live kitchen display system (KDS) for Square. Connect your Square account, pick a location, and orders appear as big, glanceable tickets the moment they come in, so the kitchen reads the queue at a glance instead of squinting at a receipt printer or a point-of-sale screen. Built for pizzerias, cafes, food trucks, quick-service counters, bars, and any Square seller that needs orders on a screen in the kitchen. WHAT YOU GET - Live order tickets: new Square orders show up automatically, big and readable across the room. - Aging timers: every ticket shows how long it has been waiting so nothing gets lost in a rush. - Status cycling: tap a ticket to move it through your flow and clear it when it is done. - All-day summary: one toggle totals every active item across all tickets so grill and prep cooks can batch their work. - Order history and dismiss-all: recall a cleared ticket, or wipe the board between services. - Order alerts and screen wake-lock: hear new orders land and keep the display awake through a shift. UNLIMITED SCREENS One subscription covers a whole location with as many display tablets as you want (expo, grill, prep, dessert, a second counter). No per-screen fees, ever. ACTIVATE YOUR ACCOUNT Activate at smallkds.com, simple and cheap plans options. HOW IT WORKS 1. Install and tap Connect Square (secure sign-in on Square's own page; your credentials never touch us). 2. Choose which location's orders to display. 3. Subscribe at smallkds.com to activate, and the board unlocks. 4. Open the app on every tablet you want as a screen. PRIVACY Your Square sign-in stays on the device. We read your live order data only to show it on the board; we do not keep your orders on our servers. No ads, no third-party tracking. Payments are handled entirely by Stripe. Small KDS is an independent app that works with Square. It is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Square or Block, Inc. "Square" is a trademark of Block, Inc. Questions? hello@smallkds.com - smallkds.com

Screenshots

Small KDS3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: Small KDS at 3 against Kitchen Display Screen's 1. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Kitchen Display Screen ships an update every 3 weeks, Small KDS fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference ยท 5 level
Kitchen Display Screen versus Small KDS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKitchen Display ScreenSmall KDS
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksFortnightly โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” better
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size55 MB5 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperAbacus Solutions Pty LtdAcauan Matias

In-app purchases

None

Kitchen Display Screen

No in-app purchases

None

Small KDS

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Kitchen Display Screen free?
Kitchen Display Screen is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Small KDS free?
Small KDS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Kitchen Display Screen or Small KDS have ads?
Neither Kitchen Display Screen nor Small KDS shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Kitchen Display Screen or Small KDS?
Kitchen Display Screen ships an update every 3 weeks, and Small KDS fortnightly. Most recently, Kitchen Display Screen was updated on September 15, 2026 and Small KDS on September 21, 2026.

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