Comparison

TouchBistro KDS vs Square Kiosk Lite

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

Head to head
About

TouchBistro KDS

This kitchen display system streamlines food preparation by replacing traditional printers. It helps track cooking times, manage orders with color-coded chits, and customize the display for efficiency. Users can easily close, reopen, and rearrange orders.

Highlights
  • Track cooking and preparation times
  • Close chits by swiping
  • View and reopen old chits
  • Color-coded chits for status
  • Customizable font and chit size
  • Rearrange chits by dragging
Read full description

TouchBistro KDS is a kitchen display system for the TouchBistro Food & Beverage app. Save time & money by using this KDS vs a traditional printer, or use it alongside a printer for additional functionality. Features include: - Track cooking & preparation times by tapping items when they've started or been completed - Quickly and easily close chits by swiping them away - View old chits and reopen them if necessary - Color coded chits to indicate at a glance how long they've been waiting - Change font & chit size to customize your experience - Specify whether new chits appear from the left or right - View a quick summary of all items currently in progress - Rearrange chits by simply tapping and dragging

About

Square Kiosk Lite

Streamline restaurant operations with a self-serve ordering system. This solution helps reduce wait times, increase average check sizes through upsells, and keep front and back-of-house teams synchronized with real-time menu updates.

Highlights
  • Self-serve guest ordering
  • Menu item upsells
  • Instant menu updates
  • Customizable branding
  • Integrated payments
  • Order management
Features
Read full description

Square Kiosk Lite is the line-busting solution for your restaurant that frees up staff to reimagine hospitality. With Square Kiosk Lite: • Increase average check size by offering upgrades to menu items. • Shorten wait times by giving your guests a fast, self-serve way to order. • Put diners in control with easy customization and add-ons. • Keep your front and back of house in sync with menus that update instantly. • See sales by channel, including kiosk, from Square Dashboard. FLEXIBLE SETUP • Compatible with many iPad models (see more below) • For a counter or wall-mounted kiosk, fasten Square Stand hardware directly to a wall or counter • Syncs with both Square POS and Square Restaurant POS. KIOSK FEATURES Menu Customization • Add images for your items and modifiers so your guests can feast with their eyes. • Control which items show based on time of day with time-based menus. • Offer either dine-in or takeout fulfillment options. • Suggest paid modifiers on items for upsell. • Automatically mark items as sold out when an item is 86’d. Brand Customization • Tailor your kiosk with your brand logo and color. • Customize your welcome screen with an inviting image. Integrated Checkout • Let your customers tap or dip with built-in payments. • Offer diners text or email receipts. • Simply pay card-present processing rates on transactions. Order Management • See all your orders, from kiosk or POS, from one place. • Send texts to diners as soon as orders are ready • Integrated with Square KDS or kitchen printers • Update item status from the kitchen to mark as sold out on every kiosk. Get started with Square Kiosk Lite https://squareup.com/us/en/point-of-sale/restaurants/kiosk-software Purchase your hardware today: https://squareup.com/shop/hardware/us/en/products/ipad-pos-stand-mount - Square Stand (USB-C) hardware for Square Kiosk Lite is compatible with most 10.9-inch and 11-inch iPad models, including the following: iPad (A16), iPad (10th generation), iPad Pro 11-inch (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th generation), iPad Air (4th, 5th generation), iPad Air 11-inch (M2, M3). Visit our help center for setup help: https://squareup.com/help/article/8200-square-kiosk

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: TouchBistro KDS at 4.0 against Square Kiosk Lite's 3.2. TouchBistro KDS also leads on review sentiment (20% vs 0%) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). Square Kiosk Lite's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 8 months) and ratings volume (19 vs 6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

TouchBistro KDS holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 19 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 20% of TouchBistro KDS's written reviews are positive against 0% of Square Kiosk Lite's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TouchBistro KDS ships an update every 8 months, Square Kiosk Lite weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
TouchBistro KDS versus Square Kiosk Lite: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTouchBistro KDSSquare Kiosk Lite
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (6 ratings) — better3.2 (19 ratings)
Positive reviews20.0% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings619 — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
DevicesiPadiPad
Requires iOS9.0 — better17.1
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB638 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperTouchBistro Inc.Block, Inc.

Customer experience

TouchBistro KDS

All ratings6 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive20.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative60.0%

Square Kiosk Lite

All ratings19 ratings
Positive47.4%
Neutral10.5%
Negative42.1%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

None

TouchBistro KDS

No in-app purchases

None

Square Kiosk Lite

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is TouchBistro KDS free?
TouchBistro KDS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Square Kiosk Lite free?
Square Kiosk Lite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, TouchBistro KDS or Square Kiosk Lite?
TouchBistro KDS is rated higher. TouchBistro KDS averages 4.0 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Square Kiosk Lite averages 3.2 from 19 ratings.
Do TouchBistro KDS or Square Kiosk Lite have ads?
Neither TouchBistro KDS nor Square Kiosk Lite shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TouchBistro KDS or Square Kiosk Lite?
TouchBistro KDS ships an update every 8 months, and Square Kiosk Lite weekly. Most recently, TouchBistro KDS was updated on October 23, 2026 and Square Kiosk Lite on October 28, 2026.

Other comparisons