Lavu

POSfrom $99/mo

About

iPad POS system for restaurants with AI-powered Marty assistant, kitchen display, dual pricing, and online ordering integration.

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Key Features

Marty AI 'digital GM' - an AI analytics layer that monitors sales, labor (target 25-30%), and food cost (target 30-35%) from POS data, sends a daily morning digest, flags waste, and surfaces server performance coaching.

iPad-exclusive POS with offline mode - runs only on Apple iPads (no Android/Windows), stores data in the cloud, and can process card payments offline, syncing transactions when connectivity returns.

Dual Pricing / Cash Discount Program - displays two prices (cash vs. card) at the register to pass processing costs to card-paying customers; Lavu markets it as eliminating '99% of your credit card processing' cost.

Kitchen Display System - digital order tickets with real-time routing to kitchen stations, built in partnership with Epson; included in the Optimize tier.

MenuDrive online ordering with DoorDash integration - Lavu's ordering storefront supports self-signup and can extend dual pricing to online/DoorDash orders via a configurable percentage markup.

Built-in payroll and Lavu Pay payment processing - payroll automation and an in-house payments engine are sold alongside the POS, positioning Lavu as an all-in-one back-office stack.

Tableside ordering, inventory tracking, employee scheduling, and Xero/QuickBooks accounting integrations on the top tier.

Pricing

from $99/mo

Contact Lavu directly for detailed pricing information, custom plans, and enterprise quotes.

What is Lavu?

Lavu is an iPad-only restaurant POS system that has repositioned itself around Marty AI, an analytics layer the company calls a "digital general manager" - it scans sales, labor, and inventory data from the POS overnight and delivers a prioritized morning briefing of margin and cost fixes. The platform bundles point of sale, in-house payment processing (Lavu Pay), a kitchen display system, MenuDrive online ordering, payroll, and a dual-pricing (cash discount) program.

It targets single-location and small multi-unit operators - full-service restaurants, quick service, cafes, bars, and food trucks - rather than large enterprise chains. The main trade-offs versus rivals: pricing is quote-based (not published on lavu.com) and hardware promos are tied to a 36-month contract with an early-exit fee.

Lavu pricing

Plan	Price	Notes
Starter	$99/month (reported; previously $59/month)	As of July 2026. Lavu does not publish plan prices on lavu.com (pricing page is demo-request only) - these are third-party reported figures. Starter covers a single terminal with core POS, basic inventory, gift cards, lo
Growth	$149/month (reported)	As of July 2026. Adds MenuDrive online ordering and DoorDash delivery integration on top of Starter. Card processing reported at 2.6% + 10 cents per transaction; e-commerce add-on reported at $50/month.
Optimize	$279/month (reported)	As of July 2026. Adds tableside ordering, kitchen display system, and Xero/QuickBooks accounting integrations. Aimed at large full-service restaurants.
Starter Kit hardware promo (official)	$39 one-time for all-in-one POS terminal	As of July 2026, from Lavu's own offer page: $39 terminal with setup and warranty for the life of the agreement, tied to a 36-month contract ('option to leave if needed - a convenience fee applies') plus monthly software

Pricing verified July 2026 from the vendor website and public sources; plans and rates can change - confirm with the vendor before purchase.

Lavu pros and cons

Pros

+Intuitive interface with a fast learning curve - Capterra reviewers (4.2/5, 259 reviews) highlight 'intuitive and simple interface' and quick onboarding even for staff with limited tech experience.
+Flexible menu and order customization - reviewers repeatedly praise the ability to 'customize menus and features for unique needs', including detailed, configurable sales reports for tracking item-level trends (Capterra, G2).
+Support staff earn strong marks on Trustpilot (4.4/5, ~435 reviews) - customers praise helpful, professional onboarding and setup assistance from real humans, matching Lavu's '24/7 live support' claim.

Cons

−Recurring technical disruptions - Capterra and G2 reviewers report 'bugs and issues, including connectivity problems, device failures, and recurring software glitches', with updates sometimes disrupting service mid-shift.
−Billing complaints: aggressive upselling and unilateral rate increases - G2 and Trustpilot reviewers report being charged for opted-out add-ons and surprise price hikes (one Trustpilot reviewer cites a jump to $531/month); Lavu's Starter list price itself rose from $59 to a reported $99/month.
−Long contract lock-in - the official Starter Kit offer requires a 36-month contract with a 'convenience fee' to exit; the posusa.com review documents difficult cancellations (5+ months) and early termination fees reported from $2,000 upward.

Top Lavu alternatives

Toast

The US market leader (the most-detected POS in our September 2026 scan of US restaurant websites) with purpose-built Android hardware, a published $0-$69 entry price, and a far larger integration ecosystem - better for growing multi-location operators who want an industry-standard platform.

Square for Restaurants

Better for small or contract-averse operators: a genuinely free entry plan, month-to-month terms with no 36-month lock-in, and fully transparent published processing rates - the opposite of Lavu's quote-based model.

TouchBistro

The most direct like-for-like alternative - also an iPad-based restaurant POS at a similar price point (from ~$69/month) with strong full-service features (floor plans, tableside ordering), if you want iPad hardware without Lavu's contract structure.

Lavu FAQ

How much does Lavu cost?

Lavu does not publish full pricing on its website - quotes depend on configuration, device count, and whether you activate Marty AI. As of July 2026, third-party reviews report three tiers: Starter ~$99/month (recently raised from $59), Growth ~$149/month (adds MenuDrive online ordering + DoorDash), and Optimize ~$279/month (adds KDS, tableside ordering, Xero/QuickBooks). Lavu's official promo offers an all-in-one terminal for $39 one-time, tied to a 36-month contract, with card processing reported around 2.6% + 10 cents (or offset via dual pricing).

What is Lavu used for?

Lavu is an iPad-based point-of-sale system for restaurants - full service, quick service, cafes, bars, and food trucks. It handles order taking (counter and tableside), payments, kitchen display routing, inventory, scheduling, payroll, and online ordering, and its Marty AI layer analyzes POS data overnight to recommend pricing, labor, and waste fixes each morning.

What are the best alternatives to Lavu?

Toast (Android hardware, largest US install base, bigger ecosystem), Square for Restaurants (free entry plan, no long-term contract, transparent rates), and TouchBistro (the closest match - another iPad-native restaurant POS at a similar price). Toast and Square are stronger if you may outgrow a single location; TouchBistro if you specifically want iPads.

Who is Lavu a good fit for?

Independent single-location or small multi-unit restaurants that already use (or prefer) Apple iPads, want a cash-discount/dual-pricing program to cut card processing costs, and value an AI-generated daily operations briefing without hiring an analyst. It is a poor fit if you want Android/Windows hardware, published transparent pricing, or month-to-month terms - the hardware promo requires a 36-month commitment with an early-exit fee.

Pricing and feature details verified July 2026from vendor websites and public review platforms. Adoption figures come from RestaurantTools.ai's scan of US restaurant websites and reflect detectable integrations only.