Keep Storefront if speed is the only goal
If the restaurant already depends on DoorDash and only needs a fast commission-free website order button, Storefront can be enough for the short term.
DoorDash Storefront alternative - updated 2026-06-16
DoorDash Storefront alternative: fees, ownership, and direct ordering
DoorDash Storefront is DoorDash's commission-free direct-ordering product for your own website. It is genuinely useful - but it keeps your direct channel inside DoorDash. Here is exactly how the fees work and when owning the channel outright is the better move.
One-minute answer
- DoorDash Storefront lets restaurants take commission-free direct orders from their own website - you only pay 2.9% + 30¢ payment processing, not the 15-30% marketplace commission.
- If a Dasher delivers a Storefront order, the customer pays delivery and service fees; pickup or self-delivery avoids those.
- The catch is strategic, not a hidden fee: your direct channel, branding, and customer data stay mediated by DoorDash.
- The replacement decision is simple: keep Storefront for a fast DoorDash-connected order button, or move regulars to a branded channel when ownership, loyalty, and customer data matter.
- Use the DoorDash Marketplace for new-customer discovery, then move repeat customers to a branded channel you own - that is where the margin is protected.
Alternative decision
When to replace DoorDash Storefront
Storefront can be useful, but it is not the same as owning a direct ordering system. The replacement decision starts with who controls the repeat customer.
Replace it when ownership matters
If the goal is branded apps, loyalty, customer data, and repeat orders outside DoorDash's ecosystem, Storefront is only a bridge - not the end state.
Do not confuse marketplace discovery with direct ordering
DoorDash can be useful for discovery. The issue is paying or depending on the same marketplace channel after a guest already knows the restaurant.
Use an owned direct channel as the second order path
The strongest setup keeps marketplaces for first-time discovery and routes regulars to a restaurant-owned website and app where the restaurant controls the relationship.
The commission math
Why restaurants look at Storefront in the first place
Storefront exists because marketplace commission is brutal on restaurant margins. Every figure below is cited to its public source so you can audit the math.
15-30%
DoorDash's marketplace delivery commission ranges from 15% on Basic to 30% on Premier; pickup is listed separately at 6%.
Source: DoorDash Merchant Pricing (public site) · 202615-30%
Uber Eats charges restaurants 15-30% commission per delivery order depending on plan tier (Basic, Plus, Premium).
Source: Uber Eats Merchant Pricing · 20265-30%
Grubhub marketing commissions run from 5% to 20% by plan; using Grubhub Delivery adds a delivery fee starting at 10%.
Source: Grubhub Pricing and Fees · 20263-5%
The average independent restaurant runs on a 3-5% net profit margin. Giving 25-30% of online order revenue to a third-party app erases the margin entirely on those orders.
Source: National Restaurant Association Operations Report · 202460%
60% of consumers say they order delivery or takeout at least once a week, and digital channels now account for the majority of off-premise restaurant transactions.
Source: National Restaurant Association State of the Restaurant Industry Report · 20252.9% + $0.30
Stripe's standard online card processing fee is 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction — the platform-agnostic baseline cost of accepting card payments online.
Source: Stripe Pricing · 2026How it works
What DoorDash Storefront actually is
Storefront is the direct-ordering half of DoorDash's product line. The Marketplace is the app where diners discover restaurants and DoorDash charges 15-30% commission. Storefront is the branded ordering page that lives on your own website with no per-order commission.
Direct orders, not marketplace orders
Storefront orders come from customers who are already on your website. Because DoorDash is not acquiring the customer, it does not charge the marketplace commission - only payment processing applies.
The fee that remains
DoorDash makes Storefront free of monthly and commission fees but charges a 2.9% + 30¢ payment processing fee per transaction - the same baseline you would pay any card processor like Stripe.
Delivery is a separate cost
If you let DoorDash Dashers deliver a Storefront order, the customer pays a delivery fee plus a service fee on the subtotal. Offering pickup, or delivering with your own staff, removes those fees entirely.
It feeds the DoorDash ecosystem
Storefront is designed to keep your direct ordering inside DoorDash's tooling and data. That is convenient if DoorDash is already central to your operation, and limiting if you want to own the channel.
Honest comparison
Storefront vs marketplace vs a branded platform
All three have a job. The marketplace wins on discovery. Storefront is a fast, free direct channel. A dedicated platform wins on ownership. “Partial” means supported with limits.
| Feature | Orderitto | DoorDash Storefront | DoorDash Marketplace |
|---|---|---|---|
Per-order platform commission (direct orders) | 0% | 0% | 15-30% |
Payment processing fee | 2.9% + 30¢ (Stripe) | 2.9% + 30¢ | Included in commission |
Monthly platform fee | $149-$249/mo flat | $0 | $0 (commission-based) |
Branded native iOS + Android app App published under your restaurant's name on the App Store and Google Play | |||
You own the customer data | Partial | ||
Channel controlled by | Your restaurant | DoorDash | DoorDash |
Keeps your existing POS (Square / Clover) | Partial | Partial | |
Built-in new-customer discovery The marketplace is genuinely strong for discovery - that is the one job worth paying commission for | Partial | ||
Loyalty + promos under your brand | Partial |
The strategic question
Who owns the repeat customer?
The fee difference between Storefront and a branded platform is small. The real difference is who controls the customer relationship after the first order.
Discovery is worth paying for - once
Marketplace commission is a fair price for a brand-new customer DoorDash actually brought you. The mistake is paying that same commission on the same customer's 20th order.
Storefront keeps you in the ecosystem
Storefront removes commission but keeps your direct orders, data, and customer touchpoints inside DoorDash's platform. If DoorDash changes terms, your direct channel is still exposed to that decision.
A branded platform moves ownership to you
Orderitto publishes a native iOS and Android app and an ordering website under your restaurant's name. The customer list, loyalty, promotions, and analytics belong to you - not to a marketplace company.
Use both, deliberately
Keep the marketplace for discovery. Add a branded direct channel for repeat orders. Over time, the goal is to shift volume from the 15-30% channel to the channel you own.
Keep comparing before you choose
How Much Does DoorDash Charge Restaurants?
See the current DoorDash Marketplace fee table before comparing Storefront and owned direct ordering.
Restaurant Online Ordering Alternatives
Compare DoorDash Storefront, GloriaFood, Menufy, ChowNow, Owner.com, BentoBox, and POS-native replacement paths.
Online Ordering System Cost
Separate platform fees, processing, and delivery fees so you can compare like-for-like.
Restaurant Online Ordering System
The buyer checklist for choosing a direct ordering platform you control.
Best Online Ordering Systems
See which platform fits each restaurant operating model.
Third-Party Delivery Fees
What DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub charge - and how to avoid the commission on repeat orders.
Frequently asked questions
What is DoorDash Storefront?
DoorDash Storefront is a commission-free online ordering system that lets a restaurant accept pickup and delivery orders directly from its own website instead of through the DoorDash Marketplace. It is positioned as the direct channel product, separate from the DoorDash Marketplace where the app charges 15-30% commission per order.
How much does DoorDash Storefront cost?
DoorDash makes Storefront free of monthly platform fees and commission on direct orders, but you still pay a 2.9% + 30¢ payment processing fee per transaction. If you use DoorDash's delivery network (Dashers) to fulfill a Storefront order, the customer is charged a delivery fee plus a service fee on the order subtotal. If you deliver with your own staff or offer pickup only, those delivery fees do not apply.
Is DoorDash Storefront really commission-free?
On the direct order itself, yes - DoorDash does not take a percentage commission on Storefront orders the way it does on Marketplace orders. The cost you keep paying is the 2.9% + 30¢ payment processing fee, plus delivery fees when a Dasher fulfills the order. The bigger consideration is strategic: Storefront keeps your direct-ordering relationship inside DoorDash's ecosystem and tooling rather than on a platform your restaurant fully controls.
What is the catch with DoorDash Storefront?
There are two. First, Storefront is most useful as a feeder into the broader DoorDash ecosystem, so it is designed to keep you on DoorDash even for your direct orders. Second, the deeper question is customer ownership - your branding, customer data, marketing, and repeat-order relationship are mediated by DoorDash rather than living natively on an app and website published under your restaurant's name.
What is the best DoorDash Storefront alternative?
The best DoorDash Storefront alternative is a direct-ordering channel the restaurant owns. If you mainly need a fast free ordering button and already depend on DoorDash, Storefront can work. If you want branded apps, loyalty, customer data, and a direct channel outside DoorDash's ecosystem, compare a platform like Orderitto.
DoorDash Storefront vs your own online ordering: which is better?
Storefront is a fast, free way to add commission-free direct ordering if you already rely on DoorDash. A dedicated platform like Orderitto is better when you want a branded native iOS and Android app under your own name, full ownership of customer data and loyalty, flat-fee economics, and integration with your existing Square or Clover POS - without routing your direct channel through a third-party marketplace company.
How do I avoid DoorDash marketplace commission?
The marketplace commission (15-30%) only applies to orders placed inside the DoorDash app. To avoid it, move repeat customers to a direct ordering channel - whether that is DoorDash Storefront or a dedicated branded platform - and use the marketplace only for new-customer discovery. The strategic goal is to convert app-acquired customers into direct, repeat customers who order through a channel you control.
Can I keep my POS and still take direct online orders?
Yes. Orderitto is a direct-ordering layer, not a POS replacement. It integrates with Square POS and Clover POS, so you keep your existing point of sale and add branded web, iOS, and Android ordering with zero per-order platform commission on direct orders.
Want a direct channel you actually own?
See how a branded ordering app and website under your restaurant's name compares to running direct orders through a marketplace's Storefront.
Sources checked
- DoorDash Merchant PricingChecked for marketplace commission tiers (Basic/Plus/Premier) and direct-ordering positioning.
- DoorDash Online Ordering / StorefrontChecked for commission-free direct ordering language and payment processing fee.
- Orderitto PricingChecked for flat-fee plans and branded direct-ordering positioning.