ChatGPT answers, unedited

For a small local bakery with only a handful of products, I’d start with Square Online.

Square Online

Why Square is probably the best fit

• $0/month on the Free plan — you pay transaction processing fees when someone orders. squareup.comsquareup.com
• You get a real online ordering page where customers can see your items, choose quantities/options, and pay.
• It supports pickup and local delivery, which is particularly useful for a bakery. squareup.com
• You can give customers a simple link or QR code to your ordering page.
• Square specifically supports prepared food and beverage businesses, including bakeries. squareup.com
• It can also put an Order button in Google Search/Google Maps, at no additional charge. squareup.com

The main downside is the payment fee: Square's current U.S. Free-plan rate for online payments is 3.3% + 30¢ per transaction. squareup.comsquareup.com

What I'd choose

I wouldn't pay for a website-building platform yet. For a small menu, Square can effectively be your website + menu + checkout + order management in one place.

If you tell me roughly how many items you sell, whether you offer pickup/delivery, and whether customers need to choose pickup times, I can recommend the cheapest setup and explain exactly what I'd configure.

For a small local bakery with only a few items, I’d avoid a full e-commerce setup and choose something that makes ordering simple (menu → pickup time → payment). Good low-cost options:

For your situation, my likely picks:

1. Start with Square Online if you sell things like cookies, cakes, cupcakes, bread, pastries, or preorder items. You can create a simple page quickly and only pay when someone orders.
2. Use Shopify only if you plan to ship products (cookie boxes, holiday assortments, subscriptions).
3. Use a simple website + order link if you only need weekend preorder sales.

A bakery menu structure that works well online:

• Featured items (3–6 best sellers)
• Individual products with photos
• Pickup dates/times
• “Order cutoff” notes (e.g., orders close 48 hours before pickup)
• Custom cake inquiry form separately (don’t force custom orders through the normal cart)

If you already have a point-of-sale system (Square, Clover, Toast, etc.) or a website/domain, that would change the best choice.

For a small local bakery with only a few items, I’d keep it very simple. My first choice would be Square Online.

🥇 Best overall: Square Online

Why I think it fits you:

• $0/month on the Free plan
• You get an actual online ordering page customers can visit.
• Customers can order for pickup or delivery.
• You can list your baked goods with photos, descriptions, prices, and variations.
• No coding required.
• You can take payment online, or potentially allow other payment methods.
• If you eventually start selling more, you can upgrade without rebuilding everything. squareup.com

The main cost is payment processing. Square currently lists 3.3% + $0.30 for online payments on its Free plan. squareup.comsquareup.comsupport.toasttab.com

For example, on a $20 online order, that's about $0.96 in processing fees.

🥈 Clover

Clover Online Ordering is another good option, particularly if you already use Clover for taking payments in your bakery.

Clover says its online ordering page has no subscription/setup fee, although you still pay applicable card-not-present processing fees. www.clover.com

The catch is that Clover's overall POS systems can involve monthly software/hardware costs, so I wouldn't buy into Clover just to get an inexpensive ordering page. www.clover.com

What I'd avoid for your situation

Toast is excellent for restaurants, but for a tiny bakery with a handful of products, it's probably more system than you need. Its online ordering/customization features are geared toward a broader restaurant POS ecosystem. support.toasttab.com

My recommendation

If I were setting up your bakery:

Square Free → simple ordering page → pickup times → online payment → link to it from Facebook/Instagram/Google.

You could have something as simple as:

Today's Bakery Menu

🍞 Sourdough Loaf — $8
🧁 Cupcakes — $3 each
🍪 Chocolate Chip Cookies — $2
🎂 Custom Cakes — Call to order

[Order for Pickup]

If you tell me what you're selling (e.g., breads, cupcakes, cakes, cookies), roughly how many orders you get per week, and whether customers pick up or you deliver, I can tell you which setup would be cheapest and easiest for your bakery.

For a small local bakery with only a few items, I’d keep it simple and avoid paying for a full restaurant/POS system unless you need one.

My top pick: Square

Square Online is probably the best fit.

• $0/month on Square’s Free plan. squareup.com
• Gives you an actual online ordering page you can share from Instagram, Google, your business card, etc.
• Customers can order for pickup or local delivery. squareup.com
• You can set pickup times/order windows and mark items sold out.
• You don't need to build a complicated website.
• You pay payment-processing fees when someone orders; Square currently lists 3.3% + $0.30 for online payments on its Free plan. squareup.com
• Square also offers a free branded online ordering profile, essentially giving you a menu/order page without the commissions associated with marketplace apps. squareup.com

For example, if you sell 6–10 bakery items—cookies, cupcakes, cakes, brownies, etc.—I'd use Square rather than Toast or Clover.

Other options

Clover's online ordering itself has no setup or subscription fees, but its overall system involves POS/payment products, so I wouldn't choose it solely to get a simple bakery ordering page. www.clover.com

Toast is similarly more geared toward businesses that need a full restaurant POS ecosystem; its online ordering is commission-free but requires subscribing to Toast Online Ordering. support.toasttab.com

Bottom line: I'd start with Square Free. For a small bakery, you can have a professional-looking ordering page without adding another monthly bill.

If you tell me what you sell (e.g., 5–10 items), whether customers pick up or you deliver, and whether you already use a card reader/POS, I can tell you exactly which setup I'd use and what it would cost per month/order.

For a small local bakery with only a handful of products, I’d start with Square Online. It’s probably the best balance of free, simple, and professional for what you’re describing.

🥇 My pick: Square Online

Square Online

• $0/month on the Free plan.
• You pay processing fees when someone orders online; Square currently lists 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction for the Free online-store plan. squareup.com
• You can create a simple ordering website without knowing how to build websites.
• Customers can choose pickup, and you can also offer local delivery. squareup.com
• You can have only your 5–10 bakery items on the page—no need to build a giant online store.
• It can connect with Google Search and Google Maps, so customers can find an ordering button when they search for your bakery. squareup.com
• If you eventually use Square for in-person payments, online and in-person orders can sync together. squareup.com

For a bakery, I'd probably set it up something like:

Your Bakery

🍪 Cookies — $X
🧁 Cupcakes — $X
🍞 Sourdough — $X
🎂 Custom cakes — Request/order

Pickup: Select date & time
Payment: Online
Order cutoff: Thursday at noon

That keeps it extremely simple.

Other options

Clover is worth considering if you already have a Clover POS. Clover says its online ordering page has no subscription or setup fees, although you still pay payment-processing fees, and online ordering requires compatible Clover hardware. www.clover.com

Toast is excellent for restaurants, but I'd consider it overkill for a tiny bakery unless you're already using Toast. It has considerably more restaurant-oriented functionality. support.toasttab.com

What I'd do in your situation

Square Free + a simple ordering page + Google Business Profile.

You could have customers find you on Google, click Order, see your handful of products, choose a pickup time, and pay—all without you paying a monthly website fee. Google also allows businesses to add/manage ordering links on their Business Profile. support.google.com

If you tell me roughly how many items you sell, whether customers pick up or you deliver, and whether you already use a cash register/POS, I can tell you exactly which setup I'd use and what it would cost you per order.

For a small local bakery with only a few items, you probably don’t need a full ecommerce store. Look for something that handles menus, pickup times, payments, and simple order notifications without monthly overhead.

Here are the best fits:

For a small bakery with a handful of items, I’d usually choose:

1. Square Online — best overall if you want something cheap and easy:
   • Add 5–20 products
   • Customers order online
   • Accept card payments
   • Offer pickup times
   • No website-building skills needed

2. Wix + Square payments — if your main goal is a beautiful bakery website with photos, story, and an order button.

3. A simple order form — if you only sell a few things (for example, 3 cookie flavors and weekend cakes), a free form tool plus payment link can work, but it’s less polished.

A few bakery-specific features I’d prioritize:

• Pre-order cutoff times (e.g., “order by Thursday for Saturday pickup”)
• Pickup scheduling
• Item quantity limits (avoid selling out accidentally)
• Custom notes (cake messages, allergies, substitutions)
• Automatic confirmation texts/emails

If you tell me:

• your approximate number of orders per week,
• whether you already use Square/card payments,
• pickup only vs delivery,
• and whether you have a website already,

I can narrow it down to the best choice.

For a small local bakery with only a handful of products, I’d start with Square Online.

Square Online offers a $0/month plan, and you only pay payment-processing fees when someone orders. Square specifically supports online ordering for food businesses, and you can give customers a simple ordering page/link or QR code. squareup.com

My ranking for your situation

Why Square fits particularly well: you can list your 5–20 products, let customers choose quantities/options, take payment, and schedule pickup without building a complicated website. Square's free tier also includes websites and online ordering. squareup.com

For example, your ordering page could simply be:

Your Bakery

• 🍪 Chocolate Chip Cookies — $3
• 🥐 Croissants — $4
• 🍞 Sourdough Loaf — $8
• 🎂 6" Cake — $35
• Pickup: Saturday 9 AM–2 PM
• Order cutoff: Thursday at noon

You could put the Square ordering link in your Instagram bio, Google Business Profile, Facebook page, and a QR code at the bakery.

One important distinction: if by "online ordering" you mean customers place orders for pickup, Square is an especially good fit. If you need custom cake requests, deposits, delivery zones, subscriptions, or shipping, I'd consider a different setup.

If you tell me (1) roughly how many items you sell, (2) pickup vs. delivery, and (3) whether you already use Square for payments, I can tell you exactly what I'd use and what it would cost you per month/order.

For a small local bakery with only a handful of products, I’d keep it simple and avoid paying for a full restaurant/e-commerce system.

My top choices

I'd start with Square. Square's Free plan doesn't have a monthly subscription, and online payments are currently listed at 3.3% + $0.30 per transaction. squareup.com

For example, if someone places a $30 bakery order online, the processing fee would be about $1.29, leaving you about $28.71 before other costs.

You can make a very straightforward page with:

• 🍞 Bread
• 🧁 Cupcakes
• 🍪 Cookies
• 🎂 Cakes
• Pickup date/time
• Customer name + phone
• Online payment
• Special instructions

You can also put the ordering link on your Google Business Profile, so customers searching for your bakery can get directly to ordering. Google supports adding custom ordering links and setting a preferred ordering provider. support.google.com

When I'd choose Ecwid instead

If you want something that feels more like a little bakery website/store rather than primarily an ordering page, Ecwid is worth considering. Its Starter plan supports up to 10 products, includes a basic store/site, and Ecwid says it charges 0% transaction fees (you still pay your payment processor). www.ecwid.com

One thing I'd skip

I wouldn't jump into Toast just for online ordering unless you already use Toast. Toast's online ordering is commission-free for orders placed directly through your ordering page, but online ordering is part of its paid Digital Storefront offering. support.toasttab.com

Bottom line:
👉 Square if your priority is cheap + easy + pickup orders.
👉 Ecwid if your priority is a nicer little online storefront.

If you tell me roughly how many orders you get per week, whether customers pick up or you deliver, and whether you already use Square for in-person payments, I can tell you which one would likely cost you the least.

For a small local bakery with only a handful of products, I’d keep it simple. You probably don’t need a full restaurant POS system.

My top pick: Square Online

Why I’d choose it for you:

• $0/month on the Free plan — you pay processing fees when someone orders. squareup.com
• Gives you an actual online ordering page rather than just a payment link.
• Customers can choose pickup or local delivery, and you can set ordering windows and minimum/maximum order amounts. squareup.com
• You can have customers preorder for a particular date/time, which is especially useful for cakes, pies, weekend pastries, etc. squareup.com
• If you eventually sell at a physical location, Square can keep online and in-person inventory/orders together.

For a bakery selling, say, 5–20 items, this is probably the best balance of inexpensive + professional + easy.

Two alternatives

Clover — Worth considering if you already use Clover. Clover says its online ordering page has no subscription or setup fee, although online card-processing rates still apply. The catch is that its online ordering requires a compatible Clover POS device. www.clover.com

Wix Restaurants — Better if your priority is a beautiful bakery website with ordering built into it. Wix advertises commission-free online ordering, but you need to upgrade the site to accept online orders/payments, so it's less attractive if your primary goal is keeping costs near zero. www.wix.com

What I'd do in your situation

\*Clover's overall POS/device costs can still apply. www.clover.comwww.clover.com

I'd start with Square Free. You could have a page with something like Cookies → Breads → Pastries → Cakes, customers select quantities, choose a pickup date/time, pay online, and you get the order.

If you tell me roughly how many items you sell, whether orders are pickup only or delivery too, and whether you already use Square/Clover/another card reader, I can tell you which setup would be cheapest for your specific bakery.

For a small local bakery with only a handful of items, I’d keep it simple and avoid paying for a full restaurant POS unless you need one.

My top picks

1. Square Online — best overall for you

• $0/month on the Free plan; you pay payment-processing fees when you make a sale. squareup.comsquareup.com
• Customers get a real ordering page where they can choose items and pay.
• Supports pickup and local delivery, including scheduled orders. squareup.comsquareup.com
• You can share the ordering link on Instagram/Facebook, Google, your business card, or a QR code.
• Especially good if you might eventually want a Square card reader for in-person sales.

Square Online

2. Bakesy — best specifically for a bakery

• Designed for bakers rather than general retailers.
• $9.99/month after a 30-day free trial for the Standard plan. www.bakesy.app
• Includes a website, customer order forms, unlimited orders, invoices, availability, automated receipts, reviews, and payment options. www.bakesy.app
• Customers don't need to download an app. squareup.comsquareup.comwww.bakesy.app

Bakesy

3. Clover — worth considering if you already use Clover

• Clover says its online ordering page has no subscription/setup fee, with payment-processing fees applying to online orders. www.clover.com
• But I wouldn't buy Clover hardware just to get an ordering page for a tiny bakery.

What I'd choose

For your situation, I'd start with Square Online Free. You can have a simple page like “Cookies • Brownies • Cakes • Pickup”, let customers select quantities and pickup times, and avoid a monthly subscription. Square explicitly offers free online ordering profiles for food-and-beverage businesses as well. squareup.com

If you tell me roughly how many items you sell, whether you offer pickup/delivery, and whether you already use Square/another POS, I can tell you which option will be cheapest in practice—including the payment fees.

For a small local bakery with only a handful of items, I’d keep it simple. You probably don’t need a full restaurant POS system.

My picks

1. Square Online — best overall for a bakery

• Very easy to set up a simple menu/order page.
• Good for pickup orders, scheduled orders, and online payments.
• Especially attractive if you already use Square for taking payments in person.
• You can start cheaply and add features as you grow.

2. Ecwid — best if you want a very small online store

• Designed for small catalogs; its Starter plan supports up to 10 products and has a free company.site domain. www.ecwid.comsupport.wix.com
• Ecwid says it charges no transaction fee of its own on sales, although your payment processor will still charge its normal processing fee. www.ecwid.comsupport.wix.com
• This could be a particularly good fit if you literally have 5–10 bakery items.

3. Wix — best if you also want a nicer bakery website

• Stronger website/design capabilities, with online ordering, menus, pickup/delivery, etc. support.wix.com
• The catch: Wix requires a paid site plan to accept online orders and payments. support.wix.com
• So I'd choose it if you want the ordering page plus a polished website with your story, photos, hours, location, catering information, etc.

I wouldn't start with Toast unless you're planning to grow into a more traditional restaurant/POS operation. It's more capable than you likely need for a tiny bakery menu.

What I'd choose for you

For your situation, Square Online would be my first choice, unless you specifically want a standalone website rather than just an ordering page.

If you tell me (1) roughly how many items you sell, (2) pickup only vs. delivery, and (3) whether you already use Square/another payment system, I can narrow it down to the cheapest option and tell you roughly what you'd pay per order.

For a small local bakery with only a handful of products, I’d avoid Shopify and the more elaborate restaurant systems. You probably want a simple menu + pickup date/time + payment, without a monthly bill.

My top choices

🥇 I'd choose Square

For your situation, Square is probably the sweet spot. You can have a simple page such as:

Sweet Bakery
🍪 Chocolate Chip Cookies — $12/dozen
🍰 6" Celebration Cake — $35
🥐 Croissants — $3 each
🎂 Custom Cake — Request a Quote

Choose pickup date/time → Pay → Done

You don't need to build a complicated website. You can put the ordering-page link in your Google Business Profile, Instagram, Facebook, and business cards.

The big advantage is that Square can also handle payments in person, so you can eventually have your online and in-person sales in the same system.

One thing I'd specifically look for

Since you're a bakery, pickup scheduling and order cutoffs are more important than fancy ecommerce features. For example:

• Orders must be placed 24 hours ahead
• Pickup available Friday–Saturday, 9 AM–3 PM
• Customer chooses a pickup time
• Items can be marked sold out
• Customer pays online
• You get an order notification

If you tell me roughly how many orders you get per week and whether you already use Square, Clover, PayPal, or another card reader, I can tell you which option would likely cost you the least in actual fees.

For a small local bakery with only a handful of products, I’d keep it simple. You probably don’t need Shopify or a full restaurant POS.

My top pick: Square Online

Square Online is probably the best fit if you want something that looks professional and is easy to manage.

• $0/month on the Free plan
• Customers can order for pickup or local delivery.
• You get a shareable ordering page and QR code.
• Payments are handled online.
• You can set pickup times, order limits, and ordering hours.
• If you eventually sell in person with Square, your online and in-person orders can stay in one system. squareup.com
• You pay transaction processing fees when you make a sale rather than a monthly subscription. squareup.com

For a bakery selling, say, 6–15 items, this is a very comfortable setup.

Another option: GloriaFood

GloriaFood is worth considering if your absolute priority is paying as little as possible. Its basic ordering system advertises no monthly fee, no commission, and unlimited orders. However, online credit-card payments are an additional paid service, currently listed at $29/month. www.gloriafood.com

So I'd choose:

Toast does offer commission-free online ordering, but it's built around its broader restaurant/POS ecosystem, so I'd only consider it if you're expecting to grow substantially. support.toasttab.com

If it were my bakery, I'd start with Square Free. You could have a simple page like:

Fresh Bakes → Choose Items → Select pickup date/time → Pay → Receive confirmation

No need to build a complicated website.

If you tell me what you're selling (e.g., cakes, cookies, breads), whether you need pickup only or delivery, and roughly how many orders you get per week, I can narrow it down to the cheapest setup and tell you exactly what I'd use.

For a small local bakery with only a handful of products, I’d keep it simple. You probably don’t need a full restaurant website or expensive POS system.

My top pick: Square Online

Why I’d choose it for you:

• $0 monthly cost on Square Free—you pay payment-processing fees when someone orders. squareup.comsquareup.com
• Gives you a simple online ordering page with your products, prices, photos, pickup times, etc.
• Customers can order and pay online.
• You can share the ordering link on Google, Instagram, Facebook, business cards, and a QR code. squareup.com
• You can also offer local delivery if you want. squareup.com
• Particularly good if you eventually want to take payments in person too.

For Square Free, current online payment processing is 3.3% + $0.30 per transaction. squareup.comsquareup.com

Another good option: Clover Online Ordering

Clover can create an online ordering page for you with no subscription or setup fee for the ordering page, although you'll still pay card-not-present processing fees, and Clover's overall POS plans can involve monthly costs. www.clover.com

I'd consider Clover mainly if you're already using Clover for your bakery's register.

What I'd avoid for your situation

Toast is excellent for restaurants, but it's probably overkill if you have, say, 5–15 bakery items and mostly pickup orders. Toast's direct online ordering is commission-free, but you need a Toast subscription to use it. support.toasttab.com

Wix can make a prettier full website, but if your immediate goal is simply "Here's my bakery → here's my 10 items → order for pickup," I'd start with Square rather than paying for a website builder.

What I'd do if I were you

Square Free + a simple ordering page + Google Business Profile + Instagram link.

You could have something as simple as:

🍪 Cookies — $3 each
🧁 Cupcakes — $24/dozen
🍞 Sourdough — $9
🎂 8" Cakes — from $35

Pickup: Friday–Saturday
Order by: Thursday at noon

That is enough for a small bakery to start taking online orders without adding much overhead.

If you tell me roughly how many items you sell, whether you need pickup only or delivery too, and whether you already use Square/Clover/another payment system, I can tell you which setup would be cheapest for your specific bakery.