How to Choose a QR Menu App: A 12-Criteria Comparison Guide
When you search the internet for the 'best QR menu app', almost every list you find is an advertisement in which the company that wrote the list puts itself in first place. This page does something different: it gives you the questions to ask whichever product you choose. Where Genu stands on these criteria is also stated plainly in the relevant place.
Verification note
The hidden cost examples on this page were compiled on 26 August 2026 from the vendors' own public pricing pages. The examples are meant to describe the market as a whole; verify the current information for each product on its official website.
Part 1 — The exit door: the 3 most critical and least asked questions
The most expensive problem venue operators have with a QR menu company is not a bad product: it is not being able to leave. Before you sign a contract, ask these three in writing:
- Data ownership and export: Can I get my menu, product photos and statistics as JSON/Excel whenever I want? Is this written in the contract?
- Domain: Is my menu published on the company's domain (company.com/mymenu) or on my own domain? If the company shuts down or I leave, will the QR codes I've printed become garbage?
- What happens if the company shuts down: Who holds the hosting, where is the data, is there a committed transition period?
QR code = a long-term commitment
The QR code printed on tables, flyers and even signage is a URL. If that URL is on the company's domain, you reprint everything when you change providers. If it is on your own domain (such as menu.yourvenue.com), your QR codes live on independently of the provider. For most venues, this single criterion matters more than the price difference.
The 12-criteria evaluation matrix
Score the candidates on this table yourself (1-5). The 'Weight' column is our suggestion for a typical café/restaurant; adjust it to your own priorities:
| # | Criterion | Weight | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Data ownership and export | High | Is it written in the contract? Is it one click? |
| 2 | Custom domain | High | In which plan? Who does the setup? |
| 3 | Regulatory compliance | High | Are allergen/calorie fields, VAT-inclusive pricing and a QR notice template ready? |
| 4 | Price transparency | High | Is there a setup fee, commission or per-table fee? Is the renewal price guaranteed? |
| 5 | Ease of updating | High | Can you change a price from your phone in 1 minute? |
| 6 | Menu page speed | Medium | Does it open on the customer's phone within 3 seconds? (Test on mobile data) |
| 7 | Ordering/bill flow | Medium | Menu only, or ordering from the table too? Kitchen/cashier screen? |
| 8 | Relationship with your existing POS | Medium | Does it force you to replace your POS, or can it run alongside it? |
| 9 | Visual quality and AR/3D | Medium | Is there a photo limit? If you're in a segment that wants 3D/AR, is it supported? |
| 10 | Analytics | Medium | Do you get product view and hourly traffic data? |
| 11 | Support | Medium | Is it in Turkish? Phone/WhatsApp, or email only? Response time? |
| 12 | Multiple branches | Depends | How is pricing per branch? Is there central menu management? |
Frequently asked questions
Are free QR menu apps reliable?
Free plans are ideal for trying things out; for long-term use, ask about the revenue model: does it show ads, does it use your data, does it lock critical features (such as a limit on price updates) and charge for them later? A free service that can't sustain itself turns your QR codes into garbage when it shuts down.
Is a demo enough when comparing?
Ask for a trial period with your own menu, not a sales demo. Don't decide without entering your own products and testing on mobile data from the customer's point of view. Try the price update and product disabling (sold out) flows yourself.
Should I buy a QR menu that doesn't integrate with my POS system?
The menu + ordering layer can run independently alongside your POS; what matters is whether you'll have to enter the same information twice. If you keep the bill in your POS, a 'menu only' mode on the QR side may be enough.
Test the 12 criteria on Genu
30-day free trial, no credit card required. Open the table above and score Genu and the other candidates with the same questions — whichever you choose, this matrix protects you.