Is there a free KDS for Square?

Short answer: not one that stays free. Every kitchen display that reads Square orders either rides on a paid Square plan, bills you per screen, or runs a trial that ends. Here is what each option actually costs, ours included.

Photo: Francisco Suarez

The honest answer

We have not found a kitchen display system for Square that is permanently free, and that includes ours. Small KDS is $1 for the first month, then $10/mo billed annually per location, which is $120 a year for unlimited screens. You would rather read that here than find out after you have mounted a tablet.

What the free and cheap options really cost

Four routes get suggested whenever someone asks for a free Square kitchen display. Three of them cost money, and the fourth costs money in a way that does not show up on a subscription line.

Square's own KDS

Square's kitchen display sits inside a paid Square restaurant plan and is billed per device, so the second screen is a second bill. Our Small KDS vs Square KDS comparison puts the two side by side.

Fresh KDS

A 7-day trial, then a per-screen monthly fee. There is no permanent free tier, and the per-screen shape means a busy line pays the most. See Small KDS vs Fresh KDS.

Paper tickets

The only genuinely free software here is no software. The printer, the rolls, the jams and the reprints are not free, they are just invisible. Put your own numbers into the cost calculator and see what the paper is charging you.

Small KDS

$1 for the first month, then $10/mo billed annually per location with unlimited screens, or $12/mo month to month. No contract, and you cancel yourself from the account page.

Why there is no free tier

Small KDS is a small paid product. There are no ads, no upsells, and nothing sold on the side, so the subscription is the entire business model. It pays for keeping the Square connection working when Square changes something, shipping fixes, and answering the email you send when a tablet misbehaves at 7pm.

A free tier funded by nothing tends to become an abandoned tier, and an abandoned kitchen display is worse than a printer: at least the printer still prints. Charging a small amount honestly is how the app is still here next year.

The cheapest honest way to run a Square kitchen display

Use a tablet you already own. Any Android tablet on Android 8 or newer, or an iPad on iPadOS 15 or newer, will do the job. See which tablets work.
Pay annually. $120 a year per location works out at $10 a month, against $12 a month paying month to month.
Run every screen you need. Billing is per Square location, not per device, so a grill screen and an expo screen cost the same as one screen.
Start on $1. The first month is $1, and if it does not suit your kitchen you cancel yourself, no phone call and no notice period.

Questions people actually ask

Is there a free KDS for Square?

Not a permanent one that we have found. Square's own kitchen display is part of a paid Square plan and is billed per device, and the main third-party options run limited trials rather than free tiers. Small KDS is $1 for the first month, then $10/mo billed annually per location.

Does Small KDS have a free trial?

The first month is $1 rather than free. You get the whole product, unlimited screens on one location, and you can cancel yourself from the account page at any time.

How much does Small KDS cost in total?

$120 a year per location paying annually, which works out at $10 a month, or $12 a month paying month to month. The first month is $1. Prices are shown in your Square location's currency and any sales tax is added at checkout.

Do I need to buy hardware for a cheap Square kitchen display?

No. Small KDS runs on an Android tablet or iPad you already own, so the subscription is the only thing you pay for. There is no terminal to buy and nothing to send back if you stop.