The Uber Eats Alternative for Restaurants — Without Commission
Uber Eats brings reach and couriers – but according to its official Swiss price list it costs 32% per order with Uber couriers and 15% with your own delivery or pickup, plus a CHF 600 activation fee. With Akarien Direct you own your ordering system, pay 0% commission and keep your guest data.
What Uber Eats really costs
Uber Eats publishes an official price list for Switzerland: on the "Hell" plan Uber couriers deliver for 32% per order (35% on orders from Uber One members). On the "Plus" plan you deliver yourself and pay 15% (13% on Uber One); pickup also costs 15%. On top comes a one-off activation fee of CHF 600. With online sales of CHF 5,000 a month, Uber-courier delivery means roughly CHF 1,600 commission per month.
Who owns the customer relationship
On marketplaces like Uber Eats, the guest orders from the platform, not directly from you. You usually don't see full customer data and have limited ability to build repeat business or market directly. With Akarien Direct, every order runs through your own system, so the data belongs to you.
Dependence vs. independence
Running most of your orders through a single platform leaves you exposed to its rankings, fees, and rule changes. Your own ordering system makes you more independent and resilient. Many restaurants run both: marketplaces for new customers, their own system for regulars.
How Akarien Direct works
Akarien Direct gives you your own online ordering system for delivery, pickup and table ordering – with no per-order commission. Instead of a share of revenue you pay a fixed monthly price from CHF 29. Built for Switzerland: TWINT, prices in CHF, hosted in Europe.
| Uber Eats | Akarien Direct | |
|---|---|---|
| Commission per order | 32% with Uber couriers (35% on Uber One), 15% with own delivery or pickup, CHF 600 activation | 0% commission |
| Customer data | Generally stays with the platform | Owned by the restaurant |
| System ownership | Platform account, not your own solution | Your own ordering system |
| Reach / new customers | Large marketplace with high visibility | Your own reach, ideal for regulars |
| Delivery logistics | Driver network included | Your own delivery or pickup |
| Pricing model | Percentage of revenue | Fixed monthly price from CHF 29 |
Uber Eats makes sense when you want fast access to new customers and don't want to handle delivery logistics yourself — the commission is the price of that reach. Akarien Direct pays off once you want repeat orders, direct customer relationships, and full margin. Most restaurants do best with a combination: a marketplace for visibility, their own system for regulars.
Delivery platform commissions compared
What restaurants give up per order, by model (own delivery or platform delivery). Every figure is sourced; last checked 29 September 2026.
| Platform | Own delivery / pickup | Platform delivery | Markets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akarien Direct | 0 % commission | 0 % commission (own delivery) | CH |
| Uber Eats1 | 15 % | 32–35 % | CH, DE, BE, NL |
| Just Eat (CH)2 | 10–15 % | 25–33 % | CH |
| Smood3 | not published | 25–30 % | CH |
| Lieferando (DE)4 | 13 % | 25–30 % | DE |
| Thuisbezorgd.nl5 | 13–14 % | 30 % | NL |
| Takeaway.com (BE)6 | 13 % | 30 % | BE |
- 1. Uber Eats: Official Swiss price list: "Hell" 32 % with Uber couriers (35 % on Uber One orders), "Plus" 15 % with own couriers (13 % on Uber One), pickup 15 %, one-off activation fee CHF 600.
- 2. Just Eat (CH): No official price list; figures from Swiss media reports.
- 3. Smood: Smood stopped operating on 30 April 2026; the figures show its former commission according to Swiss media.
- 4. Lieferando (DE): Since 2 April 2025 an additional 2.5 % service fee (max. €0.99) per delivery order, paid by the guest.
- 5. Thuisbezorgd.nl: Higher rate applies when Scoober couriers deliver.
- 6. Takeaway.com (BE): Higher rate applies when Scoober couriers deliver.
Sources
- Uber Eats — Uber Eats Merchants – Preise (Schweiz) (official price list; accessed 2026-09-29)
- Uber Eats — Nau.ch – Lieferdienste zocken Restaurants und Fahrer ab (media / trade report, 2021-03-03; accessed 2026-09-15)
- Just Eat (CH) — Beobachter – Profitable Schattenwebsites: So drängelt sich Eat.ch vor (media / trade report, 2021-03-26; accessed 2026-09-15)
- Just Eat (CH) — Sparissimo Food – How much does Just Eat charge Swiss restaurants in 2026? (media / trade report, 2026-08-28; accessed 2026-09-15)
- Smood — Blick – Migros will ihrem Lieferdienst Smood den Stecker ziehen (media / trade report, 2026-01-19; accessed 2026-09-29)
- Smood — Le Temps – Le livreur de repas Smood met la clé sous la porte (media / trade report; accessed 2026-09-29)
- Smood — htr.ch – Lieferdienste sind für Restaurants häufig kein rentabler Ersatz (media / trade report, 2020-04-20; accessed 2026-09-15)
- Smood — Nau.ch – Lieferdienste zocken Restaurants und Fahrer ab (media / trade report, 2021-03-03; accessed 2026-09-15)
- Lieferando (DE) — Gastro Master – Lieferando-Provision 2026 (media / trade report, 2026-04-17; accessed 2026-09-15)
- Thuisbezorgd.nl — De RestaurantKrant – Wat kost bezorgen via Thuisbezorgd? (media / trade report, 2020-10-22; accessed 2026-09-15)
- Takeaway.com (BE) — Cashdesk.be – Verschillen tussen Takeaway.com, Deliveroo, Foodora en Uber Eats (media / trade report, 2018-01-01; accessed 2026-09-15)
Apart from Uber Eats (Switzerland), the platforms do not publish binding price lists; rates depend on contract, volume and region. Payment processing and marketing fees usually come on top. No guarantee — check your own contract.
FAQ
How much commission does Uber Eats charge restaurants?+
According to the official Swiss price list (checked 29 Sept 2026): 32% per order with Uber couriers ("Hell", 35% on Uber One orders), 15% with your own delivery ("Plus", 13% on Uber One) and 15% on pickup, plus a one-off CHF 600 activation fee.
What does Akarien Direct cost?+
No commission. You pay a fixed monthly price: QR Menu CHF 29, QR Menu + Table Ordering CHF 39, Website + Online Ordering CHF 79, Full CHF 129 – pay yearly and you pay for only 10 months. 14-day free trial, no setup fee, cancel monthly.
Can I use Akarien Direct alongside Uber Eats?+
Yes. Many restaurants use marketplaces to acquire new customers and their own commission-free system for regulars. This combines reach with a healthier margin.
Who owns the customer data with Akarien Direct?+
You do. Every order runs through your own system, so you own the customer data and can use it for direct marketing and building loyalty.
Does Akarien Direct handle delivery too?+
Akarien Direct is your ordering system for delivery, pickup, and table ordering. You arrange delivery yourself or through a partner — with no per-order commission.
What is Uber Direct – and does it fit Akarien Direct?+
Uber Direct is a separate Uber service: restaurants book courier trips from CHF 6.50 per delivery for orders from their own channel, without commission. There is currently no direct integration with Akarien Direct, but you can book deliveries yourself through Uber Direct or another courier service.
Keep 100% of your margin
Get started with Akarien Direct — your own commission-free ordering system. 0% commission, your customer data, predictable costs.