Digital menu platforms in Italy: plans and workflows compared

Choose a digital menu platform in Italy by the job you need it to do: publish an editable QR menu, serve guests in several languages, or manage orders and reservations. Compare the plan that covers your actual menu, including language limits, publication costs and tax. Then test a price change using the QR you intend to print.

This comparison is published by Stello, which is included as a supplier. It uses public product and pricing pages checked on 8 October 2026; it is not an independent account-by-account performance test. The selection covers menu publishing and broader restaurant workflows, rather than every vendor in the market. Choose a shortlist for your own menu and service.

What the price of a QR menu includes

A permanent free plan, a free trial and a free editor are different offers. A free plan may keep a limited menu online indefinitely. A trial temporarily unlocks paid features. An editor may let you prepare the menu without paying but charge when you publish it for guests.

The table below separates those cases. Monthly prices refer to monthly billing unless stated otherwise. Annual prices are the amount payable for a year, not a monthly charge. The tax treatment follows each supplier's published wording; amounts with different tax treatment should not be compared as identical final bills.

Supplier pages are the source of these declarations, not evidence that every workflow has been tested. A language allowance also does not establish translation accuracy. Before paying, check the selected plan in the provider's current checkout, especially if a promotion or annual billing switch changes the amount.

Professional menu publishing with a free starting plan

Stello Free includes photo, PDF and manual input, a public QR menu and support for EU allergen information. It covers one menu with up to 50 dishes and two languages. The QR remains valid when the restaurant changes the menu, so a price update does not require new table cards.

Base adds AI translation in 15 languages. Base, Starter and Pro allow one, three and five menus with dedicated QR codes. Starter and Pro also include Ordina & Paga: table ordering, a staff order board and a shared bill guests can split. Guests pay directly from the menu with Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay or Google Pay; the restaurant activates payments through Stripe. Staff use phones or tablets they already have. See the current plans.

Aportata, Menudetto and GnamSpace

Aportata's Essenziale plan directly covers a small menu needing up to two languages and a stable QR address. Its trial requires a card and becomes a subscription unless cancelled. Pro expands the language allowance; a promise of unlimited languages should not be read as proof of an unlimited automatic translation service without checking the workflow.

Menudetto publishes a different starting offer: six languages on Free and 33 on Pro. Its homepage describes menu management through chat, voice and photos. This may be useful if staff prefer that editing method, but try it with the people who will actually maintain the menu. A demonstration of voice input does not establish that it is convenient during your service.

GnamSpace includes eight languages in its paid publication plan. You can prepare a menu for free, but keeping the finished menu publicly available costs €9.99 per month, IVA included. That distinction matters when comparing it with a permanent free public menu. Its published language list includes Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and Portuguese.

FlyMenu and LeggiMenu

FlyMenu Free allows one menu, one section, ten dishes and one language. That can demonstrate the format, but it does not cover a complete Italian-and-English menu. Basic supplies five languages; Premium removes the stated language limit and includes import from photos or PDF. Its trial ends by returning to Free, rather than starting an automatic paid renewal.

LeggiMenu advertises unlimited entries on its free Base menu and a multilingual feature. Paid extensions add further functions. Compare the Base card with the extension you are considering: a feature listed somewhere on the website is not necessarily included in every plan. In particular, keep photo-to-menu AI, personal image uploads and ordering features separate from the basic menu allowance.

Other platforms and wider restaurant workflows

Some products combine a menu with reservations, orders, payments or service requests. They belong in the comparison when those jobs are part of your requirement. Compare these wider workflows only when your restaurant needs them.

MenuDigitale.io's homepage describes free menu creation and QR access while separately promoting Premium automatic translation. Those statements do not justify putting all translation functions into the free column. If you need automatic translation, confirm the paid offer rather than inferring it from the word “multilingual”.

NordQR's Basic card lists one menu, 20 dishes, one language and 500 monthly scans. Its page offers a 14-day Pro trial without a card. The checked page also contains differing descriptions of paid scan allowances, and the paid amounts were not available in the retrieved text. This comparison therefore does not assign a verified paid price or resolve those limits by guesswork.

Qromo combines menu functions with a wider sales and payment system. Its pricing page distinguishes packages and includes transaction charges and optional services. A free entry offer or a trial should not be treated as proof that the complete ordering-and-payment workflow remains free. Compare the package needed for your service and obtain the full cost, including transaction charges.

Octotable's Italian homepage lists a Free plan with a QR menu and 30 online reservations per month. It also presents paid menu and reservation packages. If booking management is the main requirement, test both tasks together: the guest's reservation and the menu they see before or during their visit. Do not convert the English website's dollar prices into an Italian euro quote.

Foodboard advertises translations in up to eight languages and offers monthly and longer subscription periods. Its homepage lists €49 for one month and €299 for 12 months, excluding IVA. The annual purchase is therefore a different commitment from paying €49 each month. Check how translations are entered and maintained; a language count alone does not establish AI translation.

Vorrei Menu describes QR access for tables, rooms and beach umbrellas, alongside WhatsApp ordering. Its price page advertises a €20 monthly launch offer for the first 500 venues. The checked pages differ on trial duration and language wording, while tax treatment was not clearly stated on the price page. Confirm those conditions before relying on the promotion.

Match the platform to your restaurant's menu

For a small Italian-and-English menu, check the free public offers in the first table against your number of dishes. A one-language free tier will not meet that requirement. A paid two-language plan can still be a sensible option if its editing method or presentation suits your staff. The correct shortlist follows the requirement, rather than the largest advertised feature count.

For a tourist restaurant, write down the languages guests actually request. Then check whether the relevant plan supports those languages and lets staff correct individual dish descriptions. Fifteen languages, eight languages and an unlimited allowance are different capacities, but none proves better wording for your dishes. If you also need bookings or ordering, include the relevant broader platforms in the test.

Suppose your seasonal menu changes a fish preparation from grilled to fried. The update may affect its description, allergen information and translations, as well as the Italian text. Use that hypothetical change in a demonstration: ask how staff revise each version and identify translations that need review. This tests a maintenance problem that a static sample menu will not show.

For hotels or beach clubs, distinguish separate menus from separate service positions. A QR for a room or umbrella may identify where an order should go; a dedicated menu QR may simply open a different menu. Those are different functions. Ask the supplier to demonstrate the exact guest-to-staff handoff you require before buying extra capacity.

Check allergens and translations before publication

The European Commission explains that allergen information must be provided for non-prepacked food, including restaurant food. Its guidance documents explain the framework under Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011. A supplier's icon set or AI feature does not establish that your particular menu is accurate or that your kitchen procedures are adequate.

Treat imported or AI-suggested allergen labels as a draft. The restaurant must check actual recipes, ingredients, supplier information, substitutions and kitchen procedures. A dish name or a photograph may omit an ingredient that matters. Keep staff able to answer questions, and distinguish ingredient information from any assessment of cross-contact risk.

Review translations against the same approved menu. Check cooking methods, ingredients, portion descriptions and prices, not just whether the language looks fluent. Keep a record of which version was reviewed and who maintains it. When the underlying recipe changes, review the affected translations and allergen information together.

A practical test before printing the QR

Use a short sample from your actual menu: one dish with several ingredients, one drink, a photograph and an item that sometimes sells out. Complete the test with the staff member responsible for updates. Record any step that requires help; do not assume the person who set up the account will always be available during service.

1. Open the public menu from a printed QR, without signing in as its owner.
2. Change a price and scan the same printed code again. Confirm the new price is public.
3. Hide an unavailable item, then restore it. Check every language you intend to publish.
4. Correct a translation and review an allergen entry against the approved recipe.
5. Increase text size and use a narrow screen. The W3C reflow guidance provides a useful reference for readable content without repeated horizontal scrolling.
6. Check what remains available after a trial ends, a subscription is cancelled or a plan limit is reached.

Keep a paper option and staff assistance for guests who cannot or prefer not to scan a code.

Questions to resolve before subscribing

Does changing the menu always require a new QR?

No. A QR pointing to a stable menu address can remain unchanged while the page's contents change. Test the provider's actual published workflow with your printed code. Replacing the address, deleting a menu or moving to another provider is a separate event and may require new codes.

Is a PDF behind a QR enough?

It can be enough for a simple, occasional publication if guests can read it comfortably and staff keep it current. An editable web menu is worth comparing when prices change often or you need several languages and dish-level information. Evaluate the actual file or page on a phone rather than rejecting a format by its name.

Which price should go into the budget?

Record the billing period, the final tax treatment and the functions you need. Add any publication charge, payment fee or optional service. A yearly amount divided by twelve is a budgeting equivalent, not necessarily an available monthly contract. Keep trial expiry and renewal dates in the same record.

For further reading, use the guide to creating an English QR menu for an Italian restaurant or the Italian-language platform comparison. Make the final decision with your menu, the people who update it and the subscription conditions you have checked.

You can create a menu with Stello to see how your dishes look before choosing the additional functions your service needs.

Supplier sources

The comparison records public offers reviewed on 8 October 2026. Use these official pages to check the conditions for the plan you intend to buy:

• Aportata — prices and billing
• Menudetto — plans and FAQ
• FlyMenu — plans and trial
• GnamSpace — publication and pricing
• LeggiMenu — Base and extensions
• MenuDigitale.io — Free and Premium
• NordQR — plan limits
• Qromo — packages and payment conditions
• Octotable — menu and reservations
• Foodboard — subscription periods
• Vorrei Menu — pricing offer