DoorDash is one of the biggest names in restaurant ordering, but there is an important distinction that can be easy to miss: DoorDash Marketplace and DoorDash Online Ordering are not the same thing.
Marketplace is designed to help customers discover restaurants through the DoorDash app and website. Online Ordering is designed to help restaurants take orders through their own digital channels, such as their website, Google page, social media, or QR codes.
When you compare DoorDash Marketplace vs. Online Ordering, the pricing, customer journey, and purpose are all different.
If you’re weighing DoorDash Marketplace vs Online Ordering for your restaurant, here’s what you need to know.
DoorDash Marketplace vs Online Ordering at a glance
| DoorDash Marketplace | DoorDash Online Ordering | |
|---|---|---|
| Where does the customer order? | DoorDash app or website | Restaurant’s own website, Google, social media or QR code |
| Main purpose | Customer discovery + ordering | Direct ordering |
| Delivery commission | 15%, 25% or 30%, depending on plan | 0% commission |
| Pickup | 6% | Commission-free direct order |
| Delivery | DoorDash Dashers | DoorDash Dashers can fulfill delivery |
| Customer relationship | Customer discovers the restaurant through DoorDash | Customer comes through the restaurant’s own channels |
| POS integration | Yes | Yes |
| Monthly software fee | $0 | $0 |
| Best for | Restaurants looking for reach and new customers | Restaurants looking to grow direct orders |
DoorDash currently lists three Marketplace plans: Basic at 15% delivery commission, Plus at 25%, and Premier at 30%. Pickup is 6% across all three plans for merchants who comply with DoorDash merchant terms, including matching Pickup menu prices to in-store prices. Online Ordering orders are commission-free, although payment processing fees apply.
What is DoorDash Marketplace?
DoorDash Marketplace is the part of DoorDash most restaurant owners are familiar with.
A customer opens the DoorDash app or website, searches for restaurants, finds yours and places an order.
The customer journey looks like this:
Customer → DoorDash → Your restaurant
The major advantage is customer discovery.
A customer who has never heard of your restaurant can search DoorDash, see your menu, compare restaurants nearby and place an order.
DoorDash describes Marketplace as its flagship product and says it puts restaurants in front of customers already using DoorDash.
How much does DoorDash Marketplace cost?
DoorDash currently offers three U.S. Marketplace plans, available to restaurants with 75 or fewer U.S. locations:
Basic
15% delivery commission
6% pickup commission
There is currently a 0% introductory delivery commission for the first 7 days.
Plus
25% delivery commission
6% pickup commission
There is currently a 0% introductory delivery commission for the first 30 days.
Premier
30% delivery commission
6% pickup commission
There is currently a 0% introductory delivery commission for the first 30 days.
There is no monthly subscription fee, signup fee or contract for these Marketplace plans. DoorDash says merchants can change or cancel their plan at any time.
What does that mean for a $100 delivery order?
For a $100 order, before considering other costs:
Basic:
$100 order → $15 DoorDash commission → $85 remaining
Plus:
$100 order → $25 DoorDash commission → $75 remaining
Premier:
$100 order → $30 DoorDash commission → $70 remaining
The higher plans are not simply “more expensive versions” of the same service. DoorDash positions them around different levels of customer reach and marketing support. Plus and Premier provide additional benefits intended to help restaurants reach more customers.
Why would a restaurant pay a Marketplace commission?
The obvious question is:
Why would a restaurant give up 15%–30% of an order?
The answer is that Marketplace is not just an ordering system.
It is also a customer acquisition channel.
DoorDash brings customers to the platform, helps them discover restaurants, processes the order and provides delivery infrastructure.
DoorDash says its Marketplace commissions help cover areas such as marketing and advertising, delivery driver costs, customer support and technology.
For a restaurant that needs new customers, that exposure can be valuable.
For a restaurant that already has a strong customer base and wants to increase direct ordering, the calculation may be different.
That’s where Online Ordering comes in.
What is DoorDash Online Ordering?
DoorDash Online Ordering is designed for restaurants that want customers to order through their own digital channels.
Instead of the customer opening the DoorDash app and searching for your restaurant, the customer might:
- Visit your restaurant website
- Find your restaurant through Google
- Click an ordering link from social media
- Scan a QR code
- Use another restaurant-owned digital channel
The customer journey is more like:
Customer → Your digital channel → DoorDash Online Ordering → Your restaurant
DoorDash describes Online Ordering as a commission-free way to accept orders through a restaurant’s own website, Google page and social media.
Is DoorDash Online Ordering really commission-free?
Yes, for the Online Ordering order itself.
DoorDash says direct Online Ordering orders are commission-free.
However, “commission-free” does not mean completely free.
DoorDash says merchants using Online Ordering pay standard payment processing fees. It also offers additional services, such as delivery through Dashers, that can involve separate charges.
This distinction matters in any Marketplace vs. Online Ordering comparison.
Marketplace
You pay a percentage of the order subtotal.
15%–30% for delivery, depending on the plan.
Online Ordering
You don’t pay a DoorDash commission on the direct order.
Payment processing still applies.
Can DoorDash still deliver an Online Ordering order?
Yes.
This is another part that can be confusing.
A restaurant can receive an order through its own website while still using DoorDash’s delivery network.
In other words:
Customer orders directly from restaurant → DoorDash receives the order → Dasher delivers it
DoorDash says Online Ordering includes delivery powered by Dashers.
DoorDash also offers Drive On-Demand, which allows restaurants to use Dashers to deliver orders generated through their own website, app or other ordering systems for a flat per-delivery fee rather than a percentage commission.
So direct ordering does not necessarily mean that the restaurant has to hire its own drivers.
Marketplace vs. Online Ordering: What is the real difference?
The easiest way to understand Marketplace vs. Online Ordering is to ask:
Who brought the customer?
With Marketplace, DoorDash is helping bring the customer.
The customer is already on DoorDash, looking for somewhere to order.
With Online Ordering, the restaurant is bringing the customer.
The customer may already know the restaurant and arrive through its website, Google listing, social media or another direct channel.
That is why DoorDash Marketplace vs. Online Ordering comes with two different pricing models.
Marketplace = customer discovery
Online Ordering = direct ordering
DoorDash itself describes Marketplace as its flagship customer-acquisition product and Online Ordering as a way to grow direct sales through a restaurant’s own channels.
Marketplace vs. Online Ordering: which DoorDash option is right for your restaurant?
In the Marketplace vs. Online Ordering decision, there isn’t one answer for every restaurant.
DoorDash Marketplace may make sense if:
- You want access to customers who don’t already know your restaurant.
- You need additional delivery demand.
- You don’t have your own delivery team.
- You want DoorDash to handle delivery logistics.
- You’re willing to pay a commission in exchange for customer acquisition and marketplace exposure.
DoorDash Online Ordering may make more sense if:
- You already have customers coming to your website or other direct channels.
- You want to reduce your dependence on marketplace commissions.
- You want customers to order directly from your restaurant.
- You want to keep your restaurant’s ordering experience on your own channels.
- You still want the option of using DoorDash Dashers for delivery.
And many restaurants can use both sides of Marketplace vs. Online Ordering at the same time.
DoorDash itself positions the two products this way: Marketplace helps restaurants reach new customers, while Online Ordering helps them drive orders through their own channels.
What about QR code ordering?
This is where the difference becomes especially interesting for restaurants and venues.
A customer who is already sitting at your restaurant doesn’t necessarily need to discover you on DoorDash.
They’re already there.
A QR code can take that customer directly to an ordering experience, and setting up QR code ordering is usually a same-day job.
For example:
Customer sits at table → scans QR code → views menu → orders → pays
The same concept can work in places where traditional table service is difficult, such as:
- Bars
- Golf courses
- Pool areas
- Bowling venues
- Stadiums
- Events
- Food halls
- Large entertainment venues
The important question isn’t always:
“How do I get more people to find my restaurant?”
Sometimes it’s:
“How do I make it easier for the customers I already have to order?”
That is a different restaurant problem — and it requires a different kind of ordering solution.
Where does Ogent fit?
Ogent is not designed to replace the customer-discovery function of a marketplace like DoorDash.
Instead, it focuses on direct ordering and on-premise ordering.
Here is how the two compare on the direct-ordering features restaurants ask about most:
| DoorDash Online Ordering | Ogent | |
|---|---|---|
| Where customers order | Your website, Google, social media and QR codes in store | Your website, Google, social profiles and QR codes inside your venue |
| Marketplace listing | Comes as part of a DoorDash partnership | No marketplace listing needed |
| Primary use case | Delivery and pickup orders | Direct online ordering plus table and on-site ordering |
| QR code ordering by table number | Dine-in ordering is possible, but orders are not tied to a table number | Supported — orders are tied to the table the guest is sitting at |
| Loyalty program | Available through paid DoorDash Commerce Platform packages | Built-in loyalty for repeat customers |
| POS integrations | 40+ POS systems across the DoorDash ecosystem | Square, Clover and MicroSale |
One pricing note for anyone comparing Marketplace vs. Online Ordering: DoorDash Online Ordering is included at no additional cost with a Marketplace partnership plan, and direct orders carry 0% commission plus standard payment processing fees. The extras that make it comparable to a dedicated direct-ordering platform — a branded website, loyalty and a branded mobile app — sit inside DoorDash Commerce Platform packages, currently $99 per month for Boost and $249 per month for Pro. Customers also pay the delivery fee on Online Ordering delivery orders.
If you are comparing direct-ordering tools more widely, there is also an honest comparison of Ogent and Clover Scan to Order.
For restaurants evaluating a direct-ordering platform, the questions to consider include:
- Does it integrate with your POS?
- Can customers order without downloading an app?
- Can you use QR codes?
- Can customers order at tables or other locations inside your venue?
- Can you manage your online and on-premise ordering from one system?
- How does the pricing scale as your sales grow?
- How much control do you have over your ordering experience?
Ogent supports direct online ordering as well as QR-based ordering for restaurants and venues, with integrations including Square, Clover and MicroSale.
The important point isn’t that one platform is universally better than another.
It’s that Marketplace vs. Online Ordering is really a comparison of two different problems.
A restaurant may use a marketplace to reach new customers while using a direct ordering platform to serve customers it has already acquired.
The Bottom Line
DoorDash Marketplace vs. Online Ordering comes down to two different ways for restaurants to use the DoorDash ecosystem.
Marketplace is about discovery.
Customers open DoorDash, find your restaurant and place an order. In exchange for that marketplace exposure and related services, restaurants pay a delivery commission of 15%, 25% or 30%, depending on the plan. Pickup is currently 6%, provided Pickup menu prices match in-store prices.
Online Ordering is about direct orders.
Customers order through the restaurant’s own digital channels, and DoorDash currently says those orders are commission-free, although standard payment processing and any applicable delivery-service charges still apply.
In the Marketplace vs. Online Ordering comparison, neither model is automatically right or wrong.
The better choice depends on what the restaurant is trying to accomplish:
Need new customers? Marketplace may help.
Want more direct orders from customers you already reach? Online Ordering or another direct-ordering solution may be worth considering.
Need ordering inside the venue? Look specifically at platforms designed for tableside and on-premise ordering.
The key to Marketplace vs. Online Ordering is understanding what you’re paying for — and which problem you’re actually trying to solve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is DoorDash Marketplace the same as DoorDash Online Ordering?
No. Marketplace allows customers to discover and order from restaurants through DoorDash. Online Ordering allows customers to place orders through a restaurant’s own digital channels, such as its website, Google page or social media.
How much does DoorDash Marketplace charge restaurants?
DoorDash currently lists three U.S. Marketplace plans: 15% delivery commission for Basic, 25% for Plus and 30% for Premier. Pickup is 6% across all three plans, provided the restaurant complies with DoorDash merchant terms, including matching Pickup menu prices to in-store prices.
Does DoorDash Online Ordering charge a commission?
DoorDash says Online Ordering orders are commission-free. However, standard payment processing fees apply, and delivery services can have separate charges.
Does DoorDash Online Ordering include delivery?
Yes. DoorDash says Online Ordering offers delivery powered by Dashers. Restaurants can also use DoorDash Drive On-Demand to have Dashers deliver orders generated through their own ordering channels.
Can a restaurant use both DoorDash Marketplace and Online Ordering?
Yes. DoorDash positions Marketplace as a way to reach new customers and Online Ordering as a way to grow direct sales through the restaurant’s own channels.
Does DoorDash charge a monthly fee for Marketplace?
DoorDash’s current U.S. Marketplace pricing lists $0 monthly fees, $0 signup fees and no contract for its Partnership Plans. Those Partnership Plans are available to restaurants with 75 or fewer U.S. locations.
What is the difference between DoorDash commission and payment processing?
A commission is a percentage DoorDash charges on Marketplace orders. Payment processing is the cost associated with processing a payment. DoorDash says Marketplace merchants are not charged separate card-processing fees, while Online Ordering merchants pay standard payment processing fees. DoorDash breaks the two apart in its own commission and fees explainer.
Is DoorDash Online Ordering a good option for every restaurant?
Not necessarily. It can be useful for restaurants that want to increase direct orders through their own channels. Restaurants should compare the pricing, POS integrations, branding, delivery options, QR ordering capabilities and on-premise functionality before choosing an ordering platform.
Should a restaurant use DoorDash Marketplace or direct ordering?
It depends on the goal. Marketplace can help with customer discovery and incremental demand. Direct ordering is more focused on customers who already know or interact with the restaurant. Some restaurants may benefit from using both approaches.
Pricing and product information in this article was checked against DoorDash’s current U.S. merchant pages in September 2026. DoorDash can change pricing, product availability and package requirements, so restaurants should verify current terms before making a purchasing decision.