TL;DR
Loyverse is genuinely free, simple to run and popular with small PH cafes worldwide — its lightweight retail DNA is the whole point. LOOP is F&B-native with AI operations, kitchen workflow, recipe-level inventory and PH-local support. Loyverse is fine for a sari-sari counter; LOOP is built for a real cafe or restaurant where the venue is your livelihood.
LOOP vs Loyverse — Honest 2026 Comparison for PH F&B
Last updated:
PEKO ecosystem
LOOP runs the venue. PEKO brings the customer back. Two products, one company.
PEKO — the AI customer-retention platform (heypeko.com) from the same company as LOOP. PEKO handles retention; LOOP handles operations.
| LOOP — operations | PEKO — retention |
|---|---|
| Inventory & recipes | Churn prediction |
| Shift & staff management | Automated win-back |
| Table layout | Member portal |
| Kitchen display (KDS) | Loyalty tiers |
| E-invoice (TT78) | Receipt OCR enrolment |
| Aggregator queue (GrabFood / ShopeeFood / Be) |
LOOP and PEKO each work on their own. Run both and the data syncs into one single AI brain, so nothing is entered twice. PEKO is not a POS and does not replace one — it also runs alongside any other POS.
Choose LOOP if
- ✓You run 2+ outlets and want one operator who can speak commands instead of clicking.
- ✓You want AI demand forecasting per daypart (target MAPE 14–22%), not gut-feel.
- ✓You're on SEA payment rails (VietQR, PromptPay, QRIS, DuitNow, PayNow, QR Ph).
- ✓You're already on PEKO loyalty (or planning to) — 50% lifetime LOOP discount.
Choose Loyverse if
- →You run a single counter, sari-sari or micro-cafe with a simple menu and <100 orders/day.
- →US$0 monthly software cost is a hard requirement and you have no aggregator or delivery flow.
- →You do not need kitchen printing, KDS or recipe-level inventory to run the day.
- →You are comfortable self-serving with community forums instead of local PH phone support.
| Feature | LOOP | Loyverse |
|---|---|---|
| AI voice / text operation | Included — voice-run service in English | Not available |
| Staff training needed | ~10 minutes | Low — the UI is deliberately minimal |
| AI daily brief | Every morning across sales, stock, staffing | Not available |
| AI inventory forecast | 7-day per-SKU forecast | Not available |
| F&B depth (modifiers, kitchen printing, recipe inventory) | F&B-native: modifiers, KDS + printer routing, recipe deduction built-in | Generic retail DNA — modifiers are shallow, no true KDS, recipe/BOM inventory is paid add-on with real limits |
| Free tier & what it includes | Free: full POS + KDS + 50 AI prompts/month for 1 outlet | Genuinely free core POS + basic reports for unlimited outlets — the real Loyverse win |
| Add-on pricing transparency | Flat per-outlet, AI + aggregators bundled | Paid modules per feature (Advanced Inventory, Employee Management, etc.) |
| Setup time (single outlet) | ~10 minutes remote | ~15 minutes self-serve — genuinely fast |
| Multi-outlet | Central menu, pricing, inventory from Growth | Reports across outlets yes; central menu / recipe sync limited |
| Loyalty depth | Bundled PEKO — 34% second-visit vs 19% baseline | Basic points via Loyverse Customer Display |
| Retention AI (via PEKO pairing) | PEKO paired: churn scoring, auto win-back | Not offered |
| PH-local support & payments | PH ops team + QR Ph / GCash / Maya | Community forums only; payment integrations are 3rd-party |
| Best for | PH cafes and restaurants where the venue is the livelihood | Single-counter, no-kitchen micro-shops that need free forever |
Bottom line
Loyverse to start free with a basic counter. LOOP when the venue is your livelihood and you want AI running operations.
Why teams pick LOOP
- Kitchen workflow (KDS + printer routing) and recipe-level inventory are day-one included, not add-ons.
- AI daily brief and forecast turn a cafe into a chain-grade operation without chain-grade cost.
- PH-local support and QR Ph / GCash / Maya integrations remove the DIY payments burden.
Which one is right for you?
Single-counter cafe or sari-sari
Loyverse is enough
Free forever, minimal UI, community support — this is exactly what Loyverse was built for.
Real cafe or restaurant with a kitchen
Choose LOOP
The moment there is a KDS, modifiers, recipe inventory or a delivery aggregator, Loyverse's retail DNA becomes a ceiling. LOOP starts where Loyverse stops.
Frequently asked
- Is Loyverse actually free forever?
- Yes — the core POS and basic reporting are free forever. Advanced Inventory, Employee Management and Kitchen Display are separate paid modules, and the moment you enable any of them the 'free' claim stops applying.
- Does Loyverse work for a real Philippine restaurant?
- For a small counter with a short menu, yes. For a full-service restaurant with modifiers, kitchen workflow and delivery, its retail DNA and lack of PH-local support become real limits.
- Can I migrate my Loyverse menu and history to LOOP?
- Yes. LOOP imports Loyverse's menu, modifiers, customers and up to 12 months of sales history via CSV export. Cutover typically ships zero downtime.
- Does LOOP include loyalty?
- LOOP handles operations. For AI-driven customer retention, PEKO is the sibling product from the same company — it runs alongside LOOP or alongside any other POS. Together they cover operations and retention.
- Can PEKO handle inventory and staff scheduling?
- No — PEKO is the retention layer. LOOP covers inventory, recipes, shifts, table management and kitchen display in the same ecosystem.