TL;DR
Ocha is excellent at what it's built for: a free, simple POS for a single small outlet. LOOP starts where Ocha stops — central kitchen, recipe-level inventory, multi-outlet sync, AI and KDS.
LOOP vs Ocha — Free POS vs Full F&B Operations Platform
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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 (targetmodelled accuracy published in our methodology, 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 Ocha if
You need Ocha-specific capabilities and don't need AI operations.
| Feature | LOOP POS | Ocha | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid; Free tier for 1 outlet | Free core POS | Not published |
| Multi-outlet sync | Real-time, native | Limited / paid add-on | Not published |
| Recipe-level inventory | Built-in | Basic SKU stock | Not published |
| Central kitchen module | Native transfers + costing | Not available | Not published |
| AI forecasting | Yes | No | Not published |
| Kitchen Display System | Native, offline-capable | Kitchen printer | Not published |
Bottom line
Opening your first outlet on a tight budget: Ocha is hard to beat. Opening your second outlet or hitting food-cost variance you can't explain: time to upgrade to LOOP.
Why teams pick LOOP
- Same Free entry point — try LOOP at zero cost for outlet #1.
- When you open outlet #2, sync, KDS and recipes are already there.
- AI forecasting starts paying back the moment prep waste becomes visible.
When neither is right
- You run one outlet with a fixed menu and only need receipts — a free tier from either vendor is enough, and paying for a mid tier changes nothing.
- You need something neither LOOP POS nor Ocha publishes support for (full payroll, table timers) — buy that tool separately and keep the till simple.
- Your format is still changing — settle the business model first; switching POS twice costs more than waiting.
Frequently asked
- Is LOOP really free for a single outlet like Ocha?
- Yes. LOOP's Free plan covers a single outlet with core POS, KDS and inventory. You only pay when you need multi-outlet sync, central kitchen, AI or advanced reporting.
- 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.
Sources
- Ocha website (no public price list) — checked
- LOOP POS pricing — checked
Disclosure: LOOP POS is our own product. Competitor details come from each vendor's published material on the dates listed; where a vendor publishes nothing the cell reads “not published” and we make no claim.
