Rica vs Hotplate
Hotplate alternative without the diner fee.
Hotplate charges every diner 5% + $0.55. Rica does drops with cutoffs and pickup windows, plus the weekly dinner plan and the pickup reminders, and your diners pay nothing extra on a paid plan.
Hotplate has
drops and pre-orders for chefs
free, as published 18 Oct 2026.
What it does not do
5% + $0.55 charged to every diner, no subscriptions, no events, no routing, no inbox.
Row by row.
| Rica | Hotplate | |
|---|---|---|
| Fee on your sales | 0% on paid plans | 5% + $0.55 per diner |
| Physical goods with cutoffs | Yes | Yes |
| Subscriptions for goods | Yes | No |
| Bookings | Yes | No |
| Events with tickets | Yes, 0% | No |
| Text reminders and updates | Yes, 2.5¢ a text | No |
| WhatsApp inbox | Yes | No |
| Assistant answering customers | Yes, from your facts | No |
| Email marketing | Free, always | No |
| QR ordering | Yes | No |
| Your own Stripe | Yes | No |
Fee on your sales
- Rica0% on paid plans
- Hotplate5% + $0.55 per diner
Physical goods with cutoffs
- RicaYes
- HotplateYes
Subscriptions for goods
- RicaYes
- HotplateNo
Bookings
- RicaYes
- HotplateNo
Events with tickets
- RicaYes, 0%
- HotplateNo
Text reminders and updates
- RicaYes, 2.5¢ a text
- HotplateNo
WhatsApp inbox
- RicaYes
- HotplateNo
Assistant answering customers
- RicaYes, from your facts
- HotplateNo
Email marketing
- RicaFree, always
- HotplateNo
QR ordering
- RicaYes
- HotplateNo
Your own Stripe
- RicaYes
- HotplateNo
Three prices.
No small print.
Free
$0
Free forever, not a trial.
Fee on your sales: 2.5% + 30¢, paid by the buyer
- A page on a Rica address, with a small Rica mark
- Three products
- Two live events, free RSVPs
- Three QR codes
- The inbox
- Free email to 500 contacts
- Your buyer pays 2.5% + 30¢ on paid orders and tickets
Rica
$39a month
Or $29 a month billed yearly ($348), $120 less.
For a one-person business.
Fee on your sales: 0%
- Ten products of every kind
- Subscriptions, bookings, quotes
- Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp in your inbox
- Five live events, paid tickets at 0%
- 25 QR codes
- Free email to 2,000 contacts
- Rica drafts replies; you send with a tap
- Customer accounts: your buyers sign in to see orders, bookings and tickets
- 100 notification texts a month included
- The Rica mark stays on your page
Pro
$89a month
Or $79 a month billed yearly ($948), $120 less.
For the business that has grown.
Fee on your sales: 0%
- Unlimited products, events and QR codes
- Automations: comment to get the link, follow to unlock
- Your own domain, no Rica mark
- Three seats for your team
- Two brands or stores; another is $29 a month
- Rica replies to customers by itself
- Customer accounts on every store
- Free email to 20,000 contacts
- 500 notification texts a month included
- Priority support