Templates vs Custom Design: Which one to choose for your digital menu?

One of the most important decisions when creating your digital menu is choosing between using a template or developing a completely custom design. We help you decide.

What are templates?

Definition:

Templates are predefined designs that you can customize with your content, colors, and logo, but maintaining the base structure and style.

Typical characteristics:

• Fixed Structure: Predefined layout
• Consistent Styles: Established fonts and spacing
• Limited Customization: Colors, images, and content
• Fast Development: Ready in minutes

What is custom design?

Definition:

A design created from scratch specifically for your restaurant, with total creative freedom and adapted to your brand identity.

Typical characteristics:

• Unique Structure: Layout designed for your content
• Own Styles: Unique fonts and elements
• Total Customization: Every detail tailored to you
• Extensive Development: Weeks or months of work

Detailed Comparison

⏳ Development Time

Templates:

• ✅ Fast: 1-3 hours
• ✅ Immediate: Instant changes
• ✅ No waiting: Available now

Custom Design:

• ❌ Slow: 2-8 weeks
• ❌ Iterations: Multiple revisions
• ❌ Dependencies: Need designer availability

💰 Economic Cost

Templates:

• ✅ Economical: 0-50€/month
• ✅ No hidden costs: Fixed price
• ✅ Scalable: Same price for any size

Custom Design:

• ❌ Expensive: 1,000-5,000€ upfront
• ❌ Additional costs: Hosting, maintenance
• ❌ Revision: Extra costs for changes

🎨 Creative Flexibility

Templates:

• ⚠️ Limited: Fixed structure
• ⚠️ Restrictions: Can't change everything
• ✅ Professional: Designed by experts

Custom Design:

• ✅ Total: Absolute freedom
• ✅ Unique: Exclusive design
• ⚠️ Risk: May not work well (UX)

🔧 Maintenance

Templates:

• ✅ Automatic: Updates included
• ✅ Support: Technical team available
• ✅ Security: Automatic patches

Custom Design:

• ❌ Manual: You handle everything
• ❌ Limited Support: You depend on the developer
• ❌ Vulnerabilities: Can become obsolete

📱 Responsive Design

Templates:

• ✅ Tested: Works on all devices
• ✅ Optimized: Guaranteed performance
• ✅ Updated: Always compatible

Custom Design:

• ⚠️ Variable: Depends on developer quality
• ⚠️ Testing: Need to test on multiple devices
• ⚠️ Maintenance: Requires updates

When to choose templates?

✅ Ideal for:

• New Restaurants: Need to launch fast
• Limited Budget: Want quality without huge investment
• No Technical Team: Don't have in-house developers
• Frequent Changes: Need to update content regularly
• Multiple Locations: Want brand consistency

When to choose custom design?

✅ Ideal for:

• Luxury Restaurants: Need total differentiation
• Large Budget: Can invest in development
• Technical Team: Have in-house developers
• Specific Needs: Unique functionalities
• Consolidated Brand: Very defined visual identity

Hybrid: Customizable Templates

The best of both worlds:

• Professional Base: Proven structure
• Advanced Customization: Colors, fonts, layouts
• Fast Development: Less time than scratch design
• Intermediate Cost: More than basic template, less than custom

Conclusion

The right decision depends on:

• Available Budget
• Time to Launch
• Customization Needs
• Technical Resources

Our general recommendation:

Start with a customizable template. It gives you flexibility without compromising time or budget. You can always evolve to custom design later.