Pricing · US & Canada
Free AR Menu for Restaurants in 2026: What $0 Actually Gets You on BeforeTable
Free AR menu for restaurants in 2026: what $0 actually gets you on BeforeTable for US and Canada independents, Safari and Chrome WebAR, limits, and upgrade path.
2026-08-16 · 8 min read · BeforeTable
What a free AR menu for restaurants actually includes in 2026
A free AR menu for restaurants is not a trial that expires after fourteen days. On BeforeTable, Free means $0 USD ongoing for three WebAR hero dishes plus a full text menu guests open in Safari or Chrome after scanning your QR code.
The AR part is optional preview on selected tiles. Every other line item stays readable text with prices, allergens, and descriptions. Guests who only want a fast browse never wait for 3D to load on the whole menu.
For US and Canada independents testing digital menus without a capital expense line, Free is a production tier, not a demo sandbox. You can run Saturday lunch on it while you decide whether fifteen heroes on Starter fits your seasonal rotation.
WebAR is browser preview, not a guest app
Guests scan, open the mobile browser, and tap dishes with a 3D badge. No App Store step sits between scan and order confidence. Full vocabulary at beforetable.com/blog/what-is-an-ar-restaurant-menu.
Text menu is always included
Free tier still ships categories, modifiers, and allergen notes in mobile layout. AR heroes sit on top of the same URL your table tents already encode.
Why US and Canada independents ask about free AR menus now
Labor pressure and print cost pushed thousands of US and Canada restaurants to QR menus during the last five years. Many landed on static PDF links that go stale when prices change.
Owners now search for free AR menu for restaurants because they want portion clarity without paying enterprise fees before they prove scan rate on one dining room.
Free tiers also lower risk for seasonal concepts that need three signature heroes live for summer patio, then swap uploads in dashboard without redesigning print.
Proof before print budget
Run one section on Free for two peak services. Count scan assists and preview taps before you laminate fifty new tents.
Canada parity on USD plans
BeforeTable bills in USD. Canadian independents still get the same Free, Starter, and Growth dish limits with browser WebAR on iPhone Safari and Android Chrome.
BeforeTable Free tier limits owners should understand
Free is $0 USD for 3 AR dishes at a time. You can edit which three heroes are live, but you cannot publish a fourth WebAR tile without upgrading.
Analytics depth is lighter on Free than Growth. You still get a live menu URL, QR generation, and Ready workflow on uploads.
Enterprise is custom for multi-location groups that need SSO, API hooks, or white-label domains. Most single-location independents never need that call to start.
Three slots forces prioritization
Pick highest margin plates, shareables that drive portion questions, or desserts guests photograph. That discipline often improves menu storytelling more than publishing twenty mediocre previews.
Ready status gate
Each hero upload passes a Ready check before the 3D tile goes live. Plan one business day for processing after you submit clean photos.
What $0 USD gets you on scan and browse
After scan, guests land on a mobile menu tuned for thumb scroll. Categories load fast on venue LTE because 3D assets fetch only when a guest taps a hero tile.
You generate one stable menu URL and QR from the dashboard. Point existing table tents at that link instead of a PDF file hosted on a generic drive folder.
Price edits happen in dashboard when your QR encodes the menu URL, not a static file path. That alone saves reprint cycles many PDF QR setups still trigger each quarter.
Same URL for Google and tents
Reuse the menu link on Google Business, Instagram bio, and receipt inserts. One factual price story across discovery and dine-in.
No guest login wall
Guests browse without creating accounts. Friction stays low for walk-ins who only want tonight's specials.
WebAR preview on the Free plan without a guest app
WebAR on Free works in iPhone Safari and Android Chrome, the browsers that cover most US and Canada dine-in traffic. Guests tap a 3D badge, preview portion on screen, and return to text menu to order with the server.
Technical guest path details live at beforetable.com/blog/webar-menu-safari-chrome. Staff should memorize one line: no download needed.
If a guest asks whether AR requires an app, point to beforetable.com/blog/do-customers-need-app-ar-menu for the plain answer you can print on a staff card.
Preview loads on tap
Initial page load stays text-first. 3D fetches when guests choose a hero dish, which keeps the menu responsive on weak patio signal.
Honest plating matters more on previewed items
When kitchen output matches the hero model, guests trust the free tier as much as paid tiers. Mismatch hurts credibility faster on dishes you invite them to rotate on screen.
Setting up your free AR menu in one afternoon
Create a BeforeTable account, upload three hero photos, wait for Ready status on each, generate your menu QR, print one test tent, and scan from seated height on iPhone Safari and Android Chrome.
Step-by-step ladder with print specs: beforetable.com/blog/how-to-create-an-ar-restaurant-menu.
Run one busy lunch on a single section before you reprint every table. Compare guest questions on previewed dishes against your control section still on paper or PDF.
Photography basics before upload
Shoot consistent angles with even light on the plate you serve. Angle guide at beforetable.com/blog/dish-photography-angles-for-ar-menus.
Test scan under real lights
Scan from a chair, not standing over the table. Pendant glare and patio sun expose bad laminate choices before bulk print.
Which three dishes to pick for Free tier heroes
Start with one entree that drives the most portion questions, one shareable that groups hesitate on, and one dessert or cocktail with strong visual height.
Avoid picking three items that look identical on camera. Color contrast helps guests instantly know which tile they tapped.
When a special rotates off, swap the upload in dashboard. The table QR stays the same if it already points at your stable menu URL.
Margin and story alignment
Hero slots should support items you want to sell more of, not only items that are easy to photograph.
Bar and dining overlap
If bar bites differ from dining entrees, use menu section headers inside the same URL rather than printing second QR codes.
PDF QR menus versus the free AR upgrade path
Many US and Canada restaurants still host a PDF behind their QR code. PDFs work for compliance archives but frustrate mobile zoom and go stale when prices change.
Free AR menu tier keeps live text prices while adding optional 3D preview on three signatures. You do not need to abandon QR tents to upgrade from PDF.
Comparison framing for guests who ask the difference: PDF shows a flat document. AR menu shows the same prices with tap-to-preview portion on hero dishes in the browser.
Keep PDF as backup if needed
Some jurisdictions still want a printable allergy packet. Keep that internal. Guest-facing QR should land on the live menu URL instead.
3D on existing QR flow
Point the same tent design at your BeforeTable URL. Guide at beforetable.com/blog/qr-code-menu-with-3d-models.
Pricing ladder beyond Free (USD)
Free is $0 USD for 3 AR dishes. Starter is $20/mo for 15 dishes. Growth is $200/mo for 50 dishes plus analytics. Enterprise is custom for multi-location operators.
Upgrade when seasonal rotations need more than three simultaneous WebAR heroes live or when you want scan and preview metrics across locations.
Full plan breakdown with feature notes: beforetable.com/blog/beforetable-pricing-explained.
When Starter beats staying on Free
Quarterly menu changes with six to ten visual signatures usually outgrow three slots. Starter cost is often less than one reprint run of outdated PDF menus.
Growth for multi-room analytics
Groups comparing patio versus dining room scan rates benefit from Growth dashboards without building custom tracking on PDF links.
Staff and guest scripts for free tier rollout
Train two lines: Scan the QR for our menu. Tap dishes with 3D to preview. I am here when you are ready to order.
Never blame the guest phone when scan fails. Move the tent out of glare, wipe matte laminate, or type the short URL printed below the code.
Keep a small paper backup for guests who decline phones. Verbal allergy confirmation stays part of service even when digital menus list allergens.
Preview honesty at the table
If a guest previews the steak and asks about size, answer with the same portion language your menu already uses. Preview is a confidence tool, not a separate promise.
Pre-shift tent check
Hosts verify every seated table has an upright QR with a clean face before doors open. Free tier fails hospitality when tents are missing, not when the software costs $0.
Measuring whether your free AR menu earns an upgrade
Track scans per weekend, preview taps on each hero, and server questions about portion size. Qualitative win: guests say the plate matched what they previewed.
If preview taps cluster on a fourth dish you cannot publish on Free, that is a data-backed case for Starter rather than guesswork.
Free tier success is stable scan assist rate and honest kitchen match, not viral social clips alone.
A/B one dining section
Run Free menu QR on half the room for two peak services. Count scan assists against your PDF or paper control section.
Social reuse of the same URL
Post the menu link on Instagram before weekend service. Guests arrive already familiar with the 3D badges they will see on table tents.
People Also Ask: free AR menu for restaurants
Google and AI assistants surface questions about $0 cost, dish limits, app requirements, and USD upgrades. Twenty FAQs below mirror those phrasings with Safari and Chrome paths and BeforeTable pricing.
Owner search phrases to match
Is there a free AR menu? How many dishes on free plan? Free AR menu no app? Align FAQ text to those strings for AI Overviews.
Link pillars in body copy
Internal links to definition, how-to, pricing, and WebAR posts help crawlers cluster free-tier intent with your product facts.
Launch your free AR menu this week
Create a BeforeTable account, upload three heroes, wait for Ready, generate QR, print one test tent, test Safari and Chrome on Saturday lunch.
Free AR menu for restaurants works when scan access, WebAR preview, and kitchen output tell one honest story. Expand print run after two stable peak services.
When three heroes are not enough, upgrade to Starter for fifteen slots without changing the QR artwork guests already know.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a free AR menu for restaurants?
Yes. BeforeTable Free is $0 USD for 3 WebAR hero dishes plus a full text menu guests open in Safari or Chrome from your QR code.
What does a free AR restaurant menu include?
A mobile text menu, QR generation, 3D preview on up to three dishes at a time, and Ready processing on uploads. No guest app download.
How many AR dishes are free on BeforeTable?
Three AR dishes at $0 USD on the Free plan. Swap which three are live in the dashboard without changing your menu URL.
Do guests need an app for a free AR menu?
No. WebAR preview runs in the mobile browser after scan. Details at beforetable.com/blog/do-customers-need-app-ar-menu.
How much does a free AR menu cost per month?
Free is $0 USD ongoing for 3 AR dishes. Starter is $20/mo for 15. Growth is $200/mo for 50.
Which browsers work with a free AR menu?
Test iPhone Safari and Android Chrome before launch. Those cover most dine-in guests in the US and Canada.
How do I set up a free AR menu for my restaurant?
Upload three dish photos to BeforeTable, wait for Ready, generate your menu QR, print a test tent, scan on Safari and Chrome. Guide at beforetable.com/blog/how-to-create-an-ar-restaurant-menu.
What is WebAR on a free restaurant menu?
WebAR shows 3D dish preview in the browser when guests tap hero tiles. Definition at beforetable.com/blog/what-is-an-ar-restaurant-menu.
Can I update prices on a free AR menu without reprinting QR?
Yes when your QR encodes a stable BeforeTable menu URL and you edit prices in the dashboard.
Is BeforeTable Free a trial or permanent?
Free is a permanent tier at $0 USD for 3 AR dishes, not a time-limited trial that expires.
When should I upgrade from Free to Starter?
Upgrade when you need more than three WebAR heroes live at once or when seasonal rotations exceed three preview slots.
Does free AR menu work in Canada?
Yes. US and Canada restaurants use the same USD plans and browser WebAR path on iPhone Safari and Android Chrome.
How do I pick three dishes for the free plan?
Choose high margin signatures, shareables with portion questions, and one strong visual dessert or cocktail with clear color contrast.
Can I use my existing QR tents on the free tier?
Yes. Point existing tent artwork at your BeforeTable menu URL instead of a PDF link. Same print, upgraded landing page.
How do I photograph food for a free AR menu?
Use consistent angles and even light on service ware. Full guide at beforetable.com/blog/dish-photography-angles-for-ar-menus.
Where is BeforeTable pricing explained?
See beforetable.com/blog/beforetable-pricing-explained for Free, Starter, Growth, and Enterprise USD plans.
How does WebAR work in Safari and Chrome on Free?
Guests scan, open the browser, tap 3D dish tiles. Details at beforetable.com/blog/webar-menu-safari-chrome.
Can I add 3D preview to a PDF QR menu for free?
Replace the PDF link with your BeforeTable menu URL on the same tent. Guide at beforetable.com/blog/qr-code-menu-with-3d-models.
Will a free AR menu slow down service?
No when staff use a two-line script and keep paper backup. Text menu loads first; 3D fetches only when guests tap hero tiles.
What is the first step to get a free AR menu?
Create a BeforeTable account, upload three hero dish photos, wait for Ready status, generate your menu QR, and test on iPhone Safari and Android Chrome.