Toast review

Toast ranks first because it covers the whole restaurant from one account. The core POS handles table and order management, digital menus, mobile payments and offline mode, and Toast KDS fires tickets from the POS to kitchen screens built to handle heat, grease and spills. Around that core, Toast sells suites for online ordering and delivery, marketing and loyalty, scheduling and tips, payroll with tax filing, and xtraCHEF for invoices, recipe costing and inventory. Pricing has three doors: a Starter Kit at $0 a month for a single location with one or two terminals, a Point of Sale plan from $69 a month where you choose your own hardware, and a quoted Build Your Own plan. The catch is that the full picture costs more than the headline. Most of the modules that set Toast apart are add-ons with their own fees, so price the suites you will really use before you sign.

Who it is for

Independent and multi-location restaurants that want one vendor for POS, kitchen screens, ordering, payroll and cost control.

Price

Starter Kit from $0 a month for 1 to 2 terminals; Point of Sale plan from $69 a month.

Point Of Sale Starting at $69 /month Get a Demo
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 6, 2026.

Key features

• Table and order management, digital menus, offline mode and mobile payments
• Toast KDS that sends orders from the POS to kitchen screens in real time
• Digital Storefront with online ordering, Toast Delivery Services and the Local by Toast app
• Payroll, tips manager and scheduling suites that plug into the POS
• xtraCHEF invoice automation, food cost analytics, recipe costing and inventory

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Widest set of restaurant modules on this list from one vendor
• Strength: Starter Kit puts hardware in place with no upfront cost
• Strength: 24/7/365 support is listed on the plans
• Weakness: Most suites beyond core POS are paid add-ons
• Weakness: Starter Kit is limited to 1 location and up to 2 terminals
• Weakness: Build Your Own plans need a quote

Key facts

• Entry plan: Starter Kit, $0 a month, 1 location, up to 2 terminals
• Paid plan: Point of Sale from $69 a month
• Payroll bundle: $69 a month plus $9 per employee a month
• Support: 24/7/365

Where it ranks

Toast is No. 2 in our Best POS Systems for Restaurants verdict and No. 8 in Best POS Systems for Small Business.