Toast review (2026): features, pros and cons, pricing
Restaurant-only POS and payments platform with its own hardware and tiered software plans, sold mostly on quote.
Verdict at a glance
Toast is a POS and payments platform made only for restaurants, with its own hardware and tiered software plans. It covers table service, kitchen display and online ordering, though it works only with Toast Payments.
Pros
- User-friendly interface.
Cons
- Customer support wait times.
- Transaction and hardware costs.
What is Toast?
Restaurant-only POS and payments platform with its own hardware and tiered software plans, sold mostly on quote. It is built for restaurants, bars and cafes needing table service, kitchen display and online ordering and single-location operators who can use the Starter Kit. Toast was founded in 2012 and is based in Boston, Massachusetts, US.
Category: POS Systems
Toast key features
| Feature | What we found |
|---|---|
| Hardware and terminals | Proprietary Toast terminals, handhelds, kitchen display and kiosks; tiered hardware bundle around $1,024 (third-party) |
| Payment processing terms | Toast Payments only; rates vary by plan and pay-as-you-go vs traditional. |
| Online and omnichannel sales | Core and Growth add online ordering and loyalty (third-party) |
| Industry features | Restaurant-specific: table service, kitchen display, online ordering. |
| Reporting and analytics | G2 reviewers flag missing reporting features. |
Toast pricing
Toast prices per location from a software tier, a processing percentage and hardware. Toast does not publish full pricing and quotes after a demo. Third-party sources describe two models: pay-as-you-go at $0 per month with higher processing (3.09%, 3.39% or 3.69% plus 15 cents across three tiers), and traditional tiers at $69, $219 and $578 per month with 2.49% plus 15 cents each. An $85 per month inactivity fee may apply on pay-as-you-go, and a hardware bundle of about $1,024 is reported. Payments run only through Toast Payments. A contract of about two years is reported by a third party; confirm it in the order form.
| Plan | Price | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pay-as-you-go tiers | $0 | per month | Third-party (Korona POS): 3.09%/3.39%/3.69% + 15c for Basic/Core/Growth |
| Traditional tiers | $69 / $219 / $578 | per month | Third-party (Korona POS): 2.49% + 15c each; about $1,024 one-time hardware |
Toast does not publish full pricing. Tier figures are third-party and may be outdated. An $85/month inactivity fee may apply on pay-as-you-go (third-party).
Who Toast is best for
Best for
- Restaurants, bars and cafes needing table service, kitchen display and online ordering.
- Single-location operators who can use the Starter Kit.
Not ideal for
- Retailers or service businesses (Toast is restaurant-focused)
- Operators wanting to bring their own processor or avoid multi-year terms.
Toast alternatives
Square POSSingle-shop retailers and service businesses that want to start at $0 software.
CloverSmall restaurants and retailers wanting bundled hardware plus software.
LightspeedMulti-category retailers needing deeper inventory and reporting.
TouchBistroFull-service restaurants that want floor plan and tableside ordering on iPads.
Revel SystemsExisting Revel restaurant operators already on the platform.
Epos NowSmall retail and hospitality shops wanting bundled hardware.
What Toast really costs
- Billing
- Quote.
- Renewal terms
- Third-party: about 2-year term; verify.
Questions to ask about price
- What is the price per user or per unit, and what is the pricing basis (seats, employees, usage)?
- Is there a minimum number of seats or a minimum annual spend?
- What is the discount for annual billing, and can we start monthly?
- Which features we need sit in add-ons or a higher plan, and what do they cost?
- Are there one-time costs for implementation, onboarding or data migration?
Is Toast worth the price?
Toast is good value for restaurants, bars and cafes that want table service, kitchen display and online ordering in one system, and single-location operators can start with the Starter Kit. It gets expensive when processing rates, hardware and an inactivity fee are added to a low software price. It is awkward for operators who want to bring their own processor, avoid multi-year terms, or run retail or service businesses, since Toast is restaurant-focused.
Worth it if
- Restaurants, bars and cafes needing table service, kitchen display and online ordering.
- Single-location operators who can use the Starter Kit.
Look elsewhere if
- Retailers or service businesses (Toast is restaurant-focused)
- Operators wanting to bring their own processor or avoid multi-year terms.
Pricing details most reviews leave out
- Pay-as-you-go ($0 software) trades monthly fees for higher processing percentages.
- Reported contract length about 2 years (third-party, verify in order form)
- Pricing is quote-based after a demo, so tier prices differ by source.
Toast compared
Our verdict on Toast
Toast is a restaurant-only POS and payments platform with its own hardware, and it does not publish full pricing. Toast's own material cites a standard Point of Sale plan at $69 per month and a $0 pay-as-you-go Starter Kit. Third-party figures describe pay-as-you-go tiers with processing at 3.09%, 3.39% or 3.69% plus 15 cents, and traditional tiers at $69, $219 and $578 per month with 2.49% plus 15 cents. These may be outdated.
The $0 software price is a trade: pay-as-you-go lowers monthly fees by raising the processing percentage. Hardware is a further cost, with a tiered bundle around $1,024 reported by a third party. Reviewers on G2 list transaction and hardware costs among their complaints. Treat every number here as a starting point and get a written quote after the demo.
Toast FAQ
What is Toast used for?
Toast is a POS and payments platform made only for restaurants, with its own hardware and tiered software plans. It covers table service, kitchen display and online ordering, though it works only with Toast Payments. It suits restaurants, bars and cafes needing table service, kitchen display and online ordering.
How much does Toast cost per month?
Toast does not publish full pricing. A Toast article cites $69 per month for the standard Point of Sale plan, and third-party sources describe tiers at $69, $219 and $578, plus a $0 pay-as-you-go option. Treat these as estimates.
Can I use my own payment processor with Toast?
No. Payments run only through Toast Payments, and rates vary by plan and by pay-as-you-go versus traditional. That makes processing rates a main cost to negotiate.
How long is the Toast contract?
A third-party source reports about two years, but this is not confirmed on the vendor site. Check the order form for term and cancellation before signing.
About Toast
- Founded
- 2012.
- Headquarters
- Boston, Massachusetts, US.
- Employees
- 5,700 (2024)
- Funding or owner
- Public (NYSE: TOST)
Listed in: POS Systems
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from Toast's own pricing, product or documentation pages, G2 and company records, checked on October 24, 2026. Unknown values are left out instead of estimated.