# Alternatives to Toast

Toast is an all-in-one restaurant point-of-sale and management platform with Android-based hardware, online ordering, payroll, and payments for food-service businesses.

Toast ranks #1 of 9 in Restaurant POS & management, with an Alt Score of 100. It is proprietary, freemium from Free and available on iOS, Android and Web. 12 of 12 checklist rows are verified against a public source.

Source: https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/toast/
Category: Restaurant POS & management

## Where Toast stands out

- **Staff scheduling & payroll** — 3 of 9 apps with a verified answer have this
- **Loyalty & gift cards** — 4 of 9 apps with a verified answer have this
- **Own hardware** — 4 of 9 apps with a verified answer have this

## Overview

- **Who it's for**: Toast is an all-in-one restaurant point-of-sale and management platform built specifically for food-and-beverage businesses, from single-location cafes and quick-service spots to full-service and multi-location restaurant groups. It targets restaurant operators who want front-of-house, kitchen, online ordering, payments, and staff management unified on one system rather than stitched together from separate vendors.
- **What you get**: You get Toast's own handhelds (Toast Go) and terminals, the Toast Web back-office dashboard, and iOS/Android companion apps such as Toast Now for owners and Toast Takeout/Local for guests. Core modules include menu management, a kitchen display system, commission-free online ordering and delivery, integrated Toast Payments card processing, inventory, loyalty and gift cards, scheduling and Toast Payroll, and real-time reporting and analytics. Offline Mode keeps the POS taking orders and card payments during internet or network outages.
- **How it works**: Restaurants build menus in Toast Web, which flow to POS terminals and Toast Go handhelds where staff ring in orders tableside; tickets route to the kitchen display system without paper. Card payments run through Toast's integrated processing, and online, delivery, and in-house orders all land in the same system. Owners monitor sales, labor, and inventory in real time from Toast Web or the Toast Now app, and multilocation groups share configurations and menus across locations via Multilocation Management.

## Profile

- **License**: Proprietary (verified 2026-07-12)
- **Pricing model**: Freemium (verified 2026-07-12)
- **Starts at**: Free (verified 2026-07-12)
- **Platforms**: iOS, Android, Web
- **Status**: active (verified 2026-07-12)

## Ranked alternatives

| # | App | Alt Score | Licence | Platforms |
|---|-----|-----------|---------|-----------|
| 1 | [Clover](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/clover.md) | 96 | Proprietary / commercial (Clover Network, LLC, a Fiserv company) | iOS, Android, Web |
| 2 | [Lightspeed Restaurant](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/lightspeed-restaurant.md) | 96 | Proprietary (commercial SaaS) | iOS, Web |
| 3 | [SpotOn](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/spoton.md) | 96 | Proprietary (commercial SaaS) | iOS, Web |
| 4 | [Lavu](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/lavu.md) | 85 | Proprietary (commercial SaaS) | iOS, Web |
| 5 | [Revel Systems](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/revel.md) | 85 | Proprietary (commercial) | iOS |
| 6 | [Square for Restaurants](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/square-restaurants.md) | 85 | Proprietary | iOS, Web |
| 7 | [TouchBistro](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/touchbistro.md) | 70 | Proprietary (commercial SaaS) | iOS, Web |
| 8 | [GloriaFood](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/gloriafood.md) | 55 | Proprietary SaaS (owned by Oracle) | Web, iOS, Android |

Alt Score = Verified coverage (90%) + Visibility (10%). See https://altcatalog.com/how-alt-score-works/

## Feature comparison

Legend: Yes / No / Partial / ? (not verified).

| Restaurant POS & management checklist | Toast | Clover | Lightspeed Restaurant | SpotOn | Lavu | Revel Systems |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Freemium | Subscription | Subscription | Subscription | ? | ? |
| Starts at | Free | ? | US$69/month | $0/station per month (All-In plan) | ? | ? |
| License | Proprietary | Proprietary / commercial (Clover Network, LLC, a Fiserv company) | Proprietary (commercial SaaS) | Proprietary (commercial SaaS) | Proprietary (commercial SaaS) | Proprietary (commercial) |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, Web | iOS, Android, Web | iOS, Web | iOS, Web | iOS, Web | iOS |
| Tableside / handheld ordering | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Menu management | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Online ordering & delivery | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Kitchen display system | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Inventory management | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes |
| Staff scheduling & payroll | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes | Partial | Partial |
| Loyalty & gift cards | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Partial |
| Reporting & analytics | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Offline mode | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Payment processing included | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial |
| Own hardware | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | No | Partial |
| Multi-location | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |

## Sources

Sources for Toast. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.

- **License**: Proprietary — <https://support.toasttab.com/en/article/How-customers-can-pay-for-Toast-Starter-Kits-Internal> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Note: Commercial proprietary SaaS plus proprietary hardware; software is licensed/paid, not open source.
  - Quote: “Pay for hardware upfront and pay monthly for software”
- **Pricing model**: Freemium — <https://support.toasttab.com/en/article/How-customers-can-pay-for-Toast-Starter-Kits-Internal> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Note: Pay-as-you-go plan has no monthly software subscription (free-to-start tier); traditional plans add paid monthly software.
  - Quote: “No upfront cost. No monthly subscription.”
- **Starts at**: Free — <https://support.toasttab.com/en/article/How-customers-can-pay-for-Toast-Starter-Kits-Internal> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Note: Pay-as-you-go option starts with no upfront cost and no monthly software fee. Exact paid-tier dollar amounts live only on pos.toasttab.com/pricing, which is Cloudflare-blocked and unverifiable.
  - Quote: “No upfront cost. No monthly subscription.”
- **Platforms**: iOS, Android, Web — <https://apps.apple.com/us/app/toast-now/id6444586410> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Note: iOS confirmed via Toast Now App Store (Toast, Inc.); Android confirmed via Google Play (com.toasttab apps, Operating System: Android); Web via the Toast Web back-office dashboard referenced across sup
  - Quote: “Toast Now App - App Store ... Seller: Toast, Inc. ... Category: Business”
- **Status**: active — <https://support.toasttab.com/en/article/Set-Up-Toast-Go-3> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Note: Current shipping hardware (Toast Go 3) and actively maintained support docs (2025) indicate active development.
  - Quote: “The Toast Go® 3 handheld lets staff take orders, accept payments, and print receipts over Wi-Fi and cellular networks, switching between them automatically.”
- **Tableside / handheld ordering**: Yes — <https://support.toasttab.com/en/article/Set-Up-Toast-Go-3> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “The Toast Go® 3 handheld lets staff take orders, accept payments, and print receipts over Wi-Fi and cellular networks, switching between them automatically.”
- **Menu management**: Yes — <https://support.toasttab.com/en/article/Learning-Using-the-Menu-Builder> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “The menu builder is a menu tool in Toast Web that allows restaurants to easily build and manage their menus.”
- **Online ordering & delivery**: Yes — <https://support.toasttab.com/en/article/Getting-Started-Online-Ordering> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “Toast Online Ordering allows guests to order pickup, curbside, or delivery directly from your restaurant's branded ordering page.”
- **Kitchen display system**: Yes — <https://support.toasttab.com/en/article/Get-Started-With-the-Kitchen-Display-System> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “The Toast Kitchen Display System (KDS) connects your front-of-house and kitchen staff so orders move from the point of sale to the line without paper tickets.”
- **Inventory management**: Yes — <https://support.toasttab.com/en/article/Get-Started-with-Toast-Inventory> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “Toast Inventory gives you the tools to manage your ingredients, track stock levels, and streamline your ordering processes, all within Toast Web.”
- **Staff scheduling & payroll**: Yes — <https://support.toasttab.com/en/article/Scheduling-by-Sling-in-Toast-Web> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Note: Payroll offered via Toast Payroll & Team Management (support.toasttab.com/en/article/Toast-Payroll-Team-Management-Center).
  - Quote: “Learn how to use Scheduling in Toast Web, including creating a shift or schedule, managing employee unavailability and time off, and forecasting for future shift needs.”
- **Loyalty & gift cards**: Yes — <https://support.toasttab.com/en/article/getting-started-with-toast-gift-cards> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Note: Loyalty confirmed separately: 'Toast Loyalty lets your guests easily enroll, earn, and redeem rewards at your restaurant.' (support.toasttab.com/en/article/Getting-Started-Toast-Loyalty)
  - Quote: “Toast Gift Cards is a module in the Marketing Essential Suite. It lets your restaurant sell physical gift cards and digital eGift cards, track balances, and accept gift cards as payment on the POS and”
- **Reporting & analytics**: Yes — <https://apps.apple.com/us/app/toast-now/id6444586410> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “Live sales data with hour-by-hour totals and helpful breakdowns, including comparisons to the same day last week and year.”
- **Offline mode**: Yes — <https://support.toasttab.com/en/article/Offline-Mode-Using-Toast-During-a-Local-Network-Outage> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “While in Offline Mode, your team can keep taking orders and accepting card payments on the POS.”
- **Payment processing included**: Yes — <https://support.toasttab.com/en/article/Toast-Billing-FAQ> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Note: Integrated Toast Payments is the built-in card processor; Toast Go handhelds accept swipe/dip/tap and Apple/Google/Samsung Pay.
  - Quote: “Toast provides processing services for all of our customers ... You must use Toast's processing services.”
- **Own hardware**: Yes — <https://support.toasttab.com/en/article/Set-Up-Toast-Go-3> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Note: Toast designs its own branded terminals and handhelds (Toast Go, Toast Starter Kits hardware).
  - Quote: “Set Up Your Toast Go® 3 Handheld ... The Toast Go® 3 handheld lets staff take orders, accept payments, and print receipts”
- **Multi-location**: Yes — <https://support.toasttab.com/en/article/Getting-Started-Master-Menu-Management> (verified 2026-07-12)
  - Quote: “Toast Multilocation Management (MLM) allows you to create shared configurations in Toast Web and manage them across your restaurant locations.”

---
Ranked by verified data, never by who paid. https://altcatalog.com/trust/