Toast vs ShopKeep: Complete Comparison 2026
An in-depth comparison of features, pricing, and user experience to help you make the right choice.
Toast
8.4(31,200 reviews)
Restaurant-focused POS with kitchen displays, online ordering, and tableside payments. Free Starter plan; paid plans from $69/mo.
ShopKeep
Simple iPad POS for small retail and quick-service restaurants, now part of Lightspeed. Free plan available with payment processing.
Quick Comparison
| Aspect | Toast | ShopKeep |
|---|---|---|
| Best For | Full-service restaurants that need kitchen display systems and tableside ordering | Existing ShopKeep users who are happy with the current system and plan to migrate when required |
| Pricing Model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting Price | Free | Free |
| Deployment | cloud | cloud |
| Platforms | WEB, ANDROID | IOS |
| Rating | 8.4/10 | 7.2/10 |
Pros & Cons
Toast
Pros
- Purpose-built for restaurants with kitchen display systems, coursing, and auto-86 functionality
- Built-in online ordering eliminates expensive third-party delivery commissions of 15-30%
- Tableside ordering with Toast Go handhelds speeds up service and increases table turnover
- Free Starter plan lets small restaurants get started without upfront software costs
- Comprehensive payroll and team management tools designed specifically for restaurant staff
Cons
- Proprietary hardware is mandatory — you cannot run Toast on an iPad or any third-party device
- Early termination fees can reach $5,000-10,000+ if you try to leave your contract early
- Customer support quality is inconsistent — some reps are great, others clearly read from scripts
- The system depends heavily on internet connectivity and offline mode has significant limitations
- Hardware costs for a full restaurant setup can hit $2,500-4,000 before you serve your first customer
ShopKeep
Pros
- Simple and intuitive iPad POS that retail and food service staff can learn in under an hour
- Free basic plan with payment processing means zero upfront software cost for small businesses
- BackOffice mobile dashboard lets owners monitor sales and inventory remotely from their phone
- Proven reliability — the core system has been stable for years without major outages
- Part of the Lightspeed family provides a migration path to more advanced features when needed
Cons
- Product is in maintenance mode with no significant new features since the Lightspeed acquisition
- Migration to Lightspeed is inevitable — investing in ShopKeep as a new user makes little strategic sense
- Integration ecosystem is stagnating with fewer new app partnerships being added
- Limited to iPad — no Android, no web-based register option for flexibility
- Pricing and future roadmap are unclear, creating uncertainty for long-term planning
Pricing Comparison
| Product | Pricing Model | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|
| Toast | freemium | Free0 |
| ShopKeep | freemium | Free0 |
Our Verdict
Choose Toast if...
Full-service restaurants that need kitchen display systems and tableside ordering
Choose ShopKeep if...
Existing ShopKeep users who are happy with the current system and plan to migrate when required
Still Not Sure?
Explore more alternatives or read in-depth reviews to make your decision.