Best Toast Alternatives 2026
9 alternatives reviewed and compared
Looking for alternatives to:
Toast
Restaurant-focused POS with kitchen displays, online ordering, and tableside payments. Free Starter plan; paid plans from $69/mo.
Why look for Toast alternatives?
Toast works well for a lot of teams. Still, there are a few common reasons people start shopping around:
- Pricing — you want a more affordable option or a different pricing model
- Feature gaps — you need something Toast doesn't do well
- Ease of use — you want a tool that's simpler to set up and run day to day
- Scale — you've outgrown it, or it's too heavy for your team size
- Integrations — you need it to fit the rest of your stack better
Top alternatives compared
| Software | Rating | Starting price | Best for | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Square POS Free POS system with flat-rate processing at 2.6% + 10 cents. Works on iPad and Android with optional hardware from $49. | 8.6 | Free | Small businesses and solopreneurs who want a free POS with zero monthly commitment | |
 Shopify POS Shopify's in-store POS that unifies online and physical retail. Included with Shopify plans; Pro upgrade at $89/mo per location. | 8.0 | $39/mo | Shopify merchants expanding from online-only to physical retail locations | |
 Clover Flexible POS hardware ecosystem with app marketplace for retail, restaurants, and services. Plans from $14.95/mo plus hardware. | $14.95/mo | Businesses that want premium-quality dedicated POS hardware instead of tablet-based setups | ||
 Lightspeed POS Advanced POS for retail and restaurants with best-in-class analytics, multi-location support, and omnichannel capabilities from $89/mo. | 8.2 | $89/mo | Mid-size retailers with 500+ SKUs who need deep inventory analytics and margin tracking | |
 Vend (Lightspeed Retail) Retail-focused POS now part of Lightspeed, known for intuitive inventory management and easy setup. Plans from $69/mo per register. | $69/mo | First-time POS buyers in retail who want something easier to learn than Lightspeed | ||
 TouchBistro iPad-based restaurant POS with local network architecture for reliable offline operation. Plans from $69/mo. | $69/mo | Dine-in restaurants in areas with unreliable internet that need offline POS reliability | ||
 Revel Systems iPad-based enterprise POS for high-volume restaurants and retail chains. Custom pricing from ~$99/mo per terminal. | $99/mo | Multi-location restaurant groups with 5-200 locations needing centralized management | ||
 Epos Now Cloud POS for retail and hospitality with one-time hardware purchase option and 300+ integrations. From $39/mo or $349 upfront. | $39/mo | Budget-conscious businesses that want to own their POS hardware outright with a one-time purchase | ||
 ShopKeep Simple iPad POS for small retail and quick-service restaurants, now part of Lightspeed. Free plan available with payment processing. | Free | Existing ShopKeep users who are happy with the current system and plan to migrate when required |
Detailed reviews
Square POS
Free POS system with flat-rate processing at 2.6% + 10 cents. Works on iPad and Android with optional hardware from $49.
Best for:
Why pick Square POS over Toast?
Square POS has a genuinely usable free tier and is strong at Small businesses and solopreneurs who want a free POS with zero monthly commitment.
Shopify POS
Shopify's in-store POS that unifies online and physical retail. Included with Shopify plans; Pro upgrade at $89/mo per location.
Best for:
Why pick Shopify POS over Toast?
Shopify POS is priced competitively and is strong at Shopify merchants expanding from online-only to physical retail locations.
Clover
Flexible POS hardware ecosystem with app marketplace for retail, restaurants, and services. Plans from $14.95/mo plus hardware.
Best for:
Why pick Clover over Toast?
Clover is priced competitively and is strong at Businesses that want premium-quality dedicated POS hardware instead of tablet-based setups.
Lightspeed POS
Advanced POS for retail and restaurants with best-in-class analytics, multi-location support, and omnichannel capabilities from $89/mo.
Best for:
Why pick Lightspeed POS over Toast?
Lightspeed POS is priced competitively and is strong at Mid-size retailers with 500+ SKUs who need deep inventory analytics and margin tracking.
Vend (Lightspeed Retail)
Retail-focused POS now part of Lightspeed, known for intuitive inventory management and easy setup. Plans from $69/mo per register.
Best for:
Why pick Vend (Lightspeed Retail) over Toast?
Vend (Lightspeed Retail) is priced competitively and is strong at First-time POS buyers in retail who want something easier to learn than Lightspeed.
Still deciding?
Put your shortlist side by side and see how the numbers and features really stack up.