When talking about point-of-sale (POS), Toast has emerged as a favorite for restaurants, offering an all-in-one solution for managing payments, orders, and customers. However, many businesses are looking for Toast competitors to find systems that might better suit their needs. Whether you’re considering switching due to pricing, features, or user experience, there are plenty of Toast alternatives that can enhance your operations.
Why consider Toast competitors?
Before exploring the alternatives to Toast, here are a few reasons why you might want to check out other options:
- Better pricing that fits your budget
- Features that match your restaurant’s specific needs
- Easier integration with tools you’re already using
- Higher-quality customer support
- More flexible hardware options
What are Toast’s competitors and alternatives?
Here are Toast competitors that could be a good fit for your restaurant:
1. Square for Restaurants
One of the most well-known Toast competitors is Square for Restaurants. It’s user-friendly, and affordable, and offers essential features such as table management, payment processing, and online ordering. For small to midsized restaurants, Square is a flexible alternative to Toast.
What it offers:
- Order taking at tables
- Menu changes made easy
- Sales reports you can see right away
- Built-in tools for managing staff and payroll
2. TouchBistro
TouchBistro is another top Toast POS competitor built specifically for restaurants. It offers features like menu management, inventory tracking, and reporting. With the added benefit of offline functionality, TouchBistro is a strong Toast alternative for businesses that need reliability, even without an internet connection.
What it offers:
- Tools to manage tables and reservations
- Control over your menu and inventory
- Help with managing staff and their schedules
- Detailed reports on how your restaurant is doing
3. Upserve
Upserve provides a complete solution for restaurants, combining advanced analytics with a robust POS system. As a Toast competitor, it offers inventory management, customer relationship tools, and detailed reporting, making it a great choice for businesses looking for deep insights and analytics.
What it offers:
- Tools to make your menu better
- Tracks how well your servers are doing
- Works with online ordering systems
- Helps manage your restaurant’s reputation online
4. Lightspeed Restaurant
Lightspeed Restaurant is another leading Toast alternative that offers cloud-based POS functionality, real-time reporting, and inventory management. It’s known for its advanced analytics and customer loyalty features, making it an ideal option for growing businesses.
What it offers:
- Advanced ways to manage your inventory
- Tools to manage your restaurant layout and tables
- Support for multiple restaurant locations
- Built-in program to keep customers coming back
5. Revel Systems
Revel Systems stands out as a Toast competitor because it offers a highly customizable POS platform. With features such as employee management, inventory, and reporting, it caters to restaurants of all sizes, making it a versatile Toast alternative.
What it offers:
- Works even when the internet is down
- Tracks ingredients in detail
- Helps manage relationships with customers
- Strong security to protect your data
6. Clover POS
Clover POS is a versatile Toast POS competitor with powerful features for restaurants. It offers payment processing, employee tracking, and inventory management. Like Toast, Clover supports various integrations and is flexible in its hardware offerings, making it an appealing option for businesses that need adaptable solutions.
What it offers:
- Interface you can customize
- Built-in program to keep customers loyal
- Tools to manage employees
- Strong reporting to help you understand your business
7. ShopKeep
If you’re looking for companies like Toast with an emphasis on simplicity, ShopKeep is a great option. It offers basic but effective features like inventory management, employee tracking, and sales reporting, making it an ideal choice for small to medium-sized businesses.
Why choose ShopKeep?
- Real-time tracking and low-stock alerts.
- Insights into sales trends and top-performing items.
- Shift scheduling and time tracking.
- Accepts credit cards, mobile payments, and gift cards.
- Stores customer info and tracks purchase history.
8. Epos Now
Epos Now is a cloud-based POS system that directly competes with Toast. It offers a full suite of tools for managing payments, inventory, and reports. Its flexibility and competitive pricing make it a popular Toast alternative.
Why choose Epos Now?
- Access data and reports from any device remotely.
- Real-time tracking and automatic stock updates.
- Detailed reports on sales trends and performance.
- Supports multiple payment methods, including card and mobile payments.
- Connects with accounting software, delivery services, and other tools.
9. Aloha POS by NCR
Aloha POS is one of the longstanding Toast competitors, with deep roots in the restaurant industry. It offers features like mobile ordering, kitchen management systems, and employee scheduling, making it a reliable option for restaurants looking to upgrade their POS system.
What it offers:
- Can take orders on mobile devices
- Helps manage food preparation in the kitchen
- Built-in payment processing
- Advanced reporting for larger businesses
10. Lavu POS
Lavu POS is another effective Toast POS competitor for restaurants. It supports multiple third-party integrations and offers tools like payment processing, order management, and inventory tracking. This makes it a great Toast alternative for businesses seeking flexibility.
What it offers:
- Displays that face customers
- Tools to manage deliveries and drivers
- Help with managing your menu and inventory
- Support for multiple locations
11. Bindo POS
Bindo POS offers cloud-based solutions similar to Toast and is designed to cater to restaurants. With features like real-time analytics, order management, and payment processing, it’s an ideal alternative to Toast POS.
Why choose Bindo POS?
- Access your data anytime, anywhere.
- Tracks stock levels and sends low-stock alerts.
- Stores customer data and purchase history.
- Supports multiple payment options, including credit cards and mobile payments.
- Provides insights into sales performance and trends.
12. Kounta by Lightspeed
Kounta by Lightspeed is a flexible Toast alternative that integrates in-house and online orders seamlessly. Its reporting tools and customer management features make it a strong Toast competitor for restaurants looking to grow their business.
Why choose Kounta by Lightspeed?
- Access data and manage operations from anywhere.
- Seamlessly handles both in-house and online orders.
- Offers detailed sales and performance reports.
- Tracks customer data and loyalty programs.
- Works with various POS hardware setups.
13. Vend POS
Vend POS is a cloud-based system that, like Toast, provides a comprehensive solution for restaurants. It offers inventory management, sales tracking, and customer loyalty programs, making it a valuable Toast POS competitor.
Why choose Vend POS?
- Access your POS data from any location.
- Real-time tracking and stock level alerts.
- Detailed insights into sales trends and performance.
- Stores customer information and tracks purchase history.
- Manage multiple locations from a single account.
14. CAKE POS
CAKE POS offers restaurant management tools that rival Toast. With features like table management, online ordering, and customer engagement, CAKE is a reliable Toast alternative for small to mid-sized businesses.
What it offers:
- System to manage guests and waiting lists
- Works with online ordering
- Tools to manage relationships with customers
- Dashboard for looking at reports and analysis
15. Hike POS
Hike POS is a cloud-based platform offering flexible solutions for restaurants, making it a competitive alternative to Toast. It supports inventory tracking, customer management, and sales reporting, with easy integration into other software systems.
Why choose Hike POS?
- Manage your business from anywhere with internet access.
- Tracks stock levels and manages product variations.
- Provides detailed reports on sales performance and trends.
- Stores customer details and purchase history.
- Supports various POS hardware configurations.
Finding the Right POS Software with Toast Alternatives
If Toast’s all-in-one POS software solution doesn’t fully meet your restaurant’s needs, exploring its competitors can help you find a better fit. From pricing and features to integration and support, there are many Toast alternatives available.
Whether you’re considering Square for Restaurants, TouchBistro, or ShopKeep, each option offers unique benefits that could enhance your restaurant’s operations. By evaluating these Toast competitors, you can discover a POS system that aligns perfectly with your business requirements.