Square vs. Toast: Which one serves you better?
Whether it’s your first or fiftieth restaurant, you’ve seen enough POS systems to think they’re all the same. And the costs? Processing rates are just part of the picture. Let’s compare two plans to anticipate total costs before you start or switch.
Try Square for free¹
Talk with the Square team
¹Toast has no option to get started without an implementation specialist.
Tired of surprises? Rates going up? Look beyond subscription costs.
Let’s say you run a growing or expanding restaurant and need cost-effective software that can keep up with the complexity of your business with reasonable processing rates and affordable hardware. If you’ve got a quick-service restaurant with these priorities, here’s a side-by-side example of how the costs stack up between Square and Toast.²
| Square for Restaurants Plus $69/mo. per location |
Toast Standard $69/mo. per location |
|
|---|---|---|
| Hardware | $799 for Square Register (includes server- and customer-facing displays) Can be purchased from major retailers such as Best Buy, Amazon, or on Square Shop. |
$1,024 for a Countertop Starter Kit, plus $225 for customer-facing display Must be purchased from Toast’s Shop page. |
| Processing rate (card present) | 2.6% + 10¢ per transaction No extra charge for Amex |
2.49% + 15¢ per transaction Amex is 3.29% + 15¢ per transaction. |
| Processing rate (online ordering) | 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction No extra charge for Amex |
3.5% + 15¢ per transaction Amex is 3.89% + 15¢ per transaction. |
| Online ordering and website builder | Included | Online ordering only: $75/mo. Online ordering and website builder: $149/mo. |
| Wifi | Use your own router | Toast router required (included in starter kit) |
| KDS | Included Hardware sold separately; compatible with Android devices. |
$35/mo. |
| Gift cards | E-gift cards included Ability to order physical gift cards from 50¢ per card. |
$50/mo. for physical and e-gift cards |
| Catering solution | Included | $100/mo. |
| Shift scheduling and tip management | Free for up to 5 team members, then variable pricing from $4/mo. per team member | $149/mo. |
| Payroll | $35/mo. + $6/mo. per team member | Variable pricing based on employee count |
| Delivery app integration | Included | $25/mo. for each integration |
| Contract length | No long-term contracts required³ | 24 months minimum |
| Get started for free |
²This table is a summary of certain key comparison points between Square Restaurants Plus and Toast Standard as of Sept. 4, 2024 . Additional terms and details may apply on each plan. Please consult with your business advisor on the best plan for you.
100,000+ restaurants count on Square.
Earn 36% more revenue using Square Online.
Based on comparison of Square operators during the six months prior versus the six months after their first Square Online transaction in 2023.
Train new staff in less than an hour.
Plus, get 24/7 support on most plans.
Loyalty program customers spend 53% more.
Based on a 2022 comparison of average spending data between Square Loyalty users and non-users.
Discover the Square difference.
Beautifully designed restaurant workflows
Integrated payments with automatic customer profiles
No long-term contracts required³
Choose Square if you:
- Value fair and transparent, easy-to-understand pricing
- Value flexibility and choice; you choose how and when to get started and how much virtual or in-person support you need
- Want the peace of mind of knowing a team of experts maintains PCI compliance on your behalf
- Appreciate intuitive design that’s easy to learn and enjoyable to use and makes you look like a pro to your customers from day one
- Prefer a flat fee across all credit cards versus worrying about how card mix and average ticket size impacts your rates
- Prefer your tech partner to handle chargebacks and payment issues so you don’t have to deal with disputes by yourself
Get up to $5,000 in free Square hardware.
Free
Starting from
$0
per location/month
- processing fees
Processing fees
Simple, transparent rates based on payment type — no matter which plan you choose.
In person: 2.6% + 10¢ per transaction
Online: 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction
This point-of-sale software plan is best for businesses that are starting out, that only need the essentials of daily service, or that have small teams with one location.
You’ll get:
- Square Restaurant POS software for 1 countertop POS device
Countertop POS devices
Software for additional countertop POS devices can be added for $50/month per device.
- M–F, 6 a.m.–6 p.m. PT phone support
Plus
Recommended
Starting from
$69
per location/month
- processing fees
Processing fees
Simple, transparent rates based on payment type — no matter which plan you choose.
In person: 2.6% + 10¢ per transaction
Online: 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction
This point-of-sale software plan is ideal for growing businesses that have up to five locations and take orders through multiple channels.
You’ll get:
- Square Restaurant POS software for 1 countertop POS device
Countertop POS devices
Software for additional countertop POS devices can be added for $50/month per device.
- Square KDS software at no additional cost¹
- 24/7 phone support
Premium
Starting from
$165
per location/month
- processing fees
Processing fees
Simple, transparent rates based on payment type — no matter which plan you choose.
In person: 2.6% + 10¢ per transaction
Online: 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction
This point-of-sale software plan is perfect for businesses with more than five locations and has all the tools that established restaurants need to continue their expansions.
You’ll get:
- Square Restaurant POS software for 1 countertop POS device
Countertop POS devices
Software for additional countertop POS devices can be added for $50/month per device.
- Square KDS software at no additional cost¹
- Square Mobile POS software at no additional cost¹
- Square Kiosk software at no additional cost¹
- 24/7 phone support
With Square, the choice is yours.
³Applies to standard rates and pricing. Eligible customers who qualify and opt for custom rates and discounted hardware or services may require a contract commitment. Contact sales for details.
⁴To be eligible for this promotion, your business must be new to Square and must process more than $750,000 in annual sales. Value of actual hardware received by eligible sellers may vary. Valid for Square customers located in the U.S. only with a U.S. bank account. Square reserves the right to modify, revoke, or cancel the offer at any time.