Toast POS Review: Features, Pricing, Pros & Cons

Updated January 2026 • Verified Q1 2026

Toast is one of the most talked-about restaurant POS systems on the market, powering over 155,000 locations. After reviewing demos, testing the system hands-on, and talking with operators who run Toast daily, we can see why — the order flow matches how real service teams work, kitchen routing fires reliably, and staff get comfortable quickly.

It’s not perfect, and the pricing model won’t fit every restaurant, but for full-service and high-volume operations, Toast delivers where it counts.

🎥 Our Toast POS Video Review

👆 Watch our hands-on walkthrough covering Toast’s interface, KDS, handheld ordering, and real-world performance.

Pros & Cons

Toast POS Pricing

Toast offers two pricing models: pay upfront for hardware with lower processing rates, or get free hardware with higher per-transaction fees.

Payment Processing

You must use Toast Payments — no bringing your own processor. The integration is seamless (disputes, chargebacks, and reporting all happen in one place), but you lose the ability to negotiate rates elsewhere.

Important: Per Toast’s merchant agreement, they can increase processing rates during your contract with 30 days written notice.

Key Features

Quick Specs

What Sets Toast Apart

In our testing, Toast handles restaurant-specific workflows better than most competitors. Order modifications, kitchen timing, split checks, and complex menu variations all work smoothly without workarounds.

• Kitchen Display System (KDS): Orders hit kitchen screens with timing indicators and prep instructions. Cooks mark items started/finished to coordinate plating. During our testing, the KDS kept the line organized even during simulated rush periods — this is where Toast’s restaurant DNA really shows.
• Toast Go Handhelds: Servers take orders and payments tableside. Orders fire to kitchen immediately — no re-entry, no delays. Restaurants report fewer voids and faster table turns after switching to handhelds.
• Online Ordering: Menu updates, pricing changes, and 86’d items sync instantly between in-house and online. QR code ordering lets guests order from their phones with the same kitchen routing rules.
• Menu Engineering: Built-in analytics show which items are profitable vs. just popular. Useful for seasonal menu adjustments and identifying margin problems.
• Staff Management: Time clocks, scheduling, and basic payroll built in. Real-time labor cost tracking with alerts when percentages creep too high.

Hardware

Toast requires proprietary hardware — no iPads or third-party devices. The upside: terminals are built for restaurant environments (spill-resistant, heat-tolerant) with payment processing built in. The downside: you can’t use existing hardware, and replacements must come from Toast.

Typical bundle includes: Toast terminal, receipt printer, cash drawer, payment device. KDS screens and Toast Go handhelds cost extra.

What operators tell us: The hardware holds up well to daily abuse, but smaller restaurants feel the upfront investment more than high-volume operations.

Integrations

Toast builds most features in-house rather than relying on third-party apps. The integration list is shorter than Square or Clover, but connections tend to be deeper:

• Accounting: QuickBooks, Xero
• Delivery: DoorDash (via Toast Delivery Services)
• Payroll: Toast Payroll (built-in), Paychex, ADP
• Reservations: OpenTable, Resy
• Marketing: Mailchimp, Toast Email Marketing

Real User Feedback

We reviewed recent feedback on G2, Capterra, and Trustpilot. Toast has a generally positive reputation, but clear patterns emerge:

✅ What Users Like

• KDS integration: “Kitchen display system is a game-changer”
• Easy training: “Staff training was surprisingly easy”
• Reporting: “Real-time reporting helps manage costs”
• Complex orders: “Handles complex orders without issues”
• Online ordering: “Online ordering integration is seamless”
• Tableside service: “Tableside ordering increased our tips”

❌ What Users Don’t Like

• Support delays: “Support wait times can be longer than expected”
• Processor lock-in: “Forced to use their payment processing”
• Hardware costs: “Hardware costs pile up quickly”
• Contract terms: “Long-term contract feels restrictive”
• Offline limits: “Limited offline functionality”
• Setup time: “Setup process took longer than expected”

Real-World Results

HOUSEpitality Restaurant Group increased bottom line by 7-10% using Toast Mobile Order & Pay, projecting $2.5M incremental revenue annually across 8 locations. They reduced floor staff from 16 to 6 servers while raising pay 25-30%. Read the case study

Maman Bakery expanded from 1 to 30 locations using Toast for standardized menus and unified reporting. The system handles both counter service (weekdays) and table service (weekends) seamlessly. Read the case study

Toast vs Other POS Systems

Toast excels for high-volume restaurants needing strong kitchen coordination and handhelds. TouchBistro offers better offline mode on familiar iPad hardware. Square is easier and cheaper for small cafés but lacks restaurant depth. Clover gives processor flexibility but isn’t as restaurant-focused.

Who Should Use Toast?

✅ Best fit for:

• Full-service restaurants needing table management and kitchen coordination
• High-volume QSR where speed and accuracy are critical
• Multi-location restaurants wanting unified menus and reporting
• Operations adding online ordering or delivery
• Restaurants with complex menus (modifiers, combos, prep instructions)
• Teams adopting handheld ordering to improve table turns

❌ Not ideal for:

• Small cafés or bakeries keeping costs minimal
• Food trucks needing flexible hardware (iPad-based systems work better)
• Bars/taprooms without full dining workflows
• Price-sensitive operations where add-ons push costs too high
• Locations requiring full offline capability

FAQ

Verdict

Toast POS delivers on its promise: a restaurant-focused system built for real service environments. The KDS integration, handheld ordering, and kitchen coordination make a noticeable difference for full-service and high-volume operations. For many restaurants, those benefits justify the investment.

But Toast isn’t for everyone. Proprietary hardware, required payment processing, and add-on costs mean total spend climbs quickly — especially for smaller operations. The 2-3 year contracts and limited offline mode are real drawbacks to consider.

Our take: If you’re running a growing restaurant that can genuinely use Toast’s deeper feature set, it’s one of the most reliable platforms available. Just understand the full cost of ownership before signing.

Expert Rating: ⭐ 9/10 — Purpose-built for restaurants with excellent KDS, handheld ordering, and kitchen coordination. Processor lock-in, proprietary hardware, and contract terms keep it from a perfect score, but for full-service restaurants, Toast is hard to beat.

About the Author

Jason Feemster
POS systems expert and founder of POSUSA.com, a trusted industry resource since 2011. With over a decade of hands-on experience testing and reviewing point-of-sale systems, he helps business owners choose solutions that actually fit their needs.