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Toast vs Square: Which POS System Is Worth Your Money?

Jason Feemster

February 2, 2026

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Updated January 2026 • Verified Q1 2026

Toast and Square both offer restaurant POS systems, but they’re built for very different operations. Toast is a restaurant-only platform with deep kitchen workflow tools and purpose-built hardware. Square is a general-purpose POS with a free plan that happens to work well for food businesses too.

We’ve set up both systems across hundreds of restaurants and small businesses since 2011. Here’s who should pick what — and why the pricing is more complicated than either company lets on.

Bottom Line: Who Wins What

At-a-Glance Comparison

Toast		Square
Read Full Toast Review		Read Full Square Review
9.5/10 (Expert Score) Product is rated as #1 in category Restaurant POS Systems		9/10 (Expert Score) Product is rated as #2 in category Retail POS Systems
Pricing	Free (Starter Kit) $69/mo (Core)	Pricing	Free $49/mo (Plus) $149/mo (Premium)
In-Person Processing	2.49% + 15¢ (Core) 3.09% + 15¢ (Starter)	In-Person Processing	2.6% + 15¢ (Free) 2.5% + 15¢ (Plus) 2.4% + 15¢ (Premium)
Online Processing	3.50% + 15¢	Online Processing	3.3% + 30¢ (Free) 2.9% + 30¢ (Plus/Premium)
Customer service	24/7 (all plans)	Customer service	Mon–Fri 6AM–6PM PT (24/7 on Premium only)
Contract	2-year (with ETF)	Contract	None
Best For	Full-service restaurants	Best For	Small businesses, QSR, food trucks
Industry Focus	Restaurant-only	Industry Focus	Multi-industry (restaurant tools available)

Pricing & True Costs

This is where the comparison gets tricky. Both companies advertise “free” plans, but what “free” actually means is very different.

Toast Pricing

Toast has three main tiers. The Starter Kit is $0/month but locks you into higher processing rates (3.09% + 15¢ per in-person transaction) — and you’re still paying for hardware upfront or through those inflated rates. The Core plan at $69/month drops processing to 2.49% + 15¢, which is actually competitive. The Restaurant Basics bundle runs $110/month + $4/employee and adds payroll and scheduling. Multi-location operations get custom pricing.

The catch: Toast requires a two-year contract with early termination fees. You must use Toast’s in-house payment processing — no bringing your own processor. And card-not-present transactions (online orders) cost 3.50% + 15¢ across all plans.

Square Pricing

Square overhauled its pricing in October 2025. Three unified tiers now: Free ($0/mo), Plus ($49/mo), and Premium ($149/mo). The Free plan charges 2.6% + 15¢ in-person and 3.3% + 30¢ online. Plus drops those to 2.5% + 15¢ and 2.9% + 30¢. No contract, no termination fees, cancel anytime. For the full breakdown, see our Square fees and pricing guide.

Real-World Cost Comparison

For a small cafe processing $5,000/month in card sales (200 transactions, all in-person):

• Square Free: ~$160 in processing fees + $0 software = $160/month
• Toast Starter: ~$184 in processing fees + $0 software = $184/month
• Toast Core: ~$155 in processing fees + $69 software = $224/month

At low volumes, Square’s Free plan is significantly cheaper. Toast’s Core plan only starts to make financial sense when you genuinely need restaurant-specific features like kitchen display systems, ingredient tracking, or automated tip pooling — tools Square either doesn’t offer or charges extra for.

Start with Square Free

Restaurant Features: Head-to-Head

This is where Toast pulls ahead decisively. It’s built from the ground up for food service, and the depth shows.

If you run a full-service restaurant with coursing, kitchen complexity, and 10+ staff — Toast’s built-in tools will save you from stitching together multiple apps. If you run a cafe, counter-service spot, or food truck — Square’s built-in features cover what you need without paying for capabilities you’ll never use.

See Toast’s Restaurant Features

Hardware Comparison

Toast Hardware: Restaurant-Grade Durability

Toast Flex	Toast Go 2
Toast Flex for Guests	Toast Kiosk
Toast Flex for Kitchen
View Toast Hardware Options →

Toast’s Android-based hardware is purpose-built for kitchens — spill-resistant, grease-resistant, and heat-tolerant. The Toast Go 2 handheld fits in a server’s apron pocket, has an all-day battery, and reads well in outdoor light. Hardware runs $494–$1,339 depending on the kit, or you can get it free on the Starter plan (with higher processing rates). It’s proprietary though — if you leave Toast, the hardware has no resale value.

Square Hardware: Flexible and Affordable

Square Register	Square Terminal
Square Kiosk	Square Stand
Square Reader for Contactless Payments	Square Reader for Magstripe
See Square Hardware Options →

Square’s hardware is consumer-grade but reliable. The big advantage: you can start with just your iPhone (Tap to Pay) or pair a free magstripe reader with any phone or tablet. The $59 contactless reader, $149 Stand (iPad required), $299 Terminal, $399 Handheld, and $799 Register give you a clear upgrade path. Everything works on iOS and Android — not locked to proprietary devices.

Customer Support

Toast: 24/7 phone, chat, and email support on all plans — including the free Starter Kit. This is a genuine advantage for restaurants that operate nights and weekends. The Toast Central knowledge base and training tools are solid. That said, some users report longer wait times as Toast has scaled, and onboarding support during initial setup has drawn complaints.

Square: Phone support Monday–Friday, 6 AM–6 PM PT on the Free and Plus plans. 24/7 phone support only on Premium ($149/mo). The self-service help center and community forums are comprehensive, and Square’s Dashboard is intuitive enough that most people rarely need help. But if something goes wrong — an account freeze, a deposit hold — getting a live person who can resolve it quickly is harder.

When Toast Makes Sense

• Full-service restaurants with complex menus, coursing, and kitchen workflow needs
• Multi-location operations that need centralized reporting and real-time menu syncing
• High-volume establishments where food cost controls, ingredient tracking, and labor analytics justify the monthly cost
• Operations that need 24/7 support without paying $149/month for it

Toast’s strength is depth. If you need to fire courses to the kitchen in sequence, track food waste by ingredient, split checks six ways, and sync menus across three locations — Toast handles all of that natively. You’ll pay more, but you won’t need a patchwork of third-party apps to make it work.

Try Toast Free Demo

When Square Makes Sense

• New restaurants testing a concept without a two-year contract commitment
• Quick-service operations like cafes, food trucks, juice bars, and counter-service spots
• Businesses that also do retail — Square handles both from one platform
• Budget-conscious operators who need a functional POS today, not six features they might use someday

Square’s strength is accessibility. You can download the app, plug in a free reader, and start ringing up orders in 15 minutes. The Square for Restaurants app adds table management, menu customization, and kitchen tickets — enough for most smaller food operations. And if the restaurant doesn’t work out, you haven’t signed a contract or bought proprietary hardware you can’t resell.

Start with Square Free

Final Specifications Comparison

Frequently Asked Questions: Toast vs Square

The Verdict

Choose Toast if: You’re running a serious restaurant that needs deep kitchen integration, ingredient-level inventory, multi-location sync, and 24/7 support — and you’re comfortable with a two-year commitment. Toast’s higher cost buys you restaurant-specific depth that Square can’t match.

Choose Square if: You want to start fast, stay flexible, and keep costs predictable. Square’s free plan is one of the best deals in the POS industry, and the no-contract model means you’re never trapped. For cafes, food trucks, counter-service restaurants, and anyone who also does retail — it’s the smarter starting point.

Consider Clover if: Neither fits perfectly. Clover offers restaurant features with the ability to negotiate processing rates through your own merchant account — a middle ground between Toast’s depth and Square’s flexibility.

Not Sure Which POS Is Right for You?

Pricing and features can change. Verify current rates directly with Toast and Square before making your final decision.