Toast alternatives for restaurants: what each costs and who it fits
The main Toast alternatives are Square for Restaurants (from $0 a month), Clover (card rate about 2.3% + 10¢ as reported), Lightspeed (quote-based, from about $69 to $99 a month by one report each), SpotOn (quote-based, marketing-heavy), TouchBistro (built for dine-in) and a handful of newer systems such as Snappy and GoTab [1] [2] [3]. Which one is cheapest depends on your monthly card sales, whether you have table service, and whether the real job is a POS or only online orders.
If online ordering is the reason you are looking, you may not need a new POS at all: you can build a free menu site with pickup ordering from a photo of your menu and keep what you have. Below: why owners leave Toast, the options side by side, who each fits, a month worked out, and a checklist for switching.
Why restaurants look for a Toast alternative
Four reasons come up in reviews and owner threads, and each points to a different alternative:
- The bill. Toast has a software plan ($0 Starter Kit or $69 a month per terminal), hardware you buy, and a card rate that is the real running cost. We worked it out in Toast pricing. A small place can land at $300 to $700 a month all in.
- The contract. Reviews mention multi-year terms and early termination fees. Month-to-month options feel safer to a new owner.
- Online ordering add-ons. Online ordering and gift cards are billed on top, with a higher card rate online. See Toast online ordering fees.
- Fit. A food truck or a coffee counter does not need kitchen screens and table maps.
The options side by side
| Option | Software price | Card rate (as reported) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square for Restaurants | $0, $49 or $149 per location | 2.6% + 15¢ in person on Free | Counter service, trucks, small rooms [1] [4] |
| Clover | Varies by reseller | About 2.3% + 10¢ in one review | Places that want hardware choice [2] |
| Lightspeed | From about $69 to $99 a month by source; quote-based | Quote-based | Reporting-heavy or multi-location [2] |
| SpotOn | Quote-based | Quote-based | Marketing and guest retention [2] |
| TouchBistro | Quote or plan based | Varies | Dine-in, table service [1] [2] |
| A free menu page with pickup | $0 | None online | Online orders without a POS change |
Treat every price here as a starting point. Review sites disagree, many are written by a vendor with something to sell, and the ones with quote-based pricing will not tell you until you ask [1] [2]. We could not verify Clover's 2.3% + 10¢ from the vendor's own page; resellers set their own rates.
Square for Restaurants
The default pick for small places because the prices are posted: Free at $0, Plus at $49 and Premium at $149 per location, with plans month to month according to review sites [4]. The Free plan's in-person rate is about 2.6% + 15¢. The full month-by-month maths is in Square for Restaurants pricing, and the side-by-side with Toast is in Toast vs Square. At low volume, Free is the cheapest of the posted options. Its weak spot is the deep table-service features a big dine-in room wants.
Clover
Clover is sold through banks and resellers, so the price you get depends on who you buy it from. One review reports a 2.3% + 10¢ card rate across its restaurant plans, which would be lower than Toast's reported rates [2]. The catch noted in the same results: support hours and terms are set by the seller, not by Clover [2]. If you pick Clover, get the reseller's rate and contract in writing, and compare it with what Clover online ordering costs.
Lightspeed
Review sites place Lightspeed's starting price at $69 or $99 a month and say its rates are quote-based; reviewers credit stronger inventory and reporting, which suits multi-location groups [2]. One Toast-published page claims Lightspeed is moving away from the US restaurant market toward retail. That page is a competitor's, and we could not verify it, so ask Lightspeed directly before you build a plan around it.
SpotOn and TouchBistro
SpotOn pitches marketing, guest retention and campaign automation along with the POS; pricing is by quote [2]. That can suit a place that wants one vendor to run loyalty and email, and it is worth a close read of the contract. TouchBistro is described as suited to dine-in restaurants with table service [1] [2]. Both ask for a sales conversation, which means you should bring your own numbers: monthly card sales, average ticket, number of terminals and whether you run online orders.
A month worked out
Use the same sales on each option. In-person card sales of $25,000 a month, average ticket $25 (1,000 sales), software and card fees only, no hardware or add-ons:
| Option | Percent part | Fixed part | Plan | Month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toast Point of Sale (as reported 2.49% + 15¢) | $622.50 | $150 | $69 | $841.50 |
| Square Free (2.6% + 15¢) | $650 | $150 | $0 | $800 |
| Square Plus (2.5% + 15¢) | $625 | $150 | $49 | $824 |
| Clover (2.3% + 10¢, one review) | $575 | $100 | reseller | $675 + plan |
The sums: 2.49% of $25,000 is $622.50; 1,000 sales at 15¢ is $150; plus $69 is $841.50. Square Free is 2.6% of $25,000 = $650 plus $150 = $800. The point of the table is the spread: about $40 between Toast and Square Free at this size, and a bigger gap if Clover's reported rate holds and the reseller plan is small. At $10,000 a month the difference shrinks to a few dollars; at $60,000 it grows to hundreds. Run your own numbers with your own rates before you move.
Which one by type of place
- Coffee counter, bakery or food truck: Square Free. Fast to start, no monthly fee, a phone can be the register.
- Sit-down room with servers and tables: get quotes from TouchBistro and Lightspeed, and price Square Plus or Premium against Toast on your own sales.
- Bar or restaurant that wants loyalty and email run for it: ask SpotOn what the marketing is worth against what it adds to the bill.
- Several locations: reporting and menu control across sites matter more than the card rate; Lightspeed and Toast's custom plans are built for that, so negotiate.
- Happy with the POS, unhappy with online fees: leave the POS alone and move pickup regulars to a free menu page.
Whatever you pick, ask for the quote on your own volume. A rate that is best at $60,000 a month can be worse at $10,000 once the plan fee is added.
Do you need a POS, or only online orders?
Many owners who search for a Toast alternative are really asking one of two questions. The first is "can I take online orders without paying Toast's online fees?" The answer is often yes without changing the POS: a menu page with pickup orders and payment at the counter has no per-order card fee online. The second is "where do I send delivery customers?" That is covered in commission-free online ordering. Changing a POS is a big job, with new hardware, menu entry and staff training. Changing only the online ordering side takes an afternoon.
Checklist before you switch
- Get your contract. Find the end date and the early termination fee. Some owners wait out the term and move then.
- Export your data. Menu, items, sales reports and customer lists, in a file you control.
- Ask for the all-in monthly number. Plan, hardware, add-ons, card rate and any fee for gift cards or online orders.
- Pick a quiet week. Never switch in the first week of a holiday rush.
- Keep the old system for a week. Run both until the new one has handled a full weekend.
- Update your Google listing. If your menu or order link changes, fix it on your Google Business Profile.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest alternative to Toast?
For a small place, Square's Free plan, since there is no monthly fee and rates are posted [4]. Clover can be cheaper on card rate depending on the reseller [2].
What is the best Toast alternative for a small restaurant?
Square for Restaurants for counter service and small rooms; TouchBistro or Lightspeed are worth a quote if you run full table service [1] [2].
Is there a Toast alternative with no contract?
Square's plans are month to month according to review sites [4]. Always confirm on your own account.
Can I use Toast and a separate online ordering page?
Yes in many cases. A menu page that rings your phone does not need to talk to the POS, though orders then are not in the same system.
Why is Toast considered expensive?
Because hardware, add-ons and a higher online card rate sit on top of the plan price. See Toast pricing.
Do I have to switch my POS to stop paying marketplace commission?
No. Moving regulars to your own page is separate from the POS. Build a free menu page and see more in all our guides.
Sources
- 10 Toast Alternatives (2026), UpMenu, as shown in search results Nov 10, 2026 (a rival).
- Toast alternatives roundups as shown in search results Nov 10, 2026: Otter, Blogic, Kitchen Business (several are vendors).
- Toast vs. Square, NerdWallet, as shown in search results Nov 10, 2026.
- Square plan prices from our Square for Restaurants pricing guide, sources listed there.
More on one of the alternatives: Clover POS pricing for restaurants.