Toast vs Square for restaurants: online ordering fees, plans and which fits
Square is cheaper to start and simpler: its Free plan costs $0 a month and takes about 3.3% + 30¢ on online card orders, and every plan includes online ordering [1] [2]. Toast is a restaurant-only system with a quote-based online ordering add-on, reported at about $75 a month, a card rate reported at 3.5% + 15¢ online, and a contract of two to three years [3] [4]. Neither takes a commission per order. Square usually costs less for a small takeout place; Toast fits a full-service restaurant that wants one system for the dining room, kitchen and online orders.
If your real question is how to take orders without paying either one a monthly fee, build a free menu site with pickup ordering from a photo of your menu: diners order for pickup and pay you at the counter. Below: the fees side by side, one order and one month worked out, delivery, the contract, setup, and who each suits.
1. The fees side by side
| Square | Toast | |
|---|---|---|
| Online ordering | Included on every plan [1] | An add-on; Toast prices it by quote, about $75 a month as reported [3] [4] [5] |
| Cheapest plan | Free, $0 a month [2] | Starter Kit at $0, or Point of Sale at $69+ a month [3] |
| Online card rate | 3.3% + 30¢ (Free); 2.9% + 30¢ (Plus, Premium) [2] [6] | 3.5% + 15¢ with hardware bought upfront; 3.09% to 3.69% + 15¢ on pay-as-you-go [3] |
| In-person card rate | 2.6% + 15¢ (Free); 2.4% + 15¢ (Premium) [6] | 2.49% + 15¢ with hardware bought upfront [3] |
| Commission per order | None | None [7] |
| Contract | No multi-year term listed on the pages we read [2] | Two to three years [3] |
| Delivery | In-house, or on-demand: DoorDash from $6.99, Uber, Nash [8] | Uber Direct $6.99 to $9.99 a trip; DoorDash Drive $7.49+ [9] |
| Kitchen screen | $30 a month per device (Plus), $20 (Premium) [1] | Quoted with hardware |
Card rates and prices are negotiated and change; the numbers come from Square's pages and from reviews and rival sites for Toast, as listed in the sources. Read your own quote and statements before deciding. Our single-product guides cover each one in depth: Square online ordering for restaurants and Toast online ordering.
2. One $25 pickup order
| Where it's placed | Fee on $25 | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Square Free, online card | $1.13 (3.3% + 30¢) | $23.87 |
| Square Plus, online card | $1.03 (2.9% + 30¢) | $23.97 |
| Toast, online card (hardware bought upfront) | $1.03 (3.5% + 15¢) | $23.97 |
| Toast, card at the counter | $0.77 (2.49% + 15¢) | $24.23 |
| DoorDash pickup | $1.50 (6%) | $23.50 |
| A page where the diner pays at pickup | $0 online | $25 before your counter card fee |
Per order the two are almost identical. The monthly lines decide it.
3. A month of online orders, worked out
An example, not your numbers: 300 online card orders at $25, $7,500 in online sales.
| Line | Square Free | Square Plus | Toast (with $75 add-on) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage part | $247.50 | $217.50 | $262.50 |
| Per-order part | $90.00 (30¢) | $90.00 (30¢) | $45.00 (15¢) |
| Monthly | $0 | $49.00 | about $75.00, plus a POS plan if you aren't on Toast already |
| Total | $337.50 | $356.50 | about $382.50 |
At 300 orders Square Free is about $45 a month cheaper than Toast's online ordering, before the POS plan. As the order count falls, the gap widens, because Toast's add-on is a fixed cost: at 60 orders it is $1.25 an order before card fees. Run the sum with your own order count and average, plus your current card statement.
Two things this table can't show. First, the card rate on Toast is set per account, so two restaurants on the same plan can pay different rates; ask for yours in writing. Second, the add-on and plan prices on both sides change, and rival sites quote older numbers, so check the date on any page you rely on, including this one.
4. Who each one fits
Square fits when
- You are a small takeout place, a cafe, a food truck or a counter-service restaurant.
- You want a $0 starting point and no long contract.
- You'd like online orders on the same screen as counter sales and are happy with Square hardware.
- Your online volume is modest: Plus saves money on fees only above about $12,250 a month in online sales [10].
Toast fits when
- You run a full-service restaurant with tables, courses, tabs and a kitchen that needs ticket routing.
- You want restaurant-specific tools (table management, reservations, the Toast Local app) in one system [7].
- You accept a multi-year contract for that depth.
Neither fits when
- You already have a POS you like. Both online ordering products work with their own POS only; a Clover restaurant already has Clover's ordering.
- Most of your online orders are pickup and diners would pay at the counter. You'd be paying card fees and a monthly price for a feature you can have free.
5. Delivery
Neither has its own drivers. Square's on-demand delivery books a courier per order: DoorDash at $6.99 up to 5 miles, then $1 a mile to 10 miles, with higher fees in California and New York City; Uber at $4.20 + 75¢ a kilometre; Nash varies [8]. Toast sends orders to Uber Direct ($6.99 for under 6 miles, up to $9.99 at 9 to 10 miles) or DoorDash Drive ($7.49 within 5 miles, +$0.50 a mile over) [9]. Both add city fees in some places, and a flat $6.99 on a $25 order is 28% before card fees, so most owners pass part of it to the diner or set a delivery minimum. Compare that with a marketplace at 15% to 30% in our DoorDash commission guide.
6. The contract and switching
This is the biggest difference you won't see on a price page. Reviews report that Toast contracts run two to three years [3]; Square lists no multi-year term on the pages we read. Before you sign anything, ask for: the exact monthly price of each item, what happens to hardware if you leave, what the early-termination terms are, and the card rate in writing. Take a week to read it. If your restaurant is new, a system without a long term lets you leave if your first year goes differently than the plan.
7. Setup, side by side
- Build the item list once. Both systems feed online ordering from the same item library as the POS. Clear names, prices, short descriptions, and required choices.
- Turn on pickup, then delivery. Start with pickup. Delivery adds the courier fee and complaints.
- Set hours and prep times a little after opening and before closing; honest times for a busy night.
- Test from a phone on mobile data: a simple item, an item with every option, a scheduled order, a refund.
- Link it everywhere: your Google listing's order link, your site's top button, a QR code on bags. Toast turns on Order with Google when online ordering is on [7]; on Square use the Google Business Profile order link settings. See how Google's Order button works.
The general version with a launch plan is in how to set up online ordering for your restaurant, and the wider field, with prices, is in the best online ordering systems for restaurants.
8. Mistakes to avoid
- Comparing the plan price only. The card rate on every order is the larger cost.
- Signing a multi-year term in week one before you know your volume.
- Buying Square Plus for the savings below about $12,250 online sales a month [10].
- Counting the add-on as free. Toast's online add-on is a separate charge.
- Forgetting the per-device fees for kitchen screens.
- Sending regulars to a marketplace app when your own link would do.
Questions
Is Toast or Square cheaper for a small restaurant?
Square, in most cases: a $0 plan, no listed long contract, and no separate online add-on [1] [2]. Toast's depth is built for full-service restaurants and comes with a contract [3].
Does Toast or Square charge commission on online orders?
No. Both charge card processing only [2] [7].
Can I use Toast online ordering without the Toast POS?
No. It is an add-on to the Toast POS [7]. The same is true of Square's ordering for the Square POS.
Which has better delivery?
Both rely on courier networks. Square offers DoorDash, Uber and Nash couriers, or your own drivers [8]; Toast offers Uber Direct and DoorDash Drive [9]. Compare the per-trip fee for your distances.
Which is better for a food truck or cafe?
Square is the common choice: low commitment and counter-friendly. See our guides for a cafe website and a food truck website.
Do I need either for online ordering?
No. A pickup page where diners pay at the counter needs no POS. See commission-free online ordering for restaurants and all our guides.
Square plan prices and a month at three sizes: Square for Restaurants pricing. Other options: Toast alternatives.
Sources
- Square for Restaurants pricing, Square Support, read Nov 2, 2026.
- Square online ordering pricing and fees, Sauce, 2026 (a competitor's page; prices as of March 2026).
- Toast POS review: pricing and features, NerdWallet, updated Aug 6, 2026, read Nov 4, 2026.
- Toast online ordering pricing and fees, Sauce, read Nov 4, 2026 (a rival).
- Toast online ordering cost explained, Restolabs, read Nov 4, 2026 (a rival).
- Square Online plans, Square, read Nov 2, 2026.
- Toast Local FAQ, Toast support, read Nov 4, 2026.
- On-Demand Delivery Pricing Policy, Square, updated March 16, 2026.
- Toast Delivery Services overview, Toast support, updated Oct 26, 2026.
- Square Plus break-even: worked in our Square guide from sources 1, 2 and 6.