Home / Guides / Toast alternatives
Toast alternatives for independent restaurants
The main Toast POS alternatives are Square, Clover, SpotOn, Lightspeed and TouchBistro. Square is the easiest exit from long contracts because it says "no hidden fees or locked-in contracts" (Square, checked Nov 2026). SpotOn publishes the clearest card rates.
Pick on three written numbers: your card rate, your contract length and your exit fee. On normal volume, those three outweigh the monthly software price. Work out what leaving Toast costs you before you compare anything else.
The question changed on October 29
The FTC and eight states sued Toast over alleged hidden fees, add-ons and hard cancellation. Toast disputes the claims and no court has ruled (FTC, Oct 29, 2026). Our explainer covers the case. Toast still fits many full-service rooms well, so this page sets out what each alternative publishes and what it does not.
What each POS publishes
| POS | Published price | Card rate | Contract | Fits | Ask about |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toast the baseline | $0 Starter Kit or $69 a month (Toast blog). The FTC puts the average subscription near $900 a month (Restaurant Dive) | Not readable on its site this month | Annual or two-year, auto-renewing, per the FTC | Full-service rooms that want one connected system | Termination formula, add-ons, loans |
| Square | Free plan. Plus $49, Premium $149 per location (Fast Casual, Oct 2026) | Plus lists lower processing fees, numbers not readable. Get them in writing | "Cancel or switch anytime" (Square) | Counters, cafes, food trucks, simple rooms | Kitchen display $30 or $20 a device (Square) |
| Clover | Sold through banks and resellers. Starter $79, Standard $149, Advanced $189 (UpMenu, a rival, May 2026) | 2.3% + $0.10 in person, 3.5% + $0.10 keyed (UpMenu) | Resellers can add long terms and penalties (UpMenu) | Owners who will compare reseller quotes | Who holds the contract, the bank or Clover |
| SpotOn | All-In $0 a station, or POS Essentials $55 a station (SpotOn) | All-In 2.79% + $0.20. Essentials 2.45% + $0.15, Amex 3.19% + $0.15 (SpotOn) | All-In has a 2-year minimum. Essentials is month-to-month (SpotOn) | Owners who want marketing in the package | Processing minimums, implementation cost |
| Lightspeed | Starter $69, Essential $189, Premium $399. Kitchen display $30 a screen (Lightspeed) | Not listed | Not listed | Heavy inventory and reporting | Card rate and term in writing |
| TouchBistro | From $69, or Essentials Bundle from $119 with payments and hardware (TouchBistro) | Not listed | Not listed | Tableside service with coursing | Add-on quotes, card rate, term |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Prices from each vendor's page where readable, checked Nov 2026. Clover figures come from a competitor's guide, so confirm them with a written quote. "Not listed" means we could not find it on the page.
Why a free plan can cost more
Toast's $0 plan is one of the FTC's targets. SpotOn publishes both kinds of plan, so we can show the shape of the trade with real rates. This example assumes $30,000 a month in card sales at a $30 average ticket, card present, and ignores Amex.
| $30,000 a month, 1,000 card sales, one station | All-In ($0 plan) | POS Essentials ($55 plan) |
|---|---|---|
| Percent fee | 2.79% = $837 | 2.45% = $735 |
| Per-sale fee | $0.20 x 1,000 = $200 | $0.15 x 1,000 = $150 |
| Software | $0 | $55 |
| Monthly total | $1,037 | $940 |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
The paid plan saves $97 a month on one station, using SpotOn's published rates. It also needs hardware, listed at $750 a station and $297 a handheld, plus implementation costs, so one $750 station takes about eight months of savings to pay back. Run this with your own volume and every quote you get.
See what a restaurant POS costs over three years and how to work out your effective card rate.
Which alternative to look at first
- Counter, cafe or food truck: Square.It starts free and says you can leave anytime. Read Square vs Toast.
- Full-service room: TouchBistro or SpotOn.Both sell tableside tools. Read Toast vs TouchBistro and SpotOn vs Toast.
- You will negotiate: Clover.The reseller sets the deal, so the written quote decides everything. Read Toast vs Clover.
- Several locations or heavy inventory: Lightspeed.Its top plans cost more than a small room needs. Read best restaurant POS systems by restaurant type.
- Happy on Toast: stay.Switching costs real money and a messy week. Check your contract, then spend the effort on what your POS does not do, such as answering the phone.
Seven things to get in writing
- In-person, online and keyed card rates, plus any monthly minimum.
- Contract length, renewal date and how notice must be sent.
- The early-termination formula as a dollar amount for month 12.
- Every add-on, with its price and how to remove it.
- What happens to hardware if you leave, and whether it is sold, financed or leased.
- Who you call on a Saturday night, and a number you can test before signing.
- How you export your menu, sales history and guest list if you go.
Leaving a current contract? Follow our POS cancellation guide so you do not pay twice.
We work on the POS you choose
A POS takes orders and payment. It does not answer your phone, bring guests back or fix your Google profile. AZ takes no commission from any POS vendor. Our proof restaurant in Houston runs on Clover with our ordering, table and phone systems on top. We build on whichever POS fits you, and at a new restaurant the AI phone host runs as a hybrid for about three months before it goes near hands-free.
Self-serve direct orders went from 17% in mid-August to every direct order today.
app order in the last 60 days was paid before the kitchen cooked it.
guests known by name, with a phone number for nine in ten of them.
From our proof restaurant's own systems, Oct 2026.
Where these facts come from
- Square: pricing - checked Nov 2026
- Square: restaurant pricing - checked Nov 2026
- Fast Casual: Square launches AI voice ordering kiosk (Oct 14, 2026) - checked Nov 2026
- SpotOn: pricing - checked Nov 2026
- Lightspeed: restaurant pricing - checked Nov 2026
- TouchBistro: pricing - checked Nov 2026
- UpMenu: Clover POS pricing breakdown (May 2026) - checked Nov 2026
- Toast blog: restaurant POS system cost - checked Nov 2026
- Restaurant Dive: FTC, states sue Toast over fees (Oct 30, 2026) - checked Nov 2026
Questions owners ask
What is the best alternative to Toast POS?
It depends on how you serve. Square suits counters and simple rooms and says you can cancel anytime. SpotOn and TouchBistro suit full-service rooms. Clover suits owners who will compare reseller quotes. Lightspeed suits heavy inventory and reporting.
Is Square cheaper than Toast?
Both have a $0 entry plan. Square Plus is $49 a location and Toast's Point of Sale plan is $69 a month, but plans include different things. Your real cost depends on card rates and add-ons, so compare a 12-month total from written quotes on your own volume.
Which POS has no contract?
Square says customers can cancel or switch anytime. SpotOn's POS Essentials plan is month-to-month, while its $0 All-In plan has a 2-year minimum. Lightspeed and TouchBistro do not list terms on their pricing pages, so ask.
Are $0 POS plans really free?
No. You pay through higher card fees. On SpotOn's published rates, $30,000 a month through its $0 plan costs $97 more a month than its $55 plan on one station. Hardware and implementation are separate on the paid plan.
Can I keep my hardware if I leave Toast?
Plan on no. Toast terminals are built for Toast, and other POS systems generally need their own hardware. Check your agreement for return or payment terms before you cancel.
Should I switch POS because of the FTC lawsuit?
Not because of the lawsuit alone. Toast disputes the claims and no court has ruled. Switch if your own numbers say so. Our explainer lists what to check.
Get your quotes compared on your own numbers.
We model each quote against your real card volume and contract, then build on the one you choose.
Related guides