Jul 30, 2025

Top Toast POS Alternatives for 2025

Best Toast POS alternatives: Peppr, Square, Lightspeed & more. Find your perfect fit!

Top Toast POS Alternatives for 2025

Running a business requires the right tools, especially when it comes to managing sales, inventory, and guest relationships. 

While Toast has been a reliable point-of-sale solution for many businesses, it may not be the best fit for every operation. 

Whether you're looking for more flexibility, advanced features, or better pricing, there are a number of top Toast alternatives to consider.

What is Toast POS?

Toast is a popular point-of-sale system used by many restaurants and bars. It offers an all-in-one solution with tools for order management, payment processing, inventory tracking, and employee management. 

While Toast is well-suited for many foodservice businesses, it may not meet the specific needs of all establishments, especially those with unique operational requirements.

Toast POS - Pros & Cons

Toast is a feature-rich platform for restaurant management, but like any solution, it has its pros and cons. Here’s a breakdown of the key advantages and limitations:

Pros:

  • Comprehensive restaurant management tools: Includes ordering, payment processing, inventory, and employee management.

  • Easy integration with third-party apps and services.

  • Excellent reporting and analytics: Provides detailed insights into business performance.

  • Strong guest support with extensive resources for troubleshooting.

Cons:

  • Pricing can be high for small businesses, especially when adding advanced features.

  • Limited customization for certain modules or integrations.

  • Complex setup: The onboarding process can be challenging, especially for new users.

Why Consider Toast POS Alternatives?

As your business grows, you may find that Toast is not the best fit for your needs. There are a few reasons why you might consider alternatives to Toast’s platform.

For one, Toast can be expensive for some businesses, especially smaller ones. The upfront costs, along with ongoing subscription fees and hardware expenses, may not fit within every company's budget. Alternatives may offer more affordable options with flexible pricing structures.

While Toast offers a solid set of features, it may not be as customizable for businesses with unique needs. Other platforms may provide more flexibility, allowing businesses to tailor their POS system to your specific requirements.

Also, though Toast generally offers good guest support, some businesses may experience challenges with its responsiveness or the complexity of the system. With other platforms, you might find better guest service, more intuitive user interfaces, or a larger community of users.

What Are the Best Toast Alternatives?

While Toast is a solid option for many, depending on your needs, the following alternatives may provide a better fit for your business:

1) Square

Square is a comprehensive POS solution designed for the foodservice industry. It offers tools for order management, payments, inventory, and employee scheduling.

  • Strengths: Affordable pricing, user-friendly interface, and fast transaction processing.

  • Best for: Small to medium-sized restaurants looking for an affordable, easy-to-use POS solution.

  • Notable Edge: No monthly fees on the basic plan, with optional add-ons for advanced features.

2) Lightspeed

Lightspeed offers a feature-rich POS system ideal for restaurants that require advanced reporting, inventory tracking, and guest relationship management.

  • Strengths: Advanced analytics, customizable menu management, and powerful inventory tracking tools.

  • Best for: Larger restaurants or chains that need advanced features and customization options.

  • Notable Edge: Robust inventory and supplier management tools that integrate seamlessly with the POS.

3) ShopKeep

ShopKeep offers an intuitive POS system that supports both retail and restaurant businesses. It focuses on simplicity and ease of use, making it a popular choice for small businesses.

  • Strengths: Simple setup, easy-to-use interface, and strong reporting capabilities.

  • Best for: Small businesses and startups that need an affordable POS system with basic features.

  • Notable Edge: Quick to set up and easy to scale as the business grows.

4) Clover

Clover POS is a flexible, all-in-one POS solution that can be customized for different types of businesses, including restaurants, retail, and service providers.

  • Strengths: Customizable hardware options, wide range of app integrations, and real-time data access.

  • Best for: Businesses that need flexibility and scalability in a POS system.

  • Notable Edge: The ability to integrate with a variety of third-party apps, allowing for tailored solutions.

5) Revel

Revel is an advanced POS solution designed for restaurants, bars, and retail businesses that need robust features and high customization.

  • Strengths: Comprehensive feature set including multi-location management, real-time reporting, and detailed analytics.

  • Best for: Multi-location businesses or large enterprises that require a high level of customization and scalability.

  • Notable Edge: Strong cloud-based analytics and reporting tools with the ability to manage multiple locations from one dashboard.

6) Peppr

Peppr is a system designed specifically for independent restaurants! With a focus on improving restaurant operations through user-friendly technology, transparent pricing, and hands-on support, we are a top option for businesses. Unlike larger, multi-vertical POS providers, Peppr tailors its solutions to the unique needs of restaurants, ensuring ease of use and streamlined service.

With Peppr, you get:

  • Transparent Pricing: Peppr offers simple, predictable pricing with no hidden fees and no long-term contracts. The monthly subscription covers all essential services, making it easier to budget for your restaurant's tech needs.
  • Flexible Features: Peppr includes advanced capabilities like tableside ordering with handheld devices, online ordering with no commission fees, intuitive menu management, and powerful reporting tools.
  • Local, Hands-On Support: Unlike many competitors that provide impersonal, outsourced support, Peppr’s dedicated, local teams provide in-person setup, ongoing training, and a direct point of contact for any technical issues.
  • Built for Growth: Peppr adapts to your restaurant's evolving needs, whether you're managing a single location or scaling to multiple sites. Future-proof features, like the upcoming Kitchen Display System (KDS) and multi-location management, ensure you're prepared for the future.

Overall, Peppr stands out by offering a complete package of POS solutions designed to reduce operational headaches, improve staff efficiency, and boost guest satisfaction, without the frustrations of hidden fees and lackluster support.

Comparing Toast POS with its Alternatives

Here’s a quick comparison of Toast and some of its top competitors:

What’s the Best Toast POS Alternative?

When looking for the best alternative to Toast, Peppr stands out as an ideal choice

Peppr - Top Choice for Flexibility

Designed with flexibility and customization in mind, Peppr offers a comprehensive point-of-sale solution tailored to the unique needs of restaurants and hospitality businesses. Unlike Toast, which can feel rigid for some businesses, Peppr allows restaurant owners to tailor the system to their specific workflows, ensuring smoother operations across the board.

Advanced Table and Reservation Management

One of the standout features of Peppr is its advanced table and reservation management system, making it perfect for establishments that rely heavily on real-time seating and reservation tracking. This feature is especially beneficial for busy restaurants or cafes where maintaining an efficient seating flow is critical to guest satisfaction and revenue. With Peppr, you can optimize table assignments, track reservations, and manage guest flow with ease, all within a unified platform.

Detailed Restaurant Sales Analytics

Peppr's near real-time reporting and analytics provide valuable insights into key business metrics, helping owners make data-driven decisions that can improve operational efficiency and profitability. Whether you're tracking sales, inventory levels, or employee performance, Peppr’s intuitive dashboard ensures that you have all the information you need at your fingertips, in real-time.

Compared to Toast, which is often seen as a more rigid solution with fewer customization options, Peppr’s ability to tailor workflows to your restaurant’s specific needs sets it apart. It also offers seamless payment processing integrations, so businesses don’t need to rely on multiple third-party solutions. 

All these factors combined make Peppr the best Toast alternative for businesses looking for a scalable, customizable, and feature-rich POS system!

Learn What Peppr is All About

If you're seeking a more flexible and customizable POS solution, Peppr might be the answer. Peppr allows businesses to tailor the system to their unique workflows, offering full customization and scalability.

With features like advanced table management, real-time reporting, and integration with multiple payment processors, Peppr is designed for businesses looking to streamline operations while gaining valuable insights into their financial performance. 

Learn how Peppr can help your business scale by booking a free demo today!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What’s the main difference between Peppr and Toast POS?

A: While Toast offers an all-in-one solution with basic restaurant management tools, Peppr provides more flexibility, allowing for customized workflows and detailed analytics tailored to your business's needs. Peppr also excels in advanced table management and real-time reporting, making it a strong choice for restaurants with complex operational requirements.

Q: Can Peppr do everything Toast POS does in terms of order management and payments?

A: Yes. Peppr includes robust order management, payment processing, and inventory tracking features. However, it goes beyond that with advanced customization options, real-time reporting, and seamless integration with other services.

Q: Does Peppr offer multi-location support like Toast POS?

A: Yes. Peppr supports multi-location management and allows businesses to track performance across all locations with centralized reporting and analytics.

Q: Is Peppr suitable for small restaurants?

A: Absolutely. While Peppr offers advanced features, it is also designed to be scalable, making it a good fit for small to medium-sized restaurants that need flexibility and growth potential.

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