Choosing between Toast and Harbortouch for your business? Both are popular restaurant solutions, but they serve different needs. Toast starts at $0/month (Starter kit) to $165+/month and is Restaurant-focused POS and management platform, while Harbortouch starts at $29.99/month and is Free POS hardware with low monthly subscription fees.. This comprehensive comparison will help you decide which POS system is the right fit for your operation.
Quick Comparison: Toast vs Harbortouch
| Feature | Toast | Harbortouch |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Restaurant | Multi-Industry |
| Starting Price | $0/month (Starter kit) to $165+/month | $29.99/month |
| Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.0/5 |
| Target Business | Small Business | Small Business |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Subscription |
| Free Trial | Yes | No |
| Free Version | Yes | No |
| Best For | Full-service restaurants, quick-service restaurants, bars, and cafes | Small businesses wanting low startup costs |
Toast Overview
Toast is a restaurant-specific point-of-sale and management system built exclusively for the food service industry. It offers hardware and software solutions for dine-in, takeout, and delivery operations.
Toast is offered by Toast, Inc. (founded 2012) based in Boston, MA. The system focuses on Full-service restaurants, Quick service, Bars, Cafes, Food trucks.
Key Features:
- Tableside ordering
- Kitchen display system
- Online ordering
- Delivery management
- Menu management
- Payroll integration
Harbortouch Overview
Harbortouch (now SkyTab) offers free POS hardware with low monthly fees. Features include tableside ordering, table tracking, free reservations, and online ordering. No upfront costs with lifetime hardware warranty.
Harbortouch is offered by Shift4 Payments (founded 1999) based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA. The system focuses on Restaurants, Bars, Retail, Salons.
Key Features:
- Tableside ordering (iPad)
- Table tracking
- Reservations (free)
- Online ordering (free)
- KDS
- Waitlist management
Feature Comparison
Toast Features:
- Tableside ordering
- Kitchen display system
- Online ordering
- Delivery management
- Menu management
Harbortouch Features:
- Tableside ordering (iPad)
- Table tracking
- Reservations (free)
- Online ordering (free)
- KDS
When comparing features, Toast stands out with Restaurant-specific features, while Harbortouch differentiates itself with Free hardware. Your choice should depend on which features align better with your specific business requirements.
Pricing Comparison
| Pricing Aspect | Toast | Harbortouch |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $0/month (Starter kit) to $165+/month | $29.99/month |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Subscription |
| Price Range | Mid-range | Budget |
| Free Trial | Available | Not available |
| Free Version | Yes | No |
Harbortouch is more budget-friendly, making it a better choice for cost-conscious businesses. Consider the total cost of ownership including hardware, processing fees, and add-on modules when making your decision.
Pros and Cons
Toast
Pros:
- Built specifically for restaurants
- Robust reporting
- Excellent kitchen management
- Strong online ordering
- Good hardware durability
Cons:
- 2-year contracts typical
- Can be expensive with add-ons
- Limited to restaurant industry
Harbortouch
Pros:
- No upfront hardware costs
- Low monthly fees
- Lifetime hardware warranty
- Free online ordering
- 24/7/365 support
Cons:
- 1-year contract required
- Must use their payment processing
- Rebranded to SkyTab
Who Should Choose Toast?
Toast is ideal for Full-service restaurants, quick-service restaurants, bars, and cafes. The system is particularly well-suited for Full-service restaurants, Quick service, Bars, Cafes, Food trucks.
However, Toast may not be the best fit for Non-restaurant businesses.
Who Should Choose Harbortouch?
Harbortouch is ideal for Small businesses wanting low startup costs. The system is particularly well-suited for Restaurants, Bars, Retail, Salons.
However, Harbortouch may not be the best fit for Businesses wanting processor flexibility, those avoiding contracts.
Our Recommendation
Both Toast and Harbortouch are solid POS solutions, but they excel in different areas. Choose Toast if you’re Full-service restaurants, quick-service restaurants, bars, and cafes. Choose Harbortouch if you’re Small businesses wanting low startup costs. Toast has a higher user rating (4.5 vs 4.0). Also, choose Toast if you want to start with a free version. We recommend trying demos or free trials of both systems before making your final decision.