Choosing between Toast and Revel Systems 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 Revel Systems starts at $99/month/terminal (estimated) and is Enterprise iPad POS for restaurants and retail chains. This comprehensive comparison will help you decide which POS system is the right fit for your operation.
Quick Comparison: Toast vs Revel Systems
| Feature | Toast | Revel Systems |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Restaurant | Multi-Industry |
| Starting Price | $0/month (Starter kit) to $165+/month | $99/month/terminal (estimated) |
| Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.1/5 |
| Target Business | Small Business | Mid-Market |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Quote-based |
| Free Trial | Yes | Yes |
| Free Version | Yes | No |
| Best For | Full-service restaurants, quick-service restaurants, bars, and cafes | Multi-location restaurants, franchises, and growing retail chains |
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
Revel Systems Overview
Revel Systems is an enterprise-grade iPad POS platform for restaurants and retail businesses. It offers advanced features, API access, and scalability for growing multi-location operations.
Revel Systems is offered by Revel Systems, Inc. (founded 2010) based in Atlanta, GA. The system focuses on Quick service restaurants, Retail chains, Franchises, Enterprise.
Key Features:
- iPad-based POS
- Open API
- Inventory management
- CRM
- Employee management
- Reporting
Feature Comparison
Toast Features:
- Tableside ordering
- Kitchen display system
- Online ordering
- Delivery management
- Menu management
Revel Systems Features:
- iPad-based POS
- Open API
- Inventory management
- CRM
- Employee management
When comparing features, Toast stands out with Restaurant-specific features, while Revel Systems differentiates itself with Open API platform. Your choice should depend on which features align better with your specific business requirements.
Pricing Comparison
| Pricing Aspect | Toast | Revel Systems |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $0/month (Starter kit) to $165+/month | $99/month/terminal (estimated) |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Quote-based |
| Price Range | Mid-range | Premium |
| Free Trial | Available | Available |
| Free Version | Yes | No |
Toast offers a free version, which is great for testing or small operations. 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
Revel Systems
Pros:
- Highly customizable
- Strong API for integrations
- Good for franchises
- Robust reporting
- Multi-location capable
Cons:
- Higher price point
- Steeper learning curve
- Implementation can be complex
- 3-year contracts typical
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 Revel Systems?
Revel Systems is ideal for Multi-location restaurants, franchises, and growing retail chains. The system is particularly well-suited for Quick service restaurants, Retail chains, Franchises, Enterprise.
However, Revel Systems may not be the best fit for Small single-location businesses on tight budgets.
Our Recommendation
Both Toast and Revel Systems 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 Revel Systems if you’re Multi-location restaurants, franchises, and growing retail chains. Toast has a higher user rating (4.5 vs 4.1). 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.