When comparing Toast vs Ritual, you’re looking at two distinct approaches to restaurant point-of-sale technology. Toast, rated 4.5/5, offers Full-service restaurants, quick-service restaurants, bars, and cafes. Meanwhile, Ritual, rated 4.0/5, provides Urban restaurants serving office workers. Let’s dive into the details to help you make an informed decision.
Quick Comparison: Toast vs Ritual
| Feature | Toast | Ritual |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Restaurant | Software |
| Starting Price | $0/month (Starter kit) to $165+/month | Commission per order |
| Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.0/5 |
| Target Business | Small Business | Small Business to Mid-Market |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Commission-based |
| Free Trial | Yes | No |
| Free Version | Yes | No |
| Best For | Full-service restaurants, quick-service restaurants, bars, and cafes | Urban restaurants serving office workers |
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
Ritual Overview
Ritual is a mobile ordering platform for restaurants and cafes. Allows customers to order ahead and skip the line. Features social ordering and office-focused features.
Ritual is offered by Ritual (founded 2014) based in Toronto, Canada. The system focuses on Restaurants, Cafes, Quick Service.
Key Features:
- Mobile Ordering
- Skip-the-line
- Social Ordering
- Marketing
- Analytics
- POS Integration
Feature Comparison
Toast Features:
- Tableside ordering
- Kitchen display system
- Online ordering
- Delivery management
- Menu management
Ritual Features:
- Mobile Ordering
- Skip-the-line
- Social Ordering
- Marketing
- Analytics
When comparing features, Toast stands out with Restaurant-specific features, while Ritual differentiates itself with Social ordering. Your choice should depend on which features align better with your specific business requirements.
Pricing Comparison
| Pricing Aspect | Toast | Ritual |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $0/month (Starter kit) to $165+/month | Commission per order |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Commission-based |
| Price Range | Mid-range | Mid-range |
| Free Trial | Available | Not 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
Ritual
Pros:
- Order-ahead convenience
- Social features
- Office market focus
- Customer acquisition
Cons:
- Commission fees
- App required
- Urban market focus
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 Ritual?
Ritual is ideal for Urban restaurants serving office workers. The system is particularly well-suited for Restaurants, Cafes, Quick Service.
However, Ritual may not be the best fit for Full-service restaurants or rural locations.
Our Recommendation
Both Toast and Ritual 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 Ritual if you’re Urban restaurants serving office workers. 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.