When comparing Toast vs SpotOn, 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, SpotOn, rated 4.3/5, provides Restaurants focused on controlling labor and food costs. Let’s dive into the details to help you make an informed decision.
Quick Comparison: Toast vs SpotOn
| Feature | Toast | SpotOn |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Restaurant | Restaurant |
| Starting Price | $0/month (Starter kit) to $165+/month | $0/month (Quick Start) |
| Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.3/5 |
| Target Business | Small Business | All Sizes |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Subscription |
| Free Trial | Yes | Yes |
| Free Version | Yes | Yes |
| Best For | Full-service restaurants, quick-service restaurants, bars, and cafes | Restaurants focused on controlling labor and food 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
SpotOn Overview
SpotOn is a cloud-based restaurant POS known for labor and food cost control. Features include labor-vs-revenue dashboards, automatic tip pooling, inventory management, QR/mobile ordering, and in-POS reservations. Offers a $0/month Quick Start plan.
SpotOn is offered by SpotOn Transact LLC (founded 2017) based in San Francisco, California, USA. The system focuses on Restaurants, Bars, Quick Service, Full Service.
Key Features:
- Online ordering
- Tableside payments
- Mobile ordering
- Labor dashboards
- Tip pooling
- Inventory management
Feature Comparison
Toast Features:
- Tableside ordering
- Kitchen display system
- Online ordering
- Delivery management
- Menu management
SpotOn Features:
- Online ordering
- Tableside payments
- Mobile ordering
- Labor dashboards
- Tip pooling
When comparing features, Toast stands out with Restaurant-specific features, while SpotOn differentiates itself with $0/month entry plan. Your choice should depend on which features align better with your specific business requirements.
Pricing Comparison
| Pricing Aspect | Toast | SpotOn |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $0/month (Starter kit) to $165+/month | $0/month (Quick Start) |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Subscription |
| Price Range | Mid-range | Mid-range |
| Free Trial | Available | Available |
| Free Version | Yes | Yes |
Both systems offer competitive pricing for their respective feature sets. 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
SpotOn
Pros:
- $0/month starter plan
- Strong labor cost tools
- No long-term contracts
- User-friendly interface
- Dual pricing feature
Cons:
- Menu edits in back office only
- Limited integration marketplace
- Processing fees can add up
- Unexpected fee increases reported
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 SpotOn?
SpotOn is ideal for Restaurants focused on controlling labor and food costs. The system is particularly well-suited for Restaurants, Bars, Quick Service, Full Service.
However, SpotOn may not be the best fit for Businesses needing extensive third-party integrations.
Our Recommendation
Both Toast and SpotOn 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 SpotOn if you’re Restaurants focused on controlling labor and food costs. Toast has a higher user rating (4.5 vs 4.3). We recommend trying demos or free trials of both systems before making your final decision.