Restaurant POS Studio vs Toast
Toast is a strong, widely used restaurant POS. This page puts it next to Restaurant POS Studio line by line, so you can see where each one fits a sit-down restaurant, what to ask on the sales call, and when Toast is the better choice.
Restaurant POS Studio
$59
Full Service · per location / month · no PCI fee from us
Toast
$0–$69
Published list price range · checked 2026-10-17
The short answer
Toast is a complete, well-supported system with its own hardware, payments and a large add-on catalog, which suits owners who want one vendor for everything. Restaurant POS Studio suits owners who want month-to-month terms, their own tablets, their own card processor, online ordering in the base plan, and staff screens in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Arabic or Urdu. Compare your real quote from both before you sign.
Feature by feature
| What matters | Restaurant POS Studio | Toast |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly software price | See pricing — Full Service plan per location | $0–$69 per location per month, depending on plan (as published in third-party pricing reviews checked October 17, 2026 — confirm with the vendor) |
| Extra fees | No PCI or statement fees from us | A $9.95/month PCI fee is reported in reviews (as published in third-party pricing reviews checked October 17, 2026 — confirm with the vendor) |
| Contract | Month to month; cancel in Settings | 2–3 year terms are often reported; ask for the term and early termination clause |
| Hardware | Your own iPad, Android tablet or PC; common ESC/POS printers and cash drawers | Toast-approved hardware only, purchased or leased |
| Online ordering | Included on every plan; online store built from your menu | Paid add-on, about $50–$75+ per month (as published in third-party pricing reviews checked October 17, 2026 — confirm with the vendor) |
| Kitchen display (KDS) | Unlimited kitchen screens on Full Service, with station routing and ticket timers | Available; ask which plan or add-on includes it |
| Coursing | Course markers, fire and hold from the POS, rush and re-fire | Available; ask which plan includes it |
| Tip pooling | Card and declared cash tips per server; pools by role points or hours | Tip tools available; ask whether tip pooling is included or an add-on |
| Split checks | Evenly, by seat, by item or by amount; several payment methods per bill | Split checks supported |
| Languages for staff screens | Each user picks: English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Arabic, Urdu | Ask which languages staff screens and kitchen tickets support |
| Markets (US / UAE / Pakistan) | Sold in the USA, UAE and Pakistan with local currency and tax setup | Strong in the US; confirm availability in the UAE and Pakistan with the vendor |
| Card processing | Works with your own processor | Toast processing is part of the system |
List prices as published by the vendor or by third-party pricing reviews on the date checked. Sources disagree in places; ranges are shown. Confirm with each vendor before relying on them. Sources: The Restaurant HQ — Toast POS review (2026) · UpMenu — Toast pricing breakdown (2026)
Which one fits your restaurant?
Choose Toast if…
- You want one company for software, hardware, payments and support, with one number to call.
- You want purpose-built restaurant hardware, including handhelds made for the floor.
- You need a large catalog of add-ons and integrations, such as payroll, marketing and delivery partners.
- You are happy with Toast's processing rates and contract terms after reading your quote.
Choose Restaurant POS Studio if…
- You want month-to-month terms with no PCI or statement fees from us.
- You already own tablets or PCs and want to keep them.
- You want to keep your current card processor or bank.
- Your kitchen or floor team reads Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Arabic or Urdu better than English.
Is Restaurant POS Studio cheaper than Toast?
Often, for a single sit-down location, but check your own numbers. Toast's published plans run from $0 to $69 per location per month, with a reported $9.95 PCI fee and online ordering sold as an add-on. Our Full Service plan includes online ordering and carries no PCI fee from us. Processing costs depend on your processor.
Software price is only one line on the bill. Add the PCI fee, online ordering, any hardware lease, and the processing rate on your card volume. Toast's $0 starter option is reported to carry higher processing rates, so it can cost more at higher sales. Toast prices here are as published in third-party pricing reviews checked October 17, 2026. Confirm with the vendor.
With us, you pay the plan price per location and keep your own processor, so your rate is whatever you negotiate with your bank or acquirer. Ask both sides for a written quote at your real monthly card volume and compare the totals, not the headline price.
- Ask Toast for the full monthly total: plan, PCI fee, add-ons, hardware lease.
- Ask for the processing rate at your actual card volume.
- Compare against our Full Service price plus your processor's rate.
- Use the savings calculator with your own numbers.
Can I keep my hardware if I switch from Toast?
Usually not the Toast terminals themselves, because Toast hardware is built to run Toast. You can often keep network or USB receipt and kitchen printers that speak ESC/POS, cash drawers kicked by the printer, and barcode scanners. For screens, use any iPad, Android tablet or PC with a current browser.
Start by reading your hardware agreement. If the hardware is leased, ask what the buyout or return terms are and when the lease ends. If you bought it outright, it is yours, but it is designed for Toast software.
Many restaurants switch with a few new tablets and the printers they already have. Book a demo and we will go through your printer models with you before you commit.
- Check whether your Toast hardware is leased or owned.
- List your printer models; most ESC/POS printers work.
- Plan tablets for each register and kitchen screen.
Restaurant POS Studio vs Toast: questions
Onboarding desk · usually replies within a business day
Is Toast better than Restaurant POS Studio?
It depends on what you need. Toast is a good fit if you want one vendor for hardware, payments and software and you are comfortable with its terms. We fit owners who want no contract, their own tablets and processor, and staff screens in more languages. Run a trial and get a Toast quote, then compare totals.
Does Toast really need a long contract?
Reviewers often report two- to three-year terms, but terms can vary by deal. Ask Toast for the exact term length and the early termination fee in writing before signing. We bill month to month, and you can cancel in Settings. Annual billing is optional and simply costs less.
What does the Toast PCI fee cover, and do you charge one?
Third-party reviews report a $9.95 per month PCI compliance fee on Toast, as published October 17, 2026; confirm with Toast. A PCI fee usually covers the vendor's compliance program for card handling. We charge no PCI or statement fees. Card data stays with your processor when you use an integrated terminal.
Can Restaurant POS Studio run Friday night like Toast does?
Yes, for a full-service dining room. Full Service includes a floor plan, coursing with fire and hold, unlimited kitchen screens, split checks and tip pooling. The best test is a real service. Start the free trial, build your menu, and run a mock Friday with your team before you switch.
Will my servers have to learn a new system?
Yes, but the basics are quick for anyone who has used Toast. Tables, seats, courses, modifiers and payments follow the same flow most servers already know. Each staff member can set the screen language they read best. Plan one short training shift before go-live.
Can I move my Toast menu to Restaurant POS Studio?
Yes. Export your menu from Toast as a spreadsheet if your account allows it, and we import it for free when you switch. You can also import a CSV or Excel file yourself. Categories, sizes and modifier sets with prices come across, then you check them before service.
Does Toast online ordering cost extra?
Reviews report Toast online ordering as a paid add-on, about $50 to $75 or more per month, as published October 17, 2026; confirm with Toast. With us, an online store is generated from your menu, prices, photos and stock on every plan. Your card processor's fees still apply to online payments.
Is Toast available in Dubai or Karachi?
We could not confirm that Toast sells in the UAE or Pakistan, so ask Toast directly. Restaurant POS Studio is sold in the USA, UAE and Pakistan. We set up local currency, 5% VAT in the UAE, sales tax in Pakistan, and Arabic or Urdu staff screens where your team needs them.
Compare it on your own menu.
Free trial, no card. We import your menu for free when you switch.
