SpotOn vs Toast
POS & Ordering · Features checked on the official websites, Oct 2026.
Verdict
Pick SpotOn if you want published hardware prices, a month-to-month software plan ($55 per station on POS Essentials) and commission-free online ordering, with offline mode and handhelds included. Pick Toast if you want one vendor for POS, payroll, scheduling and invoice costing (xtraCHEF), or a $0 Starter Kit for one location with up to two terminals. Neither publishes its card rate on the pricing page, so get both quotes in writing and compare the total monthly cost at your real card volume. If you choose SpotOn's $0 All-In Plan, read the 2-year term and processing minimum first.
Who it's for
SpotOn
Independent full-service and quick-service restaurants and bars that want transparent hardware pricing, month-to-month software, offline mode and their own commission-free online ordering.
Toast
Restaurants that want the widest set of restaurant tools from one vendor (payroll, scheduling, invoice and recipe costing, marketing) or a no-upfront-cost Starter Kit for a single location.
Feature comparison
| Feature | SpotOn | Toast |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model (checked Oct 2026) | All-In Plan $0/station per month with POS hardware included (paid through a higher card rate, monthly processing minimum, 2-year minimum term); POS Essentials $55/station per month, month-to-month; Build Your Own is custom-priced | Starter Kit from $0/mo (1 location, up to 2 terminals, hardware kit with no upfront cost); Point of Sale from $69/mo with your choice of hardware; Build Your Own is custom-quoted |
| Hardware prices (checked Oct 2026) | Published: Station 15 $750 (listed down from $995), Station 10 $415 (from $550), handheld $297 (from $495), guest-facing display $200, wireless router $300, plus implementation; financing available | Not itemized on the pricing page; upfront cost depends on your hardware package and installation; 0% financing by application |
| Card processing (checked Oct 2026) | Integrated SpotOn payments; the rate isn't published on the pricing page, so get it in writing (the All-In Plan uses a higher rate) | Simple flat rate; the rate isn't published on the pricing page, so get it in writing |
| Add-on bundle / payroll (checked Oct 2026) | Core Bundle (Profit Assist, SpotOn Order, Marketing Assist): special offer $50/mo per location + 0.20% of card volume, capped at $200/location | Payroll bundle for new restaurants from $69/mo + $9 per employee/mo (listed down from $90) |
| Contract / cancellation | POS Essentials is month-to-month; All-In Plan has a 2-year minimum term | Pricing applies to new customers and single locations; extra devices cost more |
| Hardware | SpotOn proprietary hardware only | Approved Toast hardware only; terminals or handhelds |
| Handhelds / tableside ordering | Y (SpotOn Handheld with tap, insert or swipe payments at the table) | Y (handheld kits) |
| Offline mode | Y (stations, KDS, handhelds and printers stay connected; offline payments sync when back online) | Y (orders, tickets and card payments keep working offline) |
| Online ordering | Y (commission-free SpotOn Order, part of the Core Bundle) | Add-on (Digital Storefront: online ordering, Toast Delivery Services, Local by Toast app) |
| Third-party delivery integrations | Y (direct DoorDash and Uber Eats; others via Deliverect); flat-rate delivery via DoorDash Drive | Y (Toast Third-Party Delivery Integrations) |
| Scheduling and labor | SpotOn Teamwork (scheduling with POS sales data; payroll integrations with Gusto, ADP, Paylocity, Paychex) | Basic scheduling included; Toast Scheduling Pro and Tips Manager in Team Management Essentials; Toast Payroll |
| Invoice, recipe costing and inventory | Profit Assist (AI review of your P&L for food, labor and vendor savings) in the Core Bundle | Add-on (xtraCHEF Essentials / Pro) |
| Support | 24/7/365 support from people, included | 24/7/365 Toast Care by phone or web chat, included |
✓ Yes = advertised on the vendor's official website (checked Oct 2026). "Not highlighted" means we didn't see it on the main product page. It may exist, so confirm with the vendor. Prices shown were read on each vendor's official pricing page (checked Oct 2026) and change often, so confirm current pricing with the vendor before you buy.
Sources
- SpotOn restaurant pricing (spoton.com/pricing)
- SpotOn restaurant POS features and FAQ
- Toast pricing (pos.toasttab.com/pricing)
FAQ
Is SpotOn or Toast better?
Pick SpotOn if you want published hardware prices, a month-to-month software plan ($55 per station on POS Essentials) and commission-free online ordering, with offline mode and handhelds included. Pick Toast if you want one vendor for POS, payroll, scheduling and invoice costing (xtraCHEF), or a $0 Starter Kit for one location with up to two terminals. Neither publishes its card rate on the pricing page, so get both quotes in writing and compare the total monthly cost at your real card volume. If you choose SpotOn's $0 All-In Plan, read the 2-year term and processing minimum first.
Who should choose SpotOn?
Independent full-service and quick-service restaurants and bars that want transparent hardware pricing, month-to-month software, offline mode and their own commission-free online ordering.
Who should choose Toast?
Restaurants that want the widest set of restaurant tools from one vendor (payroll, scheduling, invoice and recipe costing, marketing) or a no-upfront-cost Starter Kit for a single location.
How much do SpotOn and Toast cost?
The pricing rows in the table above were read on the official SpotOn and Toast pricing pages (checked Oct 2026). Prices change often and some plans are quote-based, so confirm on each vendor's official pricing page before you buy.