Revel vs Toast POS: Complete Comparison Guide 2024 – Which System is Right for Your Restaurant?

Choosing the wrong point-of-sale system can cost your restaurant thousands in lost revenue, frustrated customers, and operational inefficiencies. With over 200 POS providers in today’s market, making the right choice has never been more critical—or more challenging.

In the competitive landscape of restaurant technology, two names consistently rise to the top: Revel Systems and Toast POS. Both platforms have carved out significant market share, but they serve distinctly different needs and business models.

This comprehensive Revel vs Toast POS comparison will dissect every aspect of these platforms, from core functionality to pricing structures. Whether you’re launching your first restaurant or managing a multi-location empire, you’ll discover which system aligns with your specific operational needs and growth objectives.

Quick Comparison Overview: Revel vs Toast POS

Before diving deep into features and functionality, here’s a snapshot of how Revel and Toast stack up against each other:

Key Differentiators at a Glance

Choose Revel if: You operate multiple locations, need extensive customization, or run complex operations requiring advanced inventory management and enterprise-level reporting.

Choose Toast if: You prioritize ease of use, want restaurant-specific features out of the box, or need robust offline capabilities with quick implementation.

Company Profiles: Understanding the Platforms

Revel Systems: The Enterprise Powerhouse

Founded in 2010, Revel Systems positioned itself as a comprehensive business management platform rather than just a POS system. The San Francisco-based company serves over 25,000 locations worldwide across multiple industries including restaurants, retail, and quick-service establishments.

Revel’s technology philosophy centers on providing a “single source of truth” for business operations. Their iPad-based system integrates everything from inventory management to employee scheduling, making it particularly attractive to multi-location operators who need centralized control.

Toast POS: The Restaurant Specialist

Launched in 2013, Toast POS took a different approach by focusing exclusively on the restaurant industry. This Boston-based company has experienced explosive growth, going public in 2021 and now serving over 70,000 restaurant locations.

Toast’s restaurant-first mentality shows in every aspect of their platform design. From kitchen display systems optimized for food service to built-in online ordering capabilities, every feature is crafted specifically for restaurant operations.

Core POS Functionality Comparison

Order Processing and Payment Handling

Both platforms excel at basic order processing, but their approaches differ significantly. Toast’s interface feels intuitive to restaurant staff, with visual menu layouts and quick modifier selections that reduce training time.

Revel offers more complex order customization options, which can be powerful for businesses with intricate pricing structures or special requirements. However, this flexibility comes with increased complexity that may overwhelm smaller operations.

Menu Management Capabilities

Toast shines in menu management with drag-and-drop simplicity and real-time synchronization across all devices. Restaurant managers can update prices, add seasonal items, or modify descriptions instantly across their entire operation.

Revel’s menu management system is more robust but requires technical knowledge to fully utilize. It supports complex recipe costing, detailed modifier matrices, and sophisticated pricing rules that enterprise clients often require.

Multi-Location Support

This is where the Revel vs Toast POS comparison becomes particularly interesting. Revel was built from the ground up for multi-location management, offering centralized reporting, standardized menu deployment, and location-specific customizations.

Toast has significantly improved its multi-location capabilities, but it still feels like an evolution of their single-location focus rather than a native multi-unit solution.

Hardware and Technology Infrastructure

Hardware Platform Differences

Revel exclusively uses iPad hardware, which provides consistency but limits hardware choices. This approach ensures a uniform user experience but can be more expensive, especially for large operations.

Toast utilizes Android tablets and proprietary hardware solutions, often providing more cost-effective options. Their hardware is specifically designed for restaurant environments, with features like spill-resistant screens and kitchen-optimized displays.

Kitchen Display Systems

Toast’s kitchen display system (KDS) integrates seamlessly with their POS, providing real-time order tracking, preparation time analytics, and automated ticket routing. The system feels purpose-built for commercial kitchen workflows.

Revel’s KDS functionality is solid but feels more like an add-on feature rather than a core component of the platform.

Inventory Management Showdown

Inventory management represents one of the most significant differences in the Revel vs Toast POS comparison. Revel’s inventory system is exceptionally sophisticated, offering real-time tracking, automatic reorder points, and detailed cost analysis down to the ingredient level.

Toast’s inventory management covers the basics well but lacks the depth that high-volume or complex operations require. It’s perfectly adequate for most restaurants but may disappoint operators who need granular control over food costs and waste tracking.

Recipe Costing and Portion Control

Revel excels in recipe costing with detailed ingredient tracking and automatic cost calculations based on current vendor pricing. This feature becomes invaluable for restaurants operating on thin margins.

Toast offers basic recipe management but doesn’t provide the same level of cost analysis depth that Revel delivers.

Staff Management and Labor Tools

Employee Scheduling

Both platforms offer employee scheduling, but Toast’s implementation feels more intuitive for restaurant managers. The system considers labor laws, break requirements, and skill-based scheduling automatically.

Revel’s scheduling system is more powerful but requires more setup and configuration to achieve optimal results.

Time Clock Integration

Toast’s time clock functionality integrates directly with the POS terminals, allowing employees to clock in and out without additional hardware. The system automatically tracks labor costs against sales in real-time.

Revel offers similar functionality but often requires additional hardware components, increasing overall system costs.

Customer Experience Features

Online Ordering Capabilities

Toast’s online ordering platform is industry-leading, offering white-label websites, mobile apps, and seamless integration with the POS system. The platform handles everything from order customization to delivery radius management.

Revel’s online ordering feels more basic and often requires third-party integrations to achieve the same functionality that Toast provides natively.

Loyalty Program Management

Both systems offer loyalty programs, but Toast’s implementation is more restaurant-focused with features like visit-based rewards and automatic promotional triggers.

Revel’s loyalty system is more flexible but requires significant configuration to optimize for restaurant operations.

Detailed Pros and Cons Analysis

Revel Systems Advantages

Comprehensive Feature Set: Revel provides an all-in-one business management platform that goes beyond basic POS functionality. The system handles everything from advanced inventory management to detailed financial reporting.

Enterprise Scalability: Large restaurant groups appreciate Revel’s ability to manage hundreds of locations from a single dashboard with standardized reporting and centralized control.

Customization Flexibility: The platform can be tailored to unique business requirements, making it suitable for complex operations with specific workflow needs.

Revel Systems Disadvantages

Steep Learning Curve: The system’s complexity can overwhelm small restaurant operators and requires significant training investment.

Higher Total Cost: Between software licensing, iPad hardware requirements, and implementation costs, Revel often represents a significant investment.

Complex Setup Process: Initial configuration can take weeks or months, delaying the benefits of implementation.

Toast POS Advantages

Restaurant-Optimized Design: Every feature is designed specifically for restaurant operations, resulting in intuitive workflows and faster staff adoption.

Excellent Customer Support: Toast provides 24/7 phone support with restaurant industry specialists who understand operational challenges.

Quick Implementation: Most restaurants can be operational within days rather than weeks, minimizing business disruption.

Strong Online Ordering: The integrated online ordering platform helps restaurants capture direct orders and reduce third-party delivery commissions.

Toast POS Disadvantages

Restaurant Industry Limitation: The platform isn’t suitable for businesses operating outside the food service industry.

Hardware Dependency: Toast’s proprietary hardware can limit flexibility and increase replacement costs.

Escalating Pricing: Additional features and modules can quickly increase monthly costs beyond initial projections.

Comprehensive Pricing Analysis

Revel Pricing Structure

Revel uses a tiered pricing model starting at $99 per month per terminal for basic functionality, scaling to $189 per month for enterprise features. Hardware costs typically range from $2,000 to $4,000 per terminal, depending on configuration.

Payment processing fees range from 2.4% to 2.9% plus transaction fees, though rates may be negotiable for high-volume accounts.

Toast Pricing Structure

Toast’s starter plan begins at $69 per month per terminal, with their essentials plan at $165 per month offering more comprehensive features. Hardware packages typically cost $799 to $1,699 per terminal.

Payment processing rates start at 2.49% plus 15 cents per transaction, with potential volume discounts for larger operations.

Total Cost of Ownership

When evaluating the Revel vs Toast POS pricing comparison, consider implementation costs, training time, and ongoing support needs. Toast often provides faster ROI due to quicker implementation, while Revel may offer better long-term value for complex operations.

Industry-Specific Suitability

Quick Service Restaurants (QSR)

Toast excels in QSR environments with fast order processing, integrated online ordering, and streamlined kitchen workflows. The system handles high-volume transactions efficiently while maintaining order accuracy.

Revel can serve QSR operations but may be overpowered for simple quick-service models unless multi-location management is a priority.

Full-Service Restaurants

Both platforms serve full-service restaurants well, but Toast’s table management and server-friendly interface often provide better day-to-day usability.

Revel’s strength in full-service environments comes from its advanced inventory management and detailed reporting capabilities.

Enterprise and Multi-Location Operations

Revel dominates in enterprise scenarios with sophisticated reporting hierarchies, centralized menu management, and location-specific customizations.

Toast has improved its multi-location capabilities significantly but still trails Revel in enterprise-level functionality.

Integration Capabilities and Third-Party Connections

Toast offers robust integrations with popular restaurant tools including delivery platforms like DoorDash and Uber Eats, accounting software such as QuickBooks, and marketing platforms.

Revel provides extensive API access and custom integration capabilities, making it suitable for businesses with unique technology requirements or existing enterprise software investments.

Making the Final Decision: Revel vs Toast POS

The choice between Revel and Toast ultimately depends on your restaurant’s specific needs, growth plans, and operational complexity.

Choose Revel if you need:

• Advanced inventory management and cost control
• Multi-location centralized management
• Extensive customization capabilities
• Enterprise-level reporting and analytics
• Integration with existing business systems

Choose Toast if you prioritize:

• Ease of use and quick implementation
• Restaurant-specific features out of the box
• Integrated online ordering capabilities
• 24/7 customer support
• Lower upfront hardware costs

Conclusion: The Right POS for Your Restaurant’s Future

Both Revel and Toast represent excellent POS solutions, but they serve different market segments and operational philosophies. Toast excels as a restaurant-focused platform that prioritizes usability and industry-specific functionality. Revel shines as a comprehensive business management platform suitable for complex, multi-location operations.

Consider your current operational needs, growth trajectory, and technical requirements when making this critical decision. The right POS system will become the foundation of your restaurant’s efficiency and growth for years to come.

Take advantage of free demos and trials from both providers to experience their platforms firsthand. Your specific workflow requirements and staff feedback will ultimately guide you to the best choice for your restaurant’s success.