Choosing between Toast and BentoBox for your business? Both are popular restaurant solutions, but they serve different needs. Toast starts at $0/month (Starter kit) to $165+/month and is Restaurant-focused POS and management platform, while BentoBox starts at $99/month and is Restaurant website and marketing platform. This comprehensive comparison will help you decide which POS system is the right fit for your operation.
Quick Comparison: Toast vs BentoBox
| Feature | Toast | BentoBox |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Restaurant | Software |
| Starting Price | $0/month (Starter kit) to $165+/month | $99/month |
| Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.4/5 |
| Target Business | Small Business | Small Business to Mid-Market |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Subscription |
| Free Trial | Yes | No |
| Free Version | Yes | No |
| Best For | Full-service restaurants, quick-service restaurants, bars, and cafes | Restaurants needing professional web presence |
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
BentoBox Overview
BentoBox is a restaurant website and marketing platform acquired by Fiserv. Offers website design, online ordering, email marketing, and gift card solutions specifically for restaurants.
BentoBox is offered by BentoBox (Fiserv) (founded 2013) based in New York, NY. The system focuses on Restaurants, Hospitality.
Key Features:
- Website Builder
- Online Ordering
- Email Marketing
- Gift Cards
- SEO Tools
- Analytics
Feature Comparison
Toast Features:
- Tableside ordering
- Kitchen display system
- Online ordering
- Delivery management
- Menu management
BentoBox Features:
- Website Builder
- Online Ordering
- Email Marketing
- Gift Cards
- SEO Tools
When comparing features, Toast stands out with Restaurant-specific features, while BentoBox differentiates itself with Restaurant-focused websites. Your choice should depend on which features align better with your specific business requirements.
Pricing Comparison
| Pricing Aspect | Toast | BentoBox |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $0/month (Starter kit) to $165+/month | $99/month |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Subscription |
| 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
BentoBox
Pros:
- Restaurant-focused design
- Beautiful templates
- Fiserv backing
- Marketing tools included
Cons:
- Not a full POS system
- Additional cost for add-ons
- Requires separate POS
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 BentoBox?
BentoBox is ideal for Restaurants needing professional web presence. The system is particularly well-suited for Restaurants, Hospitality.
However, BentoBox may not be the best fit for Those needing full POS functionality.
Our Recommendation
Both Toast and BentoBox 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 BentoBox if you’re Restaurants needing professional web presence. Toast has a higher user rating (4.5 vs 4.4). 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.