In the battle of Toast versus Epos Now, both systems bring unique strengths to the table. Toast is particularly strong for Full-service restaurants, quick-service restaurants, bars, and cafes, while Epos Now excels at Small businesses wanting lots of integration options. Whether you prioritize Restaurant-specific features or 100+ app integrations, this comparison covers everything you need to know.
Quick Comparison: Toast vs Epos Now
| Feature | Toast | Epos Now |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Restaurant | Multi-Industry |
| Starting Price | $0/month (Starter kit) to $165+/month | $39/month |
| Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.0/5 |
| Target Business | Small Business | Small Business |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Subscription |
| Free Trial | Yes | Yes |
| Free Version | Yes | No |
| Best For | Full-service restaurants, quick-service restaurants, bars, and cafes | Small businesses wanting lots of integration options |
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
Epos Now Overview
Epos Now is a cloud-based POS system for retail and hospitality with over 100 app integrations. Features include inventory management, staff management, and 24/7 support. Offers complete hardware bundles.
Epos Now is offered by Epos Now (founded 2011) based in Norwich, United Kingdom. The system focuses on Retail, Hospitality, Restaurants, Bars.
Key Features:
- Cloud POS
- Inventory management
- Staff management
- Customer loyalty
- 100+ app integrations
- Reporting
Feature Comparison
Toast Features:
- Tableside ordering
- Kitchen display system
- Online ordering
- Delivery management
- Menu management
Epos Now Features:
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- Inventory management
- Staff management
- Customer loyalty
- 100+ app integrations
When comparing features, Toast stands out with Restaurant-specific features, while Epos Now differentiates itself with 100+ app integrations. Your choice should depend on which features align better with your specific business requirements.
Pricing Comparison
| Pricing Aspect | Toast | Epos Now |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $0/month (Starter kit) to $165+/month | $39/month |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Subscription |
| Price Range | Mid-range | Mid-range |
| Free Trial | Available | 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
Epos Now
Pros:
- 100+ integrations
- Hardware bundles available
- 24/7 support
- Easy to use
- Flexible pricing
Cons:
- Hardware can be expensive
- Some integrations cost extra
- Support quality varies
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 Epos Now?
Epos Now is ideal for Small businesses wanting lots of integration options. The system is particularly well-suited for Retail, Hospitality, Restaurants, Bars.
However, Epos Now may not be the best fit for Very large enterprises, highly specialized industries.
Our Recommendation
Both Toast and Epos Now 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 Epos Now if you’re Small businesses wanting lots of integration options. Toast has a higher user rating (4.5 vs 4.0). 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.
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