Choosing between Toast and Focus POS 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 Focus POS starts at Quote-based and is Enterprise restaurant POS with advanced analytics.. This comprehensive comparison will help you decide which POS system is the right fit for your operation.
Quick Comparison: Toast vs Focus POS
| Feature | Toast | Focus POS |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Restaurant | Restaurant |
| Starting Price | $0/month (Starter kit) to $165+/month | Quote-based |
| Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.0/5 |
| Target Business | Small Business | Mid-Market |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Quote-based |
| Free Trial | Yes | No |
| Free Version | Yes | No |
| Best For | Full-service restaurants, quick-service restaurants, bars, and cafes | Restaurant groups, multi-location operations, enterprises |
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
Focus POS Overview
Focus POS is a restaurant management system with enterprise-grade features including advanced reporting, labor management, and multi-location support. Known for detailed analytics and customization.
Focus POS is offered by Focus POS Systems (founded 1990) based in Dallas, Texas, USA. The system focuses on Restaurants, Restaurant Groups, Enterprise.
Key Features:
- Advanced reporting
- Labor management
- Multi-location
- Enterprise dashboards
- Inventory management
- Kitchen display
Feature Comparison
Toast Features:
- Tableside ordering
- Kitchen display system
- Online ordering
- Delivery management
- Menu management
Focus POS Features:
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- Labor management
- Multi-location
- Enterprise dashboards
- Inventory management
When comparing features, Toast stands out with Restaurant-specific features, while Focus POS differentiates itself with Advanced analytics. Your choice should depend on which features align better with your specific business requirements.
Pricing Comparison
| Pricing Aspect | Toast | Focus POS |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $0/month (Starter kit) to $165+/month | Quote-based |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Quote-based |
| Price Range | Mid-range | Premium |
| 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
Focus POS
Pros:
- Detailed analytics
- Enterprise scalability
- Customization options
- Multi-location support
Cons:
- Higher cost
- Complex setup
- Quote-based pricing
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 Focus POS?
Focus POS is ideal for Restaurant groups, multi-location operations, enterprises. The system is particularly well-suited for Restaurants, Restaurant Groups, Enterprise.
However, Focus POS may not be the best fit for Single small restaurants, budget-conscious operators.
Our Recommendation
Both Toast and Focus POS 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 Focus POS if you’re Restaurant groups, multi-location operations, enterprises. 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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