Choosing between Toast and Graine 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 Graine POS starts at Contact for pricing and is All-in-one restaurant POS with AI marketing. This comprehensive comparison will help you decide which POS system is the right fit for your operation.
Quick Comparison: Toast vs Graine POS
| Feature | Toast | Graine POS |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Restaurant | Restaurant |
| Starting Price | $0/month (Starter kit) to $165+/month | Contact for pricing |
| Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.3/5 |
| Target Business | Small Business | Small Business to Mid-Market |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Subscription |
| Free Trial | Yes | Yes |
| Free Version | Yes | No |
| Best For | Full-service restaurants, quick-service restaurants, bars, and cafes | Restaurants focused on marketing and guest engagement |
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
Graine POS Overview
Graine POS is an all-in-one restaurant platform combining POS, marketing, and operations. Features include AI-powered marketing, guest engagement tools, and comprehensive reporting.
Graine POS is offered by Graine (founded 2019) based in United States. The system focuses on Full Service, Quick Service.
Key Features:
- POS System
- AI Marketing
- Guest Engagement
- Loyalty Programs
- Online Ordering
- Analytics
Feature Comparison
Toast Features:
- Tableside ordering
- Kitchen display system
- Online ordering
- Delivery management
- Menu management
Graine POS Features:
- POS System
- AI Marketing
- Guest Engagement
- Loyalty Programs
- Online Ordering
When comparing features, Toast stands out with Restaurant-specific features, while Graine POS differentiates itself with AI marketing engine. Your choice should depend on which features align better with your specific business requirements.
Pricing Comparison
| Pricing Aspect | Toast | Graine POS |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $0/month (Starter kit) to $165+/month | Contact for pricing |
| 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
Graine POS
Pros:
- AI-powered marketing
- Guest engagement focus
- Modern platform
- Comprehensive features
Cons:
- Custom pricing
- Newer platform
- Limited widespread adoption
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 Graine POS?
Graine POS is ideal for Restaurants focused on marketing and guest engagement. The system is particularly well-suited for Full Service, Quick Service.
However, Graine POS may not be the best fit for Budget-conscious small operations.
Our Recommendation
Both Toast and Graine 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 Graine POS if you’re Restaurants focused on marketing and guest engagement. Toast has a higher user rating (4.5 vs 4.3). 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.