Choosing between Toast and Owner.com 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 Owner.com starts at $249/month and is Restaurant website and ordering platform. This comprehensive comparison will help you decide which POS system is the right fit for your operation.
Quick Comparison: Toast vs Owner.com
| Feature | Toast | Owner.com |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Restaurant | Software |
| Starting Price | $0/month (Starter kit) to $165+/month | $249/month |
| Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 |
| 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 wanting direct customer relationships |
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
Owner.com Overview
Owner.com is a restaurant website and ordering platform that helps restaurants build direct customer relationships. Features custom websites, online ordering, and marketing automation.
Owner.com is offered by Owner.com (founded 2019) based in Palo Alto, CA. The system focuses on Restaurants.
Key Features:
- Custom Website
- Online Ordering
- Marketing Automation
- Guest Database
- SEO Tools
- Analytics
Feature Comparison
Toast Features:
- Tableside ordering
- Kitchen display system
- Online ordering
- Delivery management
- Menu management
Owner.com Features:
- Custom Website
- Online Ordering
- Marketing Automation
- Guest Database
- SEO Tools
When comparing features, Toast stands out with Restaurant-specific features, while Owner.com differentiates itself with Commission-free ordering. Your choice should depend on which features align better with your specific business requirements.
Pricing Comparison
| Pricing Aspect | Toast | Owner.com |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $0/month (Starter kit) to $165+/month | $249/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
Owner.com
Pros:
- No commission ordering
- Strong marketing tools
- Customer data ownership
- Professional websites
Cons:
- Higher monthly cost
- Not a POS system
- 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 Owner.com?
Owner.com is ideal for Restaurants wanting direct customer relationships. The system is particularly well-suited for Restaurants.
However, Owner.com may not be the best fit for Those needing full POS functionality.
Our Recommendation
Both Toast and Owner.com 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 Owner.com if you’re Restaurants wanting direct customer relationships. 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.