Shopify POS vs Toast POS
Side-by-side comparison — pricing, features, ratings, use cases. Find which Pos Systems fits you best.
🔍 Independently researched ·
📊 Data-driven
73/100
5 € starting
Existing Shopify merchants who operate a physical retail store or pop-up and want a POS system that fully unifies in-per
★ Best
💰 Pricing
Starting at 5 € (subscription)
Fee notes:
- Online transaction fees: 2.9% + 30¢ (Basic), 2.6% + 30¢ (Shopify), 2.4% + 30¢ (Advanced) when using Shopify Payments
- In-person transaction fees: 2.4% for Basic, 2.4% for Shopify, 2.2% for Advanced (with POS Lite)
- If not using Shopify Payments, additional fee: 2.0% (Basic), 1.0% (Shopify), 0.6% (Advanced)
- POS Pro add-on: $89/month per location
- Payment processing fees vary by country and are not included in subscription price
⚠ Watch for:
- If using a payment gateway other than Shopify Payments, you may incur additional fees (up to 2%)
- POS Pro is an extra $89/month per location unless you're on Shopify Plus
- Transaction fees for in-person payments may be higher if you use a third-party card reader
- Shopify charges a fee for using its payment gateway: 2.9% + 30¢ for online, 2.4% for in-person (Basic plan)
🔧 Features
✓ Shopify Ecosystem✓ Unified Inventory✓ Retail✓ Staff Management
📋 Assessment
💪 Strengths
- Deep native integration with Shopify e-commerce is the killer feature. Unlike third-party POS systems that require complex API workarounds, Shopify POS syncs inventory, customers, orders, and payments in real time between your online store and physical location. This eliminates the nightmare of overselling or inconsistent customer data. For example, if you sell a product in-store, it automatically deducts from your web inventory, so online customers never see out-of-stock items.
- Strong retail features in POS Pro, which is available for an additional fee, elevate the system beyond basic checkout. It includes advanced inventory management with purchase orders and stock transfers, granular staff permissions for controlling who can do what (like issuing refunds or viewing reports), and in-store analytics that give you insights into sales trends, employee performance, and product profitability. These tools are crucial for growing retail businesses that need more than just a cash register.
- User-friendly interface that doesn't require a lengthy training session. Cashiers can learn the basics in minutes, and the backend is equally intuitive. The system supports a variety of hardware, from iPad-based setups with card readers to full touchscreen terminals, so you can tailor it to your store's needs and budget. The quick setup on existing hardware is a plus for pop-up shops and seasonal stores.
- Flexible and scalable for multi-location operations. Shopify POS supports multiple registers per location, and with POS Pro you can manage inventory across several stores, transfer stock between them, and view consolidated or per-location reports. This makes it viable for regional chains that are expanding, though the per-location fee is a consideration.
⚠ Watch out for
- Requires a Shopify subscription, which means it's not a standalone POS solution. If you're not already using Shopify for e-commerce, you'll have to pay for the Shopify Basic plan ($39/month) just to use its POS, making it more costly than some standalone POS systems that offer similar features for a lower upfront price.
- Advanced features are gated behind monthly fees. The base POS plan is quite basic—staff management, advanced inventory, and purchase orders are only available in POS Pro, which costs an additional $89/month per location. If you have multiple stores, this can add up quickly, and you may find yourself paying significantly more than expected for a system you thought was affordable.
- Offline mode is limited. While you can process sales offline, many features like syncing inventory, accessing customer history, or processing returns won't work without an internet connection. This can be a major headache for retailers in areas with unstable Wi-Fi or for those who need to operate in offline settings like outdoor markets.
- Customer support hours may not align with round-the-clock retail operations. While support is generally responsive, it's not available 24/7 for all plans, and you might end up waiting for a callback or chat response during off-hours. This could be a setback if you run a late-night store.
🎯 Best for
Existing Shopify merchants who operate a physical retail store or pop-up and want a POS system that fully unifies in-person and online sales.
🚫 Who should skip
Restaurants, bars, or full-service hospitality businesses, as well as retailers who don't already use Shopify and want a simpler, lower-cost standalone POS.
📚 Learning curve
Minimal for basic sales; Moderate for setting up advanced inventory, staff permissions, and multi-location workflows.
🧑⚖️ Verdict
Shopify POS is an excellent choice for existing Shopify merchants who want a seamless omnichannel retail solution. It's also a good fit for growing retail businesses that value deep integration. However, if you're not already using Shopify, or you're a small business on a tight budget, the required
54/100
—
US restaurant operators who want a single, purpose-built POS platform that handles front-of-house operations, online ord
💰 Pricing
Pricing not publicly available
Fee notes:
- Payment processing fees: around 2.6% + 10 cents per transaction for standard card-present rates.
- Toast offers a 'Pay-as-you-go' pricing model with no monthly software fee but higher transaction rates (approx. 2.99% + 15c).
- Toast adds a 0.05% fee to the total transaction amount when the transaction is less than $1,000 (i.e., for typical card present transactions). Actually, Toast charges a flat $0.25 fee for each transaction over $1,000 (instead of percentage).
- Hardware: upfront purchase or lease; costs vary by setup (e.g., Toast Flex handheld ~$699, Toast Go 2 ~$399 each).
- Additional services like Toast Payroll, Toast Online Ordering, and Toast Marketing have separate costs; often quoted per month, but not publicly listed.
⚠ Watch for:
- Early termination fee if you sign a 3-year contract and cancel early (default is 3-year term; monthly plan has no contract but higher rates).
- Additional fees for premium support or advanced features add-ons.
- Equipment refund processing fee: 2.5% credit card fee on refunds.
- Chargeback fees: $25 per chargeback.
🔧 Features
✓ Restaurant Only✓ 85k Locations✓ Online Ordering✓ Payroll✓ Us Leader
📋 Assessment
💪 Strengths
- Purpose-built for restaurants: Unlike generic POS systems, Toast is deeply integrated with restaurant workflows. Features like visual table mapping, menu modifiers, kitchen display, and course routing are native to the system, not afterthoughts. This means faster order entry, fewer miscommunications, and a smoother flow from front-of-house to back-of-house. For example, modifiers allow you to customize items (e.g., 'no onions, extra sauce') easily, and course routing ensures appetizers and mains are fired in the correct order.
- All-in-one ecosystem: Toast brings together online ordering, delivery integrations, loyalty, gift cards, payroll, and inventory under a single platform. This eliminates the need for separate software subscriptions and reduces the complexity of managing multiple vendors. For instance, you can offer direct online ordering with no commission fees (unlike third-party apps), and loyalty points are automatically tracked across in-store and online purchases.
- Strong reporting and analytics: Toast's backend provides real-time dashboards and customizable reports. You can track sales by item, labor cost as a percentage of sales, food cost, and even customer behavior. This data helps operators make informed decisions, like adjusting menu prices or optimizing staff schedules. The ability to drill down into hourly sales trends is invaluable for shift planning.
- Mobile and handheld options: The Toast Go handheld lets servers take orders and process payments tableside, reducing trips to fixed terminals and speeding up table turns. Similarly, Toast's counter service solution integrates with kitchen display screens to keep orders flowing. For full-service restaurants, this directly improves guest experience and can increase average check size via upselling prompts.
- Scalability for multi-location: Toast supports multi-location management with centralized reporting, menu updates, and inventory tracking across sites. This is a huge advantage for chains that need consistent operations and the ability to compare performance across venues. The cloud-based system ensures data is always up-to-date.
⚠ Watch out for
- Opaque pricing and long contracts: Toast does not publicly list its pricing. Instead, you must contact sales, negotiate bundles, and sign multi-year agreements. The actual cost hinges on your processing volume (they take a cut of credit card transactions) and which add-ons you choose. This makes it difficult to compare costs with competitors and can lead to surprise fees if your volume changes.
- High hardware cost and lock-in: You are required to use Toast-branded hardware, which is proprietary and expensive. A standard terminal kit can cost over $1,000, and handhelds even more. You cannot use your own iPad or terminal, so initial capital expenditure is significant. This lock-in makes it harder to switch providers later.
- Add-on fees add up: While the base system includes core POS functionality, many useful features are upsells. Payroll, advanced inventory (which includes item-level ingredient tracking), and certain integrations (like online ordering with delivery through third-party apps) come at an additional monthly cost. These can add hundreds of dollars per month, especially for larger operations.
- Customer support can be inconsistent: While Toast offers 24/7 phone, chat, and email support, response times and expertise vary. Some users report long hold times or being passed between agents. The self-help knowledge base is comprehensive, but if you have a critical issue during service, the support experience can be frustrating.
- Internet dependency: As a cloud-based system, Toast requires a stable internet connection. If your internet goes down, you can still process orders offline, but features like online ordering, inventory sync, and real-time reporting are unavailable until connectivity is restored. This is a risk for restaurants in areas with unreliable connections.
🎯 Best for
US restaurant operators who want a single, purpose-built POS platform that handles front-of-house operations, online ordering, delivery, and back-office management in one place.
🚫 Who should skip
Small food stalls, pop-up vendors, or non-restaurant businesses that need a low-cost, flexible, short-term POS without hardware lock-in or multi-year contracts.
📚 Learning curve
Moderate. Basic ordering and checkout are intuitive, but configuring menu modifiers, tax rules, online ordering, and back-office reporting requires dedicated training and practice.
🧑⚖️ Verdict
Toast POS is an excellent choice for restaurants that want a comprehensive, restaurant-specific system with powerful features and analytics. It's particularly well-suited for full-service and quick-service establishments that can afford the upfront hardware cost and are willing to commit to a multi-
📊 Use Case Suitability
Higher score = better fit. Scores from editorial review.
Use CaseShopify POSToast POS
Omnichannel Retail Store95—
Shopify POS excels at syncing inventory, customers, and orders between physical
Pop-up Shops and Markets88—
The mobile-first POS app works on iOS and Android with portable card readers, ma
Multi-location Retail Chains80—
With POS Pro and a higher-tier Shopify plan, you can manage inventory transfers
Staff Management and CRM78—
Customer profiles display purchase history, notes, and local pickup orders, whil
Fast Food or Quick-service Counter30—
Shopify POS lacks dedicated kitchen display, table mapping, and speed-of-service
Full-Service Table Service Restaurants—98
Toast's tableside ordering, course management, and kitchen display systems are b
Quick-Service / Counter Service—90
Toast supports self-order kiosks, online ordering, and fast checkout lanes, whic
Multi-Location Restaurant Chains—85
Centralized menu, reporting, and inventory controls scale well across locations,
🧭 Which One Should You Pick?
Choose Shopify POS if...
- You are: Existing Shopify merchants who operate a physical retail store or pop-up and want a POS system that fully unifies in-per
- 👍 Deep native integration with Shopify e-commerce: inventory, customers, orders, and payments sync aut
- 👍 Strong retail features in POS Pro, including advanced inventory management, staff permissions, purch
- 👍 Easy-to-use interface that is intuitive for cashiers and store managers, with fast setup on existing
- 💰 From $5/mo
- ⚠ Trade-off: Requires a Shopify subscription, so it's not a standalone POS for non-Shopify me
Choose Toast POS if...
- You are: US restaurant operators who want a single, purpose-built POS platform that handles front-of-house operations, online ord
- 👍 Purpose-built for restaurants: deep features like table mapping, menu modifiers, kitchen display, an
- 👍 All-in-one ecosystem: online ordering, delivery integrations, loyalty, gift cards, payroll, and inve
- 👍 Strong reporting and analytics: sales, labor cost, food cost, and custom reports help operators trac
- ⚠ Trade-off: Opaque pricing and long contracts: Toast requires a multi-year service agreement
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Shopify POS cost?
Shopify POS Lite is included free with any Shopify paid plan, but advanced features like in-store analytics, custom permissions, and multi-location inventory require Shopify POS Pro, which costs $89 per location per month. You'll also need to pay for your Shopify subscription and any hardware.
What is the difference between Shopify POS Lite and POS Pro?
POS Lite covers basic sales, payments, and inventory syncing. POS Pro adds advanced inventory management, staff permissions, in-store analytics, and retail-specific features like purchase orders and store credit. You can start with Lite and upgrade per location when you need more.
How does Shopify POS compare to Square?
Shopify POS is better if you already use Shopify for e-commerce, as it provides true unified inventory and customer data. Square is often easier to set up and can be cheaper for solo sellers, but it lacks deep e-commerce integration and in-store/online syncing at the same level.
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