Shopify POS vs Toast
An honest side-by-side comparison of two of our top pos systems picks — pricing, strengths, weaknesses, and who each one is really for.
Shopify POS
Ranked #4 of 15 in this directory
Unified commerce for online and in-store selling
Toast
Ranked #2 of 15 in this directory
Purpose-built POS for the restaurant industry
Our pick: Toast. Our editors rank Toast higher overall in POS Systems — but Shopify POS can be the better fit depending on your budget and use case below. How we review
Compare the details
| Shopify POS | Toast | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Paid | Freemium |
| Starting price | See website | See website |
| Category | Retail | Restaurant |
| Editorial rank | #4 of 15 | #2 of 15 |
Strengths
Shopify POS
- ✓Best-in-class omnichannel experience with seamless online-offline sync
- ✓Huge ecosystem of Shopify apps and themes
- ✓Intuitive interface that requires minimal staff training
- ✓Powerful inventory management across multiple locations
- ✓Built-in buy online, pick up in store (BOPIS) workflows
Toast
- ✓Purpose-built for restaurants with deep food-service features
- ✓Integrated online ordering and delivery management
- ✓Durable hardware designed for kitchen and bar environments
- ✓Comprehensive reporting and labor cost analytics
- ✓Free starter plan available for single-location restaurants
Watch out for
Shopify POS
- !Requires an active Shopify subscription in addition to POS costs
- !POS Pro upgrade is an additional monthly fee per location
- !Hardware options are limited compared to dedicated POS providers
- !Best value comes only when paired with Shopify ecommerce
Toast
- !Long-term hardware contracts can be expensive to exit
- !Processing rates are not negotiable on lower tiers
- !Limited usefulness outside the food and beverage industry
- !Add-on modules increase costs quickly
Best use cases
Shopify POS
- →DTC brands expanding from online-only to physical retail
- →Multi-location retailers syncing inventory across stores and web
- →Pop-up shops needing quick deployment with full ecommerce integration
Toast
- →Full-service restaurants managing dine-in, takeout, and delivery orders
- →Quick-service chains needing kitchen display and drive-through integration
- →Bars and breweries tracking tabs and managing complex menus
About each tool
Shopify POS
Shopify POS seamlessly bridges ecommerce and physical retail by synchronizing inventory, customer data, and orders across all channels. It leverages the broader Shopify ecosystem so merchants can manage everything from a single admin. The POS Pro tier unlocks advanced features like staff permissions, in-store analytics, and local pickup workflows.
Toast
Toast is a cloud-based restaurant management platform that combines POS, online ordering, delivery, payroll, and team management. Built specifically for food service, it handles everything from tableside ordering to kitchen display systems. Its hardware is designed for restaurant environments with spill-proof, heat-resistant screens.
Still deciding? Browse all 15 options with honest pros, cons, and pricing.
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