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Bistro vs Toast

Toast is a full restaurant POS with terminals, handhelds, and KDS. Bistro is a menu and table OS that runs on phones and tablets you already own. Different categories, different price tags. Here's how to choose.

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SPEC
Bistro
Toast
Monthly software
$9 to $89
$0 to $165+ per terminal
Hardware required
None. Use your own phones and tablets.
Toast terminals, KDS, handhelds.
Payment processing
Stripe (≈ 2.9% + 30¢). You connect your own Stripe account.
Toast Payments. 2.49% + 15¢ on Point of Sale plan, 3.09%–3.69% + 15¢ on Starter Kit.
Bistro per-transaction fee
1% Starter, 0.5% Pro/Team/Multi (in-app payments only).
Not applicable. Toast keeps you on Toast Payments.
Menu management
Included on every plan. AI menu import on Pro+.
Included.
Weekly menus and meal periods
Included on every plan.
Not native. Workarounds with menus per daypart.
QR per table
Included on every plan.
Toast Mobile Order & Pay add-on (extra fee).
Pay at the table
Included on every plan.
Toast Mobile Order & Pay or Toast Go handhelds.
Tip tracking per waiter
Included on Team ($49) and Multi ($89).
Included via POS shift reports.
Online ordering
Coming soon as a separate feature.
Toast Online Ordering add-on, ~$50/mo +3.50% + 15¢ per order.
Multi-location
Up to 2 on Team, up to 5 on Multi.
Available, often through Build Your Own custom pricing.
Time to launch
Same day. No hardware shipping.
Days to weeks, depends on hardware install.
Contract
Month to month. Cancel anytime.
Often multi-year for hardware financing.

Toast pricing and processing rates verified May 2026 from public sources. Toast frequently adjusts add-on fees, hardware leases, and processing rates. Check Toast's site for current numbers before signing.

PICK BISTRO IF

  • You don't want to replace your POS or add tablets to every table.
  • You want a digital menu, QR per table, and pay-at-table without a hardware rollout.
  • You run a food truck, café, taquería, or small independent restaurant.
  • You want to keep your Stripe account and route payouts to your bank.
  • You need weekly menus or meal periods out of the box.

PICK TOAST IF

  • You need a full POS replacement with cash drawers, KDS, and handhelds.
  • You want everything on one platform: payroll, scheduling, inventory, loyalty.
  • You're a full-service restaurant ready to commit to a multi-year hardware lease.
  • You're already running Toast Payments and processing volume justifies the platform.

READY?

Run your front of house on Bistro from $9 a month.

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