The verdict
- Pick Toast if you run a restaurant and want restaurant-only software. Toast says its payment processing is “built specifically for restaurants.” Its Starter Kit starts at $0 a month.
- Pick Square if you want every price published. Square lists its in-person, online and typed-in rates. Toast publishes only its in-person percentages, not its online or keyed-in rates.
- Toast locks you to its hardware. Toast says its services “may only be used on approved Toast hardware.” Square lists its hardware prices, from a $59 reader to an $899 register.
- On in-person rates alone, Toast can come out ahead, if its rates carry no fixed fee per sale. Toast doesn’t say either way.
| Feature | Square Checked Oct 19, 2026 | Toast Checked Oct 19, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Flat rate | Flat or custom |
| In person | 2.6% + 15¢ | 2.49% |
| Online | 3.3% + 30¢ | By quote |
| Keyed in | 3.5% + 15¢ | By quote |
| Monthly cost | $0 (Free plan) | Plans from $0 |
| Contract | No contract | Not published for restaurants; retail requires 12 months |
| Payouts | Next business day free (payments before 5 PM PT); faster for a fee | Not published |
| True cost: first year at $10K/month | $3,899 (est.) | Not calculable from published prices |
| Visit | Visit Square | Visit Toast |
The Toast in-person rate in the table is its Traditional rate, where you buy the hardware and pay monthly for software. Its Pay-as-you-Go rate, with no upfront hardware cost, is 3.09%.
What a month costs
These are estimates. They assume every payment is a card used in person at one location. Toast’s figures use only the percentages it publishes and leave out any fixed per-sale fee, because Toast doesn’t publish one. Toast’s Traditional option also has a hardware cost and a monthly software fee that Toast doesn’t list for that option, so we can’t add them.
Example 1: a small cafe, $10,000 a month, 400 payments.
- Square Free: 2.6% × $10,000 = $260, plus 400 × 15¢ = $60. About $320 a month.
- Square Plus: 2.5% × $10,000 = $250, plus $60, plus $49 for the plan. About $359 a month.
- Toast Pay-as-you-Go: 3.09% × $10,000 = about $309 a month, with no upfront hardware cost.
- Toast Traditional: 2.49% × $10,000 = about $249 a month, plus hardware up front and a monthly software fee.
Example 2: a busier restaurant, $30,000 a month, 1,200 payments.
- Square Free: 2.6% × $30,000 = $780, plus 1,200 × 15¢ = $180. About $960 a month.
- Square Plus: 2.5% × $30,000 = $750, plus $180, plus $49. About $979 a month.
- Toast Pay-as-you-Go: 3.09% × $30,000 = about $927 a month.
- Toast Traditional: 2.49% × $30,000 = about $747 a month, plus hardware and software.
The gap between Toast’s two options is $60 a month at $10,000 in sales, and $180 a month at $30,000. Square’s 15¢ per sale matters most when your average ticket is small. Check your own month in the fee calculator.
Differences that matter beyond rates
Hardware lock-in. Toast runs only on approved Toast hardware and doesn’t publish hardware prices. Toast says upfront costs “vary depending on your specific hardware packages and installation needs.” Square lists its Reader at $59, Terminal at $299, Handheld at $399 and Register at $899.
Monthly plans. Toast’s Starter Kit starts at $0 a month for one location with up to two terminals, and Toast says “additional charges apply for subsequent devices.” Its restaurant Point of Sale plan starts at $69 a month. Square Free is $0, Plus is $49 and Premium is $149, each per location. Square’s kitchen display (KDS) app adds $30 a month per device on Plus, or $20 on Premium.
Contracts. Square says there are “no hidden fees or locked-in contracts.” Toast doesn’t publish a contract term for restaurants. Its hardware offer terms say retail customers sign up for a minimum of 12 months.
Payouts. Square: next business day, free, for payments taken before 5 PM PT. Toast doesn’t publish payout timing on its pricing page.
Who processes the payment. Toast says it “is not a payment card processor, but it is a payment facilitator that partners with processors.”
Pick Square if
- You want to see every rate, including online and typed-in, before you sign up.
- You want no contract and hardware you can price up front, or already own.
- You sell more than food. Square says its POS covers restaurants, retail, services and beauty.
Pick Toast if
- You run a restaurant and want software built only for restaurants.
- You’re fine buying only Toast hardware.
- You’d rather pay 3.09% per sale than buy hardware up front, or you’ll buy hardware to get the 2.49% rate.
More on each: our full pages on Square fees and Toast pricing. Also looking at Clover? See Toast vs Clover, or compare every option on our restaurant POS page.
Common questions
Is Toast cheaper than Square?
On published in-person rates, it can be. Toast's Pay-as-you-Go rate is 3.09% per card sale, and its Traditional rate is 2.49% if you buy hardware and pay monthly for software. Square Free is 2.6% + 15¢. But Toast doesn't say whether its rates carry a fixed fee per sale, so ask before you compare.
Can I use Square hardware with Toast?
No. Toast says its services do not work with every device and may only be used on approved Toast hardware. If you switch from Square to Toast, plan on buying Toast hardware. Toast says its hardware and setup costs vary with your package and installation needs, and it doesn't publish hardware prices.
Does Toast or Square have a contract?
Square says there are no locked-in contracts and you can cancel or switch anytime. Toast doesn't publish a contract length for restaurants on the pages we checked, and its hardware offer terms say retail customers sign up for at least 12 months. Ask Toast for the term and any exit fee in writing.
What do Square and Toast charge for online orders?
Square publishes 3.3% + 30¢ for online payments on its Free plan and 2.9% + 30¢ on Plus and Premium. Toast doesn't publish its online or keyed-in rates. If online ordering is a big part of your sales, get Toast's rates in writing before you compare the two.