Toast is one of the best-known restaurant POS systems in North America, and its online ordering is commission-free. So why do owners search for a Toast alternative? Usually because they want marketing, reviews and direct-order growth without buying into a full POS ecosystem, or because they want to keep their POS and add a growth layer on top. This page compares Toast with AIOrders using Toast's own published prices.
Toast is a POS platform first. Its pricing page sells software tiers, hardware kits, payment processing and add-on suites for online ordering, marketing and payroll (Toast pricing, as of Oct 2026). That is great if you are opening a new restaurant and need everything. It is less ideal if you already have a POS you like, or if your real problem is that a large share of your sales flows through commission-based delivery apps.
Common reasons owners give:
Toast publishes starting prices, but your quote depends on hardware, add-ons and processing.
Toast says its online ordering has "no commissions" and that delivery from your own site costs "one flat fee per order" through Toast Delivery Services (Toast Online Ordering, as of Oct 2026). The Digital Storefront packages that include online ordering are priced by quote, so the monthly cost varies; see their pricing page. Hardware, implementation and processing are on top.
| Feature | AIOrders | Toast |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | Flat-monthly plan with 0% order fees; entry plan adds a per-order fee (see pricing) | US from $0/mo (Starter Kit) or $69/mo (POS); Canada from CA$120/mo |
| Per-order fees | No commission on the flat-monthly plan; Uber Direct delivery billed per delivery | Card processing at a flat rate (rate not published; ask Toast) |
| Commission | 0% on direct orders | None on Toast Online Ordering; flat fee per delivery via Toast Delivery Services |
| QR ordering | Yes, Smart QR table ordering | Toast Mobile Order & Pay |
| Website | AI website builder included | Toast Websites (Digital Storefront Pro) |
| SEO | AI SEO and Google listings included | SEO features in Digital Storefront Pro |
| Review automation | Voice of Guest, included | Not listed |
| Loyalty | Included | Toast Loyalty (Marketing Suite) |
| AI phone | Optional add-on | Not listed (Toast IQ is an AI assistant for operators) |
| Contract | Cancel anytime; money-back guarantee, see pricing | Varies, see their pricing page |
| Canada / USA | Vancouver-based; serves restaurants in Canada and the USA | Both (separate US and Canada pricing) |
| POS | Not a POS; Order Hub syncs to Square, Clover, Toast | Yes, full restaurant POS |
"Not listed" means we could not find it on the competitor's public pricing page when we checked. It may still exist as an add-on, so ask their sales team.
AIOrders is a Vancouver-based restaurant platform that serves restaurants in Canada and the USA. Its homepage describes commission-free ordering, review automation, local SEO and repeat-customer campaigns for one flat monthly fee (aiorders.io, as of Oct 2026). Pricing is a flat-monthly plan with 0% order fees (see pricing; the entry plan adds a per-order fee).
Toast is the stronger choice when you need the POS itself. If you are opening a full-service restaurant and need terminals, handhelds for tableside ordering, a kitchen display system, payroll and integrated payments under one contract, Toast is built for exactly that, and its Starter Kit lowers the upfront hardware cost. Multi-location groups that want one vendor for operations will also find Toast's breadth hard to beat.
AIOrders does not sell POS hardware or process in-person card payments. If that is what you are shopping for, compare Toast with Square and Clover instead. Our Toast vs Square and Toast vs Clover pages break that down.
Import your menu with the free Menu Import tool (PDF, photos, your website or a delivery-app link; nothing is published until you review it), check modifiers and prices, then point your website and Google "Order Online" links to the new page. Run Toast and AIOrders side by side for a few weeks; move regulars over with a bag insert or QR code that rewards ordering direct. The migration checklist has the full steps.
AIOrders reports that Vancouver Pizza Heaven, a take-out pizza shop in Vancouver, BC, saw +$91K in additional sales with zero ads, a +40% boost in repeat orders, and a Google rating that went from 4.1 to 4.8 after moving to direct ordering (case study). Results depend on your market and effort.
Ready to compare on your own numbers? Try the savings calculator, see pricing, or book a demo.
Yes. Toast says its online ordering has no commissions and that delivery from your own site costs a flat fee per order (Toast, as of Oct 2026). You still pay for the software package, processing and hardware.
Yes. AIOrders is not a POS. Its Order Hub lists Toast among the POS systems it syncs orders into (Order Hub, as of Oct 2026), so you can keep Toast for in-store operations and use AIOrders for direct ordering and marketing.
Yes. Toast has a Canadian pricing page with Starter from CA$120/month and Essentials at CA$220/month (Toast Canada, as of Oct 2026).
Toast's Starter Kit starts at $0/month in the US with no upfront hardware cost (Toast, as of Oct 2026). Processing and add-ons still apply.
AIOrders offers a flat-monthly plan with 0% order fees, one subscription instead of a percentage of each order; its entry plan adds a per-order fee (see pricing). The AI Calling Receptionist is an optional add-on.