Toast is one of the biggest names in restaurant tech, and its online ordering is "commission-free." But "commission-free" is not the same as "free." To understand what Toast online ordering costs, you need to look at three layers: the POS plan, the online ordering add-on, and payment processing and hardware.
This guide breaks down Toast's published pricing, shows where the extra costs come from, and compares it with a flat-fee alternative. All Toast figures come from Toast's own pricing page, which says it was last updated August 20, 2026 (pos.toasttab.com/pricing, as of Oct 2026).
Toast's restaurant pricing page lists these plans (as of Oct 2026):
| Toast plan | Published price | What Toast says it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Starter Kit | "Starting at $0/month" | "Single-location restaurants who need 1-2 terminals." Hardware kit with no upfront costs. |
| Point of Sale | "Starting at $69/month" | "Core functionality and flat-rate processing." Monthly software subscription; choose your own hardware. |
| Build Your Own | Custom pricing | The full platform, quoted by sales |
| POS + Payroll bundle (new restaurants) | "$69/month + $9 per employee/month" (shown with an original price of $90) | Adds payroll essentials and basic scheduling |
Source: Toast pricing, as of Oct 2026. Toast's footnotes add that "Pricing applies to new customers and single locations only" and the price "includes first hardware terminal subscription. Additional charges apply for subsequent devices."
Online ordering is not a separate line item with a public price. On the pricing comparison chart, it sits inside the Digital Storefront Suite:
The chart marks these as available "with add-on; additional fees may apply" (Toast pricing, as of Oct 2026). Toast's online ordering page promises "No commissions. No hidden fees." and flat delivery fees through Toast Delivery Services (Toast online ordering, as of Oct 2026). It doesn't list the add-on's monthly price, so you'll need a quote.
What that means in practice: with Toast, online ordering runs on top of a Toast POS. If you don't want to switch your POS, Toast online ordering isn't really an option.
Toast's FAQ is upfront that the base plan isn't the whole bill:
All quotes from Toast pricing, as of Oct 2026.
Since the add-on price and processing rate are quote-based, build your estimate like this:
Ask the Toast rep for a written quote that includes every line above. Then put the numbers into our online ordering cost calculator next to the alternatives.
Here's a simple way to compare, using only published numbers:
| Toast | AIOrders | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly software | From $0 (Starter Kit) or $69 (Point of Sale) + Digital Storefront add-on (quote) | flat-monthly plan with 0% order fees |
| Commission on online orders | "No commissions" | 0% on the flat-monthly plan |
| Requires switching POS | Yes, Toast POS and approved hardware | No. Order Hub sends orders into "your existing POS system (Square, Clover, Toast, and more)" |
| Website + SEO | Digital Storefront Pro (add-on) | AI website builder, local SEO and review automation included in the flat plan |
| Marketing (email/SMS, loyalty) | Marketing Suite (add-on) | Included in the flat plan |
Sources: Toast pricing, AIOrders homepage, AIOrders pricing, Order Hub, all as of Oct 2026.
Toast is a strong choice if you want a full POS with hardware, payroll and in-store operations from one vendor. If you're happy with your current POS and mainly want commission-free online orders plus marketing, a flat plan can be simpler. See the full AIOrders vs Toast comparison and our Toast alternative page.
About AIOrders: a commission-free online ordering and restaurant marketing platform based in Vancouver, BC, serving restaurants in Canada and the USA. Pricing: a flat-monthly plan with 0% order fees, or a lower-cost entry plan with a per-order fee.
Toast doesn't publish a standalone price. Online ordering is part of its Digital Storefront add-on, marked "additional fees may apply," on top of a POS plan that starts at $0/month (Starter Kit) or $69/month (Point of Sale), per Toast's pricing page as of Oct 2026.
Toast's online ordering page says "No commissions. No hidden fees." You still pay for the software add-on, payment processing and, if used, a flat delivery fee per order.
Toast's online ordering is sold as part of the Toast platform and runs on approved Toast hardware, so it's designed for restaurants using Toast POS.
If you want to keep your current POS, look for an ordering system that integrates with it. AIOrders' Order Hub sends orders into Square, Clover and Toast, and its flat plan includes 0% commission ordering, website, SEO and marketing.
It depends on your add-ons, processing rate and hardware. Get a written Toast quote and compare the total with flat-fee options in a cost calculator.