Toast and Square are two of the most popular restaurant POS choices in Canada and the USA. Toast is built only for restaurants (and now retail); Square is a general commerce platform with strong restaurant features and a $0 starting plan. This page compares their published 2026 pricing and fees, explains who each fits, and covers a commission-free option for the online-ordering side: AIOrders.
Toast says online ordering has no commissions and that delivery from your site costs a flat fee per order (Toast Online Ordering, as of Oct 2026). Digital Storefront packages are quoted, so the monthly price varies; see their pricing page.
AIOrders offers a flat-monthly plan with 0% order fees instead of a percentage of each order; its entry plan adds a per-order fee (see pricing). The company is based in Vancouver, BC (aiorders.io, as of Oct 2026).
| Feature | Toast | Square | AIOrders |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | US from $0/mo (Starter Kit) or $69/mo (POS); Canada from CA$120/mo | US: $0 / $49 / $149 per location; Canada: $0 or from $35/mo | Flat-monthly plan with 0% order fees; entry plan adds a per-order fee (see pricing) |
| Per-order fees | Card processing at a flat rate (rate not published) | US: 2.6% + 15¢ in person, 3.3% + 30¢ online (Free); lower on paid plans | No commission on the flat-monthly plan; Uber Direct delivery billed per delivery |
| Commission | None on Toast Online Ordering; flat fee per delivery | None; processing per transaction | 0% on direct orders |
| QR ordering | Toast Mobile Order & Pay | QR code ordering listed | Yes, Smart QR table ordering |
| Website | Toast Websites (Digital Storefront Pro) | Square Online website builder | AI website builder included |
| SEO | SEO features in Digital Storefront Pro | SEO tools in website builder | AI SEO and Google listings included |
| Review automation | Not listed | Not listed | Voice of Guest, included |
| Loyalty | Toast Loyalty (Marketing Suite) | Square Loyalty (own product) | Included |
| AI phone | Not listed | Not listed | Optional add-on |
| Contract | Varies, see their pricing page | Upgrade, downgrade or cancel plans | Cancel anytime; money-back guarantee, see pricing |
| Canada / USA | Both | Both | Vancouver-based; serves restaurants in Canada and the USA |
| POS | Yes, full restaurant POS | Yes, Square POS | Not a POS; Order Hub syncs to Square, Clover, Toast |
"Not listed" means we did not find it on the public pricing page when we checked. Ask the vendor if it matters to you.
The cheapest option on paper depends on your card mix and volume. Get Toast's rate in writing and compare it against Square's published rates on your real monthly sales.
Clover is the third common option. Its US restaurant plans are $135–$179/month over 36 months, with 2.3% + 10¢ in person and 3.5% + 10¢ typed in (Clover, as of Oct 2026). See Toast vs Clover for that head-to-head.
Toast is better for full-service and multi-location restaurants that want a restaurant-only POS with handhelds, KDS, payroll and team tools, and that are happy to negotiate a processing rate.
Square is better for cafés, quick-service spots, food trucks and new restaurants that want to start at $0/month with transparent processing rates, or that also sell retail goods.
Neither POS includes done-for-you marketing. AIOrders adds commission-free online ordering, AI SEO, review automation, loyalty and win-back campaigns on top of Toast or Square, and its Order Hub syncs orders into both.
See what you would keep. Run your order volume through the AIOrders calculator, then book a demo or see pricing.
Square is cheaper to start ($0/month) and publishes its rates. Toast also has a $0/month Starter Kit in the US, but its processing rate is quoted. Compare on your own volume.
Square US: 2.6% + 15¢ in person and 3.3% + 30¢ online on Free; lower on Plus and Premium (Square, as of Oct 2026). Toast: flat-rate processing, percentage not published; ask for a quote.
Both operate in Canada. Toast starts at CA$120/month (Toast Canada, as of Oct 2026); Square starts at $0/month with 2.5% card-present and 2.8% + 30¢ card-not-present rates (Square Canada, as of Oct 2026).
AIOrders offers a flat-monthly plan with 0% order fees (see pricing; the entry plan adds a per-order fee), and works alongside Toast or Square.