Best Quick Service Restaurant POS Systems

Toast operates on preconfigured Elo touch-screen monitor tablets and handhelds, so you’ll have to buy hardware directly from Toast. Prices range from $609 for a handheld terminal kit up to $999 for a self-service kiosk kit. Since Toast designs all of its hardware, you’ll find dynamic options for countertop and handheld POS terminals, self-service kiosks, KDS screens, customer-facing displays, and digital menu boards.

Countertop Terminal Kit	Handheld Terminal Kit	Guest Self-service Kit	KDS
Pay-as-you-go: $0 upfront; 2.99% plus 15 cents processing fees Pay upfront: $799 plus $69 per month*	Pay-as-you-go: $0 upfront; 2.99% plus 15 cents processing fees Pay upfront: $609 plus $69 per month*	Pay-as-you-go: $0 upfront; 2.99% plus 15 cents processing Pay upfront: $999 plus $99 per month*	Custom quoted; Contact Toast for pricing
Toast Flex terminal, payment device, and router**	Toast Go 2 handheld order and payment device, indoor wireless access point, and router**	22-inch Toast touch-screen kiosk terminal, payment device, and router**	Wall-mountable touch-screen KDS screen**
Purchase from Toast

*Toast’s standard processing rates of 2.49% plus 15 cents apply to hardware and software packages that are paid upfront, rather than on a pay-as-you-go plan.
**Includes setup and customer care.

• Pay-as-you-go hardware: While systems like Square for Restaurants allow users to bring their own hardware, Toast is the only provider on this list that offers its proprietary POS hardware at no upfront cost. This can be a game-changer for small QSRs that need to expand their operations. Although this offer currently only extends to up to two terminals, it gives small restaurants access to industry-grade hardware that can withstand a lot of use.
• Flexible hardware: Standard terminals with flip screens, customer-facing displays, tableside/mobile ordering, kitchen display screens, and self-order kiosks are all available on this system. Toast’s self-service kiosk and KDS are some of our top recommendations for these restaurant tools. In particular, the KDS has many insightful features, including all-day counts, easy ticket searching, and a Rush Order button that moves rush orders to the front of the ticket queue with the click of a button.
• Toast Go 2 handheld terminal: Toast also supports a fully featured handheld terminal, the Toast Go 2, to support line busting and curbside or tableside orders and payments. Every system on this list supports some kind of handheld terminal. But because QSRs can be busy and shifts can be long, we gave the highest points to systems that include ergonomic, purpose-built handhelds over those that use heavier, larger iPads for handheld devices. The Toast Go 2, which fits in an apron pocket and can be operated with one hand, is best-in-class.
• Advanced combo building: Toast’s combo builder operates a little differently than the others on this list. Rather than relying on nested modifiers, Toast combos operate as a discount type. You tell your Toast system which menu items are possible combo items, and a discount applies automatically when they are added to a check.
• Drive-thru management: Toast offers a detailed, built-in drive-thru order stream. You can find configuration instructions on Toast Central, Toast’s online knowledge database. Once configured, your drive-thru tickets will be color-coded on your KDS screens.
• Delivery tools: Toast offers some of our favorite built-in POS delivery tools. With Toast, you can manage a team of in-house drivers with GPS mapping integrations or opt to send your in-house orders to local third-party drivers for a flat, per-delivery fee.

Toast offers its software at four subscription levels, so there are options for restaurants with any budget. The more you spend, the more tools Toast includes. Small quick service operations will be well-supported by the Starter package, which is available for $0 per month with slightly higher payment processing fees, or as a standard plan with monthly fees ranging from $69 to $99 per month (depending on the hardware you choose).

If you want a full-featured restaurant POS, but you prefer iPad hardware, try Lightspeed or Revel. If you like Toast’s free baseline system, but don’t want to be locked into a two-year contract, check out Square for Restaurants; that system is available on a month-to-month basis with no long-term contract.

If you need higher functioning drive-thru management tools than Toast offers, Revel Systems is your best bet. If you prefer to shop for the lowest payment processing rates, Revel is also a good bet; it integrates with the most payment processors.

See how Toast stacks up against Square for Restaurants and TouchBistro. See why we like it for online ordering and inventory management, and take a deeper look with our full Toast POS review.

Like Square, Lightspeed, and TouchBistro, Revel operates on iPads. Although Revel was the first iPad POS for restaurants. So, it’s little wonder that Revel has designed multiple ways to leverage the iPad and iPad minis as stationary POS terminals, handheld terminals, customer-facing displays, self-service kiosks, and digital menu boards. Revel also integrates with dynamic industry-grade touchscreens for KDS and additional digital displays that can all be managed from your Revel back office dashboard.

L-stand Terminal	Self Service Kiosk	Link2500 Mobile iPad Case	ViewSonic VSD243 KDS
iPad stand with customer-facing display	Low profile, countertop self-service kiosk stand for iPad	Payment-enabled handheld case for iPad	24-inch industry-grade touch-screen KDS screen
Purchase from Revel

• Robust drive-thru support: Revel offers a complete drive-thru management module called Drive Thru XT. In addition to speed ordering and payment screens, Drive Thru XT includes prompts to track vehicle types in your drive-thru queue. This ensures that the correct order goes to the correct customer every time.
• Customizable hardware: Digital menu boards; kitchen display screens; iPad-based registers; self-service kiosks; mobile ordering tablets; chip, swipe, and contactless card readers; and Bluetooth- and ethernet-connected printers are all available on Revel. So, you can create a custom configuration to match any restaurant operation. Revel has the most flexible hardware options of any system on this list, and they are all configurable through Revel’s back office dashboard.

With Revel, you can print paper receipts at a terminal or kiosk as well as link a Bluetooth printer to a handheld tablet to print paper receipts on the move. If you want sticky labels for individual item orders or to seal to-go bags, Revel has you covered. If you prepare or sell ready-to-eat (RTE) and ready-to-drink (RTD) items, you can print scannable barcode labels from Revel’s back office dashboard, too.

• Complex combo building: Revel’s combo-building function is incredibly detailed. It displays all your combo options on a single screen for fast ordering and easy adjustments if customers change their minds. This reduces button presses and backtracking, which speeds up your service at the counter or the drive-thru.
• Delivery management: Revel System’s delivery module, Delivery XT, is the most robust available in a hybrid POS. You can dispatch drivers with GPS directions and track their transactions and shift performance just like you do for cashiers. The driver dispatch tools are Uber-level. You can see driver locations in real time and track them on a live map.
• Inventory and vendor management: Revel Systems keeps your supplies in order with end-to-end inventory tools that include purchase order (PO) creation and order receiving directly in the POS. A smartphone app for performing physical counts lets your team scan barcodes to count items, and employee permissions allow you to spread inventory counting tasks across your team without giving counting employees access to the entire inventory module.

Revel is the priciest system on this list. Subscriptions start at $99 per terminal with a two-terminal minimum. One-time installation fees start at $674. This can be a bit steep for newcomers, especially considering that competitors like Toast and Square for Restaurants offer free baseline subscriptions for small operators. But Revel includes tools in its baseline POS that others charge extra for, like ingredient-level inventory and employee scheduling. Because Revel integrates with several payment processors, you may be able to recoup some of your costs by negotiating lower processing fees.

There is no denying that Revel is expensive. If you want to get close to the same level of functionality at a lower cost, look at Toast and Oracle MICROS Simphony. You’ll find drive-thru tools in both of those systems, as well as optional multilocation management.

If the general size of Revel overwhelms you, check out Square for Restaurants and Lightspeed. Both of these self-installable systems run on iPads and offer excellent all-in-one tools for restaurants with a small footprint.

Take a deeper look at Revel Systems POS features with our full Revel review.

Oracle MICROS Simphony operates on industry-grade hardware that is rated to withstand a high volume of use. The handheld terminals are robust enough to line bust drive-thru queues in addition to in-house lines. Oracle regularly advertises its hardware at $1 per terminal, but this offer only applies to existing restaurants that switch from another POS system. New restaurants with no hardware to trade in will need to contact Oracle directly for full pricing details.

Workstation 6 Series	Tablet 700 Series	Self-Service Kiosk	KDS
Countertop, touch-screen POS terminal	Touch-screen handheld order and payment device	Touch-screen kiosk	Bump-bar enabled KDS screen
Purchase from Oracle

• Centralized multilocation dashboard: Adding new locations to your Simphony dashboard only takes a few minutes. You can easily run reports for single locations or compare multiple locations in a single report. All information is accessible via a central dashboard, so you don’t need to log into various back office dashboards and run multiple reports.
• Drive-thru management: Simphony’s drive-thru management includes tools for managing a traditional drive-thru alongside curbside pickup monitoring. You can keep track of which numbered parking spaces customers arrive in, note vehicle type, and closeout orders at the drive-thru window or via a handheld terminal in the parking lot.
• Rugged, customizable hardware: Like top-ranked Toast, Simphony operates on hardware that has been designed to withstand a demanding restaurant environment. Terminals are sealed to prevent the intrusion of steam, water, and dust. They can also operate at higher and lower temperatures than an iPad.
• Multilanguage support: Your Simphony POS can operate in more than 20 languages. So, if your restaurant operates in multiple countries, you can use the same system in the local language. This supports QSRs that want to expand on a grand scale. Simphony is the only option on this list that has this language option.

Starting at $55 per month, Simphony falls in the middle of the pack of the systems on this list. Like Square, it includes online ordering in all subscriptions, although like Toast, inventory comes at a higher cost. Simphony offers a configuration that the others on this list don’t as users have the option to run their Simphony POS via the Cloud or via an on-site server. This configuration―called “single Tenant”―requires a custom quote.

Like Revel, Simphony’s many features can take some time to learn. If you prefer a simpler system, try Toast, Lightspeed, or TouchBistro. It also lacks a free trial or free baseline subscription. So if your budget is tight, Toast or Square are better choices.

Square for Restaurants operates on iPads and Square-designed terminals. While these are less robust in high-volume environments than Toast and Oracle MICROS Simphony’s industry-grade hardware, they allow you to use compatible hardware that you may already own, saving small operations a lot in upfront costs. Square also offers easy financing terms for most of its available hardware.

Stand	Terminal	Stand Restaurant Station	Stand Mount
$149 ($14 per month for 12 months)*	$299 ($27 per month for 12 months)	$1,019*	$149 ($14 per month for 12 months)*
Payment-enabled iPad stand	Handheld order and payment terminal with integrated receipt printer	Complete POS including Square stand, cash drawer, and receipt printer	Counter or wall mount for POS or self-service kiosks
Purchase from Square *Price without an iPad; with an iPad, add $329.

• Pocket-sized Square Terminal: Square’s Terminal is a handheld order and payment device that fits in a pocket. Unlike other handheld devices on this list, Square Terminal also includes a built-in receipt printer. The Terminal is excellent for line busting in busy QSRs. It is the most compact handheld terminal on this list.
• Free basic POS: Square for Restaurants’ entry-level POS subscription is available for no monthly fees. If you have a compatible iPad, there are no costs to getting started with Square for Restaurants. The Free Square for Restaurants POS has a few limitations, though. You can’t reopen closed checks or use seat numbers and meal courses. While you can use the free POS on unlimited terminals, you can’t assign custom user permissions for various levels of access.
• Free online ordering site: Via the integrated Square Online Store, Square for Restaurants users can add an online ordering site for free. If your restaurant does not have a website, that’s no problem as you can host your online ordering page on a Square web address for no additional cost. Clover offers similar online ordering features, but Square’s free POS operates on the equipment you already have, which gives it the edge in free online ordering.
• No long-term contracts: Square for Restaurants does not require a long-term service contract to use. You can use the POS for a month or a year and leave at any time. You can also shift to a different subscription tier easily as your business grows or your needs change.
• Integrated KDS: Square for Restaurants recently added an integrated KDS (it formerly relied on FreshKDS). This new function is a great option for QSRs that need a cost-effective solution. Like the rest of the Square for Restaurants system, the Square KDS operates on iPads. You can download the software for the KDS from the Apple App Store.

Square for Restaurants offers three subscription tiers, ensuring that large operations get the tools they need while small QSRs don’t pay for tools they won’t use. Free users should note that the baseline subscription only includes one set of user permissions. With a Free subscription, your whole team will have access to the same features; you won’t be able to create different access levels for managers and cashiers. If you need custom permissions, you’ll need a Plus or Premium account.

If you need drive-thru management tools, then Square for Restaurants won’t be a fit for you. You should try Toast, Revel Systems, or Oracle MICROS Simphony instead. Inventory tools and self-service kiosks also require third-party integrations. If you prefer for those things to be built into your POS, Toast and Revel are also good alternatives.

Get a feel for Square for Restaurants by reading our full Square review, which includes a video. See why we love it for food trucks, online ordering, and restaurant payment processing.

• Quick service mode: Lightspeed Restaurant includes a quick service setting that reduces the number of button presses required to ring up a new order and process payment. Unfortunately, this mode does not support barcode scanning to add ready-to-eat (RTE) and ready-to-drink (RDT) items to orders.
• Consolidated third-party delivery: Via an integration with Deliverect, Lightspeed Restaurant consolidates all of your third-party delivery platforms into a single dashboard. You can configure online-only menus and manage each of your third-party platform subscriptions from a single place. Orders print to your kitchen or KDS screen seamlessly. However, if you prefer to manage your own team of in-house drivers, Lightspeed currently lacks those tools. You’ll be better served by Toast or Revel Systems.
• Flexible hardware: In addition to iPad-based terminals, Lightspeed Restaurant uses iPads for KDS, customer-facing displays, and self-service kiosks, so you can customize your POS by pressing a few buttons in the manager dashboard. These screens all feature Lightspeed’s intuitive interface. Lightspeed Restaurant has one of our favorite QSR KDS configurations.
• Popular integrations: In addition to Lightspeed’s extensive add-on functions, this restaurant POS integrates with 80-plus third-party software tools. You can find popular options for employee scheduling, inventory, website management, reservations, accounting, payroll, and third-party delivery platforms.

Lightspeed offers four pricing tiers, more than any other system on this list. These options give growing QSRs the most options to expand their software and hardware tools incrementally as their business grows and their needs change. Since Lightspeed operates on iPads, it is easy to add new terminals or peripherals as your restaurant expands.

*Prices listed are for a single terminal.

Like Square for Restaurants, Lightspeed lacks robust drive-thru management tools. If your QSR has a drive-thru and if you still want an iPad POS, try Revel systems. If industry-grade hardware is more your speed, check out Toast or Oracle MICROS Simphony.

Explore Lightspeed Restaurant’s POS features in our full review.

TouchBistro operates on iPads. These tablets can be configured as countertop terminals, customer-facing displays, KDS screens, or handheld order and payment devices.

Small Venue Terminal Kit	Large Venue Terminal Kit
Countertop iPad stand, cash drawer, and receipt printer	Countertop iPad stand, cash drawer, handheld iPad case, PIN-enabled card reader, receipt printer, kitchen printer, Mac mini server, Back office monitor, keyboard, and mouse
Purchase from TouchBistro

• “Fast Bar” speed screens: TouchBistro’s Fast Bar setting is the equivalent of Lightspeed Restaurant’s quick service mode. Both settings arrange the primary order screen to reduce button presses and speed counter service. With menu navigation and payment buttons on a single screen, your cashiers can ring in orders and process payments faster.
• Combo building: You can configure TouchBistro’s modifier menus to ring in basic combos, such as a burger and one side, or more complex orders, such as a family meal kit, for pickup or delivery.
• Customizable add-on modules: TouchBistro offers built-in tools for reservations, employee management, loyalty, online ordering, and gift cards. You can also configure your TouchBistro hardware to operate as KDS screens or customer-facing displays. Many of these customizations come with additional monthly fees ranging from $20 to $229 per month. You can find most fees transparently listed on the TouchBistro website.
• Dynamic KDS: TouchBistro has one of the easiest KDS screens to use. It operates on iPads, color codes orders by status, and includes an easy navigation bar at the bottom of the screen to reduce endless scrolling to find tickets.

TouchBistro’s pricing structure is similar to competitor Revel. Both offer a single per terminal software price with optional add-on modules at separate prices. Unlike Revel, however, TouchBistro lists most of its add-on pricing clearly on its website. It’s still a good idea to reach out to TouchBistro for a customized quote though; their sales team will typically quote a reduced per-terminal software rate for QSRs that need more than two POS terminals.

TouchBistro works best for mom-and-pop QSRs that frequently need to train new staff. If you need high-volume tools like self-service kiosks and industry-grade handheld terminals, you’ll be happier with something like Toast or Simphony.

If you prefer a system without a long-term contract, take a look at Square.

Learn more about TouchBistro’s POS features with our full review.