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Best Toast alternatives in 2026

Looking for an alternative to Toast? Whether you've outgrown it, find the pricing steep, or just want to weigh your options, these are the strongest restaurant & pos alternatives in 2026 — ranked on pricing, features, and who each one fits best. Toast itself has a free tier, so we've flagged where each option is cheaper, simpler, or more specialized.

  1. 1
    7shifts
    Best for: restaurants

    Restaurant team scheduling. A popular restaurant alternative to Toast with a genuinely usable free tier — free – $34.99/mo. Particularly strong for restaurants.

  2. 2
    MarginEdge
    Best for: restaurants

    If Toast feels like overkill or over-budget, MarginEdge is a leaner option. Restaurant back-office automation. Pricing: from $330/mo.

  3. 3
    Square for Restaurants
    Best for: restaurants

    Square for Restaurants goes head-to-head with Toast on features with a genuinely usable free tier. Square POS for restaurants. Best suited to restaurants. Free – $69/mo.

  4. 4
    TouchBistro
    Best for: restaurants

    A well-rated restaurant pick. iPad POS for restaurants. TouchBistro starts at from $69/mo, making it a credible Toast replacement.

  5. 5
    Stripe
    Best for: developers

    Payments infrastructure for the internet. A popular payment processing alternative to Toast — custom. Particularly strong for developers.

  6. 6
    Mercury
    Best for: startups

    If Toast feels like overkill or over-budget, Mercury is a leaner option with a genuinely usable free tier. Banking built for startups. Pricing: free.

  7. 7
    GlossGenius
    Best for: beauty-pros

    GlossGenius goes head-to-head with Toast on features. All-in-one for beauty pros. Best suited to beauty-pros. From $24/mo.

  8. 8
    Wise
    Best for: freelancers

    A well-rated payment processing pick. Cheap international money transfers. Wise offers a free plan and starts at free, making it a credible Toast replacement.

Still considering Toast itself? Read our Toast review →

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Toast alternative?

7shifts is our top-rated Toast alternative for 2026. Restaurant team scheduling. Free – $34.99/mo.

Is there a free Toast alternative?

Yes — 7shifts, Square for Restaurants, Mercury all offer a free tier you can start on without a credit card.

Why switch from Toast?

Common reasons are price, a simpler feature set, better fit for a specific use case, or platform support. Each tool above notes where it has an edge over Toast.