Toast vs. Clover: A Complete Comparison for Restaurant Owners

In my years of experience working with restaurant owners, I’ve seen firsthand how the right technology can streamline operations and improve profitability. Choosing the right POS system is crucial for your restaurant’s efficiency and success. 

And it’s not just about payments—a good POS system plays a crucial role in keeping everything running smoothly and profitably. Understanding the key differences between the leading options, Toast vs. Clover, can make all the difference in choosing the right one for your restaurant.

In this guide, I’ll compare the main differences between the two. By the end, you’ll know which system best suits your restaurant’s needs.

Toast: Best for established restaurants

Toast is an all-in-one POS system made for restaurants. It’s perfect for businesses with dine-in customers. Toast supports multiple locations, making it great for restaurants that want to grow or operate in several areas.

This system lets restaurants manage everything in one place. Servers can take orders at the table and send them directly to the kitchen. 

Meanwhile, managers can track sales and inventory from the same system in real time. This integration simplifies your workflow and reduces the need for managing multiple tools.

Toast offers a range of integrations and add-ons to help you customize your system to meet your restaurant's needs. 

You can connect Toast to accounting software like QuickBooks, add online ordering to your website and even implement loyalty programs to encourage repeat customers. All these features work seamlessly through the Toast platform.

Designed specifically for restaurants, Toast’s hardware includes tools like kitchen display systems (KDS), tableside ordering and handheld devices. These solutions are perfect for full-service and high-volume venues, providing everything you need to run your operations smoothly.

Key features:

• Checkout and tableside ordering allow servers to take orders and process payments directly at the table, improving service speed and reducing errors.
• Delivery and online ordering come with tools that help manage orders and deliveries, reducing the need for third-party platforms.
• Real-time inventory management and tracking help track stock levels and usage, ensuring you don’t run out of ingredients or overstock.
• Reports on sales, labor and customer trends help restaurants make smart choices, which can improve profitability, efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Toast POS reviews

Rating Source

‍Customers like:

“Good device and kind staff who helped to go live for the business. I like their referral program as well. Highly recommend!”

“The fluidity of the system and how much easier it is to use is uncanny.”

‍Customers don’t like:

“Daily use is fine and affordable. Once you have a problem and need customer support unless a very easy problem, it goes to level 2 black hole.”

“Anytime I talk to somebody on the phone, they don’t seem to know what they’re doing.”

Clover: Best for customizable features 

Clover is a flexible POS system perfect for restaurant owners looking for a customizable solution. It supports a wider range of payment methods, giving customers more options. Clover is modular—owners can mix and match different devices, making it great for small restaurants that want flexibility. 

With its user-friendly design, Clover is a great fit for smaller restaurants, offering flexibility without the complexity. Its sleek, modern interface makes it an appealing choice for owners who want a straightforward system without a hefty financial investment or long-term contract.

However, this flexibility comes at the expense of some restaurant-specific features. While Clover can handle basic POS functions, it may not offer restaurant-specific features like KDS, full-service table management or coursing, which are essential for more complex restaurant operations.

I think it’s a solid choice for restaurants that don’t need these higher-end tools but still want a solid, reliable POS system.

Key features:

• Clover accepts a wide range of payment methods, including credit cards, mobile payments and gift cards, allowing restaurant owners to accept more payments and increase sales.
• The system offers flexible hardware options, enabling owners to mix and match devices to create a setup that suits their restaurant’s space and needs.
• Flexible inventory management integrates with third-party apps, helping businesses better manage stock and operate more efficiently.
• Customizable reporting tools focus on key metrics and trends, providing businesses with insights to make informed decisions about their operations.

Clover POS reviews

Rating Source

Customers like:

“I have been using Clover POS for several years now and could not be happier. Things work very smoothly and very consistently, and when I need help, it takes no time at all to be talking with a helpful human.”

‍“As a small business starting a few months ago, I don’t want to pay over my budget; Clover is great, inexpensive, and has everything that I need for my store.”

Customers don’t like:

“Clover makes good-looking terminals, but the company has deliberately awful customer service.”

“Haven't had too much trouble with Clover since using them 2 years ago until very recently they issued a software update, and now we have to choose between having a tip line on the tablet (POS) and on the printed receipts.”

Features and functionality 

Below I’ll compare Toast and Clover's key features and functionality to help you determine which POS system best suits your restaurant's needs.

Toast features  

Toast meets the needs of restaurants, especially large and multi-location ones. It offers a complete set of restaurant-specific features, such as:

• Advanced inventory management
• Employee scheduling
• Customer loyalty programs

The hardware is built specifically for restaurants. It includes handheld devices for ordering at the table and KDS to improve team communication. Toast has an online ordering system and advanced reporting tools. 

These tools help businesses track sales, labor and customer trends. Toast is a trusted choice designed to help full-service restaurants increase revenue, optimize staff management and gain valuable customer insights.

Clover features  

Clover stands out for its flexibility, allowing owners to pick from various hardware devices to fit their needs. It also supports many payment methods, making it ideal for restaurants that want options. These include credit cards, mobile payments and gift cards. 

Although Clover lacks advanced tools like KDS or full-service table management, it integrates easily with many third-party apps for added features. Clover also provides:

• Basic inventory management
• Employee management tools
• Customizable reporting to track sales trends and basic metrics 

However, it doesn't offer the same in-depth restaurant-specific insights as Toast. While Clover is ideal for smaller operations or those with less complex needs, Toast excels when it comes to features tailored specifically to the restaurant industry.

Winner: Toast

Toast shines in restaurant-specific features. It has strong tools for inventory management, employee scheduling and reporting. Its built-in hardware, like KDS and tableside ordering, is great for full-service and multi-location restaurants. 

Pricing and fees  

Both systems use different pricing models. Prices can change based on features, add-ons and your restaurant's size. Here's a comparison to help you see what each POS system offers.

Toast costs  

Toast’s pricing is based on subscription fees that increase as you add more features. The monthly fee starts at around $69 for essential tools like online ordering, advanced reporting and employee management.

Toast pricing for hardware is proprietary and may come at an upfront cost, typically ranging from $0 to $1,800, depending on the devices you need (registers, handhelds, KDS). Payment processing fees start at 2.6% + 10 cents per transaction, which aligns with industry standards. 

However, Toast charges extra for certain add-ons, such as loyalty programs, online ordering and advanced reporting features. Depending on your needs, these extra features can add significant costs.

Clover costs  

Clover rates offer more flexibility in terms of hardware and subscription fees. The base subscription starts at $14.95/month for the most basic POS functionalities. 

However, Clover requires you to purchase or lease hardware, with POS costs ranging from $0 to $1,000+, depending on the devices you choose (such as registers, printers and handhelds). 

Clover's payment processing fees start at 2.3% + 10 cents per transaction. Its flexibility allows integrations with third-party apps for loyalty, online ordering and reporting, though these may come with extra fees. 

Unlike Toast, Clover doesn’t require long-term contracts, offering more pricing flexibility.

Winner: Clover

Clover has a flexible pricing structure and features a lower base subscription with no long-term contracts. Both systems have similar payment processing fees. 

However, Clover allows more customization through third-party app integrations, providing greater control over costs. Businesses can choose hardware and services without strict pricing, which makes this system a better option for smaller or budget-conscious businesses.

Hardware options and coverage  

When choosing a POS system, hardware is key to making sure your restaurant runs efficiently. Both Toast and Clover offer various hardware options, but the flexibility, cost and suitability for different types of restaurants vary. Here’s a closer look at the hardware options each system offers.

Toast hardware

Toast’s hardware serves the restaurant industry, featuring specialized devices that simplify operations. The POS terminals are all-in-one solutions for busy restaurants and include a built-in touch screen, receipt printers and payment processors. 

Toast offers handhelds and tablets for tableside ordering. This speeds up service by letting waitstaff take orders and process payments right at the table. They also provide KDS for better kitchen communication, which replaces paper tickets and boosts order accuracy. 

However, Toast’s hardware is proprietary. It only works with Toast’s software, which limits your options if you want to switch processors.

Clover hardware  

Clover offers more flexible hardware options compared to Toast. Their POS terminals are also all-in-one devices, but Clover lets you mix and match hardware to suit your restaurant’s specific needs. 

For instance, you can pair tablets, handheld devices and card readers according to your space and operations. 

While Clover lacks a built-in KDS, it integrates with third-party kitchen management apps, making it a more modular solution. 

The flexible hardware options are ideal for businesses that want to adapt or upgrade over time. While Clover offers a larger selection, Toast’s hardware is specifically designed for restaurants.

Winner: Toast

Toast’s hardware includes devices for high-volume settings, like tableside ordering and KDS. These features improve service and kitchen communication. 

Clover offers more hardware options, but Toast’s solutions are made for restaurants. They reliably streamline operations, making Toast the better choice for seamless, specialized hardware.

Customer service and ease of use   

Customer service and ease of use are key for a restaurant's smooth operation with a POS system. Whether troubleshooting issues or setting up for the first time, the support you get and the system’s simplicity can greatly impact daily operations. 

Here’s my comparison of the customer service and ease of use between Toast and Clover.

Toast 

Toast is known for its dedicated restaurant support, offering 24/7 help via phone, email and live chat. What sets it apart is that the support team is specifically trained to assist restaurant owners and managers. This can be a huge advantage when troubleshooting issues related to food service, inventory or customer orders. 

I  love that Toast also offers plenty of training resources and onboarding support, which helps restaurants get started smoothly. The system is user-friendly and fits restaurant workflows, needing little customization. 

For more complex issues, Toast's detailed knowledge base offers simple written guides and video tutorials.

Clover

Clover also offers 24/7 customer support through phone, email and live chat. Clover is more modular and serves various businesses, which means its support may lack restaurant-specific details. 

As a result, resolving issues can be a bit harder if you need restaurant-focused advice or troubleshooting.

Clover’s training resources are solid, with video tutorials and a knowledge base to guide users. It’s easy to use, but its flexible hardware and software options can add complexity. This may require more time or help from third-party apps to adjust. 

The self-service options work well, but with multiple integrations or apps, you might need to reach out to third-party developers for support.

Winner: Toast

Toast provides strong support for restaurants with 24/7 help from a trained team. This makes troubleshooting simpler. Its user-friendly system and extensive training resources ensure smooth onboarding and ongoing use. 

Toast focuses on restaurant workflows, setting it apart from general support options. For businesses needing specialized help, Toast’s dedicated service is a clear advantage.

Final verdict: The tool I recommend

Toast and Clover offer great solutions, but the best choice depends on your restaurant's unique needs.

Why choose Toast:

I’d say that Toast is ideal for established or multi-location restaurants. It provides advanced features like KDS, tableside ordering and detailed reporting. 

With easy hardware integration and 24/7 support from restaurant experts, Toast streamlines operations for high-volume businesses. It's the best choice if you want to boost efficiency and grow your business.

Why choose Clover:

Clover is great for smaller, flexible businesses that need affordable POS solutions. It works well for quick-service restaurants, cafés and food trucks. 

The system is user-friendly, with customizable hardware and easy setup. Clover's flexibility and lower upfront costs suit growing businesses that need to adjust their systems easily.

The bottom line

• Toast is best for larger, full-service restaurants needing specialized tools and advanced functionality.
• Clover is great for smaller restaurants or those seeking flexibility and lower initial costs.

Although Toast competitors like Clover and Square offer solid POS systems, Toast’s restaurant-specific features and integrated tools make it the preferred choice for full-service and high-volume restaurants.

Both systems are top-notch, so I’d recommend selecting the one that aligns with your business needs and future goals.

Choosing the right POS system is step one to more sales 

Choosing the right POS system is a big decision, but it's just one part of your restaurant’s overall tech stack. Whether you go with Toast or Clover to help streamline your in-person operations, your online ordering strategy is just as important for driving profits.

That’s where we step in. Toast and Clover manage your in-house transactions, but Owner.com helps you get more direct online orders. Keep more profits and reduce reliance on costly third-party platforms—start increasing your online orders today.

Frequently asked questions

Choosing the right POS system for your restaurant can raise questions. Below, we’ve answered some of the most common queries to help you make a more informed decision between Toast and Clover.

Are all POS systems the same?

No, not all POS systems are the same. They all process payments, but their features differ. Some systems, like Toast, target the restaurant industry. Others, such as Clover, provide flexibility for various businesses.

Is Clover or Toast better?

It depends on your restaurant’s needs. Toast is great for full-service places needing advanced features like KDS and tableside ordering. Clover suits smaller, flexible operations that prefer customization and lower costs.

Does Toast or Clover offer delivery?

No, Toast and Clover don’t offer delivery services, but they connect with third-party delivery platforms. Toast includes online ordering features. Clover works with delivery apps to help you manage the process.

Which tool pays out quicker?  

Toast and Clover both provide next-day payouts, but the timing can differ based on your processor or account status. Both systems are quick and dependable for payouts, but Clover may offer more flexibility based on your setup.