Toast vs Square for Restaurants 2026
The break point is approximately $30K monthly card volume. Below that, Square Free is cheaper. Above that, Toast negotiated wins. FSR is Toast territory; coffee shop and food truck are Square territory.
Square for Restaurants wins on monthly all-in below $150K monthly card volume. Toast wins on features above the FSR functional ceiling. Coffee shop = Square. Food truck = Square. 2-terminal QSR = either. FSR = Toast if you need coursing and tableside. 5-year TCO on the FSR default profile (3% annual processing escalation, year-4 hardware refresh): Toast ~$195K vs Square ~$160K. Toast costs roughly $35K more over 5 years and buys FSR functionality.
2-terminal QSR ($35K monthly)
Square Free: $0 SaaS + $910/mo processing (flat 2.6% + 10c) = $910/mo.
Toast Starter: $0 SaaS + $1,045/mo (2.99% + 15c) = $1,045/mo.
Toast Core: $138 SaaS + $872/mo (2.49% negotiated + VSF $35) = $1,045/mo.
At $35K monthly volume, Square edges out Toast by ~$135/mo.
Tier rank on the FSR default profile
4-terminal FSR ($80K monthly, 78% CP, $42 ticket — default profile)
Square for Restaurants: $40 SaaS + $0 hardware (Register bought outright, amortised separately) + $2,450 processing (flat 2.6% + 10c CP, 3.5% + 15c CNP) = $2,490/mo. Plus the FSR functional ceiling (no coursing, limited table management).
Toast Core: $326 SaaS + $156 hardware (36-mo lease) + $2,455 processing (negotiated 2.49% + 15c CP, 3.5% + 15c CNP) + $80 VSF + $20 hidden fees = $3,037/mo.
Toast wins on functionality (coursing, KDS, tableside). Square wins on monthly spend by approximately $547, but at the cost of FSR features. Numbers emitted live by the calculator on these inputs — open the homepage to vary terminals, volume or segment.
Breakeven on processing alone
Toast negotiated 2.49% beats Square flat 2.6% at any volume on card-present. Square wins overall because Toast carries SaaS ($69/terminal) plus VSF (10bps) plus hidden fees. The SaaS line is the swing.
Where Square hits its FSR ceiling
Complex coursing, multi-location chain, true tableside ordering with handhelds, large menu with combinatorial modifiers. At that point Toast is the only honest answer Toast pricing · 2026-06-20.