[Home](https://www.selecthub.com/) \> [POS](https://www.selecthub.com/category/pos/) \> [POS Software](https://www.selecthub.com/c/pos-software/) \> [Toast](https://www.selecthub.com/p/pos-software/toast/) \> Toast vs Lightspeed # Toast vs Lightspeed Last Updated: August 31st, 2026 Our analysts compared [Toast](https://www.selecthub.com/p/pos-software/toast/) vs [Lightspeed](https://www.selecthub.com/p/pos-software/lightspeed/) based on data from our 400+ point analysis of [POS Software](https://www.selecthub.com/c/pos-software/), user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our [free software selection platform](https://www.selecthub.com/about/start-free-selection-project-site/?category=POS Software&cta=pos-software). [Overview](#product-overview) [Pricing](#product-pricing) [Our Review](#product-analyst-summary) [User Ratings](#user-sentiment-section) [Features](#product-benefits-features) [Analyst Ratings](#analyst-rating-section) [Comparison Charts](#product-comparison-charts) [Screenshots](#product-screenshots) Remove Add to Compare [![Toast Software Tool](https://cdn.selecthub.com/products/bc19986e5c658d4135bd559a0b37c0bc-82614cb69941783a16e7d2177ba8deb2/resources/normal/logo.png?1693318418)](https://www.selecthub.com/p/pos-software/toast/) [ ![Product Awards](https://www.selecthub.com/display/images/awards_badge.svg) ](#awards-section) Remove Add to Compare [![Lightspeed Software Tool](https://cdn.selecthub.com/products/326a8c055c0d04f5b06544665d8bb3ea-d531f1be6b15a0e5a9ad1eb2655c79cf/resources/normal/logo.png?1693316761)](https://www.selecthub.com/p/pos-software/lightspeed/) [ ![Product Awards](https://www.selecthub.com/display/images/awards_badge.svg) ](#awards-section) [Get Free Demo](https://pmo.selecthub.com/get-product-demo/?category=POS+Software&product%5Fname=Toast&product%5Flogo=https%3A%2F%2Fd3uimxdj41cg3o.cloudfront.net%2Fproducts%2Fbc19986e5c658d4135bd559a0b37c0bc-82614cb69941783a16e7d2177ba8deb2%2Fresources%2Fnormal%2Flogo.png%3F1693318418) [Demo](https://pmo.selecthub.com/get-product-demo/?category=POS+Software&product%5Fname=Toast&product%5Flogo=https%3A%2F%2Fd3uimxdj41cg3o.cloudfront.net%2Fproducts%2Fbc19986e5c658d4135bd559a0b37c0bc-82614cb69941783a16e7d2177ba8deb2%2Fresources%2Fnormal%2Flogo.png%3F1693318418) [Request Pricing](https://pmo.selecthub.com/get-product-pricing/?category=POS+Software&product%5Fname=Toast&product%5Flogo=https%3A%2F%2Fd3uimxdj41cg3o.cloudfront.net%2Fproducts%2Fbc19986e5c658d4135bd559a0b37c0bc-82614cb69941783a16e7d2177ba8deb2%2Fresources%2Fnormal%2Flogo.png%3F1693318418&price=2) [Pricing](https://pmo.selecthub.com/get-product-pricing/?category=POS+Software&product%5Fname=Toast&product%5Flogo=https%3A%2F%2Fd3uimxdj41cg3o.cloudfront.net%2Fproducts%2Fbc19986e5c658d4135bd559a0b37c0bc-82614cb69941783a16e7d2177ba8deb2%2Fresources%2Fnormal%2Flogo.png%3F1693318418&price=2) [Get Free Demo](https://pmo.selecthub.com/get-product-demo/?category=POS+Software&product%5Fname=Lightspeed&product%5Flogo=https%3A%2F%2Fd3uimxdj41cg3o.cloudfront.net%2Fproducts%2F326a8c055c0d04f5b06544665d8bb3ea-d531f1be6b15a0e5a9ad1eb2655c79cf%2Fresources%2Fnormal%2Flogo.png%3F1693316761) [Demo](https://pmo.selecthub.com/get-product-demo/?category=POS+Software&product%5Fname=Lightspeed&product%5Flogo=https%3A%2F%2Fd3uimxdj41cg3o.cloudfront.net%2Fproducts%2F326a8c055c0d04f5b06544665d8bb3ea-d531f1be6b15a0e5a9ad1eb2655c79cf%2Fresources%2Fnormal%2Flogo.png%3F1693316761) [Request Pricing](https://pmo.selecthub.com/get-product-pricing/?category=POS+Software&product%5Fname=Lightspeed&product%5Flogo=https%3A%2F%2Fd3uimxdj41cg3o.cloudfront.net%2Fproducts%2F326a8c055c0d04f5b06544665d8bb3ea-d531f1be6b15a0e5a9ad1eb2655c79cf%2Fresources%2Fnormal%2Flogo.png%3F1693316761&price=2) [Pricing](https://pmo.selecthub.com/get-product-pricing/?category=POS+Software&product%5Fname=Lightspeed&product%5Flogo=https%3A%2F%2Fd3uimxdj41cg3o.cloudfront.net%2Fproducts%2F326a8c055c0d04f5b06544665d8bb3ea-d531f1be6b15a0e5a9ad1eb2655c79cf%2Fresources%2Fnormal%2Flogo.png%3F1693316761&price=2) ### Products Insights Overall Rating Comparison [ Analyst Rating Toast - Analyst Score: 79 out of 100 79 Detailed Analysis ](#analyst-rating-section) [ User Sentiment ![Great User Sentiment](https://www.selecthub.com/display/images/scores/great.svg) (451 Reviews) ](#user-sentiment-section) [ Analyst Rating Lightspeed - Analyst Score: 86 out of 100 86 Detailed Analysis ](#analyst-rating-section) [ User Sentiment ![Great User Sentiment](https://www.selecthub.com/display/images/scores/great.svg) (1168 Reviews) ](#user-sentiment-section) Price Starts From $69/Terminal, Monthly, Freemium [Free Trial is available →](https://pmo.selecthub.com/free-trial/?product%5Fname=Toast&category=POS Software&product%5Flogo=https://d3uimxdj41cg3o.cloudfront.net/products/bc19986e5c658d4135bd559a0b37c0bc-82614cb69941783a16e7d2177ba8deb2/resources/normal/logo.png?1693318418) $69 Monthly [Free Trial is available →](https://pmo.selecthub.com/free-trial/?product%5Fname=Lightspeed&category=POS Software&product%5Flogo=https://d3uimxdj41cg3o.cloudfront.net/products/326a8c055c0d04f5b06544665d8bb3ea-d531f1be6b15a0e5a9ad1eb2655c79cf/resources/normal/logo.png?1693316761) Pros What we like about Toast and Lightspeed: * Intuitive interface makes it easy for all staff to learn quickly * Mobile ordering lets staff take orders and payments tableside * Detailed reporting covers sales, labor and customer behavior * Scales well for multi-location restaurant operations * Omnichannel tools sync online and in-store sales in one place * Intuitive interface works for both tech-savvy and less experienced users * Wide range of third-party integrations including accounting and e-commerce * Covers retail, restaurants and golf courses in a single platform Cons What we dislike about Toast and Lightspeed: * Pricing structure is tiered and can get complex with add-ons * Customization options for menus and workflows are limited * Incompatible with Apple devices, limiting hardware choices * Customer support wait times can be long during urgent issues * Requires an internet connection with no true offline mode * Pricing structure has tiered plans and add-on fees that make upfront costs hard to calculate * Extensive feature set creates a steeper learning curve for less tech-savvy users * Report customizations aren't available, limiting analytics flexibility ### Our Review **Bottom line:** Toast is built for restaurants and really shines there. Lightspeed is the better fit if you need to run retail, restaurants, and online storefronts from one system. Toast focuses entirely on food service, and it shows. The interface is straightforward, training is minimal, and it handles the full restaurant workflow — tableside ordering, kitchen displays, delivery integrations with Grubhub and OpenTable, and payroll. It's a natural fit for cafes, quick-service restaurants, and multi-location chains. Lightspeed covers more ground. It works across retail, hospitality, golf, and restaurants, and its omnichannel tools let you manage in-store and online sales from one dashboard. If you're running a business that spans multiple channels or industries, Lightspeed handles that complexity well. On pricing, Toast starts at $69 per terminal per month, while Lightspeed also starts at $69 per month. Both have tiered plans and extra fees that can add up, so factor in your number of locations and desired features before committing. Where Toast falls short is customization and hardware flexibility — it doesn't work with Apple devices, and menu and workflow customizations are limited. Lightspeed has a wider hardware range and stronger integrations, but it lacks true offline functionality, which can be a problem if your internet is unreliable. If you're running a restaurant and want a focused, easy-to-learn system, Toast is the better call. If you need a platform that handles retail, online sales, and restaurants in one place, go with Lightspeed. ### Analyst Rating Summary Overall Scores Based on the research and analysis by SelectHub's team of research analysts, Toast has an analyst rating of 79\. By comparison Lightspeed has an analyst rating of 86\. Toast - Analyst Score: 79 out of 100 79 Lightspeed - Analyst Score: 86 out of 100 86 Features Comparison **Compliance and Security** Safeguard customer payment data and protect your business from costly fines by meeting all industry security and regulatory standards effortlessly. 67 67 **Customer and Loyalty Management** Track customer buying habits and reward frequent shoppers with special deals, encouraging them to keep coming back to your store. 100 94 **Employee Management** Schedule shifts, track hourly performance, and manage staff permissions easily, giving you better control over labor costs and team efficiency. 100 60 [Show More](#) [Show More](https://pmo.selecthub.com/customize-data/?category=POS Software) Strengths The best features of Toast and Lightspeed as judged by user reviews and analyst validation. Customer and Loyalty Management Employee Management POS Hardware Integration and Extensibility Reporting and Insights Integration and Extensibility Types of POS Inventory Management Reporting and Insights Customer and Loyalty Management ### Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements [Customize This Data](#) [Customize This Data](https://pmo.selecthub.com/customize-data/?category=POS Software) How Toast and Lightspeed compare against the top 11 functional requirements as defined by SelectHub project data. Toast Lightspeed \+ Add Product [\+ Add Product](https://pmo.selecthub.com/customize-data/?category=POS Software) Compliance and Security Customer And LoyaltyManagement Employee Management Inventory Management Items And ServiceManagement Payment TransactionsAnd Cash Management POS Hardware Reporting And Insights Sales And MarketingManagement Store Management Types Of POS 67 100 100 68 85 76 93 88 52 54 85 67 94 60 98 90 86 76 96 89 70 100 0 25 50 75 100 Implementation Level of Effort Estimation **Tier 1:** Fully/moderately supported out-of-the-box allowing for quick and easy deployment. [Read more](#) **Tier 2:** Supported with workarounds or add-ons that may require additional costs. **Tier 3:** Requires partner integrations or custom development that is often at an additional cost. **Compliance And Security** Safeguard customer payment data and protect your business from costly fines by meeting all industry security and regulatory standards effortlessly. 67% 0% 33% 67% 0% 33% **Customer And Loyalty Management** Track customer buying habits and reward frequent shoppers with special deals, encouraging them to keep coming back to your store. 100% 0% 0% 90% 0% 10% **Employee Management** Schedule shifts, track hourly performance, and manage staff permissions easily, giving you better control over labor costs and team efficiency. 100% 0% 0% 40% 0% 60% **Inventory Management** Keep track of what's in stock, automatically reorder low items, and see your most popular products to prevent running out of key sellers. 67% 0% 33% 100% 0% 0% **Items And Service Management** Organize and update your entire product catalog, including prices and variations, instantly across all selling channels for fast, accurate transactions. 86% 0% 14% 86% 0% 14% **Payment Transactions And Cash Management** Process all card, cash, and digital payments quickly and accurately, while easily tracking daily deposits and managing your cash drawer balance. 78% 0% 22% 78% 11% 11% **POS Hardware** Connect all your essential equipment, including receipt printers and card readers, ensuring your checkout process runs smoothly every time you make a sale. 90% 0% 10% 50% 0% 50% **Reporting And Insights** See a clear picture of your sales, products, and customer trends, enabling you to identify your best opportunities and make smart business decisions instantly. 88% 0% 12% 88% 13% \-1% **Sales And Marketing Management** Run targeted promotions, manage gift cards, and issue discounts easily, helping you to attract new customers and drive more revenue to your business. 50% 0% 50% 80% 10% 10% **Store Management** Manage multiple store locations, track sales performance across all branches, and control staff access from one central, easy-to-use platform. 44% 0% 56% 67% 0% 33% **Types Of POS** Choose the right setup for your business, whether you need a mobile device, a countertop terminal, or an all-in-one system for flexible selling. 75% 0% 25% 100% 0% 0% **Customize This Data For Your Unique Needs**and compare feature capabilities head-to-head [CUSTOMIZE NOW](#) [CUSTOMIZE NOW](https://pmo.selecthub.com/customize-data/?category=POS Software) ### Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements [Customize This Data](#) [Customize This Data](https://pmo.selecthub.com/customize-data/?category=POS Software) Implementation Level of Effort Estimation **Tier 1:** Fully/moderately supported out-of-the-box allowing for quick and easy deployment. [Read more](#) **Tier 2:** Supported with workarounds or add-ons that may require additional costs. **Tier 3:** Requires partner integrations or custom development that is often at an additional cost. **Integration And Extensibility** Connect your current accounting and eCommerce systems seamlessly, making sure all your sales and inventory data is always synchronized and accurate. 100% 0% 0% 100% 0% 0% **Requirements Summary**Of typical requirements, 70.8% are fully supported out of the box by Toast including Customer And Loyalty Management, Employee Management and POS Hardware. Lightspeed supports 77.1% and excels at Integration And Extensibility, Types Of POS and Customer And Loyalty Management. Toast has an analyst rating of 79 and a user sentiment rating of 'great' based on 451 reviews, while Lightspeed has an analyst rating of 86 and a user sentiment rating of 'great' based on 1168 reviews. Toast and Lightspeed are both SelectHub award-winners. ### User Sentiment Summary Toast has a user sentiment rating of 86 based on 451 reviews. Lightspeed has a user sentiment rating of 86 based on 1168 reviews. ![Great User Sentiment](https://www.selecthub.com/display/images/scores/great.svg) 451 reviews ![Great User Sentiment](https://www.selecthub.com/display/images/scores/great.svg) 1168 reviews Synopsis Evaluating all review platforms, our market analysts have compiled the following user sentiment data. 86% of users recommend this product Toast has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 86% when considering 451 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites. 86% of users recommend this product Lightspeed has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 86% when considering 1168 user reviews from 5 recognized software review sites. User Review Scores **FinancesOnline** **4.7** (27) **5.0** (58) **G2.com, Inc** **4.4** (144) **4.1** (160) **Software Advice, Inc** n/a **4.75** (169) **Capterra Inc** **4.2** (270) **4.2** (774) **TrustRadius** **4.3** (10) **4.3** (7) ### Awards SelectHub awards earned by these products based on a comprehensive analysis by our research analysts. SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Toast and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Customer and Loyalty Management and POS Hardware. ![Customer and Loyalty Management Award]() ![POS Hardware Award]() SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Lightspeed and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Types of POS. ![Types of POS Award]() ### Product Assistance Training Resources Documentation In Person Live Online Videos Webinars Documentation In Person Live Online Videos Webinars Support Email Phone Chat FAQ Forum Help Desk Knowledge Base Tickets Training 24/7 Live Support Email Phone Chat FAQ Forum Help Desk Knowledge Base Tickets Training 24/7 Live Support ### Product Basics Company Size i Small Medium Large Small Medium Large Platforms Supported Windows Mac Linux Android Chromebook Windows Mac Linux Android Chromebook Deployment Supported Cloud On-Premise Mobile Cloud On-Premise Mobile Comparison of Top Alternatives [Toast Alternatives ](https://www.selecthub.com/pos-software/toast/alternatives/) [Lightspeed Alternatives ](https://www.selecthub.com/pos-software/lightspeed/alternatives/) ### Screenshots ![Screenshots]()![Screenshots]()![Screenshots]()![Screenshots]()![Screenshots]() ![Screenshots]()![Screenshots]()![Screenshots]()![Screenshots]() ### Key Features * **Mobile order management** – Staff can take orders and process payments from tablets or smartphones, keeping service moving during busy periods. * **Reporting and insights** – Covers sales trends, labor costs, and customer behavior across locations with multi-store reporting. * **Third-party delivery integrations** – Connects with Grubhub and OpenTable to expand reach and manage delivery orders from the POS. * **Employee and labor tools** – Tracks hours, manages timesheets, calculates tips, and automates wage recording from a centralized labor management system. * **Omnichannel sales management** – Syncs online and in-store inventory and orders in a single dashboard, keeping data consistent across channels. * **Analytics and reporting** – Lets you drill down on sales, inventory, and employee data with customizable reports through the Analytics Core module. * **App integrations** – Connects with accounting, marketing, e-commerce, and CRM platforms like QuickBooks and Shopify to streamline operations. * **Golf course management** – Includes booking tools, tee sheet management, membership types, and tournament tracking for golf course operators. ### Top Alternatives in POS Software [ Bindo ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/pos-software/bindo/) [ Clover ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/pos-software/clover/) [ Epos Now ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/pos-software/epos-now/) [ Erply ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/retail-pos-systems/erply/) [ Helcim ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/pos-software/helcim/) [ Hike POS ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/retail-pos-systems/hike-pos/) [ International Bancard ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/payment-processing-software/international-bancard/) [ KORONA POS ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/pos-software/korona-pos/) [ Lightspeed ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/pos-software/lightspeed/) [ Lightspeed Retail ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/retail-pos-systems/lightspeed-retail/) [ MICROS ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/pos-software/micros/) [ NCR Voyix ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/restaurant-management-software/ncr-voyix/) [ PHP POS ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/retail-pos-systems/php-pos/) [ Rain POS ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/retail-pos-systems/rain-pos/) [ Shopify POS ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/pos-software/shopify-pos/) ### Related Categories Toast and Lightspeed can also be found with other leading products in these categories: [Equipment Rental Software ](https://www.selecthub.com/c/equipment-rental-software/) [Restaurant POS Systems ](https://www.selecthub.com/c/restaurant-pos-systems/) Show more [Equipment Rental Software ](https://www.selecthub.com/c/equipment-rental-software/) [Restaurant POS Systems ](https://www.selecthub.com/c/restaurant-pos-systems/) Show more ### Head-to-Head Comparison ![Toast Software Tool]() ![Bindo Software Tool]() [Toast VS Bindo](https://www.selecthub.com/pos-software/toast-vs-bindo/) ![Toast Software Tool]() ![Clover Software Tool]() [Toast VS Clover](https://www.selecthub.com/pos-software/clover-vs-toast/) ![Toast Software Tool]() ![Erply Software Tool]() [Toast VS Erply](https://www.selecthub.com/pos-software/toast-vs-erply/) ![Toast Software Tool]() ![KORONA POS Software Tool]() [Toast VS KORONA POS](https://www.selecthub.com/pos-software/toast-vs-korona-pos/) ![Toast Software Tool]() ![Lightspeed Software Tool]() [Toast VS Lightspeed](https://www.selecthub.com/pos-software/toast-vs-lightspeed/) ![Toast Software Tool]() ![Lightspeed Retail Software Tool]() [Toast VS Lightspeed Retail](https://www.selecthub.com/pos-software/toast-vs-lightspeed-retail/) ![Toast Software Tool]() ![MICROS Software Tool]() [Toast VS MICROS](https://www.selecthub.com/pos-software/toast-vs-micros/) ![Toast Software Tool]() ![PHP POS Software Tool]() [Toast VS PHP POS](https://www.selecthub.com/pos-software/toast-vs-php-pos/) ![Toast Software Tool]() ![Rain POS Software Tool]() [Toast VS Rain POS](https://www.selecthub.com/pos-software/toast-vs-rain-pos/) ![Toast Software Tool]() ![Shopify POS Software Tool]() [Toast VS Shopify POS](https://www.selecthub.com/pos-software/toast-vs-shopify-pos/) ![Toast Software Tool]() ![SpotOn Software Tool]() [Toast VS SpotOn](https://www.selecthub.com/pos-software/toast-vs-spoton/) ![Toast Software Tool]() ![Square POS Software Tool]() [Toast VS Square POS](https://www.selecthub.com/pos-software/toast-vs-square-pos/) **About SelectHub (and our data)** We’re the employee-owned Austin-based startup democratizing software data so you can make your decisions in an influence-free zone. Our market data is crowdsourced from our user-base of 100,000+ companies. WE DISTILL IT INTO REAL REQUIREMENTS, COMPARISON REPORTS, PRICE GUIDES and more... ![SelectHub Products Reporting and Analytics]() [Build Your Requirements](https://pmo.selecthub.com/pos-software-requirements-onsite/) ![SelectHub Products Cost and Pricing Guide]() [Get Your Free Comparison Report](https://pmo.selecthub.com/request-custom-scorecard/?category=POS%20Software) **Tier 1:** Fully/moderately supported out-of-the-box allowing for quick and easy deployment. Fully or moderately supported out-of-the-box with industry-leading capabilities and is immediately available after installation without needing any add-ons, integrations, or custom development. **Tier 2:** Supported with workarounds or add-ons that may require additional costs. Not directly available in the software, but can be accomplished using other built-in features, workarounds, or add-ons/products from the vendor with or without any additional cost. **Tier 3:** Requires partner integrations or custom development that is often at an additional cost. Requires additional integrations, plugins, marketplace applications from a third-party vendor, or custom development using the APIs, libraries, extensions, and development framework supported by the software, with or without any additional cost. 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