Two of the most-searched restaurant POS systems — and they're not as similar as they look. Toast is restaurant-first, built from the ground up for food service. Clover is general-purpose, sold through banks, and often chosen by default rather than by design. Here's what actually matters.
Jabi works with both. If you're still deciding, we'll tell you honestly which one fits your operation — then negotiate the best deal on whichever you choose.
Purpose-built for restaurants — table management, KDS, 86ing, server coursing, online ordering, and loyalty are native, not add-ons.
Works for restaurants but is not restaurant-specific. Basic table service available. Advanced features require third-party apps from Clover's marketplace.
Clean, modern interface. Most staff are trained in under an hour. Tablet-based hardware is intuitive. Strong onboarding support.
Simple and clean. The Clover Flex and Mini hardware are easy for staff. Setup is straightforward. Well-suited for simpler operations.
Toast Payments is required. Rates are competitive when negotiated, but you can't shop elsewhere. This is Toast's biggest lock-in.
Fiserv by default — often the worst rates in the industry when sold through banks without negotiation. However, some resellers allow processor portability.
Best-in-class for chains. Central menu management, unified reporting, and franchise tools are native. Toast for Enterprise is built for scale.
Multi-location support exists but is less sophisticated. Better for small groups than large chains. Reporting is adequate but not enterprise-grade.
Largest restaurant-specific integration ecosystem. DoorDash, Uber Eats, OpenTable, 7shifts, R365, and hundreds more connect natively.
Large general app marketplace, but restaurant-specific integrations are fewer and often require middleware. Good for basic needs.
Toast hardware only — proprietary and required. Durable and purpose-built for restaurant environments. Higher upfront cost.
Sleek, modern hardware with multiple form factors. Clover Mini, Flex, Station. Works well. Also proprietary.
One of the more expensive options. Software, hardware, and implementation add up. Processing lock-in compounds the cost.
Software fees are moderate, but processing rates often erase the savings. Negotiating through Jabi rather than a bank makes a significant difference.
24/7 support included. Quality varies. For chains, a dedicated success manager is often available and negotiable.
Support quality varies significantly by reseller. Bank-sold Clover often has poor support. Through Jabi, you get a direct escalation path.
Toast is the best pure restaurant POS on the market for operations that need depth — complex menus, multiple locations, full table service, strong integrations. The catch is cost and processing lock-in. If you go Toast, negotiate hard on processing rates and implementation fees — both move.
Clover is often chosen by default (sold through your bank), not by design. For a small café or counter-service operation it works well. For a full-service restaurant with growth ambitions, you'll likely outgrow it. If you're on Clover, your processing rate is probably the first thing to fix.
Both Toast and Clover have more room on pricing than their sales reps will admit. Implementation fees, hardware bundles, software pricing, and processing rates are all negotiable — especially for multi-unit operators. Jabi does this every day.
The difference between Toast and Clover on processing can easily exceed the difference in software costs. Use our free tools to see where you stand.