# Toast vs Resos: Complete Comparison 2026

> Source: https://restaurantbookingsystem.com/compare/toast-vs-resos/
> Published: 2026-04-11 · Updated: 2026-04-11

Compare Toast and Resos for restaurant reservations: POS-integrated all-in-one vs a dedicated reservation platform, on pricing, features, and fit.

**Toast is the better choice if you want one platform for POS, payments, and reservations under a single vendor.** Resos is the better choice if you want a dedicated reservation system with deeper booking features, a free tier, and the flexibility to pair it with any POS you already use.

## Key takeaways

- **Toast:** All-in-one restaurant POS with reservation add-on, starts at $0/month (Starter), reservations bundled in higher tiers
- **Resos:** Dedicated reservation platform, $0-149/month, free tier with 25 bookings/month, no POS included
- **Core difference:** Toast is a POS that added reservations. Resos is a reservation system by design.
- **Compatibility:** They work alongside each other — many restaurants use both

## Toast vs Resos at a glance

| | Toast | Resos |
|---|---|---|
| **Best for** | Restaurants wanting one platform for everything | Restaurants wanting dedicated reservation management |
| **Primary function** | POS + payments + operations | Reservations + table management |
| **Reservation features** | Add-on to POS | Core product |
| **Starting price** | $0/mo (Starter POS) | $0/mo (25 bookings) |
| **Free reservation tier** | No (requires POS plan) | Yes (25 bookings/month) |
| **Per-cover fees** | None | None |
| **POS included** | Yes | No |
| **Setup** | Hardware + software installation | Self-service, under 1 hour |

## Quick verdict

This isn't really an either/or choice. Toast and Resos solve different problems.

Toast is a restaurant operating system. It handles your point-of-sale, payment processing, online ordering, payroll, and — as one of many features — reservations. If you're choosing a POS and want reservations bundled in, Toast makes that simple.

Resos is a dedicated reservation platform. It handles online bookings, table management, guest profiles, waitlists, and no-show prevention. It doesn't process payments or take food orders. If reservations are important enough to warrant a specialized tool, Resos goes deeper.

Many restaurants use both: Toast for POS/payments and Resos for reservations. There's no conflict.

## When Toast makes more sense

**You're choosing a POS and want simplicity.** If you're opening a new restaurant or replacing your POS, Toast's bundled approach means one vendor, one bill, one support number. Adding reservations to an existing Toast setup is straightforward.

**Reservations aren't your primary concern.** If you're a fast-casual concept where most business is walk-in or online ordering, Toast's reservation add-on handles occasional bookings without a separate system.

**You value unified data.** Having orders, payments, and reservations in one system means Toast can connect what guests order to their reservation history. This unified view can inform marketing and operations decisions.

## When Resos makes more sense

**Reservations are core to your business.** Fine dining, high-volume booking restaurants, and venues where managing the reservation book is a daily priority need deeper tools than a POS add-on provides.

**You already have a POS you like.** If you're happy with your current POS (Toast, Square, Lightspeed, or any other), switching just to get reservations bundled doesn't make sense. Resos works alongside any POS.

**You want a free entry point.** Resos's free tier (25 bookings/month) lets small restaurants or those new to online reservations start at zero cost. Toast's reservation features require a POS subscription.

**You need specialized features.** Deposit collection, advanced no-show prevention, guest profiles with allergy tracking, and waitlist management are core to Resos. On Toast, reservation features are secondary to POS functionality.

## Pricing comparison 2026

### Toast pricing

Toast's pricing is structured around POS plans, with reservation features included or available as add-ons:

| Plan | Monthly fee | Reservations |
|------|-------------|-------------|
| Starter Kit | $0/mo | Not included |
| Essentials | $69/mo | Available as add-on |
| Growth | $165/mo | Included in some packages |

Toast also charges payment processing fees (2.49-3.69% + $0.15-$0.35 per transaction). Hardware purchases are separate. See [Toast pricing](https://pos.toasttab.com/pricing) for current rates.

### Resos pricing

| Plan | Regular price | Promo price | Bookings |
|------|---------------|-------------|----------|
| Free | $0/mo | $0/mo | 25/month |
| Basic | $47/mo | $24/mo | 350/month |
| Plus | $98/mo | $49/mo | 750/month |
| Unlimited | $149/mo | $75/mo | Unlimited |

No per-cover fees. No contracts. No hardware required.

## Features compared

| Feature | Toast | Resos |
|---------|-------|-------|
| Online reservations | Yes | Yes |
| Table management | Yes | Yes |
| Waitlist management | Yes | Yes |
| Guest profiles | Basic | Detailed |
| Deposit collection | Limited | Yes |
| SMS reminders | Yes | Yes |
| No-show tracking | Basic | Yes |
| Floor plan editor | Yes | Yes |
| POS system | Yes (core product) | No |
| Payment processing | Yes | No |
| Online ordering | Yes | No |
| Free reservation tier | No | Yes (25/month) |

## The bottom line

Toast and Resos aren't direct competitors — they solve different problems. Toast is a restaurant operating system that includes reservations. Resos is a reservation system that works alongside any operating system.

If you're building your tech stack from scratch and want one vendor for everything, Toast's bundled approach is appealing. If reservations are important enough to warrant a dedicated tool — or you already have a POS you're happy with — Resos delivers deeper features at lower cost.

The good news: you don't have to choose. Many restaurants run Toast POS and Resos reservations side by side, getting the best of both.

**Related comparisons:** [OpenTable vs Resos](/compare/opentable-vs-resos/) | [Resy vs Resos](/compare/resy-vs-resos/) | [Best restaurant booking systems 2026](/best/restaurant-booking-systems-2026/)

## Sources

- [Toast pricing](https://pos.toasttab.com/pricing)
- [Toast reservations](https://pos.toasttab.com/products/restaurant-reservations)
- [Resos pricing](https://resos.com)

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Does Toast have a reservation system?

Yes. Toast offers reservation and waitlist management as part of its restaurant POS platform. It's available as an add-on to Toast POS subscriptions. However, Toast's reservation features are less specialized than dedicated platforms like Resos, Resy, or OpenTable.

### How much does Toast cost for reservations?

Toast POS plans start at $0/month (Starter kit) to $69+/month (Essentials and Growth plans). Reservation features are bundled into higher-tier plans or available as add-ons. Resos offers dedicated reservation management from $0-149/month with no POS requirement.

### Should I use Toast for reservations or a separate system?

If you already use Toast POS and want maximum simplicity, Toast's built-in reservations avoid integration complexity. If reservations are a core part of your operations (fine dining, high volume), a dedicated system like Resos offers deeper features. Many restaurants run Toast POS alongside a separate reservation platform.

### Can I use Toast POS with Resos?

Yes. Resos works alongside any POS system including Toast. Many restaurants use Toast for orders and payments while running Resos for reservations, table management, and guest profiles. The systems handle different functions without conflict.

### Is Toast or Resos better for small restaurants?

For reservations specifically, Resos is better — it has a free tier, deeper booking features, and no POS commitment required. If you need a full POS system AND reservations in one platform, Toast's bundled approach may be simpler. Consider whether you want one system for everything or best-of-breed for each function.

---

Read this article in your browser: https://restaurantbookingsystem.com/compare/toast-vs-resos/

This page is part of [Restaurant Booking System](https://restaurantbookingsystem.com/) — independent comparisons of restaurant booking software, written and maintained by the Resos editorial team.