Meta Description: Deciding between Toast and Epos Now for your hospitality business? Our expert comparison helps you find the best restaurant POS system to streamline your service, manage inventory, and boost profits.
Choosing the right epos system for your restaurant can feel a bit like trying to write a menu that pleases everyone, it’s a massive challenge, and the stakes are high. Whether you’re running a bustling city-centre bistro or a cosy local café, your till system is the heartbeat of your business. If it’s slow, your service lags. If it’s complicated, your staff get frustrated.
Today, we’re looking at two of the heavy hitters in the industry: Toast and Epos Now. Both are frequently cited when people search for the best pos system, but they offer very different experiences. While Toast is built purely with foodservice in mind, Epos Now offers a versatile, affordable solution that works across both retail and hospitality.
In this guide, we’ll break down the pros, cons, and costs to help you decide which restaurant pos system will help your business thrive.
Why Your Choice of POS System Matters
Gone are the days when a cash register just sat there looking pretty. A modern pos system is a management hub. It handles your payments, tracks your inventory down to the last gram of coffee, manages your staff rotas, and gives you the data you need to grow.
If you’re looking for the cheapest pos system, you might be tempted by a basic card reader, but for a growing restaurant, you need more "oomph." You need a system that can handle "split bills," "kitchen display systems" (KDS), and "tableside ordering."
Toast POS: The Foodservice Specialist
Toast has made a massive name for itself by being "built for restaurants, by restaurant people." Because they don't try to cater to hairdressers or clothing shops, every feature they develop is laser-focused on the dining experience.
The Pros of Toast
- Tableside Ordering: We love how Toast’s mobile tablets allow staff to take orders and payments directly at the table. It speeds up turn times and reduces errors.
- Deep Reporting: In terms of data, Toast is hard to beat. You can see exactly which dish is your most profitable and which server is upselling the most dessert.
- Industry-Specific Features: From "fire-by-course" to complex menu modifiers, it handles the chaos of a busy kitchen brilliantly.
The Cons of Toast
- Pricing Complexity: Their pricing can be a bit of a maze. While they offer a "starter" kit, the costs can climb quickly once you add extra features or hardware.
- Support Wait Times: Some users have reported that getting hold of a human in a hurry can be tricky during peak hours.
Alt Text: A waiter using a handheld mobile POS device to take an order at a restaurant table.
Epos Now: The Versatile All-Rounder
If you’re looking for a balance between power and price, the epos now till system is often the go-to choice for UK business owners. It’s designed to be intuitive, meaning your new Saturday starter can probably learn the basics in about ten minutes.
One of the standout reasons we often recommend this platform is its flexibility. Whether you run a single coffee shop or a chain of gastropubs, it scales with you without making things overly complicated.
The Pros of Epos Now
- Fantastic Inventory Management: This is where Epos Now really shines. It allows you to track ingredients across multiple sites. If you’re running low on steak at one location, you’ll know about it in real-time.
- Affordability: When it comes to finding the best restaurant pos system that doesn't break the bank, Epos Now is a very strong contender. They often have great entry-level deals on hardware.
- Multi-Site Control: You can manage several locations from one single back-office login. It’s perfect if you’re planning to expand your empire.
The Cons of Epos Now
- App Reliance: To get the absolute most out of the system, you might find yourself needing to install several "apps" from their marketplace, some of which come with extra monthly fees.
- Generalist Feel: Because it’s also a top-tier retail pos system, some of the super-niche restaurant features might not feel quite as integrated as they do on Toast.
It’s definitely worth checking out our in-depth Epos Now till system review for a closer look at the hardware and latest UK pricing.
Comparing Features: Toast vs Epos Now
| Feature | Toast POS | Epos Now |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Industry | Hospitality Only | Retail & Hospitality |
| Best For | High-volume restaurants | Small to medium businesses & multi-site |
| Inventory | Strong (Food focus) | Exceptional (Ingredient level) |
| Ease of Use | Moderate | Very High |
| Offline Mode | Yes | Yes |
Hardware and Durability
In a kitchen environment, hardware needs to be tough. Spills, heat, and flour are the enemies of electronics. Both companies offer "restaurant-grade" hardware. Toast’s hardware is very sleek and modern, whereas Epos Now offers a variety of setups, including their popular "Pro" terminals which feel very sturdy and reliable.
Alt Text: A close-up of a durable EPOS terminal sitting on a restaurant counter near a coffee machine.
The "Cheapest" Isn't Always the Best
We often get asked what the cheapest pos system is. While brands like sumup pos are excellent for tiny setups or market stalls because of their low upfront cost, they can become expensive as you grow due to higher transaction fees.
If you are a serious restaurant, we’d suggest looking at the long-term value. Epos Now often hits that "sweet spot" for UK owners: affordable enough to get started, but powerful enough that you won't outgrow it in six months. You can see more about budget-friendly options in our guide to the cheapest pos systems for restaurants.
Which One Should You Choose?
The "best" system really depends on your specific workflow.
Choose Toast if:
- You run a high-volume, complex restaurant where every second of table turnover counts.
- You want the most advanced reporting and analytics available in the foodservice industry.
- You are comfortable with a higher monthly software fee in exchange for specialised features.
Choose Epos Now if:
- You want a system that is incredibly easy to train staff on.
- You need robust inventory tracking to keep your food waste and costs down.
- You are looking for a great value epos system that handles multiple locations with ease.
- You want a UK-centric company with a proven track record in the local market.
We’re big fans of the Epos Now ecosystem for its sheer versatility. If you want to see if it’s the right fit for your business, we highly recommend reading our full Epos Now till system review and perhaps even booking a demo to see the interface in action.
Alt Text: A restaurant manager looking at sales reports and inventory data on a computer screen.
Final Thoughts from What EPOS
Selecting your pos system is a big step, but don't let it overwhelm you. Both Toast and Epos Now are market leaders for a reason: they both do a great job of making business owners' lives easier.
If you’re still on the fence, think about your "must-have" feature. Is it the ability to take payments at the table? (Look at Toast). Is it the ability to track every slice of pepperoni across three different pizza shops? (Look at Epos Now).
In our opinion, for most UK-based independent restaurants and growing chains, the epos now till system offers the best balance of functionality and cost. It’s a solid, reliable workhorse that won’t let you down when the Friday night rush hits.
Still looking at other options? You might also want to compare these against the shopify pos if you have a heavy online presence, or check out our sumup pos system review if you’re just starting out and need something ultra-portable.
Whatever you decide, make sure you get a clear breakdown of all costs: including transaction fees and any "hidden" app subscriptions: before you sign on the dotted line. Good luck with the launch (or the upgrade)!