restaurant, a fast-casual eatery, or a mobile food truck, the right point-of-sale (POS) system can streamline operations, improve customer experience, and help your business scale. With so many options available, three platforms have emerged as industry leaders in 2025: Toast, Square, and Clover.

Each of these POS systems offers distinct advantages, but which one is the best fit for your restaurant? In this blog, we’ll break down each system based on functionality, pricing, hardware, integrations, and scalability—so you can make a confident, informed decision.

Toast: A Restaurant-First POS Solution

Toast has carved out a dominant position in the POS industry by focusing solely on food service businesses. Designed from the ground up with restaurant operators in mind, Toast offers a robust feature set that handles everything from front-of-house ordering to kitchen operations and delivery logistics. In 2025, Toast continues to lead in the restaurant space due to its all-in-one design and comprehensive support.

Toast’s interface is intuitive, but powerful. It allows for detailed menu customization, modifier options, and item-specific prep instructions, all of which are essential in high-volume kitchens. Built-in tools like a Kitchen Display System (KDS), online ordering portal, and integrated delivery management make Toast a top choice for restaurants aiming for end-to-end digital efficiency.

Toast’s software is paired with proprietary hardware, which ensures optimal performance but also means you’re locked into using their devices. Still, many restaurants find this acceptable due to the system’s speed, customer support, and restaurant-specific tools like tip pooling, staff scheduling, and shift reporting.

Best for: Full-service restaurants, bars, cafés, and hospitality groups that need a powerful, restaurant-dedicated system with deep operational features.

Consider if: You require advanced menu and kitchen management and are ready to invest in proprietary hardware and a Toast-only payment processor.

Square: Simple, Scalable, and Startup-Friendly

Square has long been a favorite among small business owners thanks to its accessibility, affordability, and ease of use. Originally created to serve small vendors and mobile businesses, Square has grown significantly over the past decade. Its restaurant-specific offering—Square for Restaurants—now includes features such as table layouts, item modifiers, open tickets, and kitchen printer routing.

Square’s biggest advantage lies in its low barrier to entry. You can get started with virtually zero upfront cost by using their free mobile reader, and their free POS software is highly functional right out of the box. It’s a particularly strong choice for quick-service restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries, food trucks, and pop-ups.

In 2025, Square also stands out for its eCommerce integration, allowing restaurants to sync menus with delivery platforms or sell branded merchandise and gift cards online. Square includes built-in customer loyalty and email marketing tools, making it ideal for restaurants that want a simple but powerful marketing stack.

Square does have its limitations. While it scales well for small to mid-sized restaurants, it lacks some of the complex workflow features that Toast offers for fine dining or large venues. Additionally, since Square uses a flat-rate processing model, businesses with high transaction volumes might find better rates elsewhere.

Best for: Quick-service eateries, small restaurants, food trucks, and new restaurant owners who want an affordable, all-in-one POS without being locked into hardware or long-term contracts.

Consider if: You’re launching a new restaurant or pop-up and need fast setup, low cost, and reliable performance with online ordering built in.

Clover: Flexible Hardware, Strong Customization

Clover is a flexible, modular POS system that offers a balance between retail and restaurant functionality. In 2025, Clover continues to appeal to restaurant owners who need more customization and who want the option to tailor their system with add-ons and third-party apps from its Clover App Market.

Unlike Toast, Clover isn’t solely focused on restaurants. However, its restaurant POS solution is highly adaptable and can be configured to handle a variety of service models, including quick-service dining, bars, counter-service cafés, and even hybrid restaurant-retail businesses. For example, a pizzeria that sells merchandise or a deli with a small retail section could benefit from Clover’s broader capabilities.

Clover supports multiple hardware options including the Clover Station (for full-service), Mini (for counters), and Flex (for handheld ordering). This allows restaurants to build a system that scales with their business—starting small and expanding as needed.

One of Clover’s strengths is its integration with Fiserv, which gives businesses access to potentially lower processing rates depending on their deal. However, this also means that Clover users are tied into a processing contract, and the system is often sold through resellers—so pricing and support quality can vary.

Best for: Restaurants that need customization and hardware flexibility, especially those that also sell retail products or offer services beyond dining.

Consider if: You want to grow into a custom-built POS system that can expand with your needs, and you’re okay with a Fiserv-based processing contract.

Choosing the Right POS System for Your Restaurant

Ultimately, the best POS system in 2025 depends on your restaurant’s specific business model, growth plans, and operational needs.

• Choose Toast if your business is restaurant-focused and you need advanced features tailored to hospitality. It’s the best option for full-service restaurants looking for deep functionality and a unified ecosystem for front- and back-of-house.
• Choose Square if you’re a startup or mobile business that values ease of use, affordability, and fast setup. It’s perfect for quick-service restaurants, cafés, and food trucks that need a reliable system with built-in marketing and eCommerce tools.
• Choose Clover if you want a customizable POS system with a wide range of hardware and flexibility for hybrid operations. It’s ideal for growing restaurants that also offer retail items, catering services, or other business lines.

Final Thoughts

In 2025, running a restaurant is more competitive—and more tech-dependent—than ever before. Your POS system isn’t just for taking payments; it’s a central hub for your entire operation. Toast, Square, and Clover each bring something unique to the table, and the right choice depends on your priorities.

Before making a decision, consider requesting a demo from each provider or consulting with a payment processing expert to better understand how each platform aligns with your long-term business strategy.

Need help setting up a POS or integrating payments with your restaurant system? Reach out to our team—we’ll help you get started the right way.