Comparison guide · last reviewed Mar 2026

Next Order vs Toast

Two serious restaurant platforms with different strengths. Here is an honest read for operators comparing direct ordering, delivery, tables and total cost of ownership.

Competitor details are reviewed every three months against public pricing and documentation. Contract terms vary. Always confirm on your own quote.

See Next Order on a Toast comparisonPlan my switch

Commission

0%

on direct orders vs bundled Toast take rate

Onboarding

~30d

one named manager from menu import to go-live

Regions

AU/UK/US

with local support hours, not US-only on-call

The verdict, upfront

Pick the platform that fits your operation

Toast wins for big US chains already standardised on its hardware and payments. Next Order wins for operators who want direct-order margin, own-driver delivery and transparent subscription pricing.

Pick Toast if

  • You run a US chain that has already standardised on Toast hardware and Toast-managed payments
  • You need the largest partner-app marketplace in North American restaurant tech
  • You are happy with a quote-based effective rate that bundles POS, hardware and payments
  • Your delivery model is mostly third-party marketplaces and you do not run your own drivers

Pick Next Order if

  • You sell direct online and want to keep that margin instead of paying a take rate per order
  • You run own-driver delivery (or want to) and need dispatch, zones and tracking on the same screen as the POS
  • You operate in AU, UK or NZ and want a local onboarding specialist, not a generic support queue
  • You want one subscription for the platform, not POS + payments + ordering + loyalty bundled into a quote you have to model

Comparison matrix

Direct ordering

Next Order

Branded web and app ordering with subscription pricing, no take rate on your direct channel when you own the relationship.

Toast

Strong online ordering tied to Toast POS; the cost depends on your Toast contract and add-ons, review per-transaction and subscription lines on your quote.

Commission model

Next Order

No marketplace-style commission on orders you route through your own branded ordering.

Toast

Toast is not a third-party marketplace for your own site in the same way delivery marketplaces are, but bundled fees, payment markup and feature tiers still affect net margin. Model your full statement.

Own-driver delivery

Next Order

Built for restaurants that employ or contract drivers: dispatch, zones and tracking in one system.

Toast

Toast supports delivery workflows and partner integrations; many operators use third-party delivery networks. If you run your own fleet, compare driver tooling and cost visibility in a live demo.

Loyalty & marketing

Next Order

Points, tiers, vouchers and campaigns tied to the same guest record as POS and ordering.

Toast

Toast Loyalty and email tools are mature, especially in North America, with a large installed base and partner network.

Table management

Next Order

Reservations, floor and coursing aimed at full-service workflows alongside the same ticket as takeaway.

Toast

Tableside, handhelds and FOH tools are a strength for many Toast full-service customers, especially where you standardise on Toast hardware.

Multi-location

Next Order

HQ-style menus, permissions and group reporting for operators who want one platform across every site.

Toast

Proven at scale across US restaurant groups with enterprise programmes, often paired with Toast-managed payments and hardware.

Pricing transparency

Next Order

Subscription-led quotes with direct-order margin called out upfront, use the demo to align line items to your footprint.

Toast

Pricing is typically quote-based with payments and hardware as variables; Toast wins on one-vendor simplicity for some groups but requires diligence on effective rate.

Hardware flexibility

Next Order

Choose supported devices and bundles; designed to avoid locking every counter to a single OEM if your rollout needs flexibility.

Toast

Deep integration with Toast terminals and kitchen displays, excellent when you commit to the full setup, less flexible if you need to reuse a wide mix of non-Toast devices.

Support model

Next Order

Regional teams in AU / US / UK time zones; escalation paths for multi-site customers.

Toast

Large support organisation and a sizable US community. US-heavy documentation and partner network; APAC coverage differs by market.

Summaries for buyer education; product capabilities change, confirm on a live demo and your contract.

Direct-order margin comparison

The question is not only subscription fees, it is what you keep when a guest orders from you, not a marketplace.

Next Order

Branded ordering is priced as software. Your monthly close should show food margin minus delivery labour and variable costs, not an extra percentage skim on every direct ticket. Pair this with the commission savings calculator to contrast against marketplace fees.

Toast

Toast can bundle payments, software and hardware into one commercial proposal. That wins on simplicity and can be cost-competitive, especially when you value consolidated billing. Model effective processing cost and any software minimums against your ticket mix; Toast may win on total vendor count even if a single line item is not the lowest.

Delivery and table comparison

Match the platform to how guests move through your restaurant.

Delivery. Next Order emphasises own-driver workflows, zones, dispatch boards and customer visibility, so margin after labour is legible. Toast supports delivery broadly and integrates with major networks; operators often lean on partners for drivers. If you employ drivers today, validate driver experience side by side.

Tables. Toast has a long track record in US full-service with handhelds and tableside tools many teams swear by. Next Order targets reservations, floor and coursing in the same system as your direct ordering so online guests and dine-in guests do not split into different databases. If your edge case is complex fine-dining choreography, ask both vendors to demo your actual service style.

Implementation differences

Go-live risk is as important as feature lists.

Next Order rollout

Menu build, hardware guidance and training aligned to your direct ordering and loyalty launch. Smaller groups often go live site by site; enterprise adds project management, permissions, rollout controls, and integrations so no single site quietly becomes the system every other store has to trust.

Toast rollout

Large partner network in the US for installation and support; process can be highly standardised. International operators should validate local payment methods, tax and on-site coverage for their region.

Switch with confidence

Coming from Toast

The switch plan, not the switch speech

Switching restaurant tech is the riskiest week of your quarter unless someone runs it properly. Here is what we promise operators moving from Toast onto Next Order.

See the full switch plan

  • No closed days to switch over

    Testing on quiet sessions, then flip when you sign off. Service runs on your current system until the new one is proven.

  • You keep your data

    Menu, customers and order history brought across from a PDF, your current provider, or a CSV. Admin access handed over before go-live, not held back.

  • An onboarding specialist for week one

    Not a generic support queue. The same person who mapped your menu sits with your team through the first Friday of trading.

  • Reuse the hardware that works

    iPads, Android terminals, kitchen displays and thermal printers all attach on day one. Buy new only if something is at end-of-life.

Frequently asked questions

What operators ask us before they sign.

    • Is Next Order “cheaper” than Toast?

      Sometimes yes on software line items for direct ordering, sometimes no once you factor payments, hardware and enterprise features. Toast’s scale can mean competitive bundles for the full platform, especially at high card volume where a bundled processing rate is part of how the deal gets made. Model your effective rate, not the headline subscription alone: hardware leases, add-ons and payment markup all belong in the same spreadsheet. Ask both vendors for a fully loaded three-year model that includes payments, devices and the workflows you use, then stress-test it with your real ticket mix and seasonality.

    • When does Toast win?

      Toast wins when you need a full payment processing bundle with competitive pricing at high volume and want one relationship for cards plus POS, many groups prefer that consolidated statement to juggling separate processors. It wins when you want a large third-party app marketplace for niche integrations. HR, accounting, delivery networks, tip pooling, without building custom connections to each. Large enterprise chains often benefit from Toast’s dedicated account management, national rollout playbooks and certified hardware programmes that standardise training and support across dozens of sites. If your footprint is US-centric and you want Toast-certified terminals and kitchen displays everywhere with a single vendor escalation path, that consistency can outweigh niche workflow gaps for your team.

    • When does Next Order win?

      Next Order wins when you need strong direct-order margin, own-driver operations and restaurant-specific loyalty in one system, without marketplace-style take rates on your branded channel. It fits when transparent subscription pricing and regional implementation support across the UK, Australia, New Zealand and the US matter as much as feature lists, because go-live and ongoing operations are local. If first-party delivery, reservations tied to the same guest record as web ordering, and margin clarity on orders placed through your own brand are non-negotiable, that is the centre of gravity Next Order is built for.

    • Can we run a trial of both?

      Yes. Run a structured trial with your real menu, order channels and a sample week of orders so you are not judging generic decks. Compare support response times and implementation plans, not only feature checklists, and ask each vendor to walk through driver dispatch, loyalty redemption at the POS and reporting under a busy-service scenario. Bring your bookkeeper to a follow-up session so payment and software line items are modelled together. If you pilot in one location first, agree upfront what success looks like on margin, ticket time and staff training before you scale.

See the difference on your menu

Bring your actual items, order channels and questions about payments. We will show Next Order without the generic deck.

Walk through a Toast-to-Next-Order switchPlan my switch