Food & Restaurant · head to head
Clover vs TouchBistro
Clover
Food & Restaurant
Point of sale system that grows with your business
- From
- $29/month
- Rated
- -
TouchBistro
Food & Restaurant
All-in-one POS built for restaurants
- From
- $69/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Clover the App Store listing (Clover Network, Inc) requires an existing Clover merchant account to use the app at all; there is no self-serve signup or published subscription price inside the listing, confirming the product is sold only through merchant onboarding contracts; TouchBistro requires annual contracts with no monthly billing option
- They diverge on capability: Clover covers POS system, TouchBistro covers iPad POS.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Clover and TouchBistro actually diverge.
| Attribute | Clover | TouchBistro |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $29/month | $69/month |
| Pricing model | subscription | Unknown |
| Platforms | Hardware, Ios, Android | iPad |
| Founded | 2012 | 2010 |
Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Food & Restaurant).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Clover
- POS system
- Payment processing
- Inventory management
- Employee management
- Reporting
- Yelp
- Gusto
- PCI DSS
Only in TouchBistro
- iPad POS
- Table management
- Menu management
- Staff scheduling
- Inventory tracking
- Customer relationship management
- Xero
- 7shifts
Both cover
- QuickBooks
- Ios support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Clover
- Point of salenot TouchBistro
- Payment processingnot TouchBistro
- Business managementnot TouchBistro
TouchBistro
- Point of Salenot Clover
- Order Managementnot Clover
- Inventory Controlnot Clover
- Staff Schedulingnot Clover
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Clover
- The App Store listing (Clover Network, Inc) requires an existing Clover merchant account to use the app at all; there is no self-serve signup or published subscription price inside the listing, confirming the product is sold only through merchant onboarding contracts
TouchBistro
- Requires annual contracts with no monthly billing option
- Add-on pricing for features like online ordering, reservations, loyalty programs is not transparent and requires custom quotes
- Limited to iPad hardware, reducing flexibility compared to multi-device systems like Lightspeed or Clover
- Mandatory use of TouchBistro Payments for new customers reduces payment processor options
Pricing, plan by plan
Clover
$29/month- StarterFree
- Mobile payments
- Basic reporting
- Standard$14.95/month
- Full POS
- Employee management
- Inventory
TouchBistro
$69/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the TouchBistro review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Clover if
- You need pos system.
- You work on Hardware, Ios, Android.
- You also want payment processing.
Choose TouchBistro if
- You need ipad pos.
- You work on iPad.
- You also want table management.
Questions people ask
- Is Clover or TouchBistro better?
- Neither clearly leads. Clover starts at $29/month and TouchBistro at $69/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Clover or TouchBistro?
- Clover starts at $29/month and TouchBistro at $69/month.
- Does Clover or TouchBistro run on more platforms?
- Clover runs on Hardware, Ios, Android. TouchBistro runs on iPad.
- What is Clover best used for?
- Clover is most often used for point of sale, payment processing, business management. Of those, point of sale and payment processing are not what TouchBistro is typically brought in for.
- What can Clover do that TouchBistro cannot?
- Clover covers POS system, Payment processing, Inventory management, Employee management. TouchBistro covers iPad POS, Table management, Menu management, Staff scheduling. Both handle QuickBooks, Ios support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
TouchBistro: Can TouchBistro process payments offline?
Yes. TouchBistro has offline payment capabilities where you can accept payments and store credit card information when offline, with transactions processing once Internet is restored. However, you cannot dip or tap the card in offline mode; you must swipe instead.
SourceTouchBistro: Can I integrate TouchBistro with DoorDash or Uber Eats?
Yes. TouchBistro integrates with delivery platforms through Deliverect and UrbanPiper, which aggregate orders from DoorDash, Uber Eats, and other services directly into your TouchBistro POS, eliminating manual order entry.
SourceTouchBistro: What are the minimum hardware requirements for TouchBistro?
TouchBistro runs on Apple iPads and works with compatible printers, cash drawers, and payment terminals. The system leverages iPad hardware you may already own, potentially reducing initial hardware costs compared to dedicated POS systems.
SourceTouchBistro: Do I have to sign a long-term contract with TouchBistro?
Yes. All TouchBistro plans require annual contracts, and the system requires TouchBistro Payments (powered by Chase) for payment processing on all new customer accounts.
Source