Restaurants · head to head
Deputy vs Toast POS
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Deputy a $30 monthly minimum applies to every plan, so a team of four on the $5 Lite plan pays for six; Toast POS free tier limited to one or two terminals
- They diverge on capability: Deputy covers AI scheduling, Toast POS covers Cloud POS.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Deputy and Toast POS actually diverge.
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Restaurants).
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 Deputy
- AI scheduling
- Time tracking
- Demand forecasting
- Compliance
- Team communication
- Performance tracking
- Toast
- Square
Only in Toast POS
- Cloud POS
- Menu management
- Real-time reporting
- Inventory tracking
- Employee management
- Online ordering
- DoorDash
- Grubhub
Both cover
- QuickBooks
- Web support
- Ios support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Deputy
- Staff scheduling and shift management for hourly teamsnot Toast POS
- Time clocking, timesheets and labour cost trackingnot Toast POS
Toast POS
- Point of Salenot Deputy
- Order Managementnot Deputy
- Inventory Controlnot Deputy
- Staff Schedulingnot Deputy
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Deputy
- A $30 monthly minimum applies to every plan, so a team of four on the $5 Lite plan pays for six
- Auto scheduling, demand forecasting and labour optimisation all require a plan above Lite
- SSO and custom access levels are Pro only at $9 per user per month
- Payroll is an add on at $8 per user per month plus a $49 monthly base fee
- Messaging and analytics are separately priced add ons at $1.95 and $1.50 per user per month
Toast POS
- Free tier limited to one or two terminals
- Setup fees and hardware requirements for paid plans
- Mobile ordering requires additional configuration
- Reporting and analytics features limited on entry-level plans
Pricing, plan by plan
Deputy
$3.5/user/month- Scheduling$3.5/user/month
- Scheduling
- Communication
- Time & Attendance$3.5/user/month
- Time clock
- Timesheets
- Premium$4.9/user/month
- Full features
- Reporting
Toast POS
On request- Starter KitFree
- Cloud-based POS
- Order management
- Reporting
- Point of Sale$69/month
- Menu management
- Reporting & analytics
- 24/7 support
- Build Your Own$165/month
- Online ordering
- Delivery
- Marketing
Which should you pick?
Choose Deputy if
- You need ai scheduling.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want time tracking.
Choose Toast POS if
- You need cloud pos.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want menu management.
Questions people ask
- Is Deputy or Toast POS better?
- Neither clearly leads. Deputy starts at $3.5/user/month and Toast POS at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Deputy or Toast POS?
- Deputy starts at $3.5/user/month and Toast POS at On request.
- Does Deputy or Toast POS run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- What is Deputy best used for?
- Deputy is most often used for staff scheduling and shift management for hourly teams, time clocking, timesheets and labour cost tracking. Of those, staff scheduling and shift management for hourly teams and time clocking, timesheets and labour cost tracking are not what Toast POS is typically brought in for.
- What can Deputy do that Toast POS cannot?
- Deputy covers AI scheduling, Time tracking, Demand forecasting, Compliance. Toast POS covers Cloud POS, Menu management, Real-time reporting, Inventory tracking. Both handle QuickBooks, Web support, Ios support, Android support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Deputy: How much does Deputy cost per user?
Deputy offers three plans: Lite at $5/user/month, Core at $6.50/user/month, and Pro at $9/user/month. All plans are billed upfront or in monthly installments in USD, excluding taxes.
SourceToast POS: Does Toast POS have a free tier?
Yes. Toast's Starter Kit is free and designed for small restaurants with one or two terminals. It includes cloud-based POS, payment processing, order and table management, real-time reporting, and 24/7 customer support.
SourceDeputy: Is there a minimum monthly charge for Deputy?
Yes, there is a minimum spend of $30 USD/AUD or £20 GBP monthly per invoice, effective September 1, 2025.
SourceToast POS: What integrations does Toast POS support?
Toast integrates with payment processors, online ordering platforms, delivery services, accounting software, and customer data platforms for comprehensive restaurant operations management.
SourceDeputy: Can I change plans or cancel anytime with Deputy monthly billing?
Monthly plans allow changes anytime without penalty, effective the first of the current month. You can cancel by paying through the current billing period with no additional penalties.
SourceDeputy: What happens if I cancel an annual Deputy plan before 12 months?
Annual plans do not offer refunds if you cancel before 12 months expire. You may cancel before the 12 months expire, but you forfeit any unused prepaid time.
SourceDeputy: Can I use Deputy without paying for every team member?
All admins and managers count as users and are subject to per-user charges. There is no option to exclude administrative staff from billing.
SourceRelated pages
Other head to heads
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- Deputy vs Lightspeed Restaurant
- Deputy vs Clover
- Deputy vs Foodics
- Deputy vs 7shifts
- Deputy vs HotSchedules
- Deputy vs Lineup.ai
- Deputy vs Yelp Reservations
- Deputy vs Restaurant365
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- Deputy vs Owner.com
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- Deputy vs Revel Systems
- Deputy vs SpotOn
- Deputy vs Swiggy
- Deputy vs CAKE POS
- Deputy vs Lavu
- Deputy vs Talech
- Deputy vs ChowNow
- Deputy vs Heartland Restaurant
- Deputy vs Rezku POS
- Deputy vs Deliveroo
- Deputy vs Popmenu
- Deputy vs Apicbase
- Toast POS vs Square for Restaurants
- Toast POS vs Lightspeed Restaurant
- Toast POS vs Clover
- Toast POS vs Foodics
- Toast POS vs 7shifts
- Toast POS vs HotSchedules
- Toast POS vs Lineup.ai
- Toast POS vs Yelp Reservations
- Toast POS vs Restaurant365
- Toast POS vs BentoBox
- Toast POS vs xtraCHEF
- Toast POS vs Owner.com
- Toast POS vs Petpooja
- Toast POS vs Restroworks
- Toast POS vs Revel Systems
- Toast POS vs SpotOn
- Toast POS vs Swiggy
- Toast POS vs CAKE POS
- Toast POS vs Lavu
- Toast POS vs Talech
- Toast POS vs ChowNow
- Toast POS vs Heartland Restaurant
- Toast POS vs Rezku POS
- Toast POS vs Deliveroo
- Toast POS vs Popmenu
- Toast POS vs Apicbase


