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Software · head to head

Phorest vs Toast POS

Phorest logo

Phorest

Software

Salon software that grows your business

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Toast POS logo

Toast POS

Software

All-in-one restaurant management platform

From
On request
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Phorest no price is published for any of the seven plans, and every route ends at a quote request; Toast POS free tier limited to one or two terminals
  • They diverge on capability: Phorest covers Appointment booking, Toast POS covers Cloud POS.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Phorest and Toast POS actually diverge.

Attributes where Phorest and Toast POS differ
AttributePhorestToast POS
Starting price$99/monthOn request
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20032011

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Phorest

  • Appointment booking
  • Client management
  • Point of sale
  • Marketing automation
  • Reputation management
  • Staff management
  • Business reports
  • Mailchimp

Only in Toast POS

  • Cloud POS
  • Menu management
  • Real-time reporting
  • Employee management
  • Online ordering
  • DoorDash
  • Grubhub
  • Uber Eats

Both cover

  • Inventory tracking
  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Phorest

  • Salon and spa appointment booking with client recordsnot Toast POS
  • Marketing, memberships and staff management for beauty businessesnot Toast POS

Toast POS

  • Point of Salenot Phorest
  • Order Managementnot Phorest
  • Inventory Controlnot Phorest
  • Staff Schedulingnot Phorest

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Phorest

  • No price is published for any of the seven plans, and every route ends at a quote request
  • There is no free trial at all, which the company states plainly
  • The product is described as suited to 3 or more staff, so a solo operator is outside the intended range
  • The branded booking app requires the Ultimate plan, and two way SMS, memberships, lead management and the ads manager are all Elite only

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

Phorest

$99/month
  • Grow$99/month
    • Appointment booking
    • Client management
    • POS
  • Elevate$179/month
    • Everything in Grow
    • Advanced marketing
    • Online booking
  • Innovate$299/month
    • Everything in Elevate
    • Multi-location
    • Advanced analytics

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 Phorest if

  • You need appointment booking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want client management.

Choose Toast POS if

  • You need cloud pos.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want menu management.

Questions people ask

Is Phorest or Toast POS better?
Neither clearly leads. Phorest starts at $99/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, Phorest or Toast POS?
Phorest starts at $99/month and Toast POS at On request.
Does Phorest or Toast POS run on more platforms?
Phorest runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Toast POS runs on Web, Ios, Android.
What is Phorest best used for?
Phorest is most often used for salon and spa appointment booking with client records, marketing, memberships and staff management for beauty businesses. Of those, salon and spa appointment booking with client records and marketing, memberships and staff management for beauty businesses are not what Toast POS is typically brought in for.
What can Phorest do that Toast POS cannot?
Phorest covers Appointment booking, Client management, Point of sale, Marketing automation. Toast POS covers Cloud POS, Menu management, Real-time reporting, Employee management. Both handle Inventory tracking, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Toast 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.

Source
Toast 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.

Source

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