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E-Commerce · head to head

Toast vs WooCommerce

Toast logo

Toast

E-Commerce

Cloud POS platform for restaurants and hospitality

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
WooCommerce logo

WooCommerce

E-Commerce

The flexible, open-source ecommerce platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Toast starter tier lacks advanced features; most capabilities require paid plans above $69/month; WooCommerce the plugin is free but you must supply and pay for WordPress hosting, which WooCommerce itself puts at $25 to $350 per month for most stores
  • They diverge on capability: Toast covers Point of sale, WooCommerce covers Product management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Toast and WooCommerce actually diverge.

Attributes where Toast and WooCommerce differ
AttributeToastWooCommerce
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, Tablets, Web browsersWeb

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (E-Commerce), founded (2011).

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 Toast

  • Point of sale
  • Kitchen display system
  • Employee scheduling
  • Customer management
  • Analytics & reporting
  • Delivery integration

Only in WooCommerce

  • Product management
  • Shopping cart
  • Payment integration
  • Shipping management
  • Tax calculations
  • Customer accounts

Both cover

  • Order management
  • Inventory tracking

What people use each for

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

Toast

No use cases recorded yet. See the Toast review.

WooCommerce

  • Running an online store inside an existing WordPress sitenot Toast
  • Selling physical, digital or subscription products with full control of the codenot Toast
  • Building a customised commerce workflow through plugins and hooksnot Toast

Where each one falls short

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

Toast

  • Starter tier lacks advanced features; most capabilities require paid plans above $69/month
  • No free tier for advanced features like employee scheduling, inventory, or loyalty programs
  • Setup and training time required for complex multi-location deployments
  • Payment processing tied to Toast ecosystem; limited flexibility for alternative payment processors
  • Hardware costs can be substantial for full-featured setups with multiple terminals and kitchen displays

WooCommerce

  • The plugin is free but you must supply and pay for WordPress hosting, which WooCommerce itself puts at $25 to $350 per month for most stores
  • Functionality such as subscriptions and bookings comes from paid extensions priced at $29 to $299 per year each, renewed annually
  • Card payments through WooPayments cost roughly 2.50 to 2.90 percent plus 30 cents per transaction
  • Total cost depends on how many extensions a store needs rather than a single published plan price

Pricing, plan by plan

Toast

Free
  • Starter KitFree
    • Cloud-based POS
    • Payment processing
    • 1-2 terminals
  • Point of Sale$69/month
    • Custom hardware configurations
    • Advanced reporting
    • Core POS features

WooCommerce

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Core ecommerce features
    • Unlimited products
    • Community support
  • Premium$299/year
    • All Free features
    • Premium support
    • Performance optimization

Which should you pick?

Choose Toast if

  • You need point of sale.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Tablets, Web browsers.
  • You also want kitchen display system.
Toast review

Choose WooCommerce if

  • You need product management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want shopping cart.
WooCommerce review

Questions people ask

Is Toast or WooCommerce better?
Neither clearly leads. Toast starts at Free and WooCommerce at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Toast or WooCommerce?
Toast starts at Free and WooCommerce at Free.
Does Toast or WooCommerce run on more platforms?
Toast runs on Web, iOS, Android, Tablets, Web browsers. WooCommerce runs on Web.
Can I use Toast for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What can Toast do that WooCommerce cannot?
Toast covers Point of sale, Kitchen display system, Employee scheduling, Customer management. WooCommerce covers Product management, Shopping cart, Payment integration, Shipping management. Both handle Order management, Inventory tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Toast: What is the cost of Toast POS?

Toast offers a free Starter Kit tier for one or two terminals with POS and payment processing at no upfront cost, though costs are built into payment processing rates. Paid plans start at $69/month for the Point of Sale plan, with Custom tier available via quote for advanced features.

Source
WooCommerce: Does WooCommerce offer a money-back guarantee?

Yes. The platform offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Source
Toast: Does Toast include online ordering?

Yes. Toast offers online ordering capabilities where customers can order via QR code while seated (Order & Pay) or through standalone online ordering integrated with the POS for kitchen automation.

Source
WooCommerce: Is WooCommerce secure for online payments?

The platform offers safe and secure online payments through its integrated system.

Source
Toast: Does Toast offer drive-through capabilities?

Yes. In April 2026, Toast launched a drive-thru product supporting voice ordering through integrations, allowing restaurants to automate drive-through workflows.

Source
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