Shopolo vs Toast

Toast alternative for restaurant gift cards
and loyalty — no hardware required

Toast is a full restaurant POS with expensive add-ons for every feature. Shopolo is purpose-built for gift cards, loyalty, and online ordering — and it works whether or not you use Toast in your kitchen.

Try Shopolo free →See pricing
FeatureShopoloToast
Digital gift cardsIncluded — sell from any linkToast Gift Cards: $50/mo or $4/mo + per-card fees
Online ordering commission0% — flat platform fee onlyToast Online Ordering: $75/mo (or 0% with higher monthly)
Third-party online orderingN/A — direct orders onlyToast partners with Uber Eats, DoorDash (15–30% commission)
Loyalty programIncluded in all plansToast Loyalty: $25/mo + $25/mo per location
Email campaignsIncludedToast Email Marketing: $75/mo
Table reservationsIncludedToast Tables: $50/mo
Appointment bookingIncludedNot available — restaurant-focused POS
Hardware requiredNoneToast hardware strongly recommended ($627–$999+)
Payment processingStripe — direct to your bankToast Payments — funds held in Toast account

Pricing sourced from public Toast and Shopolo plan pages. Subject to change.

Toast adds fees on top of fees. Shopolo is all-in-one.

Toast gift cards cost $50/mo on top of your base plan

Toast charges $50/month for its gift card add-on (or a lower monthly with per-card fees). On Shopolo, gift cards are included at no extra charge in every plan — not an add-on.

Toast Loyalty is $25/mo per location, on top of everything else

On top of your base Toast plan, you pay $25/mo for Toast Loyalty, then $25/mo per additional location. A 3-location restaurant pays $75/mo just for loyalty. On Shopolo, loyalty is included.

Toast's email marketing costs $75/mo separately

Toast charges $75/month for email marketing. Shopolo's email campaign tool is included in your plan. No separate bill for sending to your customer list.

When Toast is the right choice

Toast is a great fit if you need a full restaurant POS — kitchen display systems, table management, split checks, and staff management all integrated. For large restaurant groups with complex operations, Toast's all-in-one approach is worth the cost. Shopolo is the better choice if you just want to sell gift cards and run loyalty programs without buying into a full POS stack.

Other comparisons

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Try Shopolo free for 30 days

No hardware. No setup fees. Gift cards, loyalty, and ordering — live in under 10 minutes.

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