Toast is the heavyweight in US restaurants. Great feature depth — at $300+/mo once you add modules, a 2–3 year contract, and processor lock-in. ChowHub is the leaner choice when you don't need DoorDash dispatch, payroll, and a dedicated account manager bundled in.
| ChowHub | Toast | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry plan | $29/mo | Free (with ~0.99% extra processing) or $69/mo |
| Mid / common plan | $59/mo (Pro) | $165–$200/mo (Build Your Own) |
| Effective monthly with modules | $59–$120/mo | Often $300–$500+/mo |
| Hardware | BYO — Pi, laptop, tablet | Toast Flex $875, KDS $450, bundles $2k–$5k+ |
| Contract | Monthly, cancel anytime | 2–3 year typical, ETF |
| Processor | Your Stripe or Square (pass-through) | Toast processing required, ~2.49% + 15¢ |
| KDS included | Yes, Base plan | Add-on hardware + license |
| Recipe inventory | Yes, $59/mo Pro | Yes — higher tier |
| Online ordering | Yes, Enterprise | Yes — add-on |
| Payroll | No | Yes (Toast Payroll) |
| Loyalty / marketing automation | No | Yes |
| Native DoorDash Drive dispatch | No | Yes |
| Self-host / offline | Yes (Docker / Pi) | Limited |
Independent restaurants, cafés, bars, and 2–5 location groups who want a real POS without a $300+ software bill or a 3-year contract.
You run high-volume delivery with DoorDash Drive dispatch, need Toast Payroll + loyalty + marketing automation from one vendor, and want a dedicated account manager. Toast earns its price for that operator.
Export your existing menu to CSV. Import it into ChowHub with the bulk loader. Connect your Stripe or Square account (you can keep the one you already use). Pick a slow weekday — Tuesday afternoon works for most — and switch over. Run both systems in parallel for the first lunch if it helps you sleep. We can answer migration questions on email at any point.