Restaurants industry
Best Software for Restaurants (2026 Guide)
Restaurant owners need a POS that ties together orders, online ordering, inventory, and labor — without locking you into bad hardware.
Common problems we hear from restaurants
- Online ordering fees eating margin
- Inventory shrinkage
- Scheduling around no-call no-shows
- Reporting across multiple locations
Comparison table
The top 4 tools for restaurants, side by side.
| Software | Category | Starting price | Free trial | Rating | Best for | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toast POS | POS | $0/mo | Yes | 4.5 | Full-service and quick-service restaurants of every size. | Visit |
| Square for Restaurants | POS | Free | Yes | 4.4 | New restaurants, cafés, and quick-service concepts. | Visit |
| Clover | POS | $90/mo | No | 4.1 | Restaurants and retailers who want hardware flexibility. | Visit |
| 7shifts | Scheduling | Free | Yes | 4.6 | Restaurants juggling 10+ hourly employees. | Visit |
Top 4 software picks for restaurants
Toast POS
POS
Toast is the leading restaurant POS, online ordering, and payroll platform.
- Restaurant-only focus
- Strong online ordering
- Integrated payroll
Starting price
$0/mo
Square for Restaurants brings Square's simple POS to full-service and QSR concepts.
- Free plan available
- Easy hardware setup
- Predictable processing fees
Starting price
Free
Clover
POS
Clover offers POS hardware and software for restaurants, retail, and services.
- Strong app marketplace
- Flexible hardware lineup
Starting price
$90/mo
7shifts
Scheduling
7shifts is the leading employee scheduling and labor management tool for restaurants.
- Strong free tier
- Sales-based labor forecasting
- Team chat included
Starting price
Free
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
What software do restaurants use?+
Most restaurants use field service software like Toast POS or Square for Restaurants to handle scheduling, dispatch, invoicing, and customer follow-ups in one app.
What is the best software for restaurants in 2026?+
Our top pick this year is Toast POS — it balances price, features, and ease of use better than any other option we tested.
How much does restaurants software cost?+
Entry-level field service software starts around $29/mo. Enterprise platforms can run several hundred dollars per user per month.
Do I need a separate CRM and invoicing tool?+
Not usually. Modern all-in-one tools like Toast POS bundle CRM, scheduling, and invoicing. Standalone CRMs only make sense if you have a dedicated sales team.