The Toast alternative with no hardware lock-in
Run your whole restaurant — reservations, POS, kitchen display, inventory and marketing — on the devices you already own. No proprietary terminals, no multi-year contract, and bring your own payment processor.
- No proprietary hardware
- Bring your own payments
- No contract
- Reservations included
Toast is a capable restaurant POS, and its hardware ecosystem is genuinely strong. But that ecosystem is also the catch: proprietary terminals, payment processing you can't easily leave, and contracts that can run for years. Reservations and table management are a separate add-on on top.
TableFlow takes the opposite stance: run it on any device you already own, bring your own payment gateway, stay month-to-month — and get reservations, POS, kitchen, inventory, marketing and a diner marketplace in one flat-priced platform.
Freedom from hardware, contracts and lock-in
What owners tell us they want most when they outgrow a hardware-locked POS.
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No proprietary hardware
Runs in any browser and on the iPads or tablets you already own. Nothing to buy, lease, or be locked into.
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Bring your own payments
Use Stripe, Square, PayPal, Moneris or Helcim — your choice, your rates. No forced processor, no payment lock-in.
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Reservations + marketplace included
Bookings, waitlist and a diner marketplace listing come standard — not a separate add-on you pay extra for.
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No long-term contract
Month-to-month, flat pricing from $149 CAD. Export your data anytime — no multi-year commitment.
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One platform, end to end
POS, kitchen display, inventory, marketing and bookings in one system that talks to itself — instead of bolt-ons.
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Accessible & Canadian-built
Built to WCAG 2.2 AA, available in 10 languages, PIPEDA-ready, and made in Canada for Canadian restaurants.
Any device. Your payments. One flat price.
| Feature | TableFlow | Toast |
|---|---|---|
| Runs on your own devices | Any browser / iPad / tablet | Proprietary hardware |
| Payment processor | Bring your own | Toast Payments |
| Pricing model | Flat monthly | Software + hardware + processing |
| Contract | Month-to-month | Often multi-year |
| Point of sale (POS) | Included | Included |
| Kitchen display (KDS) | Included | Add-on |
| Reservations & waitlist | Included | Separate add-on |
| Diner marketplace listing | Included | Not a marketplace |
| Inventory management | AI-powered | Add-on |
| Payments hardware ecosystem | Bring your own terminals | Deep first-party hardware |
| Setup | ~10 min, AI menu upload | Hardware install |
Comparison based on publicly available information about Toast as of June 2026. Toast's plans, hardware and pricing may change — please verify current details on their website. "Toast" is a trademark of its owner; this independent comparison is provided for evaluation purposes.
From Toast to live on TableFlow in a day
No hardware to rip out, no contract to wait on, no downtime.
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1 · Upload your menu
AI menu upload turns a photo or PDF into your full digital menu in minutes — no manual typing.
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2 · Connect your payments & devices
Plug in Stripe, Square, Moneris or Helcim and use the tablets you already have. No new hardware.
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3 · Go live
Run the floor, fire the kitchen, take bookings and market — all the same day. Cancel anytime.
Is there a Toast alternative that works without proprietary hardware?
Yes. TableFlow runs in any modern browser and on the iPads or tablets you already own — there's no proprietary hardware to buy or lease, so you're never locked into one vendor's terminals.
Can I use my own payment processor instead of being locked in?
Yes. TableFlow lets you bring your own payment gateway — Stripe, Square, PayPal, Moneris or Helcim — each with separate test and live keys. There's no forced processor and no payment lock-in.
How much does TableFlow cost compared to Toast?
TableFlow is a flat monthly subscription — Starter $149, Professional $299, Enterprise $449 CAD per month — with reservations, POS, KDS, inventory and marketing included. Toast typically combines monthly software fees with hardware costs and payment-processing rates; your total depends on your setup.
Does TableFlow include reservations and a diner marketplace?
Yes — reservations, a waitlist and a listing on the TableFlow marketplace are included in every plan, so diners can discover and book you. With Toast, table management and reservations are a separate add-on.
Is there a long-term contract?
No. TableFlow is month-to-month — start a 14-day free trial and cancel anytime. There's no multi-year commitment and no hardware lease holding you in.
Your restaurant, on your terms
Try TableFlow free for 14 days. No proprietary hardware, no contract, your own payment processor.