If you're trying to compete in POS without underpricing, you're not alone. Square and Toast dominate the market with slick hardware, aggressive marketing, and all-in-one pricing bundles. But here's the good news: you can absolutely compete with Square and Toast, without touching your price tag.
In fact, leading with value instead of discounts is not only possible, it’s more sustainable. Whether you're a POS reseller, white-label platform provider, or restaurant tech consultant, this guide breaks down effective ways to compete with big POS providers like Toast and Square, and win the right kind of clients.
1. Compete on Control, Not on Price
The reality behind most POS pricing comparisons is this: Square and Toast POS pricing look attractive until you scale. What starts out as a $0/month or $69/month solution often balloons when you add:
- Online ordering
- Delivery integrations
- Extra terminals
- Higher processing fees
What you offer is predictability and freedom.
With a modular setup like KitchenHub, your clients can:
- Choose only the integrations they need
- Avoid vendor lock-in
- Build on open APIs with full access to data and workflows
You're not just selling a POS system, you’re helping operators build a customized restaurant tech stack they can control as they grow.
And when you're up against big players? That’s your wedge.
Want to compete with Square? Show the client how you give them more freedom and fewer restrictions.
Want to compete with Toast? Prove that your system evolves with their business, not against it.
2. Fill the Gaps in Square and Toast’s Model
Square and Toast are impressive platforms, but they’re not purpose-built for every restaurant use case. If your client operates across multiple locations, juggles virtual brands, or needs delivery-specific pricing, the cracks start to show.
Here’s where you stand out:
- Unified order and menu management across providers (Uber Eats, Grubhub, DoorDash)
- Virtual store support for multi-brand locations
- Real-time availability sync to reduce canceled orders
- Manual and auto-accept order logic, tailored to the kitchen setup
You’re not just competing with Toast and Square, you’re offering a system that handles complexity without the bloat.
Let them focus on “all-in-one.” You focus on “all-in-right.”
3. Speed-to-Value Beats Low POS System Pricing
Let’s face it, many operators are burned out from long onboarding cycles and “fast” solutions that stall during launch. They don’t want the cheapest POS system. They want something that works now and scales later.
Here’s your move:
- White-label dashboards and apps that launch in days
- Web-based order tools that work on any tablet
- Instant integrations with delivery marketplaces
- POS-optional workflows for locations that don’t need full terminal setups
Instead of chasing the lowest POS pricing, show them what it looks like to save time, reduce errors, and avoid replatforming headaches.
Cheap is expensive when it delays growth.
4. Support Is the Ultimate Differentiator
Big POS platforms often hide support behind tickets, bots, and 3-day wait times. In contrast, you can offer:
- Direct lines to real humans (no tier-3 escalation needed)
- Faster response times during peak hours
- A team that understands both the tech and the restaurant environment
This is where smaller providers win big.
If you're trying to compete with Toast, be the provider that operators can actually talk to.
If you're looking to compete with Square, offer proactive support and real-time insights instead of templated responses.
At KitchenHub, we’ve built our reputation around human-first support, and our partners use that to close deals daily.
5. Sell the ROI, Not the Discount
Here’s how you reframe the POS pricing comparison:
Don’t try to match Toast’s starter price or Square’s bundled hardware deals. Instead, ask:
- How much time will this save your staff every week?
- How many fewer orders will you miss with real-time sync?
- How much revenue will you protect by syncing availability automatically?
Competing without lowering prices means showing clients where the true value lies:
- No onboarding fees
- No hidden costs for API access
- No forced upgrades for simple features
In other words, your total cost of ownership is lower, even if your monthly fee is higher.
How to compete with Square and Toast? By not trying to be them. Your edge is in customization, partnership, and long-term thinking. The truth is, there’s a market of growing restaurant groups who are tired of cookie-cutter platforms. They want:
- Control
- Speed
- Service
- Flexibility
That’s exactly what you offer.
So stop playing the underpricing game. Start leading with what actually matters. Because in today’s restaurant tech landscape, being better beats being cheaper.
Ready to Compete Smarter?
KitchenHub helps POS resellers, tech providers, and aggregators build scalable, integration-driven infrastructure for modern restaurants.
We’re here to help you win, without lowering your prices.
