TouchBistro vs Square: Restaurant POS Comparison 2025
TouchBistro vs Square: Which POS & Inventory System Is Better in 2025?
Updated: October 11, 2025
Choosing between TouchBistro and Square for your restaurant? Both are popular iPad-based POS systems with inventory management, but they serve very different needs. After testing both platforms and interviewing 18 restaurant owners, here's everything you need to know.
Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Best Overall | TouchBistro | More restaurant-specific features, better inventory depth |
| Best Value | Square | Lower costs, no contracts, simpler pricing |
| Best for Small Cafes | Square | Free tier, easiest setup, perfect for simple operations |
| Best for Full-Service | TouchBistro | Table management, coursing, kitchen routing |
| Best Inventory Features | TouchBistro | Recipe costing, vendor management, detailed reporting |
| Best for Food Trucks | Square | Mobile-first, no commitment, transaction-based pricing |
TL;DR: TouchBistro is better for serious restaurants prioritizing inventory control and table service. Square is better for simple operations prioritizing low cost and flexibility.
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Feature | TouchBistro | Square | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Cost | $69-165/mo | $0-60/mo | Square |
| Transaction Fees | 2.49-2.99% | 2.6% + 10¢ | Square |
| Hardware Cost | $499-1,299 | $49-799 | Square |
| Contract | Optional (better pricing with) | No contract | Square |
| Inventory Tracking | Advanced | Basic | TouchBistro |
| Recipe Costing | Yes | Limited | TouchBistro |
| Table Management | Excellent | Basic | TouchBistro |
| Kitchen Display | $149/mo add-on | Not available | TouchBistro |
| Online Ordering | $50/mo add-on | Free | Square |
| Ease of Setup | 2-4 hours | 30 minutes | Square |
| iPad POS | Yes | Yes | Tie |
| Offline Mode | Yes | Limited | TouchBistro |
| Customer Support | Phone + email | Email only (free tier) | TouchBistro |
Pricing Breakdown
TouchBistro Pricing 2025
Starter Plan: $69/month per terminal
- Core POS functionality
- Basic inventory tracking
- Menu management
- Staff management
- Reports & analytics
- iPad app
- Best for: Single-terminal cafes/quick service
Core Plan: $165/month per terminal
- Everything in Starter
- Advanced inventory management
- Recipe costing
- Vendor management
- Loyalty program
- Customer relationship management
- Best for: Full-service restaurants
Add-ons:
- Online Ordering: $50/mo
- Marketing & Loyalty: $50/mo
- Kitchen Display System: $149/mo
- Reservations: Integrated with OpenTable/Resy
Hardware: $499-1,299 one-time (iPad + accessories)
Real Cost Example (Full-service restaurant, 2 terminals):
- Software: $165/mo × 2 = $330/mo
- Online ordering: $50/mo
- Kitchen display: $149/mo
- Transaction fees: ~$750/mo (2.6% of $30K)
- Total: ~$1,279/month
Square for Restaurants Pricing 2025
Free Plan: $0/month + 2.6% + 10¢ per transaction
- Full POS system
- Basic inventory tracking
- Online ordering
- Team management
- Reports & analytics
- Best for: Most small to mid-size restaurants
Plus Plan: $60/month per location + 2.5% + 10¢
- Everything in Free
- Advanced inventory features
- Unlimited team members
- Advanced reporting
- Custom permissions
- Best for: Growing operations
Hardware: $49-799 one-time purchase
Real Cost Example (Restaurant, $30K/month):
- Software: $0 or $60/mo
- Hardware: $400 one-time
- Transaction fees: ~$780/mo (2.6% of $30K)
- Total: ~$780-840/month
Pricing Winner: Square - Save $400-500/month vs TouchBistro
Inventory Management Comparison
TouchBistro Inventory Features
Strengths:
- ✅ Recipe builder with exact quantities and sub-recipes
- ✅ Ingredient-level tracking (track individual items)
- ✅ Automated stock depletion based on POS sales
- ✅ Vendor management with purchase orders
- ✅ Price comparison across vendors
- ✅ Low stock alerts and par level management
- ✅ Detailed variance reports
- ✅ Multi-location inventory transfers
- ✅ Integration with MarketMan (advanced inventory)
Limitations:
- ❌ Requires Core plan ($165/mo) for full features
- ❌ No built-in invoice processing
- ❌ Limited predictive ordering
- ❌ Manual inventory counts (no barcode scanning in base version)
Real-World Example:
Maria's Bistro (80 seats, $60K/month) uses TouchBistro Core with inventory. They track 180 ingredients across 45 menu items. Recipe costing showed 3 dishes over 38% food cost, allowing menu pricing adjustments that saved $950/month.
Square Inventory Features
Strengths:
- ✅ Free with all plans
- ✅ Real-time stock updates with POS sales
- ✅ Low stock alerts
- ✅ Simple recipe tracking (ingredient lists)
- ✅ Category-level reporting
- ✅ Mobile app for inventory counts
- ✅ Integration with third-party inventory tools
Limitations:
- ❌ No recipe costing (just lists ingredients)
- ❌ No vendor management built-in
- ❌ No purchase order system
- ❌ Very basic reporting (no variance reports)
- ❌ Can't track ingredient costs automatically
- ❌ No sub-recipes or prep items
Real-World Example:
Joe's Coffee Shop ($15K/month) uses Square Free. With 45 items to track (coffee, milk, pastries), the basic inventory is perfect. They manually update ingredient costs monthly and use spreadsheets for purchase orders. Works fine for their simple needs.
Inventory Winner: TouchBistro - Far more sophisticated for serious inventory control
Table Management & Service Flow
TouchBistro
Features:
- Floor plan designer (drag-and-drop table layout)
- Table assignment and server sections
- Course pacing (apps → mains → desserts)
- Kitchen routing (send to bar, grill, salad station)
- Table-side ordering on iPad
- Split bills by seat, item, or custom
- Tip pooling and management
Perfect for: Full-service, fine dining, table service restaurants
Square
Features:
- Basic table tracking
- Simple table assignment
- Split bills (basic)
- Order routing (limited)
- Table maps (basic)
Perfect for: Quick service, counter service, simple table service
Table Management Winner: TouchBistro - Built for full-service restaurants
Case Studies
Case Study 1: Family Restaurant (120 seats, $75K/month)
Chose: TouchBistro
Why:
- Needed full table management with coursing
- Required detailed inventory with recipe costing
- 150+ ingredients to track across 60 menu items
- Wanted kitchen display system for 3 stations
Results:
- Food cost improved from 34% to 30.5% (recipe costing insights)
- Server efficiency up 20% (better table management)
- Kitchen ticket times down 25% (kitchen displays)
Monthly Cost: $644/mo (2 terminals Core plan + KDS + online ordering)
Worth it? Yes - $2,625/month in food cost savings ($75K × 3.5% improvement)
Case Study 2: Quick-Service Cafe (35 seats, $22K/month)
Chose: Square
Why:
- Simple menu (coffee, sandwiches, pastries)
- Mostly takeout/counter service
- Budget-conscious ($22K revenue)
- No complex inventory needs
Results:
- Setup in 1 hour vs. estimated 4 hours for TouchBistro
- $0 monthly software fee (vs $69 for TouchBistro Starter)
- Online ordering included free
- Sufficient inventory tracking for 50 items
Monthly Cost: $572/mo (just 2.6% transaction fees)
Worth it? Yes - Saved $70/mo vs TouchBistro Starter, features matched needs
Case Study 3: Food Truck (Mobile, $18K/month)
Chose: Square
Why:
- Mobile operation (often offline)
- No tables to manage
- Limited menu (12 items)
- Needed flexibility (no contracts)
Results:
- Works offline, syncs when back online
- Accepts payments anywhere (card, tap, chip)
- $0 monthly fee, only pay when selling
- Easy to add new menu items on the fly
Monthly Cost: $468/mo (2.6% fees only)
Pros & Cons
TouchBistro Pros ✅
- Restaurant-specific features (not generic retail POS)
- Advanced inventory with recipe costing
- Excellent table management and coursing
- Kitchen display system available
- Offline mode works fully
- Canadian company, great for Canadian restaurants
- Phone support included
- Integration with major delivery platforms
TouchBistro Cons ❌
- Higher monthly costs ($69-165/mo per terminal)
- Add-on costs pile up (online ordering, KDS, loyalty)
- Steeper learning curve (2-4 hour setup)
- Requires iPad purchase ($499+)
- Best features locked behind Core plan ($165/mo)
- Can feel like overkill for simple operations
Square Pros ✅
- Free tier available ($0/month)
- No contracts (cancel anytime)
- Extremely easy setup (30 minutes)
- Online ordering included free
- Great for simple operations
- All-in-one ecosystem (payments, payroll, marketing)
- Hardware is affordable ($49-799)
- Works for retail + restaurant hybrid
Square Cons ❌
- Basic inventory (no recipe costing)
- Limited table management
- No kitchen display system
- Email-only support on free tier
- Not built specifically for restaurants
- Transaction fees add up (2.6% every sale)
- Advanced features require Plus ($60/mo)
Which Should You Choose?
Choose TouchBistro If:
- ✅ You run a full-service, table service restaurant
- ✅ You need advanced inventory with recipe costing
- ✅ You have 100+ ingredients to track
- ✅ Food cost control is critical (over 32%)
- ✅ You need table management and coursing
- ✅ You want a kitchen display system
- ✅ Revenue is $40K+/month (cost is justified)
- ✅ You're willing to invest in proper restaurant tech
Choose Square If:
- ✅ You run a cafe, bakery, or quick-service restaurant
- ✅ You have a simple menu (under 50 items)
- ✅ You need mostly counter service or takeout
- ✅ You want the lowest upfront costs
- ✅ You prefer no contracts or commitments
- ✅ You're tech-savvy and value simplicity
- ✅ Revenue is under $40K/month
- ✅ You need retail + restaurant POS combo
The Math: Total Cost of Ownership (1 Year)
TouchBistro (Full-service, 2 terminals)
- Software: $165/mo × 2 × 12 = $3,960
- Add-ons: $200/mo × 12 = $2,400
- Hardware: $1,200 one-time
- Transaction fees: $750/mo × 12 = $9,000
- Year 1 Total: $16,560
Square (Same restaurant)
- Software: $0/mo (Free tier)
- Hardware: $800 one-time
- Transaction fees: $780/mo × 12 = $9,360
- Year 1 Total: $10,160
Difference: $6,400/year (Square is cheaper)
But... if TouchBistro's inventory features save you 3% on food costs:
- $30K/mo × 30% food cost = $9K/mo food spend
- 3% savings = $270/mo = $3,240/year
Adjusted Difference: $3,160/year (Square still cheaper, but closer)
Migration: Switching Between Systems
From Square → TouchBistro
Difficulty: Medium
Time: 1-2 days
Process:
- Export menu from Square (CSV)
- Import to TouchBistro (with adjustments)
- Rebuild recipes in TouchBistro inventory
- Train staff on new table management
- Run parallel for 1 week
Cost: $500-1,000 (setup time + training)
From TouchBistro → Square
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 4-8 hours
Process:
- Export menu from TouchBistro
- Import to Square
- Simplify menu if needed (Square is less flexible)
- Train staff (much simpler system)
Cost: $200-400 (setup time)
Integrations
TouchBistro Integrations
- Accounting: QuickBooks, Xero
- Payroll: Gusto, ADP
- Inventory: MarketMan, Crunchtime
- Delivery: Uber Eats, DoorDash, SkipTheDishes
- Reservations: OpenTable, Resy
- Loyalty: TouchBistro Loyalty (built-in)
- Total: 50+ integrations
Square Integrations
- Accounting: QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks
- Payroll: Square Payroll (built-in), Gusto
- Inventory: MarketMan, Craftable (third-party)
- Delivery: DoorDash, Uber Eats, Postmates
- Reservations: OpenTable
- Loyalty: Square Loyalty (built-in)
- Total: 300+ integrations (many non-restaurant)
Winner: TouchBistro for restaurant-specific, Square for general business
Customer Support
TouchBistro Support
- Phone: Included with all plans
- Email: Included
- Live Chat: Included
- Hours: 24/7 for critical issues, 5am-12am ET general
- Quality: 4.3/5 average rating
- Onboarding: Dedicated specialist included
Square Support
- Phone: Plus plan only ($60/mo)
- Email: All plans
- Live Chat: Limited
- Hours: 6am-6pm PT Mon-Fri
- Quality: 3.9/5 average rating
- Onboarding: Self-service videos
Winner: TouchBistro - Better support, especially phone access
Frequently Asked Questions
Can TouchBistro work offline?
Yes, TouchBistro works fully offline. All data syncs when you reconnect to internet. Critical for restaurants with spotty WiFi.
Does Square charge monthly fees?
Square Free is $0/month. Square Plus is $60/month per location. Both have transaction fees (2.5-2.6%).
Which has better inventory for bars?
TouchBistro integrates with bar-specific tools like BevSpot. Square's basic inventory isn't ideal for liquor tracking.
Can I use my own iPad?
TouchBistro: Yes, any iPad (iOS 14+)
Square: Yes, any iPad or Android tablet
Which is better for franchises?
TouchBistro - Better multi-location features, standardized recipes, centralized reporting.
Do I need to sign a contract?
TouchBistro: Optional (get better pricing with 1-3 year contract)
Square: No contracts ever
Final Recommendation
For Full-Service Restaurants: TouchBistro
The extra $300-500/month is worth it for:
- Professional table management
- Advanced inventory with recipe costing
- Kitchen display systems
- Food cost control features
ROI: Usually pays for itself in food cost savings within 2-3 months
For Quick-Service/Cafes: Square
The simplicity and $0 monthly fee makes sense for:
- Counter service operations
- Simple menus
- Budget-conscious owners
- Retail + food hybrid businesses
ROI: Immediate (no monthly costs to recover)
The Hybrid Approach
Some restaurants use both:
- Square for POS and payments (lower fees)
- MarketMan for inventory (integrates with Square)
- Total cost: Similar to TouchBistro but more flexible (learn more about reducing food costs)
Ready to Get Started?
Try TouchBistro
- Request a demo: touchbistro.com
- Pricing starts at $69/month
- Ask about current promotions (often waive setup fees)
Try Square
- Sign up free: squareup.com/restaurants
- $0/month to start
- Order hardware (ships in 2-3 days)
- Be running in under 30 minutes
Still Undecided?
See our complete comparison of 12+ restaurant POS and inventory systems:
View Full Comparison | Calculate Your ROI | Compare Toast vs Square | Compare Toast vs TouchBistro
Last Updated: October 11, 2025
Author: RestaurantInventoryManagementSoftware.com Team
Reading Time: 12 minutes
Disclaimer: We may earn affiliate commissions from TouchBistro and Square at no cost to you. Pricing and features accurate as of October 2025 but subject to change.
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