SkyTab vs Toast: which restaurant POS costs less to run in Arkansas
Both run cloud software on their own hardware. The real gap is in what each company publishes, what it charges for extras, and how long you stay committed.
SkyTab, now branded Shift4 Dine, publishes software starting at $29.99 per month per station with no upfront hardware cost. Toast publishes $0 and $69 per month plans and no card rate at all. SkyTab suits owner operated Arkansas restaurants that want a low fixed cost. Toast suits multi location groups needing payroll, inventory and analytics under one roof.
| SkyTab (Shift4 Dine) | Toast | |
|---|---|---|
| Software, per terminal | From $29.99 per month per station | $0 Starter Kit or $69 per month, first terminal only |
| Hardware | $0 upfront, lifetime warranty, inside the monthly fee | From $0 on the first device, or a 180 day Easy Pay lease |
| Processing | Not published | Not published |
| Contract | Not published | Renews for one year terms, 30 days notice to stop |
| Hardware lock | Shift4 supplied hardware | Approved Toast hardware only |
| Included at no extra fee | Online ordering, loyalty, reservations, website builder | 24/7 support on every software subscription |
“We are not mosquitoes. You will not be swatting us away. But we are not disappearing after the install either.”
What does each system cost per month?
Shift4 publishes Dine, still widely known as SkyTab, from $29.99 per month per station. Software, hardware, the lifetime warranty and 24/7 support sit inside that fee, with $0 upfront.
Toast publishes a $0 Starter Kit for one location with up to two terminals, and a $69 plan. Its own footnote says that covers the first terminal and later devices cost more.
Why is neither processing rate in the table?
Neither company publishes a card rate. Toast lists flat rate processing with no percentage attached. Shift4 describes competitive rates and an Advantage program, again with no number.
Anyone quoting a firm SkyTab or Toast rate off a web page is guessing. Ask both for the qualified rate, the per item fee and every monthly line item in writing.
Which one costs more over three years?
Software is the smaller number. Processing typically costs a restaurant several times what POS software costs, so a fraction of a point on the effective rate outweighs the whole software line.
Run your annual card volume against both written rate sheets first, then add software. Our fee calculator does the arithmetic if you have last year's statements to hand.
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What happens when you want to leave?
Toast publishes its renewal rule. The POS contract renews automatically for successive one year periods, and stopping that takes at least 30 days written notice before the term ends.
Shift4 publishes no term length or early termination terms for Dine. It does publish a risk free trial and says equipment can be sent back. Get the term in writing.
Which fits an Arkansas restaurant better?
A single location diner, bar or pizzeria usually wants a low fixed monthly cost and equipment replaced free when it dies mid service. SkyTab reads well against that.
A growing group wanting payroll, scheduling, inventory costing and multi location reporting on one bill usually ends up on Toast. Judd Alsup, our Arkansas lead, says so when it is true.
The honest call
Choose this one when
- You want the lowest published fixed monthly cost and $0 upfront hardware.
- A lifetime hardware warranty and 24/7 support inside the base fee matter.
- You want online ordering, loyalty and reservations with no per feature charges.
Choose the other when
- You need payroll, scheduling and inventory costing on one contract. Toast sells those as suites and Shift4 does not match it.
- You run several locations and want multi location management and analytics inside the same platform.
- You want published renewal terms. Toast states its one year renewal and 30 day notice rule openly. Shift4 publishes no term at all.
- A sister location already runs Toast, and retraining staff costs more than the software gap.
SkyTab: the weak spots we raise first
We sell SkyTab, so the cons list is the part worth reading.
What works
- $29.99 per month per station published, hardware carried inside the fee.
- Lifetime hardware warranty and 24/7 support at no extra charge.
- Online ordering, reservations, loyalty and a website builder included.
What does not
- Shift4 publishes no card rate for Dine, so the biggest number is quote only.
- Shift4 publishes no contract term and no early termination terms.
- You process with Shift4, so the rate cannot be shopped elsewhere later.
- Third party Marketplace integrations carry their own fees on top.
- Payroll, inventory and reporting depth trail Toast for multi location groups.
Questions restaurant owners ask
Is SkyTab the same thing as Shift4 Dine?
Yes. The skytab.com address now resolves to dine.shift4.com and the product is branded Shift4 Dine. Hardware, the $29.99 starting price and the included online ordering, loyalty and reservations all carry over. Older reviews still say SkyTab, so both names appear in search.
What does Toast charge per terminal?
Toast publishes $69 per month for Point of Sale and $0 for the Starter Kit. Its footnote says the price includes the first hardware terminal subscription, that additional charges apply for later devices, and that advertised pricing applies to new customers and single locations only.
Can I keep my current card processor?
No, on either system. Toast states its services may only be used on approved Toast hardware and that it acts as a payment facilitator. Shift4 Dine includes payment acceptance. On both, hardware and processing arrive together, so the rate is part of the decision.
How do I compare the two without guessing?
Ask each for a written rate sheet and a written term length. Put twelve months of card volume against both effective rates, then add software. Judd Alsup runs that comparison on your own statements rather than on a published example.
Vendor pricing and tax rates change without notice. Confirm current figures with the vendor, the city or your accountant before you rely on them. Not tax, legal or accounting advice.
Every number on this page traces to a primary source
- Shift4 Dine (formerly SkyTab) POS pricing starts at $29.99 per month with $0 upfront cost for software and hardwaredine.shift4.com / pricing
- Shift4 Dine monthly fee includes POS software and future updates, POS hardware with a lifetime warranty, 24/7 support, cloud back office reporting and a mobile app; third party Marketplace integrations carry additional fees; a risk free trial allows the equipment to be sent backdine.shift4.com / pricing
- SkyTab is now branded Shift4 Dine and skytab.com resolves to dine.shift4.com. Marketing and loyalty, reservations and waitlist, QR code ordering and a website builder are listed as included at no extra cost, hardware carries a lifetime warranty and support is 24/7dine.shift4.com
- Toast Starter Kit $0 per month for one location with up to two terminals; Point of Sale plan $69 per month; Build Your Own custom pricing. Footnotes state pricing includes the first hardware terminal subscription, additional charges apply for subsequent devices, and pricing applies to new customers and single locations only. Toast services may only be used on approved Toast hardware. Page last updated July 8, 2026pos.toasttab.com / pricing
- Toast hardware starting at $0, which applies to first device hardware only, with software and processing fees additional. Page last updated July 16, 2026pos.toasttab.com / hardware
- Toast Easy Pay is a 180 day hardware lease with no interest or fees, collecting 0.75% of card sales daily from live Toast customers and 1.75% from customers not yet live, with an option to purchase the hardware at the end of the term. Page last updated July 16, 2026pos.toasttab.com / pricing payment options
- A Toast POS contract renews automatically for successive one year periods, and choosing not to renew requires at least 30 days written notice before the end of the current termsupport.toasttab.com