Toast vs Helcim

Two point of sale tools side by side. Prices are the starting plan a small business would pick, in USD.

Short version

  • Helcim fits retail shop, service business, agency or studio, trades or contractor, online store.
  • Toast fits restaurant or café.
CompareToastToast IncHelcimHelcim
In one lineRestaurant POS with kitchen displays and online orderingFree POS with interchange-plus pricing that drops as you grow
Starting priceFreeFree
Six-person team$0/mo$0/mo
On $10,000 of card salesRates by quoteInterchange plus a markup
PlansStarter kit $0/mo with higher processing (3.09% pay-as-you-go); Point of Sale plan from $69/mo with custom-built ratesNo monthly fee; in-person interchange + 0.40% + 8¢, online interchange + 0.50% + 25¢ (first $50K/mo, lower above); card reader $199; Smart Terminal $349
Pricing modelFree tierFree tier
Free trial——
UsersUnlimitedUnlimited
Both connect toQuickBooks Online
Also connects toNo others on recordXero, Wave, Zoho Books
Team size2–10 people · 11–50 people · 51–200 peopleJust me · 2–10 people · 11–50 people
Available inUS · CA · UKUS · CA
Phone supportEvery planPlans not stated
Live chatEvery planNone listed
Support hoursPhone: 24/7/365 · Live chat: 24/7/365Phone: Monday – Friday: 7am – 5pm MT; Saturdays: 9am – 5pm MT
Incidents posted15 incidents posted on Toast Inc's status page, which covers all Toast Inc products and regions, in the 90 days to Oct 27, 2026; 9 marked major or critical by Toast Inc. Status pageHelcim has a public status page. Status page
Capterra score4.1 / 5 from 554 reviewsNot listed
Trustpilot score2.6 / 5 from 1,504 reviews4.1 / 5 from 1,112 reviews
Fit: Retail shop2082
Fit: Restaurant or café9655
Fit: Service business1085
Fit: Agency or studio550
Fit: Trades or contractor580
Fit: Online store1060
Why people pick it
  • Built for full-service and quick-service restaurants
  • Handhelds and KDS are first-party
  • No monthly or contract fees
  • Lower rates at higher volume
Where it falls short
  • Hardware contracts can be two years
  • Not useful outside restaurants
  • Rates vary by card, harder to predict
  • Light restaurant features
Visit Toast Visit Helcim

Six-person prices are what a team of six would pay on the published plans; "Not listed" means those plans don't cover six. Card sales costs include the plan price and card fees at US rates, at a $25 average sale. How we calculate prices

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