ToolRankCheapest AI tools for restaurants: lowest verified paid plans
Updated 23 Oct 2026 · Prices from vendor pages only · How we rank →
The short answer
This list ranks AI tools for restaurants purely by their cheapest verified paid plan. Toast (ToastIQ) comes first: restaurant POS whose ToastIQ AI surfaces insights and helps run service. The cheapest verified paid plan here is Toast (ToastIQ) Point of Sale (Starting at $69/month). None of the 4 has a free plan we could confirm. Every price below is from the vendor’s own page, checked 16–23 Oct 2026.
Ranked shortlist
- Toast (ToastIQ): Restaurant POS whose ToastIQ AI surfaces insights and helps run service. Plan: Point of Sale: Starting at $69/month
Software subscription; choose your own hardware - Maple: Flat monthly prices with no per-minute fees, and POS and OpenTable integrations on Pro. Plan: Maple Voice: $85/month billed annually; $150/month billed monthly
24/7 answering, FAQs, call transfer - Popmenu: Restaurant marketing suite with AI emails/texts and an AI phone add-on. Plan: Starter: $159/month annual ($179 monthly)
- Owner.com: Commission-light direct ordering with two simple pricing options. Plan: Flexible: $249/month + 5% restaurant fee per order
Ordered strictly by lowest verified monthly price, cheapest first. Rank in the category ranking is shown on each profile. Anything we couldn’t confirm on a vendor page says “Not yet verified”.
Side by side
| Rank | Tool | Relevant plan | Starting price | Free plan | Best for | Main limitation | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Toast (ToastIQ) | Point of Sale: Starting at $69/month Software subscription; choose your own hardware | Point of Sale from $69/month | ✕ None listed | Restaurants that want a POS with built-in insights, payroll and marketing | The $0 Starter Kit is tied to Toast hardware and payment terms | 17 Oct 2026 |
| #2 | Maple | Maple Voice: $85/month billed annually; $150/month billed monthly 24/7 answering, FAQs, call transfer | $85/month (Voice, billed annually) | ✕ None listed | Restaurants that miss calls during service and want phone orders in their POS | No free plan or trial listed; ordering and reservations need the Pro plan | 23 Oct 2026 |
| #3 | Popmenu | Starter: $159/month annual ($179 monthly) | $159/month (Starter, prepaid annually; $179 monthly) | ✕ None listed | Restaurants wanting website plus automated marketing | AI phone answering and ordering are add-ons to the base plans. | 16 Oct 2026 |
| #4 | Owner.com | Flexible: $249/month + 5% restaurant fee per order | $249/month + 5% per order | ✕ None listed | Independent restaurants growing direct online sales | Flexible plan adds a 5% restaurant fee per order. | 16 Oct 2026 |
Prices as listed by each vendor on the last-checked date, USD, before tax. Plans and limits change, so follow the sources below.
Who should pick which
Pick Toast (ToastIQ) for restaurants that want a POS with built-in insights, payroll and marketing (Point of Sale: Starting at $69/month). Watch out: the $0 Starter Kit is tied to Toast hardware and payment terms. Pick Maple for restaurants that miss calls during service and want phone orders in their POS (Maple Voice: $85/month billed annually; $150/month billed monthly). Watch out: no free plan or trial listed; ordering and reservations need the Pro plan. Pick Popmenu for restaurants wanting website plus automated marketing (Starter: $159/month annual ($179 monthly)); think twice if you only need phone automation. Pick Owner.com for independent restaurants growing direct online sales (Flexible: $249/month + 5% restaurant fee per order); think twice if you only need a basic menu site.
FAQ
Which of these is cheapest?
Toast (ToastIQ) Point of Sale (Starting at $69/month) is the lowest paid price we verified on this list (https://pos.toasttab.com/pricing, checked 17 Oct 2026). Check the vendor page for tax, billing period and usage limits.
Which of these have a free plan?
None of these has a free plan we could confirm. None lists a permanent free plan on its pricing page. Some offer a trial; see the table.
How were these tools chosen?
They are the tools in ToolRank's rankings with a paid plan price we could read on the vendor page, confirmed on the vendor's own website on 16–23 Oct 2026. Tools we could not verify are left out rather than guessed, and anything unconfirmed is marked Not yet verified.
Sources
- Toast (ToastIQ): Toast pricing checked 17 Oct 2026
- Maple: Maple pricing checked 23 Oct 2026
- Popmenu: Popmenu pricing checked 16 Oct 2026
- Owner.com: Owner.com pricing checked 16 Oct 2026
Related comparisons
Profiles: Toast (ToastIQ) · Maple · Popmenu · Owner.com
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- Best AI tools for restaurants
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- Full Restaurants & Bars ranking →
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