TL;DR
Toast and LOOP share the same architectural philosophy — cloud, real-time multi-outlet, deep KDS. The deciding factor is region: Toast for US/Canada, LOOP for Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
LOOP vs Toast — Cloud Restaurant POS Comparison
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PEKO ecosystem
LOOP runs the venue. PEKO brings the customer back. Two products, one company.
PEKO — the AI customer-retention platform (heypeko.com) from the same company as LOOP. PEKO handles retention; LOOP handles operations.
| LOOP — operations | PEKO — retention |
|---|---|
| Inventory & recipes | Churn prediction |
| Shift & staff management | Automated win-back |
| Table layout | Member portal |
| Kitchen display (KDS) | Loyalty tiers |
| E-invoice (TT78) | Receipt OCR enrolment |
| Aggregator queue (GrabFood / ShopeeFood / Be) |
LOOP and PEKO each work on their own. Run both and the data syncs into one single AI brain, so nothing is entered twice. PEKO is not a POS and does not replace one — it also runs alongside any other POS.
Choose LOOP if
- ✓You run 2+ outlets and want one operator who can speak commands instead of clicking.
- ✓You want AI demand forecasting per daypart (targetmodelled accuracy published in our methodology, not gut-feel.
- ✓You're on SEA payment rails (VietQR, PromptPay, QRIS, DuitNow, PayNow, QR Ph).
- ✓You're already on PEKO loyalty (or planning to) — 50% lifetime LOOP discount.
Choose Toast if
You operate primarily in the US and need native payroll.
| Feature | LOOP POS | Toast | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Region | Vietnam, SEA | US, Canada, UK, Ireland | Not published |
| Hardware lock-in | Open hardware | Proprietary preferred | Not published |
| AI forecasting included | Yes | Higher tier | Not published |
Bottom line
Architecturally these are peers; geography decides. Operating in Vietnam or Southeast Asia? LOOP. Operating in the US or Canada? Toast.
Why teams pick LOOP
- No proprietary hardware bundle to buy.
- Vietnamese tax + e-invoice ready on day 1.
- Local support team in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.
When neither is right
- You run one outlet with a fixed menu and only need receipts — a free tier from either vendor is enough, and paying for a mid tier changes nothing.
- You need something neither LOOP POS nor Toast publishes support for (full payroll, table timers) — buy that tool separately and keep the till simple.
- Your format is still changing — settle the business model first; switching POS twice costs more than waiting.
Frequently asked
- Is LOOP available outside Vietnam?
- Yes. LOOP runs in multiple Southeast Asian markets and supports localised tax rules, currencies and language packs per outlet.
- Does LOOP include loyalty?
- LOOP handles operations. For AI-driven customer retention, PEKO is the sibling product from the same company — it runs alongside LOOP or alongside any other POS. Together they cover operations and retention.
- Can PEKO handle inventory and staff scheduling?
- No — PEKO is the retention layer. LOOP covers inventory, recipes, shifts, table management and kitchen display in the same ecosystem.
Sources
- Toast pricing — checked
- LOOP POS pricing — checked
Disclosure: LOOP POS is our own product. Competitor details come from each vendor's published material on the dates listed; where a vendor publishes nothing the cell reads “not published” and we make no claim.
