WillItSurvive
Enterprise and productivity software · subsidiary of Toast, Inc. (NYSE: TOST) · United States

Sling (GetSling)

getsling.com ↗

Sling by Toast makes scheduling and messaging software for hourly restaurant and retail teams.

Defensible for now
Assessed 23 July 2026 · Evidence as of 23 July 2026
Real protection, with named pressure against it.
On the recordSince 23 July 2026 · Checkable from Aug 4, 2026 · Every call on the record Checkpoint: Toast Q2 2026 earnings call, where any comment on scheduling roadmap consolidation would signal Sling's fate
The call

Sling survives as a branded feature inside Toast, but Toast's own AI scheduling tool is quietly taking over the job Sling was bought to do.

Sling helps restaurants schedule staff and manage workers. It used to stand out because it gave managers hands-on control over scheduling, but Toast, the restaurant software company that bought it in 2022, just built AI scheduling directly into its main product called Toast IQ. This makes Sling less special. The big question is whether Toast will keep Sling as a separate option or quietly merge it into Toast's main platform over the next few years, even though Toast says it won't.

Why
01
AI pressure: Toast IQ (Toast's own native AI scheduling). Toast IQ, launched Oct 2025 and live at 125K+ locations, builds AI scheduling directly into Toast Web, replacing the reason to open Sling. Could AI do the core job? Only partly.
02
Bigger players: Toast, Inc. (Sling's own parent company). Toast owns Sling outright and is wiring scheduling AI into its core product, so Sling's team and brand could get folded in and quietly wound down. Could a giant copy it? Probably.
03
What protects it. Toast has publicly promised no forced migration and no sunset date for standalone Sling, and the app still draws 2.8 million monthly visitors.
What would change this call
Toast Q2 2026 earnings call (Aug 4, 2026) commentary on scheduling roadmap. Would show whether Toast plans to consolidate Sling into Toast IQ.
Toast IQ location count surpassing 200,000 by Q3 2026. Would show accelerated shift of users from standalone Sling to native Toast tool.
getsling.com monthly traffic trend versus current 2.8M visitors. A stall or drop would show users migrating to Toast Web instead.
Key numbers
  • Toast IQ at 125K+ locations (Q1 2026)
  • Toast: 171K locations, up 22% YoY (2026-03-31)
  • Sling standalone revenue est. under $5M (pre-2022)
Named risks
  • Toast IQ absorbing scheduling functionality natively, shrinking Sling's distinct product identity. Severity: high
  • Standalone Sling headcount reportedly as low as 22, small team dependent on parent decisions. Severity: medium
  • Toast Q1 2026 EPS miss ($0.20 vs $0.28 expected) signals execution risk that could affect Scheduling investment. Severity: medium
  • Premium Toast valuation (P/E ~42.7x) vulnerable to re-rating on any AI monetization or growth miss. Severity: medium
  • Rival apps (Homebase, 7shifts, Deputy) adding AI features erode Sling's manual-control differentiation. Severity: medium
Rivals, as read in July 2026
RivalDirectionEvidence
Toast IQ (parent's native AI scheduling)losing toEmbedded in Scheduling Basic/Pro tiers by July 2026, replacing Sling's manual differentiation from within
7shiftscontestingDeep POS integrations and automation for multi-location restaurant groups, per July 2, 2026 comparison
HomebasecontestingMarkets its own AI scheduling assistant and generous free tier for small businesses as of 2026
DeputycontestingPositioned as stronger for multi-location labor compliance and demand forecasting, per 2026 reviews
Lightspeed (LSPD)gaining on~150,000 customer locations by Q4 FY2026, also pushing AI scheduling/inventory features
Questions people ask
Is Sling still a standalone company or owned by Toast?
Sling is not independent. Toast, Inc. (NYSE: TOST) acquired Sling on July 7, 2022 after a partnership since April 2021, and the product now operates as 'Sling by Toast' inside Toast's platform.
Could AI replace Sling's scheduling app?
Partly already happening. Toast IQ, Toast's AI assistant launched October 2025, is embedded directly into Scheduling Basic and Pro tiers, letting users build and edit schedules via AI, eroding Sling's former manual, hands-on differentiation as of July 2026.
Who is Sling's biggest competitor?
Direct scheduling rivals include Homebase, Deputy, When I Work, 7shifts, and Connecteam per a July 2, 2026 industry roundup, but the bigger threat is internal: parent Toast's own native Toast IQ scheduling feature.
Will Toast shut down standalone Sling (getsling.com)?
As of July 8, 2026, Toast states there is no forced migration and no current plan to sunset standalone Sling, though functionality is increasingly duplicated natively in Toast Web's Scheduling module.
How much revenue does Sling generate?
Sling does not report standalone revenue; ZoomInfo estimates it at under $5 million, though this figure is likely stale and predates full Toast integration, per undated ZoomInfo data.
What triggered Toast's acquisition of Sling?
Toast acquired Sling on July 7, 2022 to expand its team management suite with employee scheduling and communications, following a partnership that began in April 2021, per Toast's own announcement.
Timeline
  • 2026-08-04Toast reports Q2 2026 earnings after market close, key catalyst for AI/scheduling roadmap signals
  • 2026-07-08Toast support docs confirm Toast IQ integration embedded in Scheduling Basic and Pro tiers
  • 2026-05Toast launches Toast IQ Grow, AI marketing agent, pilot customers see average 8% sales increase
  • 2026-03-31Toast reports Q1 2026 revenue of $1.63B, up 21.9% YoY, 171K locations, up 22% YoY
  • 2026-02-12Toast announces FY2025 results: record 30,000 net location adds, 33% recurring gross profit growth
  • 2025-10Toast IQ, Toast's AI assistant, launches, later reaching 125K+ locations by Q1 2026
  • 2022-07-07Toast acquires Sling to expand team management suite with scheduling and communications
  • 2021-04Toast and Sling begin partnership prior to eventual acquisition
  • 2015Sling founding year per ZoomInfo (unconfirmed by primary source)
Revision history
23 July 2026
First assessed. Defensible for now. The text above is fixed as of this date and is not edited afterwards.
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