7 Best Clover Alternatives & Competitors
Meaghan has provided content and guidance for indie retailers as the editor for a number of retail publications and a speaker at trade shows. She is Fit Small Business’s authority on retail and ecommerce.
Brigitte is a retail specialist and staff writer with brick and mortar management experience. She is versed in retail sales analysis, merchandising, and buying with an emphasis in retail sales and marketing across platforms. She has a BA in writing from Washington University, St. Louis.
This article is part of a larger series on POS Systems.
Clover is a point-of-sale (POS) system that offers an all-in-one, cloud-based solution for small retailers, restaurants, and service-oriented businesses. Its POS software comes bundled with an integrated payment processor and proprietary hardware, plus you can integrate additional apps. However, there are many Clover competitors that offer different features, more flexible payment options, and varying pricepoints that might be better suited to your business needs.
In our evaluation, the best Clover alternatives are:
- Square: Best overall Clover alternative with free POS system
- Shopify: Best multichannel features for native ecommerce businesses
- Lightspeed Retail: Best for advanced inventory features
- Toast: Best overall for restaurants
- Revel Systems: Best for restaurants with high-volume, in-house delivery
- Upserve by Lightspeed: Best for full-service restaurants
- Loyverse: Best for small quick service and hybrid restaurants
Top Clover Alternatives Compared
Monthly Fee | In-person Transaction Fee | Payment Processor | Mobility | Full Review | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
$14.95–$54.90 | 2.3%–2.6% + 10 cents | Fiserv, third-party processor | Mobile card reader, Proprietary handheld, Mobile POS app, Web-based POS | ||
$0 (+$29– $60 industry-specific Plus Plans) | 2.6–2.9% + 10–15 cents (custom rates available) | Square Payments | Mobile card reader, Mobile POS app, Web-based POS | ||
$0–$89 (+$29–$299 ecommerce subscription) | 2.4%–2.7% | Shopify Payments | Mobile card reader, Mobile POS app, Web-based POS | ||
$69–$239 | 2.6% + 10–30 cents | Lightspeed Payments, Third-party processor | Mobile card reader, iPad POS app, Web-based POS | ||
$0–$272 | 2.49%–2.99% + 15 cents | Toast Payments | Mobile card reader, Proprietary handheld | ||
From $99 (+$674 minimum onboarding fee) | Custom quote | Revel Advantage, Third-party processor | Mobile card reader, iPad POS app | ||
$59–$359 (+$40–$60 per terminal) | Custom quote | Upserve Payments | Mobile card reader, Proprietary handheld | ||
$0 | Varies | Third-party processor | iPad/Android POS app |
While Clover offers a popular POS system, it is best for business that have limited inventory management needs and plan to purchase Clover hardware from their existing merchant account.
Although Clover advertises solutions specifically for retail, restaurant, and service businesses, its limited functionality—along with pricing and contract variability among resellers—prevented it from making our lists of:
- Best retail POS systems
- Best restaurant POS systems
- Best spa and salon POS systems
- Best POS systems for small businesses
Read our full Clover review to learn more or read on for details on the top Clover competitors.
Square: Best Overall Clover Alternative
Square
What We Like
- Free subscription and card reader
- Free online store
- Can process offline payments
- Free starter plan for first location
What's Missing
- Limited inventory control features
- Unable to manage inventory and CRM in offline mode
- Not suitable for high-risk businesses
How It Compares to Clover
- Square offers a more affordable subscription plan ($0–$60/month) compared to Clover, which starts at $14.95 a month.
- Square provides a built-in payment processing solution (Square Payments), while with Clover users can choose an authorized reseller with their choice of payment processor or the automatic option, Fiserv.
- Both systems offer POS solutions for retail, restaurant, and general purpose.
- Both systems operate on iOS and Android devices, with Square offering more accessory options, while Clover supports different models, including a proprietary handheld POS hardware.
Square is Clover’s top alternative and our pick for the best POS system for small businesses. It offers similar key features to Clover, including a built-in payment processor, but beats Clover for its ease of use. You can get started with Square for no money down if you have an iOS or Android device to run the Square app. Square is also the top pick in our guides on the leading mobile POS apps and the best free POS software. It offers basic and industry-specific POS software that starts with a free plan.
Square Pricing
- Monthly POS software fee: $0 ($29–$60 for industry-specific Plus Plans)
- Payment processing: 2.6%–2.9% + 10–15 cents (custom rates available)
- Hardware: $0–$799
Square Features
Square’s platform is one of the most intuitive POS systems on the market, giving users the ability to process transactions and manage their businesses seamlessly with a cloud-based system. It also allows you to run sales reports, collect customer information, run a loyalty program, take payments, and more. Square gives you access to third-party apps at no extra charge. Users who outgrow the basic Square POS software also have the option to upgrade to a more industry-specific solution like Square for Retail and Square for Restaurants, each with Plus plans ranging from $29–$60 each month.
Specific Square features include:
- Multichannel sales tools
- Offline payment processing
- Credit card pre-authorization
- Automated customer directory
- Social media selling integration
- Buy online, pickup in-store (BOPIS) features
Want to know how Clover stacks up against Square? Read our Clover vs Square comparison for more details.
Shopify: Best Clover Alternative for Ecommerce Business
Shopify
What We Like
- Complete online store builder included with all POS systems
- Integrated multichannel sales tools
- Extensive integration options
What's Missing
- Must have Shopify ecommerce account to use POS system
- Requires plan upgrade for key features, no free plan
- Higher processing rates in Basic plan
How It Compares to Clover
- Shopify accounts range from $29–$299 (+$89 for POS pro) a month, while Clover subscriptions start at $14.95 a month.
- Shopify POS offers an in-house payment processing option, whereas Clover can be set up to work with Fiserv or an authorized reseller.
- Clover offers better offline payment processing tools compared to Shopify.
- Shopify provides better omnichannel features and offers integrations to its online sales tools and other POS systems, including Clover.
Shopify is a powerhouse in the ecommerce space and offers small business owners one of the best retail POS platforms, whether you have an ecommerce website or a traditional brick-and-mortar shop. It provides key integration tools that allow native online businesses to seamlessly manage multichannel sales. Unlike Clover, Shopify gives you plenty of choices for credit card payment processors, useful built-in features and functionality, and access to third-party apps to help you design your ideal POS.
Shopify Pricing
- Monthly ecommerce software fee: $29–$299
- Monthly POS software fee: $0–$89
- Payment processing: 2.4%–2.7%
- Hardware: $29–$229
Shopify Features
Shopify stands out for its sophisticated yet easy-to-use website builder that integrates perfectly with Shopify’s in-store POS software, which is equipped with all the tools that business owners need to manage in-store sales. Clover POS users who prefer a stronger online presence or have a larger ecommerce sales revenue should consider Shopify as a more suitable alternative.
Specific Shopify features include:
- Integrated sales channels
- Online store builder
- Shipping tools
- Integrated inventory management
- Wide range of integrations, including Amazon
To learn more about Shopify’s multichannel tools and how they stack up to the competition, read our guide to the best multichannel POS systems.
Lightspeed Retail: Best Clover Alternative for Advanced Inventory
Lightspeed Retail
What We Like
- Top-of-the-line inventory management
- Integrated ecommerce platform
- Supports omnichannel loyalty program
What's Missing
- Pricey subscription plans with advanced analytics tools locked behind paywalls
- Not compatible with Android devices
- Use of third-party payment processor causes higher monthly fee
How It Compares to Clover
- Lightspeed allows you to accept payments with its built-in payment processing and third-party payment processing integration in its more advanced plans, while Clover can only be configured with one payment processor prior to purchase.
- Lightspeed is only compatible with iOS devices, whereas Clover can operate on both iOS and Android hardware.
- Lightspeed offers better inventory management tools, such as granular inventory tracking, image upload, and low-inventory alerts—which you will not find in Clover.
Lightspeed offers POS systems for retail and restaurant businesses, along with an ecommerce platform comparable to big names like Shopify and BigCommerce. Its granular matrix inventory management tools surpass competitors like Clover, earning its place as our top-recommended POS for inventory management. Lightspeed is also Retail Access Control Standards (RACS)-compliant and has age verification, putting it on our lists of best vape shop POS solutions and best liquor store POS systems.
Lightspeed Pricing
- Monthly software fee: $69–$239
- Payment processing: 2.6% + 10 cents–2.6% + 30 cents
- Hardware: Starter kits from $500–$1,000
Lightspeed Features
Lightspeed gives its users the ability to access back-office management and online reporting tools. Flexible features also allow users to easily customize the system for a wide variety of retail and restaurant businesses.
Lightspeed’s top features include:
- Customizable advanced matrix inventory
- Third-party payment processing integrations
- Built-in purchase ordering
- Supply chain management
- Multilocation management
If you’re ready to get started, see our guide on how to manage inventory using Lightspeed.
Toast: Best Overall Clover Alternative for Restaurants
Toast
What We Like
- Inventory and menu management in base plan
- Offers a pay-as-you-go option with $0 down
- Excellent training and installation tools
What's Missing
- Locked into Toast’s payment processor
- Requires use of Toast’s proprietary hardware
- Installation fees can increase upfront costs
How It Compares to Clover
- Toast offers a pay-as-you-go, $0 startup cost starter kit subscription, whereas Clover monthly subscription fees range from $14.95–$54.90 a month.
- Both systems require the use of their proprietary hardware.
- Toast locks you in its payment processor, while Clover can be configured with different payment processing providers by resellers or use Fiserv as its default payment processor.
- Clover offers loyalty program features in its base plan, while Toast offers its loyalty tools as an add-on feature at $50 a month plus an installation fee.
- Toast offers table management in its base subscription, while Clover will require you to upgrade to a higher plan.
Toast easily dominates restaurant POS systems in the market as an overall best solution and as a Clover competitor. It offers a wide range of features for full-service bars and restaurants, and even coffee shops. The baseline subscription starts with a pay-as-you-go option, so there’s $0 upfront cost, and already includes comprehensive inventory management tools that rival competitors like Revel and Upserve. Toast also tops our lists of the best bar POS systems and online food ordering and delivery POS systems.
Toast Pricing
- Monthly software fee: $0–$272
- Payment processing (card-present): 2.49%–2.99% + 15 cents
- Payment processing (keyed-in): 2.99%–3.5% + 15 cents
- Hardware: $0–$799
Toast Features
Toast is a powerhouse for both front-of-house and back-of-house restaurant operations, giving you all the tools you would find in legacy, locally installed restaurant POS systems like MICROS but in a more affordable package. It offers built-in solutions—from table management to delivery and takeout functionalities—perfect for everything from cafes to full-service restaurants.
Toast’s top features include:
- Customizable floor plan management
- Quick order screens for bars
- Comprehensive inventory management tools in the baseline POS plan
- Integrated digital ordering via online, mobile app, or QR code
- In-house delivery and takeout platform
- Multilocation management from a central dashboard
Revel: Best Clover Alternative for Delivery Restaurants
Revel
What We Like
- Highly customizable system
- Multilocation management
- Robust driver dispatch functions with GPS integration
- Flat rate processing fee
What's Missing
- Requires a long-term contract
- $674+ onboarding fee + $99/month per terminal
- Steep learning curve; not a user-friendly interface
How It Compares to Clover
- Revel comes with a heftier custom quote that starts at $99, compared to Clover’s starting price of $14.95 per month.
- Both systems will likely lock you into long-term contracts. Revel includes a three-year service contract, while Clover will depend on your reseller.
- Both systems offer excellent offline payment functionality.
- Revel is the better option for fast-moving inventory (such as pizzerias and food retail), as Clover lacks key features such as variant module tools, low inventory alerts, and vendor management.
Revel Systems offers a wide range of features and can easily handle busy restaurants, with delivery in particular, given its built-in delivery management system. This makes Revel the best alternative to Clover for pizzerias and other restaurants with in-house delivery. Revel’s streamlined kitchen display system (KDS) handles dine-in, take-out, and online orders. It also provides solid kiosk software and hardware support, making it one of our leading self-service POS systems for businesses selling ready-to-eat items.
Revel Systems Pricing
- Monthly software fee: $99 (per terminal) + onboarding fee starting at $674
- Payment processing: Quote-based
- Hardware: Custom quote
Revel Systems Features
Revel’s massive list of features allows users to create a highly customized POS system. Large restaurants that struggle with managing multiple revenue streams from dine-ins, online orders, deliveries, catering, take-outs, and even retail sales will find Revel’s functionalities most helpful. Revel also integrates with third-party payment gateways alongside its own payment processor.
Revel’s other features include:
- Menu management
- Guest management
- Inventory management with physical and blind count modules
- Self-service kiosk software and hardware
- Floor plan customization
- In-house delivery system with GPS and driver management
- KDS with customer-facing “order ready” screen
- Standalone online ordering tool
To see how Revel Systems stacks up against our other recommended restaurant software, read our guides on the best restaurant POS systems for pizzerias and leading POS systems for food delivery.
Upserve by Lightspeed: Best Clover Alternative for Full-service Restaurants
Upserve by Lightspeed
What We Like
- Strong customer relationship management (CRM) tools
- KDS offline functionality
- Runs on iPad and Android devices
What's Missing
- Pricey ($59–$359 monthly subscription fee + $40–$60 POS fee per terminal)
- Locked into Upserve payment processing
- Not suitable for low-volume transactions
How It Compares to Clover
- Upserve is considerably more costly with a per-terminal fee on top of its monthly subscription, while Clover only charges for a monthly subscription for your first location.
- Upserve’s inventory tools are an optional add-on and not included in the base plan, whereas Clover offers limited inventory features that are included in all subscription plans.
- Marketing and reputation management are built into Upserve’s subscriptions, which you won’t get from Clover.
Upserve by Lightspeed is designed for full-service restaurants and bars, and it comes with online ordering tools, delivery management integrations, and full offline functionality. Additionally, it also features a robust customer relationship and reputation management system that is ideal for any full-service restaurant or high-traffic operation.
Upserve by Lightspeed Pricing
- Monthly software fee: $59–$359
- Payment processing: Custom-quoted, flat-rate fees
- Hardware: Quote-based, from $105
Upserve by Lightspeed Features
Like Clover, Upserve’s features work well with busy, full-service restaurants. On top of strong restaurant POS features, Upserve provides a host of customer relationship management tools built to improve retention and engagement. It supports integration with third-party delivery apps, such as Chowly and Grubhub, so orders go straight to your POS system.
Other Upserve features include:
- Automated inventory management
- Table and check management
- Contactless and order ahead online ordering
- Integrates with delivery software apps
- Offline KDS
- Reputation management tools
- Team management
- Restaurant analytics
To see how Upserve compares to other top-rated POS software, read our guide to the best restaurant POS systems.
Loyverse: Best Clover Alternative for Small Hybrid Restaurants
Loyverse
What We Like
- Free software with loyalty program
- Supports retail and restaurant inventory management
- Works on iOS and Android devices
What's Missing
- No integrated payment processing
- Lacks features to support full-service restaurants
- Limited third-party integrations
How It Compares to Clover
- Loyverse is a more cost-effective option with its free POS that includes basic inventory functions, while Clover subscription starts at $14.95 a month.
- Both systems allow you to choose your own payment processor; however, Clover users can choose between the default Fiserv or purchasing a preconfigured Clover system from a reseller.
- Loyverse does not support table mapping or delivery services integration, whereas Clover’s restaurant features include online ordering and integration with delivery apps.
Loyverse is the only free POS system that comes with a built-in loyalty program. It also offers business management tools that support both retail and restaurant businesses, making it an ideal solution for small hybrid cafes and restaurants. You will need to find your own payment processor, but, unlike Clover, it does not require proprietary hardware, so you have more flexibility in choosing a provider. Loyverse is also available for PC users.
Loyverse Pricing
- Monthly software fee: $0
- Payment processing: Depends on processor
- Hardware: no proprietary hardware
- Optional add-ons: $5–$25 monthly, per store
Loyverse Features
Loyverse offers solid POS and inventory management tools for small food-based establishments that also sell retail products. You get access to menu customization and ticket management tools along with barcode scanning and bulk inventory upload features. Loyverse also integrates with popular payment providers, such as SumUp, CardConnect, and Worldpay.
More specific Loyverse features include:
- Free POS app for iOS and Android
- Barcode scanning and bulk inventory uploading (CSV)
- Menu modifications and management
- Offline mode
- Built-in kitchen display system and customer display support
- Order management tools
- Stock management including inventory count
Clover Alternatives Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Click through the options below to get answers to some of your top questions about Clover and its alternatives.
What can I use instead of Clover?
In nearly every industry, there are great Clover POS alternatives. Overall, we recommend Square POS as the best overall solution for small retail businesses and Toast for restaurants.
Can you use Clover POS without a subscription?
Unfortunately, Clover does not offer a free option, but you can try the software out with its 30-day free trial. If you need a free POS system, we recommend Square. It is completely free for a single location and has all the tools you need to conduct sales and manage your store.
How much does Clover charge per swipe?
Clover charges depending on your plan. The pricing breakdown looks like this:
Starter | Standard | Advanced | |
|---|---|---|---|
Card-present transactions | 2.6% + 10 cents | 2.3% + 10 cents | 2.3% + 10 cents |
Keyed-in Transactions | 3.5% + 10 cents | 3.5% + 10 cents | 3.5% + 10 cents |
Does Clover charge a monthly fee?
Clover charges between $14.99 and $54.90 per month, depending on the plan you choose. There is also a hardware fee that ranges between $799 and $2,298 that you must pay either upfront or in three installments.
Bottom Line
Clover POS offers a complete business solution, from software and hardware to credit card payment processing. However, it locks you into contracts, may include hidden fees, and could be more expensive than a small business can afford.
Among all the Clover competitors, Square gives you more features and flexibility at a fraction of the cost, even with its paid plans. Additionally, it gets constant high marks for affordability and ease of use. For these reasons, Square is our top POS recommendation for a Clover alternative. Visit Square to create a free account.
