A good point of sale system doesn’t have to be expensive. There are several free POS software systems that let you handle payments, track sales and inventory, store customer data, and provide reports. We evaluated forever-free POS systems for ease of use and features to find the best.
The top four free POS systems in 2020 are:
- Square: Best overall free POS system for small businesses
- Imonggo: Best free POS for retailers with limited inventory
- Loyverse: Best free POS with customer relationship management tools
- Floreant: Best free open-source restaurant POS system
How We Evaluated Free POS Systems
A good POS software can handle chores like inventory tracking and calculating taxes. The best have business insights, customer relationship management, and more. We only considered systems with a forever-free plan. We also looked at hardware costs, overall features, the limitations of each free POS, as well as customer relationship management (CRM) tools, reporting, customer support, and user reviews.
Free POS Systems Compared
POS System | Free Features | Limits |
|---|---|---|
Basic POS, inventory, CRM, employee management, appointments, online store/ecommerce | Loyalty program and email marketing cost extra | |
Basic POS, inventory, sales analysis, customer support | Limits on number of locations, users, products, transaction lines | |
Basic POS, CRM and loyalty programs, kitchen display, customer display, customer support | No ecommerce; limited inventory in the free plan | |
Basic POS, sales, integrations, table management | Inventory is an add-on cost |
Square: Best Free POS for Small Businesses
Square offers an excellent POS system that works for just about any small business, regardless of type or inventory size. It comes with a free online store, integrates with delivery services, handles touchless payments, in addition to basic POS functions like tracking sales, managing inventory, and storing customer data.
Square also comes with built-in payment processing and has several affordable hardware options. Plus, the system is incredibly intuitive to navigate and has add-on and upgrade options so the software can adapt as your business grows. These features make Square not just the best free POS, but one of the best overall POS systems for small businesses.
Square POS Strengths | Square POS Weaknesses |
|---|---|
Free online store | Few inventory functions |
Mobile app | Employee management costs $5 per employee, per month |
Unlimited locations, products, users |
Square POS Free Plan Limits
Square POS is free to use, however, businesses do need to pay transaction fees when accepting card payments. Square’s payment processing rate is 2.6% + 10 cents per transaction.
- Unlimited users, terminals, products, locations
- One free magstripe card reader
- Employee login only
- Appointments function for one user
Square is a free app-based POS that runs on iOS and Android. Back office and reporting tools can be accessed from any browser.
Square POS Features
- Hardware: Works with iOS and Android tablets and smartphones; comes with a free magstripe card reader that connects to tablets and smartphones. Can also purchase proprietary Square Registers, Terminals, other card readers, and peripherals like receipt printers.
- Payment processing: Accepts cash, check, credit card, and touchless payments. Create, send, and manage invoices. Square cannot process ACH or e-Check payments.
- Checkout functions: Bar code scanning, tax determination, discounts, split-pay, tips.
- Inventory: Categorize items and add product variants, photos, and set low stock alerts.
- Customer tools: Automatically create customer profiles, and recognize shoppers based on their payment data. Save contact information and send digital SMS or email receipts, which can also be used to collect customer feedback.
- Reports: View data on sales, employees, inventory, customer behavior.
- Support: Online help center with how-to articles, community forums, chat support. Phone support available to registered customers.
- Additional features: Online store, links to delivery services like DoorDash, API, and integrations to third-party software like QuickBooks.
When to Upgrade
Square offers several in-house upgrades. Even if you start with the free POS, you can upgrade the POS software or add-on modular tools like email marketing or payroll as you need them. Payment processing fees are reduced if you upgrade to paid retail or restaurant POS plans.
- For retail, the advanced plans give inventory tools, retail reports, and team management. Plans start at $60 per month per location.
- For salons or other appointment-based services, you’ll need to upgrade in order to let employees book their own appointments. Plans start at $50 per month.
- For restaurants, the Plus program includes advanced tools for shift management, course management, closing procedures, and more. Plans start at $60 per month, per location.
Learn more about why Square is the best free POS system by reading our Square POS review.
Imonggo: Best Free POS for Businesses With Limited inventory
Imonggo’s browser-based POS system means you can use it on any device, from PC to iPhone. It offers a solid set of POS functions split into three categories: stockroom, store, and office. However, its limit on transaction lines and lack of integrated credit card processing makes Imonggo a better choice for businesses with a smaller number of items or cash-based businesses.
Imonggo Strengths | Imonggo Weaknesses |
|---|---|
Free credit card processing | Transaction limits |
Browser-based, accessible through any computer or mobile device with internet | No payment processing integration |
Offline mode | Limited employee management features |
Imonggo Free Plan Limits
- One Branch
- One User
- 1,000 Product Limit
- 1,000 Transaction Lines Per Month**
- No phone Support
- No integrated payment processing
**Transaction lines are product lines on a bill or invoice. For example, the above invoice counts for four transaction lines. Transaction lines for purchasing from suppliers also count toward your monthly total.
Imonggo Features
- Hardware: Imonggo is browser-based, so it can work on any computer or mobile device with web access. There is also an iOS app available to run the POS on iPads.
- Payment processing: No integrated payment processing. For integrated payments, you’ll need to upgrade to the $30 per month Premium plan and then you can connect an Authorize.net or WorldPay account.
- Checkout functions: Scan bar codes, adjust tax settings, offer discounts, customize open prices, split payments, manage layaway payments and orders, round off decimals, and set different pricing schemes by location.
- Inventory: Load items by name, SKU, bar code, or description. See quantity, cost, and price history. Track orders from suppliers.
- Customer tools: Customer profiles and purchase history, email receipts, and email marketing.
- Reports: View sales data, identify best-sellers, track sales by employee, and manage supplies.
- Support: Online tutorials only.
- Additional features: Imonggo has employee performance tracking, integrates with Xero, and has a limited mobile app.
Imonggo is a free browser-based POS meaning it can run on any computer, tablet, or smartphone.
When to Upgrade
Definitely upgrade if you regularly do more than 1,000 transaction lines a day. Plans start at $30 per month per branch. The paid plans also include:
- Integrated payment processing with WorldPay or Authorize.net
- Reward points/loyalty programs
- Multiple Users
- Offline Selling
- Unlimited Products
- Unlimited Transaction Lines
For more information on how Imonggo is one of the most full-featured free POS systems, read our Imonggo review page.
Loyverse: Best Free POS for Customer Relationship Management
If your business relies heavily on customer focus like loyalty programs, customer communications, or building a regular clientele, Loyverse’s free POS system can help. Loyverse POS is used across several industries, including the food industry, salons, boutiques, jewelry stores, convenience stores, and car washes. The system is app-based and can handle multiple store locations.
Loyverse Strengths | Loyverse Weaknesses |
|---|---|
Unlimited terminals, users, items | No integrations |
Free customer facing and kitchen display app | Employee management costs extra |
24/7 support | Most inventory functions cost extra |
Loyverse Free Plan Limits
Loyverse’s free POS includes unlimited inventory items and transactions plus multiple location management. Free plan limitations include:
- Limited inventory management functions
- No employee management
- Limited outside software integrations
In addition to a free loyalty program and app, Loyverse also has a free kitchen display and customer-facing app.
Loyverse Free POS Features
- Hardware: Loyverse works on iPhones, iPads, Android smartphones and tablets. Peripherals including receipt printers and cash drawers available.
- Payment processing: Cash, check, and touchless payments. Integrated card processing available with SumUp, iZettle, CardConnect, and WorldPay accounts.
- Checkout functions: Open tickets, complete refunds, offer discounts, manage cash flow, and scan bar codes.
- Inventory: Add images to items, categorize products, and set low stock notifications.
- Customer tools: Create customer profiles with contacts and notes. One of Loyverse’s biggest strengths is the customizable loyalty program included in the free software. Customers can install the Loyverse app which you can use to send them discounts and promotional materials.
- Reports: View sales trends, employee shifts, taxes, and popular items.
- Support: 24/7 live chat support, help center, community forum.
- Additional features: API for integrations, delivery functions, kitchen display, table assignments.
When to Upgrade
The advanced inventory add-on for Loyverse starts at $25 per month and offers improved inventory features such as purchase orders, valuations, ingredient tracking (can be used for kitting), modifiers, and more. To add employee management tools like timecards, there’s an add-on of $5 per employee, per month.
Read more about Loyverse’s free CRM and loyalty features in our Loyverse POS review page.
Floreant: Best Free POS for Restaurants
Designed for restaurants and fast-food chains, Floreant offers tools geared toward the food service industry, including kitchen displays. Floreant is also an open-source POS, meaning if you can code, you can customize the program at will. While easy to use, this POS lacks customer support in the free version.
Floreant Strengths | Floreant Weaknesses |
|---|---|
Table service and tracking | Inventory management is an add-on |
Customizable—you can access full code | No gift cards or CRM tools |
Kitchen display options | No support for the free version |
Floreant POS Free Plan Limits
FLoreant is free to use, however, you will need to pay for an Authorize.net gateway account and transaction fees to accept card payments. Authorize.net is $25 per month and 2.9% + 30 cents per transaction. Or, you can use Authorize.net gateway to connect a separate merchant account.
- Auth.net payment processing only and no EMV or chip card payments
- Four-way payment split maximum
- One tax type
- Load full menu only; no coursing or meal separation
- On-premise only
What Floreant may lack in out-of-the-box aesthetics, it makes up for in flexibility, as it is the only open-source POS on our list.
Floreant Features
- Hardware: Runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems, plus Windows tablets. Terminals and peripherals available.
- Payment processing: Cash, check, credit card, gift cards. Can pre-authorize bar tabs. EMV and chip card payments not available in free plan.
- Checkout functions: Tax calculations, ticket voiding, discounts, split-pay, tips.
- Inventory: Can load menus; additional inventory functions with paid add-on.
- Restaurant tools: Kitchen receipt and display, bar tabs, table service (ticket number and status), pizza builder.
- Reports: Sales summaries, sales analytics, productivity reports, hourly incomes, payroll, and gratuity reports.
- Support: No support for the free version; online help guides for basic functions.
- Additional features: Fully customizable code, employee clock-in/clock-out.
When to Upgrade
Floreant has a Pro version, Oro Pro. It offers advanced features, particularly in table and ticket management, menu items, taxes, and store control. It also offers employee management including attendance, overtime calculations, and tip tracking. Plus, you can accept chip and EMV payments with Oro Pro. Finally, consider Oro Pro if you want to add self-service kiosks. Plans start at $19.99 per terminal per month.
Floreant also has add-ons for floorplans and inventory. These cost $5 per terminal, per month each.
Visit our Floreant review page to learn more about why Floreant is one of the top free restaurant POS systems.
Bottom Line
For businesses just starting out or who have basic needs, free POS software can help you ring up sales, track inventory, start developing customer loyalty, and gain insight into how well your business is running. However, most free POS systems have limitations or trade-offs like basic reporting and inventory management.
Square is the best free POS system for small businesses because it offers a sophisticated software bundle that’s easy to use and can grow with your business. Built-in payment processing, a free online store, and free customer feedback tools in addition to standard checkout and business management features also make Square the best overall value. Visit Square to create a free account.
Alice Cole
Livepos is what we use in my multi location stores. It’s a reliable pos system. Helped a lot in making my business successful and to run smoothly.
Krista Fabregas
That’s a popular POS, but not if you’re looking for a free solution. Thanks for reading and commenting!
Cheers,
Krista
Lauren Jane Mills
I’ve been using livepos in my store and their real-time inventory is the best!
Skyler Brennan
Livepos is my point of sale in my store for a couple of years now. It’s easy to use with great features that are compatible in my store.
Mark Sallows
Hi Sklyer.. thanks for dropping by, and always good to learn about real-life experiences of other POS systems.
Guy
Recently I started using Vecino Cloud.
It was very easy to setup and the service is great.
The best thing is that it’s free!
You should try it.
http://www.vecino.cloud/
Mark Sallows
H1 Guy..
Thanks for sharing your recommendation. Looks like a fresh entrant to the market and one to watch as it starts to grow its customer base and develops options to integrate with credit card processing solutions.
Bw
Mark