The best iPad point-of-sale (POS) systems rely on mobility, efficiency, and affordability. iPad POS systems offer easy setup, simple training, and greater access to customers. The systems in this guide all speak to the dynamic advantages iPads bring to restaurants.
According to our evaluation, the five best iPad POS systems for 2024 are:
- Square for Restaurants: Best overall iPad restaurant POS
- Lightspeed Restaurant: Best for iPad POS analytics
- TouchBistro: Best for cafes, pubs, & breweries
- Rezku: Best for small restaurants needing an affordable, all-in-one POS
- Lavu: Best for customer management tools
iPad POS Systems Compared
Our Score (out of 5) | Minimum Monthly Fee | Contract Length | Processing Rates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 4.34 | $0 | No long-term contract | From 2.6% + 10 cents |
 | 4.11 | $189 | 1 year | From 2.6% + 10 cents |
 | 3.95 | $69 | 1 year | Custom-quoted |
 | 3.95 | $0 | 2 years | |
 | 3.74 | Custom-quoted | 1 year | Custom-quoted |
Why You Can Trust Fit Small Business
I have worked in multiple restaurants, using a combination of both POS terminal and iPad POS systems throughout my career. I also review iPad POS systems throughout the year with my colleagues, helping find the best ones for our readers. Through personal experience and research, I have determined the five best iPad POS systems for 2024.
Square: Best Overall iPad Restaurant POS
Pros
- Free baseline POS software
- 30-day free trial for higher subscription tiers
- Month-to-month contract
- Robust additional products for iPad kiosk and other payment tools
Cons
- Free POS does not include multiple user permissions
- Inventory and employee scheduling require additional fees or integrations
- Kiosk mode is an extra fee
Overview
Who should use it:
Square for Restaurants is perfect for restaurant owners on a budget or with limited funds for technology. Additionally, the iPad POS system is great for those wanting quick, mobile payments or a cheap way to implement a self-service kiosk into their business.
Why I picked it:
Square for Restaurants is one of the most comprehensive yet easy-to-use POS systems on the market and is a frequent contender on our list of best POS software for small businesses. It offers a few things that most restaurant iPad POS systems don’t—a free baseline subscription, no long-term contracts, and no chargeback fees.
I’ve set up multiple Square for Restaurant POS systems and it is always a speedy process. This software offers a seamless transition for iPad users. If you have the following iPads in your restaurant arsenal, then Square can simply be downloaded and used: iPad (10th generation), iPad Pro 11-inch (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generation), and iPad Air (4th and 5th Generation). Consistent updates to kitchen management and other restaurant functions make using this system that much more efficient.
The mobility of payments, including its card readers and intuitive mobile payment apps, makes Square fit right into restaurants that rely on iPads as the host of their POS system. With its robust features and accessible software, Square earned the top spot on my list.
- Monthly subscription tiers:
- Free: $0
- Plus: $69
- Premium: $165
- One-time Installation fee: $0; Square is self-installed, but you can request on-site installation assistance for $600
- Processing fees:
- In-person: 2.6% + 10 cents per transaction
- Online or invoice: 2.9% + 30 cents per transaction
- Manually keyed: 3.5% + 15 cents per transaction
- New restaurant features: Square revamped some back-of-house kitchen tools this year, offering new critical features for easier kitchen operations. You can now add images to your POS menu for your staff to find products, add customer profiles to orders for insights into past orders, and get faster POS actions from new button mapping in its software.
- Free baseline POS: Unlike the other systems on this list, Square for Restaurants offers free software for its entry-level iPad POS. You can use iPads you already own and start using Square for free. With no long-term contracts, you can use the POS for as long as you need it, then move to a higher subscription tier or a whole different system if your restaurant’s needs change.
- Square small business suite: Square for Restaurants POS users also gain access to the full suite of Square’s small business tools. In addition to the Square Online store, you can get its easy-to-use marketing, payroll, and appointment booking.
- Flexible hardware: The Square Mount stand can convert your iPad into a freestanding or wall-mounted self-service kiosk.
Key features such as tap payment processing are included in the iPad POS hardware. (Source: FSB)
Lightspeed Restaurant: Best for iPad POS Analytics
Pros
- Order Ahead capability for dine-in and take-out
- Robust reporting and analytics for restaurant owners
- Can operate via Wi-Fi hotspot or completely offline
Cons
- Price increase makes this software unaffordable for some
- Vendor management requires an integration
- Some features come with additional monthly fees
Overview
Who should use it:
Lightspeed Restaurant is perfect for operators who want in-depth analytics and robust tools to accompany their iPad POS systems. Additionally, this POS system is friendly to integrations like QuickBooks, making it easier for operators with existing tertiary tech to blend their different tools.
Why I picked it:
Lightspeed Restaurant topped our list last year for the best iPad POS system but did fall to second place this year due to a steep price increase to its base plan, which went from $69 to $189 per month. While this is a big jump, the core product is still outstanding and delivers a robust experience for those using an iPad as their hardware for POS functions. Lightspeed Restaurant is a cloud-based, all-in-one iPad POS that regularly lands on our list of the best restaurant POS systems.
Lightspeed is meant to service all restaurant types, offering features such as complex menu modifiers and ingredient-level inventory. Its reporting for iPad POS systems is the best on this list, and its overall ecosystem delivers a fluid workspace in which you can build your business. Some key features do have extra fees, and its base price hike lowers its score to 4.11.
- Monthly subscription plans*:
- Essentials: $189
- Premium: $399
- Enterprise: Custom quote
* Prices are lower for users who pay fees annually and enroll in Lightspeed Payments.
- One-time Installation fee: None
- Payment processing: Lightspeed Payments starts at 2.6% + 10 cents for in-person payments
- Order Ahead: You design your Order Ahead online ordering site from the Lightspeed Restaurant back-office dashboard. The site fully integrates with your POS; online orders appear automatically in your order stream. You can accept orders for in-house pickup, curbside pickup, or delivery. You can rely on third-party delivery drivers or use an in-house team (though you’ll need an integration to manage delivery routes).
- Customer self-ordering tools: Lightspeed Restaurant users have several options for customer self-ordering. You can use QR codes to receive orders and payments from customers’ smartphones.
- Quick Service mode: Lightspeed Restaurant includes a Quick Service ordering mode for bars and counter-service restaurants. This mode keeps ordering and payment buttons on a single screen, creating efficient ordering.
- Advanced Reporting: Speaking of the reporting features of Lightspeed, its many different features surpass the other options on this list. Customer history syncs with Lightspeed Payments, offering spending history, even if different cards are used. Other key features, such as tracking top-performing staff, customer return rate, and menu item revenue analysis, are all offered in Lightspeed’s reporting tools.
Lightspeed Restaurant’s iPad POS system is robust and functional in all restaurant types. (Source: POS USA)
TouchBistro: Best for Cafes, Pubs & Breweries
Pros
- Tableside ordering mode is easy to use
- Customer-facing screens help with order speed and accuracy
- Speed order screens and pre-authorized bar tabs are excellent for pubs and bars
Cons
- Third-party online ordering and delivery integrations require a middleman app
- No free plan or free trial
- Online ordering is an extra monthly cost
Overview
Who should use it:
TouchBistro’s new customer-facing screen makes this POS ideal for marketing new items while also ensuring order accuracy and speed in quicker food business settings. Cafes, food trucks, breweries, and QSR business types should all look to use TouchBistro.
Why I picked it:
TouchBistro is a native iPad POS designed specifically for the food and beverage industry. It includes a food ordering system and other great features for all types of restaurants. What makes it especially good for cafes, pubs, and breweries is its quick-order screens and the ability to organize tabs efficiently. This, plus some affordable hardware options, makes it an accessible system for smaller yet busy food businesses.
TouchBistro does not offer a free plan but is still very affordable with its $69 per month offering. It lacks a native kiosk mode, which dropped its overall score, but it does offer plenty of solid features for users.
- Software subscription fee: $69 per terminal monthly
- One-time Installation fee: $0; this system is self-installed
- Processing fees: Custom-quoted for new clients
- Customer-facing screens: TouchBistro offers the option to have a second iPad attached to your iPad terminal, offering customers a screen to see orders in real time. This can allow for better accuracy, especially for cafes that have drinks with many modifier options. When not in use, these screens can be used to market new menu items or deals currently being offered.
- Integrated online ordering: For an additional $50 per month, TouchBistro users can add integrated online ordering. You can accept online orders for pickup, curbside pickup, or delivery. Like Square for Restaurants, TouchBistro includes map-based delivery tools to help you manage a team of on-staff drivers. If you prefer to use third-party ordering and delivery apps, you can integrate them into your TouchBistro POS via middleman plug-ins Deliverect or Ordermark.
- Flexible hardware: TouchBistro includes customer-facing displays, KDS screens, and tableside ordering tablets. You can manage all of these peripherals from your TouchBistro management dashboard. TouchBistro offers software for these tools with transparent monthly pricing.
- Bar features: Like Lightspeed Restaurant, TouchBistro offers a condensed quick-order screen to help your bartenders speed through orders. With TouchBistro, you can also pre-authorize bar tabs with a card swipe, customize tab names, and quickly transfer bar tabs to tables.
- Ease of use: TouchBistro’s user interface resembles an iPhone more than any other system on this list. This makes TouchBistro easy to learn for both you and your staff. Anyone who has used an iPhone can navigate TouchBistro in no time. Many user reviews mention how quickly new staff learn the system.
TouchBistro offers a robust iPad POS experience for cafes, breweries, and similar business types. (Source: TouchBistro)
Rezku: Best for Small Restaurants Needing an Affordable, All-in-One POS
Pros
- All functions included in baseline POS
- Gift cards included for no extra cost
- Includes robust loyalty and customer management software
Cons
- Reporting has limitations
- Vendor management requires third-party integration
- Requires two-year contract
Overview
Who should use it:
Rezku is great for users looking for key POS functionality for an iPad at an affordable rate. Even Rezku’s higher-priced tier is affordable and offers users a large amount of different tools.
Why I picked it:
Rezku is an iPad POS that, like TouchBistro, is built specifically to support food and beverage businesses. However, unlike the other systems on this list, Rezku aims to include every function an independent restaurant needs in its baseline POS. And when I say everything, I mean it. It offers everything from gift cards to online ordering, delivery management, and marketing tools for $0 for one terminal.
A very big positive to Rezku is that its middle-tiered price dropped to $50 a month (it was previously $99), but this now means only one terminal is included with the free plan. While losing a terminal in the free plan is a downgrade, the lower price tier on the Growth plan is an advantage for users of Rezku.
- Monthly Subscription Tiers*:
- Essential: $0
- Growth: $49
- Custom: Custom-quoted
*One terminal is included with the subscription; extra requires an additional fee.
- Processing Fees: From 1.99% + 25 cents (Growth Tier pricing)
- One-time Installation Fee: $0
- Free baseline POS: Rezku has moved to a free baseline POS tier. This gives you access to all its great features for free, furthering the quality and resources available to smaller restaurants. Do note that for the Essential (free) subscription, the payment processing fee is higher at 3.09% + $0.15 with card-present transactions.
- Comprehensive all-in-one POS: Rezku includes an exhaustive list of software tools in its baseline POS. You get ingredient-level inventory tracking with low stock alerts, online ordering with delivery management, points or dollar-based loyalty and rewards, gift cards, and more.
- Cash discount setting: Rezku includes a setting that automatically calculates a discount for customers who pay in cash. The discount amount will be the same as your credit card processing fees. So, if customers pay with a credit or debit card, your processing fees are covered. This is a clever way to sidestep laws in 10 states prohibiting small businesses from passing card processing fees onto customers. If the prospect of credit card processing fees has kept you from getting a POS, Rezku might be your perfect fit.
- Employee management: Rezku’s employee management tools include an integrated timecard system, clock in/out, photo clock-in to prevent buddy punching, and more. The reports include labor cost analysis, payroll exports, and shift management applications. Payroll is even calculated for you based on employee position, pay rate, and hours.
Rezku offers a great option for those needing an affordable iPad POS (Source: Rezku)
Lavu: Best for Customer Management Tools
Pros
- Downloadable from the App Store and self-installable
- Niche features for all restaurant types
- Great FOH and customer experience tools
Cons
- Customer support is not well-reviewed
- Offline functionality is glitchy
- Customization and add-ons can get pricey
Overview
Who should use it:
This iPad POS system is great for businesses that want to focus on customer management and creating loyalty with their customer base. Robust customer tools make it a highlight for businesses that rely on customer loyalty and positive online customer reviews.
Why I picked it:
Lavu is a downloadable POS app that is self-installable and easy to use. Its functionality on the iPad makes it a great pick for different restaurant types, and its features make offering great customer experiences easy. While Lavu misses some key features, like unreliable offline modes and poor customer support, it is a solid choice for those looking for an affordable POS system for their restaurant.
Customer management is an extra focus for Lavu, allowing you to create detailed customer profiles that track key info for each customer. Its loyalty tools build on this, offering customers birthday deals and other recs before issuing a final check.
- Subscription Fee: Custom-quoted
- One-time Installation fee: $0
- Processing fees: Custom-quoted through Lavu Pay, varies by other processors
- Customer management: Lavu creates detailed customer profiles that track contact information, birthdays, and how the customer learned about your restaurant. You can add custom fields to track additional information and set your Lavu POS to prompt servers to add a customer before beginning a check to ensure that you never miss the chance to track a transaction. Customer profiles also sync with Lavu’s built-in loyalty tools.
- Dual Pricing: Lavu offers dual pricing, setting pricing lower in cash payments, and higher in credit card payments, offering a way to cover processing fees for your business. This is similar to what Rezku offers as well.
- Offline Payment Processing: While some of its offline features may not be the best, Lavu does offer a PCI (Payment Card Industry) standard payment processor that will accept payments even if the Wi-Fi goes out.
- Efficient customer-facing menus: You can create time-restricted menus, such as a Happy Hour menu, for your customers to experience at different times throughout service. For pizzerias, it has a pizza customization module, which extends to online delivery.
Lavu delivers a great option for customer-focused brands. (Source: Lavu)
How to Choose an iPad Restaurant POS
Choosing an iPad POS for your restaurant is just like selecting any restaurant software. The process is straightforward, but it’s important to give yourself enough time to fully consider several options for settling on a final selection. iPad POS software offers specific advantages, and it is important to ensure that these advantages align with the needs of your business. Here are the basic steps:
Step 1: Assess Your Needs
Before you can select the best iPad POS for your restaurant, you need to know what you’re looking for. There is an iPad POS that can perform just about any restaurant function you can think of. Typical iPad restaurant POS system functions include:
- Menu management: Most can create and edit menus for different day parts, add modifiers, build combos, and create timed menus like happy hour.
- Check management: You should be able to start checks, split them, hold them for later, and accept multiple payment types.
- Table management: Most iPad restaurant POS systems include a copy of your floor plan so you can assign orders to tables if needed.
- Tab management: Many allow you to pre-authorize credit cards on tabs for bar operations or simply manage multiple open tabs in a quick-service restaurant setting.
- Payment processing: The best iPad POS systems for restaurants have integrated or built-in payment processing for cards, digital wallets, and gift cards.
- Online ordering: Built-in online ordering ensures your online orders appear in your POS order stream without double entry from a third-party tablet.
- Custom user permissions: This is a baseline function that ensures your employees only have access to the information they need to do their jobs.
- Employee timekeeping: Most iPad POS systems can also act as a time clock to record your employee’s hours.
- Kitchen display systems: Built-in or integrated KDS screens can help streamline kitchen operations, especially in quick-service restaurants.
- Sales reporting: Your iPad POS should show you reports of the products you sold, and this information can typically be filtered by date to show daily, weekly, monthly, and annual figures.
- Customer management: Your POS should have basic customer profiles to help you track customers who visit frequently; advanced iPad restaurant POS systems may have full-blown reservation and waitlist software, too.
- Loyalty: Simple points-based loyalty is becoming an expected part of independent restaurant operations, and your iPad POS should make it easy to track and redeem points.
- Email and text marketing: Usually syncing with your customer management system, email, and text message marketing allow you to send custom promotions to a filtered customer list to turn first-time customers into regulars.
Some iPad restaurant POS systems will also support reservations, self-service kiosks, menu displays, ingredient-level inventory tracking, delivery management, and cash discounting. So, the sky might be the limit. List everything you want to run your restaurant. And don’t forget about your staff needs. Your employees will use this system every day, so if there is a feature (like KDS screens or tip pool management) that will make their lives easier, add it to your list.
Step 2: Set a Budget
You can find iPad POS systems for restaurants at virtually every price point, from $0 per month to more than $100 per tablet. Most iPad POS systems require monthly software fees. You’ll also need to budget for hardware; even if you have your iPads already, you may need printers, card readers, Wi-Fi boosters, and routers. Finally, you’ll need to determine what payment processing fees you can afford. If your menu is priced low, you may prefer a POS that supports cash discounting or surcharging so you can pass credit card fees on to your customers (where legally permitted).
Take a look at your sales and profitability and determine how much you can afford per month. There is no use looking at a system you ultimately can’t afford. So, know your limits before you test-drive any systems.
Step 3: Sign Up for Demos & Free Trials
Every restaurant iPad POS offers a demo, where a live agent walks you through the system on a video call. Some (like Square) also offer a free trial. Search for systems that fit your budget, then schedule demos or free trials with three to five POS providers. To ensure they show you the most relevant features, most POS brands will ask for your restaurant style and sometimes your location before scheduling a demo. They’ll also want an email address and phone number.
Have your list of desired features on hand for any demo you attend. It’s also useful to write down a list of questions you might have about granular functionality or additional costs. Most demos take around 30 minutes, but I’ve seen them go 45 minutes to an hour if I have a lot of questions.
You might really love the first system you demo. But I always like to look at least two more. By considering multiple systems, you can feel more confident in your final choice.
Step 4: Compare Systems
After getting several demos or free trials, compare each system to your list of must-have features and your budget. Comparison of systems should be based on the features that are specific to your business. For example, one POS system may offer more total features, while another has stronger niche features for your specific business type. Comparing in relation to your business needs is the best way to make a decision on which iPad POS is best for you.
Step 5: Make a Decision
The best iPad restaurant POS system for your restaurant is the one that has most of your desired features at a price you can afford. The best POS may be different for different restaurant types. Get input from your managers and chefs to help you make your selection. Then, follow up with the brands you demoed to let them know you’ve made a decision.
This is an important step because the sales representatives from the POS brands you contacted will continue following up with you via phone or email until you either sign up or tell them you’ve selected a different POS provider. This can be pretty annoying, so save yourself the back and forth by letting the sales teams know that you’ve made your choice.
It’s OK if you choose a different system than neighboring restaurants use, or if you take a risk and try a new system you’ve never heard of before. One of the bonuses of an iPad POS is that most of these systems’ contracts only last a year or less, so you have some flexibility if your initial POS provider proves lackluster.
Step 6: Schedule Installation
With iPad POS systems, installation is frequently as simple as creating an account with the POS provider’s sales team, then downloading an app from the Apple App Store and installing the app on the hardware you already own. However, some iPad restaurant POS systems only operate on iPads purchased directly from the brand itself. In that case, there will be some lead time waiting for your hardware to ship. Though typically purchased hardware will come with at least some of the pre-configuration already done for you.
Once you have created your POS account and received your hardware, most iPad restaurant POS companies provide you with remote installation assistance. A customer support representative will walk you through connecting receipt printers, kitchen printers, cash drawers, and other hardware. The rep will also usually help you install your card readers and ensure that your payment process works. Once your hardware is configured, you can enter your menu and start ringing in orders.
How We Evaluated iPad Restaurant POS Systems
Evaluating iPad POS systems is a unique process due to the specific nature of use iPads deliver. Mobile, efficient, and customer-friendly, iPads offer a unique and great way to take orders and manage restaurant functions in almost all food businesses. That being said, there are a few key points that we chose to help guide our decision-making process for the best iPad POS systems on the market. Below are the five key areas we considered and graded these systems on.
20% of Overall Score
Pricing is a huge part of what makes an iPad POS system great. We looked at free plan offerings, price points for subscriptions, contract lengths, and whether bringing your own iPad was an option. Cost is a major factor in iPad POS systems and was a key pillar in how we evaluated all of the ones featured in this guide.
20% of Overall Score
Mobile payment processing is a big strength the iPad brings to POS software. Our ratings focused on integrated credit card processing, offline payment functionality, card processing options, and contactless payments. We also looked into the ability to offer gift cards and if an extra cost was associated with them.
20% of Overall Score
Engaging your customer is an advantage with iPad POS systems, and you can see that with the relatively high scores, all of our featured options are enjoyed. Table mapping, order taking, pre-authorized bar tabs, kiosk modes, and loyalty programs were all considered in this section.
20% of Overall Score
Being able to track inventory on an ingredient level and offering KDS options or integrations were important for this section. Additionally, online ordering, workforce management, vendor and purchase order management, and reporting on menu success were also factors considered.
20% of Overall Score
Last on our list of factors considered was a final expert score on the product offering. Features, value for money, relative industry popularity, and how easy each system is to use were all considered for this part of our grading process.
Meet the Experts
 | Ray Delucci has 10 years of food industry experience and has managed full-service restaurants and large events and has worked in food development as well. His experience in different restaurant industry sectors gives him insight into what a quality POS needs. |
 | Mary King has worked in every food service business from coffee shops and pizzerias to full-service fine dining restaurants. With over 14 years of industry experience, she has used many POS systems in real-world food service businesses. |
 | Meaghan Brophy has 10-plus years of retail experience, during which she has operated a variety of cash registers and POS systems in different settings and applications. Since working in retail, Meaghan has 7-plus years of experience writing for retailers and 4-plus years of experience evaluating POS systems. |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
These are some of the most common questions we get about the best iPad restaurant POS systems.
The beauty of using iPads in restaurants is the fact that they can be used as POS systems in an effective way. Many modern, leading POS software companies have designed their product around the hardware of the iPad, allowing for easy and functional use in different restaurant types. Many of the software products in this guide are iPad-specific, as it is a great tool for restaurant workers to train and use effectively.
Restaurants may choose to use iPad-based POS systems due to how easy using an iPad can be. iPads use Apple’s interface, which many people use through their iPhones. Being able to train in a system that uses this familiar software makes learning and utilizing iPad-based POS systems that much easier. Furthermore, iPads are flexible and mobile, allowing for better reach and interaction with customers.
Restaurants use POS systems in their day to day, as these systems allow for order taking and payment processing. Furthermore, these systems offer features such as guest management, staff management, and analytical reporting. These systems are available through iPads, making them easy to access and more common in different food business settings.
TouchBistro is our pick for an iPad-based POS system needed in a QSR or cafe. Its features for tab organization and quick order screens make it a standout amongst the other software on this list. In second would be our top pick in this guide, Square for Restaurants. The free base price and excellent customer management features make them a good secondary choice for cafes and QSRs that rely on quick transactions and repeat customers.
Bottom Line
When it comes to iPad POS systems, you want an affordable choice that is functional and delivers a great employee/customer experience. Offering all of the key features that you would expect in a modern iPad POS system at an extremely affordable cost is why Square for Restaurants is my top pick for an iPad POS system. With excellent payment processing options, a slew of restaurant management tools, and an unbeatable price, it features everything a food business owner needs to run their restaurant through an iPad. Visit Square to try it for yourself, for free.