6 Best iPad Restaurant POS for 2022
This article is part of a larger series on POS Systems.
A POS system built for iPads is not only functional but also affordable and mobile. This mobility can make a huge difference in a world where 77% of diners prefer contactless dining options. In addition to standard POS terminals, iPad POS systems typically use iPads for everything from customer-facing displays to kitchen display systems (KDS) and self-ordering kiosks. With software that syncs to the cloud, an iPad POS also lets you access your restaurant data anywhere.
Based on our evaluations, the best iPad Restaurant POS POS systems are:
- Lightspeed Restaurant: Best overall iPad Restaurant POS
- Square for Restaurants: Best free iPad restaurant POS
- Revel Systems: Best for high volume restaurants that want in-house delivery options
- TouchBistro: Best for cafes, pubs, and breweries
- Rezku: Best for small restaurants that need an affordable, all-in-one POS
- Upserve by Lightspeed: Best for inventory management
Top iPad Restaurant POS Compared
Minimum Monthly Fee | Contract Length | Payment Processing | Card-Present Processing Rates | Online Ordering | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
$59 | Month-to-month or yearly | Built-in or third-party | Varies based on processor; Lightspeed Payments is 2.6% + 10 cents | Built-in and third-party | |
$0 | Month-to-month or yearly | Built-in only | 2.6%+ 10 cents | Built-in and third-party | |
$99 | 3 years | Built-in or third-party | Varies based on processor; Revel Advantage is custom-quoted | Built-in and third-party | |
$69 | 1 years | Built-in or third-party | Varies based on processor; TouchBistro payments is custom-quoted | Built-in or third-party via aggregating apps | |
$49 | 1 years | Built-in only | Custom-quoted | Built-in and third-party | |
$59, plus $60 per terminal | 3 years | Built-in only | Custom-quoted | Built-in and third-party |
How We Evaluated iPad Restaurant POS
We compared a dozen of the most popular iPad POS systems based on what’s important to independent restaurants. We scored each system for the price, mobility and payment processing features, and front-of-house tools alongside back-of-house and back-office functionality. We also considered our retail and restaurant experts’ evaluations of each tool.
Based on the above criteria, Lightspeed Restaurant is the best iPad restaurant POS. The software received the highest overall score according to our grading system for iPad restaurant POS software (4.21 out of 5). Based on our personal experience testing different POS software and working in and with small businesses that use POS systems every day, Lightspeed Restaurant is one of the top software we would personally recommend.
Click through the tabs below for our full evaluation criteria:
20% of Overall Score
We looked for inexpensive systems that didn’t limit the number of users on a terminal. We also gave favor to any with a free plan and month-to-month contracts.
20% of Overall Score
POS systems with integrated payment processing earned extra points, but regardless, all the POS systems on our list process credit cards and contactless payments. Most had an offline mode to allow you to record payments to process when you were back on the internet.
20% of Overall Score
We considered table mapping, order taking that allowed modifications, loyalty programs, and gift cards in addition to standard order-and-pay functions.
20% of Overall Score
Details impact profits, so we looked for inventory and reporting tools that got down to the ingredient level. We also favored systems with kitchen display systems, workforce management (such as clocking in and role assignments), and vendor management tools.
20% of Overall Score
We gave our own score based on the features and functionality vs price and looked at real-user reviews on reputable sites like Capterra and G2.
Lightspeed Restaurant: Best Overall iPad Restaurant POS
Lightspeed Restaurant
What We Like
- Month-to-month subscription option supports seasonal restaurants
- Integrates with Hotel Property Management Software (PMS) systems
- Offers 14-day free trial
What's Missing
- Some features come with additional monthly fees
- Workforce management tools do not include payroll processing
- Vendor management requires an integration
Lightspeed Restaurant Pricing
- Monthly Software subscription fee:
- $59 per month when paid annually
- $69 per month when paid month-to-month
- Additional terminals are $34 per month.
- One-time Installation fees: None
- Processing fees: Varies based on your chosen processor. Choose from Lightspeed Payments, Cayan, Worldpay, or Bridgepay.
Lightspeed Restaurant is a cloud-based, all-in-one iPad POS that regularly lands on our best restaurant POS systems list. With an affordable $59 per month plan, multiple options for integrated payment processing, and a do-it-yourself installation, Lightspeed Restaurant is equipped to support restaurants of all types. All the features you need are present, from complex menu modifiers, ingredient-level inventory, check splitting, offline payments, and an integrated KDS. Though a few of these features come with additional monthly fees.
Lightspeed Restaurant earned a 4.21 out of 5 on our iPad restaurant POS scoring criteria. It scored well for its affordable pricing structure (only free Square for Restaurants scored higher). Lightspeed Restaurant also scored well for its front-of-house features like its built-in kiosk mode. It could have scored higher if the inventory tools included vendor management (like Upserve by Lightspeed and Revel Systems do) or more tools in the baseline POS (like Rezku).
Lightspeed Restaurant Standout Features
- Free trial: Lightspeed Restaurant is the only POS on this list that offers a free trial. Of course, competitor Square for Restaurants offers completely free baseline POS software, which sidesteps the free trial question. But when you’re only looking at $59 to $69 per month out of pocket, a free trial is an excellent opportunity for small restaurants to test the software before committing.
- Month-to-month subscription option: Lightspeed Restaurant offers a monthly subscription option for small restaurants that operate seasonally. You pay only for the months when your bar or restaurant is active, and your business information is vaulted for you until your next business season.
- Quick Service mode: For bars and counter service restaurants, Lightspeed Restaurant includes a Quick Service ordering mode. This mode keeps ordering and payment buttons on a single screen and reduces button pushes so your team can create orders faster.
- Order Ahead: Lightspeed Restaurant calls their online ordering module 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. For delivery, you can use a team of in-house drivers or rely on third-party drivers.
- 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 customer smartphones. If proper self-service kiosks are your style, you operate self-ordering tables in table mode (where the tablet is tied to a specific table) or kiosk mode (at a counter).
Square for Restaurants: Best Free iPad Restaurant POS
Square for Restaurants
What We Like
- Free baseline POS
- 30-day free trial for higher subscription tiers
- No long-term contracts
What's Missing
- Cannot pre-authorize cards for bar tabs
- Free POS does not include multiple user permissions
- Inventory and employee scheduling require integrations
PricingSquare for Restaurants Pricing
- Monthly Software subscription fee:
- Free – $0
- Pro – $60 for one terminal + $40 each additional terminal
- Premium – custom-quoted
- One-time Installation fees: None
- Processing fees:
- Card present – 2.6% + 10 cents
- Online payments – 2.9% + 30 cents
Square is a popular and easy-to-use POS system for retailers of all types. Its free restaurant POS offers product level inventory, online ordering, basic reporting, and unlimited terminals. The basic plan is free with just a simple charge for Square’s integrated payment processing, but Square also offers a more robust version with advanced features like auto-86ing. It’s a great choice for budget-minded restaurants, small eateries, and food trucks, especially those with simple menus.
We gave Square 4.03 out of 5 stars. It earned massive points for its free plan—it is the only POS on our list with one. However, it lost some points because some critical functions need integrations or the advanced plan to get to the level of detail Lightspeed and others achieve natively. For example, it needs an integration to get to ingredient-level inventory.
But if you need a solid iPad POS system at a terrific price, it’s hard to beat Square. Though its restaurant POS does not top this list, Square generally offers some of the best POS software for small businesses.
Square for Restaurants Standout Features
- Free baseline POS: Unlike the other systems on this list, Square for Restaurants offers free software for its entry-level iPad POS. Users can use iPads they already own and get started 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.
- Free online ordering: All Square users can get an online ordering site for free. Set up is easy via Square’s site creation wizard. Most users can start accepting online sales in an hour or two. You don’t even need a web address; you can get a free Square URL to host your online ordering site.
- 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 their easy-to-use marketing, payroll, and appointment booking.
- Integrations: If you want a feature that Square for Restaurants lacks, you can probably find an integration for it. Square hosts an app marketplace where you can find several options for email marketing, accounting, ingredient-level inventory, employee scheduling, food delivery, and more.
Revel Systems: Best for High-Volume Restaurants Wanting In-House Delivery Options
Revel Systems
What We Like
- Robust inventory tools
- Wide range of integrated hardware peripherals
- Multiple options for payment processing
What's Missing
- Pricey
- Contract is typically three years
- Requires an installation fee
Revel Systems Pricing
- Monthly Software subscription fee: $99 per terminal per month
- One-time Installation fees: Starting at $674
- Processing fees: Varies based on your chosen processor. Choose from Revel Advantage, First Data, Heartland, TSYS, Worldpay, Chase Paymentech, or Elavon.
Revel is among the most expensive of the iPad POS systems for restaurants, since it has a required installation fee that most do not. Revel’s complex order modifiers and robust reporting make it a great choice for busy restaurants with complex menus. The fact that you can choose your own payment processing solution also allows high-volume restaurants to shop for the lowest processing rated from a third-party processor or the built-in Revel Advantage.
Earning 4.01 out of 5 stars, Revel is a strong iPad POS for restaurants that need peripheral hardware like KDS and self-service kiosks. Though we think the price, onboarding assistance, and depth of functions make Revel especially suitable for larger restaurants and those with more complex needs. The system lost points in our ranking for its high price though. If you want the variety of integrated hardware at a lower price, try TouchBistro.
Revel Systems Standout Features
- Complex combo building: Revel’s menu modifier screens can handle the most complex orders from build-your-own pizzas to meal deals of every type. In most cases, you can organize multiple modifier types on a single screen to speed orders.
- Detailed reporting: Unlike Lightspeed Restaurant and Square for Restaurants, Revel includes customized reporting in the baseline POS. You can customize report views and export reports as .csv files for further analysis.
- Delivery management: You can manage a team of in-house drivers with Revel’s detailed driver management tools. Assign deliveries in individual drivers, plan routes and track your drivers in real time with Uber-like efficiency.
- Range of peripheral hardware: Like TouchBistro, Revel Systems has software for any type of peripheral POS tool you can dream up. You can manage software for KDS, customer-facing displays, digital menu boards, and self-ordering kiosks from your back office dashboard.
- Ingredient-level inventory with vendor management: Revel Systems ingredient-level inventory is as robust as Upserve by Lightspeed, if slightly less automated. You’ll get low-stock alerts and can place orders with vendors directly from your back office dashboard.
TouchBistro: Best for Cafes, Pubs & Breweries
TouchBistro
What We Like
- Tableside ordering mode is easy to use
- Integrated online ordering tool works as a self-ordering kiosk
- Speed order screens and pre-authorized bar tabs are excellent for pubs and bars
- Terminals include suggestive upselling
What's Missing
- Third-party online ordering and delivery integrations require middleman app
- No free plan or free trial
- Online ordering is an extra monthly cost
TouchBistro Pricing
- Monthly Software subscription fee: $69
- One-time Installation fees: None
- Processing fees: Varies based on processor; choose from TouchBistro Payments, TSYS, or Square.
TouchBistro is an iPad POS designed specifically for food and beverage businesses. It includes features for full-service restaurants, quick-service restaurants, food trucks, and breweries. However, its features for running and organizing tabs and quick order screens make it the best choice for bars, cafes, and breweries. It is also a great option for small restaurants that want affordable hardware peripherals from digital menu boards to KDS screens. Revel Systems also includes these tools, but TouchBistro offers them at a more affordable price for small, independent restaurants.
With a 4 out of 5 stars, TouchBistro earned high marks for mobility and the fact that it supports both built-in and third-party payments. It lost points because a few features—like ingredient-level inventory and employee scheduling—are basic or need integrations, but the overall toolset is strong.
TouchBistro Standout Features
- 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, Revel Systems, and Upserve by Lightspeed, 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: Like competitor Revel Systems, TouchBistro includes integrated digital menu boards, customer-facing displays, KDS screens, self-ordering kiosks, and tableside ordering tablets. You can manage all of these peripherals from your TouchBistro management dashboard. TouchBistro beats Revel Systems in the price department, though, offering software for these tools with transparent monthly pricing from $20 to $69 per month. KDS screens and customer-facing displays have no monthly software costs; you only need to purchase hardware. Revel Systems requires a custom quote.
- 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.
Rezku: Best for Small Restaurants Needing an Affordable, All-in-One POS
Rezku
What We Like
- All functions included in baseline POS
- Gift cards included for no extra cost
- Affordable price
What's Missing
- Reporting has limitations
- Vendor management requires third-party integration
- Customer support is not yet 24/7
Rezku Pricing
- Software subscription fee: $49 per terminal per month
- One-time Installation fees: None
- Processing fees: Custom-quoted
Rezku is an iPad POS that, like TouchBistro and Upserve, 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. Rezku includes everything from gift cards to online ordering, delivery management, and marketing tools for $49 per terminal, per month.
Rezku earned a 3.93 out of 5 on our iPad POS scoring system. It scored well in nearly every category, only losing points because some included features have limited functionality and because it doesn’t offer a free subscription (like Square) or free trial (like Lightspeed). But if you want an all-in-one POS that doesn’t have a lot of confusing add-on fees, Rezku is a great bet.
Rezku Standout Features
- 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 with a single monthly subscription fee.
- Cash discount setting: Rezku includes a setting that automatically calculates a discount for customers that 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.
- Included gift cards: Every other system on this list—and pretty much every POS system in general—charges extra for gift cards. But Rezku includes them as part of the baseline POS system.
- New features added regularly: Rezku is a constantly evolving system. In just the past year, it has developed comprehensive online ordering and delivery management tools. One of the great benefits of an iPad POS is that once you subscribe, you’ll get the newest tools the day they roll out rather than being locked into an antiquated POS system.
Upserve by Lightspeed: Best for Inventory Management
Upserve by Lightspeed
What We Like
- Automated inventory tools with vendor management and one-click re-ordering
- Smartphone reporting app
- Marketing tools included in baseline POS
What's Missing
- Pricey
- Custom reporting is an extra cost
- Inventory tools only included in higher-priced subscriptions
Upserve by Lightspeed Pricing
- Monthly Software subscription fee:
- Core – $59 + $60 per terminal
- Pro – $199 + $50 per terminal
- Pro Plus – $359 + $40 per terminal
- One-time Installation fees: Custom-quoted
- Processing fees: Custom-quoted
Upserve by Lightspeed, like TouchBistro and Rezku, is designed specifically for food and beverage businesses. Unlike others on this list, Upserve by Lightspeed also has POS options for Android tablets, including a purpose-built, pocket-sized ordering and payment device. But the real ace up its sleeve is the incredibly easy-to-use inventory tools. The system tracks your inventory in real time, sending low stock alerts, generating suggested orders from your vendors, and organizing suggested orders that you can send to all your vendors with one click.
Upserve by Lightspeed earned a 3.75 out of 5 on our scoring system. This seems like a low score for a system that offers such robust tools and tied with Revel Systems for the highest score in back-of-house and office tools. The only real issue with Upserve by Lightspeed is the price. With a monthly price per terminal in addition to the monthly software fee, Upserve by Lightspeed is one of the priciest iPad POS systems on the market. With typical contracts written for 36 months, you’ll need to be sure that Upserve by Lightspeed is your perfect fit before signing up.
Upserve by Lightspeed Standout Features
- One-click re-ordering: Upserve by Lightspeed has the most user-friendly inventory management tools available. While most systems on this list—aside from Square for Restaurants—include built-in ingredient-level inventory tracking, Upserve by Lightspeed includes automated tools like the ability to place all your re-stocking orders with a single click.
- Niche reporting: Upserve collects 25 data points from every transaction to offer detailed and easy-to-read analytics, including labor costs, scheduling, sales trends, performance, and more. Menu and server performance data are connected so you can spot trends in your staff performance and opportunities for training.
- Reputation management: Upserve by Lightspeed alerts you to new customer reviews when they appear on social media sites or Yelp. You can monitor and respond to customer reviews directly from your management dashboard. The reputation management tool further lets you compare your online reviews with competitors to see how you stack up.
- Full offline mode: In offline mode, Upserve by Lightspeed users can still send orders to the kitchen, take payments, and print receipts. You can also spool credit card payments to be run when you regain internet access.
- Workforce management: You can create and distribute staff schedules directly through the POS in the management dashboard. Integrated schedules also allow you to prevent early clock-ins to save on labor costs.
- Live mobile reporting app: You can keep your restaurant analytics in your pocket with a live mobile reporting app. You won’t need to log in to a browser-based dashboard—just open the always-on app for real-time reports.
Bottom Line
When you’re looking for an iPad restaurant POS, Lightspeed Restaurant is the best combination of affordable price and robust functions. You can bring your compatible hardware and, for $59, get easy-to-use tools for managing orders and payments. You can add tools for loyalty, online ordering, delivery, and KDS for transparent, affordable prices. To see if Lightspeed Restaurant is a fit for your restaurant, contact Lightspeed for a demo.