A pizza point-of-sale (POS) system requires functionality, speed, and efficiency to match the business model of a pizzeria. The best pizza POS can integrate modifiers for different orders, driver management, online ordering, and a system that draws customers back for repeat orders through customer brand loyalty. In this guide, we break down the six best POS systems designed for a pizzeria in 2024.
The best pizza POS systems for small businesses are:
- Toast: Best overall pizza POS system
- Speedline: Best for complex orders and combos
- Revel Systems: Best for 5+ location pizzerias wanting a cloud POS
- HungerRush: Best for pizza technology
- Slice Register: Best for quick setup and small shops
- Square For Restaurants: Best free POS for slice shops
Top Pizza POS Systems Compared
Our Score (Out of 5) | Minimum Monthly Software Price | Self-managed Delivery Tools | Pay at Door Card Readers | |
---|---|---|---|---|
4.49 | $0 | Good | No | |
4.25 | Custom-quoted | Advanced | Yes | |
4.15 | $99 | Advanced | No | |
4.09 | $99 | Advanced | Yes | |
3.94 | Custom-quoted | Good | No | |
3.58 | $0 | Good | No | |
Quiz: Get a Personalized Recommendation
Toast: Best Overall Pizza POS System
Pros
- No software fees for the Pay-as-You-Go plan
- Affordable marketing and loyalty features and add-ons are available
- Options for in-house and third-party delivery
- Robust support for off-hour incidents
Cons
- Locked into Toast Payments
- Requires two-year contract
- xtraChef inventory is an added cost
Toast Overview
Who should use it:
Pizzerias with in-house or third-party drivers; businesses that don’t mind being locked into a longer contract. Toast’s offerings may be a little too much for smaller slice shops.
Why we like it:
Toast is considered an industry-leading restaurant POS system, and it shows in its pizzeria functionality. Industry-grade hardware, robust driver management, accessible price points, and user support make Toast the ideal POS system for a pizzeria. Its Starter Kit POS option provides two terminals, great for starter pizza shops. Robust driver management and online ordering features allow you to reach your maximum customer base.
Plan Tier Levels & Monthly Software Fees:
- Starter Kit: $0 (Pay-as-You-Go)
- Point of Sale: $69
- Build Your Own: Custom quote needed
Installation Fee: You can typically self-install a simple Toast POS system following Toast’s excellent online tutorials and guides. For more complex installations, you’ll need on-site assistance, which requires a custom quote.
Processing Fees:
- Standard: 2.49% + 15 cents per in-person transaction
- Pay-as-You-Go: 2.99% + 15 cents per in-person transaction
- Pay-as-You-Go with Marketing Tools: 3.39% + 15 cents per in-person transaction
- Complex modifier and combo building screens: Toast supports a pizza-building screen for ringing in custom pizzas and combo discount options for building complex order combos.
- Training and support: Toast’s customer hub, Toast Central, contains a wealth of resources to train your managers and staff—in both English and Spanish. The searchable knowledge database can answer any question, and Toast offers 24/7 live support.
- Driver management: You can set a delivery area, assign delivery fees, and assign orders to drivers directly in Toast. Drivers can operate with a tracked cash bank to receive cash payments upon delivery, and you can print shift summaries for drivers just like you do for servers.
- Third-party driver integration: Toast Delivery Services allows pizza shops to dispatch third-party drivers on-demand through a partnership with DoorDash. Toast also integrates with Grubhub to send orders directly to your pizzeria’s POS. Other third-party apps are supported via aggregators ItsaCheckmate and Chowly.
- Digital storefront: AI-powered marketing tools such as one-click marketing campaigns, a personalized recommendation-based marketing suite, and targeted promotional offers are all offered in this new feature. This storefront aims to use AI and enticing marketing to build customer loyalty.
SpeedLine: Best for Complex Orders & Combos
Pros
- Dynamic order screens show ingredients and modifiers at a glance
- In-field credit card payments via long-range card readers reduce fees.
- Advanced mapping tools aid driver dispatch and marketing strategies.
- Flexible coupons and multi-price offers for peak-time customer engagement.
Cons
- Limited customer support and service hours
- Some updates can only be made by the SpeedLine support team
- Price requires a custom quote
SpeedLine Overview
Who should use it:
Mid- to large-size pizza shops or shops with multiple locations; shops with their own fleet of drivers or those who often deliver on complex pizza order combinations
Why we like it:
SpeedLine is a POS system focused on delivering software that is able to deal with the complexities in ordering that only a pizzeria will encounter. Pizza orders can vary greatly from customer to customer, and SpeedLine’s focus on accommodating this makes it so valuable. With the ability to break individual pizza pie orders into quarters, offer complex coupons, and manage drivers effectively, SpeedLine is an excellent choice for pizzeria owners.
Plan Tier Levels & Monthly Software Fees: Custom-quoted, all-in-one software and hardware price
Installation Fee: Custom-quoted
Processing Fees: Custom-quoted from compatible payment gateways (WorldPay, Monetra)
- Pay-at-the-door functionality: The SpeedLine Pay app lets your drivers accept card payments at your customers’ doorsteps. This helps your pizza shop avoid higher card-not-present transaction fees and chargebacks. HungerRush is the only other system on this list that supports pay-at-the-door.
- Tattle Integration: Tattle is a customer feedback tool that lets a restaurant create customizable surveys for their guests. Pizza shops can create customer satisfaction scores, track customer sentiment, and allow for niche feedback to your specific business needs.
- Pizza-focused order screens: SpeedLine’s order screens show nutritional information, allergens, and recipes at the touch of a button. You can add pop-up screens for item-specific upsells and coupons, so anyone ringing in order has all the information at their fingertips.
- Heatmap reporting: One of SpeedLine’s most impressive functions is combining navigational tools with sales tools. For example, you can pull sales reports that show what specific items are selling (or not) in specific areas of your city. This shows you immediately where a game day promotion or discounted delivery offer will have the most impact.
- Highly customizable coupons: Utilizing coupons to drive business is a key way to win customers in the pizza space. SpeedLine offers the option of 2-for-1, 3-for-2, or even 5-for-4 coupons for key deals on pizza and other menu items.
- Branded App: SpeedLine allows you to build out a dedicated app tailored to your specific brand. This makes driving customer loyalty a breeze; customers get a direct channel to order through downloaded to their phone’s home screen.
Revel Systems: Best Cloud POS for Multilocation Pizzerias
Pros
- Map-based driver dispatch with a built-in smartphone app
- Multiple integrated payment processors
- Combo builders and pizza-building screens support complex orders
- Emphasis on multi-location businesses.
Cons
- No free trial is offered
- 3-year contract required
- Doesn’t support pay-at-the-door credit card readers
Revel Systems Overview
Who should use it:
Pizzerias with a large geographic footprint or with 5+ units; system may be too much for a smaller pizzeria to utilize fully
Why we like it:
Revel Systems is a multi-functional iPad POS system, perfect for businesses with multiple locations. Revel allows you to shop around for the best payment processing rates while also delivering in-depth combo-building features, robust driver management, and some unique CRM management tools to grow your customer base. This POS often ranks among our best restaurant POS due to its extremely intuitive functionality and control over third-party drivers that other systems do not have.
Plan Tier Levels & Monthly Software Fees: $99 per terminal (2-terminal minimum)
Installation Fee: From $674
Processing Fees: Varies by processor
- Comprehensive inventory: Revels’ inventory is semi-automated, allowing you to create purchase orders (POs) in the POS and email the orders directly to vendors. Inventory updates in real time and alerts you to low stock. Other systems—like Toast—charge extra for inventory, but Revel includes it in the baseline POS.
- Streamlined combo and modifier screens: Revel supports multiple modifier screens, and combo options are housed on a single screen (reducing button presses and speeding service). You can set prices for different dish sizes—as in a small, medium, or large pizza—and create prices for individual toppings.
- Online ordering: Revel’s online ordering module creates a custom URL that syncs with your POS and management console. The online ordering login allows customers to connect via Facebook, so they don’t need to create a new username and password.
- Delivery XT Driver management: Revel’s delivery management tools allow you to assign multiple orders to a single driver and generate the speediest route. The system estimates prep and delivery times and tracks drivers’ delivery histories, giving you massive data to create reports. It also provides SMS updates to customers.
- Easy-to-use Format: It is safe to assume many of your staff members have used an iPad at some point. This makes training them on Revel’s systems easier, as it is native within the iOS format.
- CRM and marketing: You can prompt customers to enroll in your loyalty program at checkout or via email and SMS. Create unique customer groups like “Local Soccer Parents” to create targeted deals, like a post-practice pizza pick-up package.
HungerRush: Best for Pizza Tech
Pros
- Accepts orders through in-person, online, phone, app, and text channels
- Customer loyalty and rewards system is top-tier
- Dynamic order screens display ingredients and modifiers
Cons
- More machines than small pizza shops need
- Systems can be pricey
- No free plan is offered
HungerRush Overview
Who should use it:
Large pizzerias with a large customer base can find a lot of success with HungerRush’s different tech tools—companies like Sbarro, Jet’s Pizza, and Hungry Howie’s all use HungerRush. It may be too much for a smaller pizzeria.
Why we like it:
HungerRush is a cloud POS built from a former POS software known as Revention, which was a niche pizza-focused software. A lot of the bones for pizza shop owners are there, like build-your-own pizza functionality. Offering ordering in multiple channels, this POS system uses technology to reach more customers and complete orders successfully.
Plan Tier Levels & Monthly Software Fees:
- Starter: $99
- Standard: $199
- Advanced: $299
- 6+ Locations: Custom quote
Installation Fee: A custom quote is issued for installation.
Processing Fees: Varies by processor
- Hardware replacement: All HungerRush hardware is covered by a service agreement. If your hardware breaks down or needs repairs, HungerRush will service or replace it.
- Pay-at-the-door payments: Like SpeedLine, HungerRush allows your drivers to accept card and mobile wallet payments when a delivery is completed, giving you card-present transaction rates rather than the higher card-not-present transaction rates for online payments.
- Text ordering: HungerRush’s TextAI allows users to accept orders via text message. The text ordering functions sync with HungerRush’s marketing and loyalty features, enabling you to alert loyal customers to special offers and promotions.
- OrderAI: HungerRush offers a voice AI assistant that can answer the phone, take orders, and answer basic questions. This can be very useful, as pizzerias often take many calls for orders and other niche questions.
- Driver management: HungerRush’s driver management integrates with Google Maps, which provides real-time mapping updates. The system will also alert you if a driver is late returning from a delivery round so you can get a head start on accidents or handling a disappointed customer.
- Pizza-style order screens: HungerRush’s order screen highlights each pizza’s ingredients with red and green lights, so it is easy to make modifications at a glance.
Slice Register: Best for Quick Setup
Pros
- Very easy to learn and use
- Integrated driver app supports in-house delivery teams
- Integrated Slice platform showcases your shop to new customers.
Cons
- Only supports one payment processor (Adyen), so you can’t shop for better rates
- Doesn’t support pay-at-the-door credit card readers
- Pricing is custom-quoted
Slice Register Overview
Who should use it:
Slice Register is excellent for users new to POS systems, smaller pizza shops, and those who want more of a long-term commitment to their POS software.
Why we like it:
Slice Register is built off of the back of a popular online marketplace, where more than 18,000 independent pizza shops are members. Its software and hardware are the simplest and easiest to set up among those in our guide. Smaller pizza shops are quick businesses, without much time to focus on anything other than creating their product to make a profit. Slice Register is a true plug-and-play POS—very easy to set up and get accustomed to.
Plan Tier Levels & Monthly Software Fees: Custom quote
Installation Fee: Custom quote
Processing Fees: 2.5% per in-person transaction
- Built-in Slice platform integration: Naturally, Slice Register comes with the Slice platform integration built-in—so you can showcase your independent pizza shop to customers nearby.
- Driver management with driver app: Like Revel and SpeedLine, Slice Register includes driver dispatch tools with a connected driver app. So, you can dispatch your drivers with Uber-like efficiency and assign deliveries with a few swipes and clicks.
- Marketing support: The Slice Register team supports your marketing efforts by sending email and SMS messages to customers on your behalf. The system is designed to encourage customers to return to your pizzeria for their future orders.
- Rewards platform: The Slice platform includes a built-in customer rewards program. Customers earn reward points for purchases from any participating Slice restaurant. Pizza lovers using the Slice app will be more likely to see your shop on the platform, driving new customers to your business.
- Community feel: One key aspect I like about Slice Register is the user community. It has a ton of niche pizza content on its site, emphasizing the idea of independent restaurant ownership pride amongst pizza shop management.
Square For Restaurants: Best Free POS for Slice Shops
Pros
- No long-term contracts
- Free baseline POS for unlimited terminals
- Can use existing hardware
Cons
- In-house driver management requires third-party integration
- No pizza-builder functions and limited combo ordering tools
- Square is the only supported payment processor
Square For Restaurants Overview
Who should use it:
Pizzerias looking for a free, baseline POS software to get started; pizzerias with their own hardware
Why we like it:
Square for Restaurants is the food and beverage POS built by the popular payment brand Square. This cloud-based POS operates on iPads and Square-designed hardware. The baseline software subscription is free to use on unlimited terminals. You can use the hardware you already own, and there are no long-term contracts. Slice shops—which don’t need complex order modifiers—will be well-supported by this user-friendly system. Your Square POS comes with a free online ordering site, so you can easily accept online orders.
Plan Tier Levels & Monthly Software Fees:
- Free: $0
- Plus: $60
Installation Fee: $0; Square is self-installed
Processing Fees:
- $2.6% + 10 cents for in-person transactions
- Month-to-month plans: Square for Restaurants users are not locked into long-term contracts, making the system an excellent fit for seasonal pizza shops in vacation destinations.
- Free online ordering: As a Square for Restaurants customer, you can build an online ordering website that ties directly to your pizzeria’s POS, and your online ordering site will sync with Facebook and Instagram. Online orders can be picked up only, or online orders to develop an in-house delivery team.
- Integrations: Square for Restaurants POS users can customize their systems by adding integrated apps. Pizza shops that want to add maps-based driver dispatch can do so via the Shipday integration, which—like Square—includes a free baseline subscription.
- Pay-as-you-go marketing: Square for Restaurants POS plugs directly into high-functioning Square tools like Square’s marketing software. Real-time reporting lets you measure the success of each promotion so that you can drive more sales.
- Social media selling integrations: A great feature for Square is that you can integrate your POS system through your Facebook and Instagram channels. This means that if you have a large online following, you can monetize and capitalize on this following using this tool.
How to Choose a Pizza Shop POS System
When it comes to picking the best POS system for your business, it will come down to a few key factors that you should be aware of. Below are the steps we suggest you should take when picking a pizza POS software.
Step 1: Assess How Many Locations You Have
The first step you need to take is determining what kind of system you need regarding how many locations you have. For example, if you have 12 locations in your greater business area, then Revel Systems will be your best bet. But if you have two or three locations that need a top-of-the-line system, then Toast may be a better choice.
Step 2: Understand How Quick You Need to Get Set Up
Some pizza shop owners do not want a lot of setup and just want to plug in and get going. This is where a system like Slice Register comes into play. On the other hand, a system like Revel Systems takes some time and may be a bit more complicated to get going with.
Step 3: Know How In-depth You Need Your Tech to Be
After determining the size of your business and what kind of POS system will fit the size of your pizzeria, you then need to decide how in-depth the tech needs to be for your business. As you can see in our guide, each system has its own niche features to further your business. Understanding how technical each system is and how it will apply to your business goals is crucial.
Pizza POS Features
Here are the most common features you can expect to find in a pizza POS system:
- Online ordering functionality: As more customers seek contactless transactions, having an efficient online ordering feature is crucial. Your POS should enable customers to place orders from the comfort of their homes, either through your website or a convenient mobile app.
- Integrated order management: The best pizza POS systems should seamlessly merge various types of orders—dine-in, online, or phone-in—into one easy-to-manage platform. This kind of order management integration ensures operational efficiency and order accuracy.
- Custom pizza builder: A pizza builder tool that accommodates custom orders is key for many pizza restaurants. Most of these features allow for the creation of half-and-half pizzas, specific topping combinations, and other customizations.
- Loyalty program integration: Implementing a loyalty program helps stimulate repeat business, so it’s important that your POS supports it. Loyalty programs typically act as a POS add-on that rewards customers with points leading to perks (like a free pizza).
- Ingredient-level inventory management: The ability to automatically track ingredients used per order and update your inventory in real time is another essential feature. Some advanced systems may also allow for ingredient reordering directly from the app.
- Delivery management capabilities: If your restaurant offers in-house delivery, choose a POS system equipped with robust delivery features, including tools like delivery mapping and at-the-door payment processing.
- Third-party delivery integration: Pizza POS systems that integrate with third-party delivery services (like Grubhub, DoorDash, and Uber Eats) can help broaden your delivery range and efficiency while outsourcing the logistics.
- Comprehensive customer management: A POS with a robust customer management system is essential. It should store key information like customer contact details and preferences. Some advanced systems even have the ability to record dislikes and other notes for personalized service.
- Payment processing: Your pizza POS should offer diverse and efficient payment options, from chip cards to mobile and contactless methods, all at affordable rates. Some providers only support their own proprietary payment processors, while others integrate with multiple processors (offering you the flexibility to seek better rates).
- Reporting and analytics: A successful pizza POS system should provide comprehensive reporting and analytics. This feature allows you to monitor key performance indicators (KPIs), informing strategic planning based on sales data, inventory levels, and customer behavior insights.
- Manageable pricing and terms: One of the most important pizza POS system features is a price that fits into your budget. Many systems also require 1- to 3-year contracts, so be sure to seek a provider with terms that fit your future plans.
- Tailored features: Additional features may be required depending on your unique business needs. For instance, an intuitive POS system that requires minimal training could be vital in a high staff turnover environment. Or, If your pizzeria also serves alcoholic beverages, consider a POS that caters to specific liquor service needs. A sit-down restaurant will likely benefit from table management, pre-auth for bar tabs, and tableside ordering capabilities.
By considering these attributes in your search for a pizza POS system, you can find a solution that is reliable, easy to use, and tailored to the specific operational needs of your pizzeria.
Step 4: Understand Your Budget & Time Commitment
Every business has a different budget, which they can dedicate monthly to a POS system. Additionally, not every business may want to be locked into a years-long contract. Trying free trials, taking costs and contract lengths into account, and verifying you can afford the system you are looking at will help you finalize the system that is right for you.
How We Evaluated the Best Pizza POS Systems
Our evaluation criteria considered factors specific to pizzerias. These factors look at cost, niche tools, general POS functions, and user reviews across reputable websites. Below is a breakdown of how we analyzed and recommended the systems in this guide.
10% of Overall Score
Free trials, contract length, monthly costs, and payment processing fees all contribute to the pricing evaluation in our guide.
25% of Overall Score
30% of Overall Score
This section of the scoring rubric focuses on pizza modifications, delivery management, driver management, niche pizza marketing coupons, and pay-at-the-door capabilities with card presents. These functions are pizzeria-specific and contribute to the systems we recommended.
15% of Overall Score
Customer service hours, installation ease, online training resources, and being cloud-based are all deciding factors in the usability of each system.
20% of Overall Score
Pizza POS Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
These are some questions people commonly ask about pizza POS systems.
Pizza POS systems should offer tools such as order modifiers, driver management, payment processing, and loyalty programs. Furthermore, they should be able to integrate with third-party delivery services. A good pizza POS system should offer industry-standard POS tools with a niche focus on pizzeria management.
According to our ranking criteria, the best POS for most pizzerias is Toast. However, there are several types of pizza shops—from slice shops that do mainly small cash sales to high-volume, delivery-heavy spots—that have different needs. For those smaller slice shops, we recommend Square, and for high-volume pizzerias, Revel or SpeedLine may be better.
The cost per month of a pizza POS system can range from free to a few hundred dollars a month. This will depend on the hardware you use, how many locations you have, and what specific technical functions you need out of the POS in your pizzeria.
Bottom Line
Pizza POS systems should be easy to use, enable customizable orders, and integrate seamlessly with delivery apps. In short, it should create an efficient experience for your customers and employees.
With this in mind, we found that Toast is the best overall pizza POS system for small, independent pizza shops. With user-friendly, industry-grade hardware, a pizza-building module, and built-in options for driver management and third-party delivery, Toast can expand to fit any operation. Pay-as-you-go hardware options also make it easy for new pizzerias and slice shops to get started for no upfront cost. See if Toast is right for you by getting a full demo.