Whether you call your operation a pizzeria, pizza shop, or slice shop, your point-of-sale (POS) needs are vastly different from other food and beverage businesses. Any pizza POS system must handle a wide range of customer modifications, delivery expectations, and order combinations.
The best pizza POS systems include delivery management with integrated GPS tracking and customer relationship management (CRM) features that track order history, include detailed delivery instructions, and reach customers directly with tailored deals.
Based on our evaluations, the best pizza POS systems are:
- Revel Systems: Best overall pizza POS system for small businesses
- Toast: Best POS for full-service pizzerias with dining rooms
- Lavu: Best for pizzerias on a budget
- SpeedLine: Best high-volume, traditional pizza POS
- HungerRush: Best pizza POS for order innovations and delivery
- Clover: Best small pizzeria POS for customizable software
- Thrive POS: Best pizza POS for hardware options
- Square for Restaurants: Best free pizza POS for slice shops
To find the POS that is best for your pizzeria, you can read our individual evaluations below. You can also start your search by taking this quick quiz. It is only four questions, takes less than a minute, and will provide a result without redirecting you to another page.
Which POS Is Right for Your Pizzeria?
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How We Evaluated Pizza POS Systems
We compared dozens of the most popular point-of-sale (POS) systems based on vital pizzeria functions, including cost, ease of use, underlying POS functions, and delivery management tools. We also considered our resident retail and restaurant expert’s personal experience with each system.
Our research and ranking determined Revel Systems to be the best overall pizza POS. According to our grading system for pizza shop software, this comprehensive restaurant software received the highest total score, 3.91 out of 5. Adding our personal experience testing various restaurant POS software (and working in and with independent restaurants that use POS systems every day), Revel Systems also emerged as one of the top restaurant tools we recommended for small businesses.
Click through the tabs below for our full evaluation criteria:
20% of Overall Score
With their low menu prices and high sales volume, pizza shops tend to operate on incredibly tight margins. We looked at whether each POS offers a free plan and a plan under $75 a month as a jumping-off point. Then, we ranked for plans with no long-term contracts and unlimited user log-ins. Finally, we awarded points to systems with multiple payment processing options. When a large portion of your customers pays via credit cards, transaction rates can eat into your profits.
20% of Overall Score
Every pizza shop needs to track sales and stock levels and easily access reports like daily shift summaries, discounts, and transaction logs. We prioritized contactless payment options, online ordering, and order-ahead features because of current consumer trends. We also gave high marks to robust marketing and CRM systems that support pizza fans’ appetites for deals.
20% of Overall Score
Pizzerias have some of the largest, most complex menus in the food and beverage industry. They also have a customer base that wants to modify nearly every item. Consumers further expect pizza shops to offer crowd-catering combo coupons for pizzas, salads, appetizers, and sodas to please everyone at the table. So, any pizza POS needs menu modifiers and combo screens that don’t hurt your brain. Since delivery is a massive part of the pizza business, we gave high marks to systems that allow shops to control their costs by accepting card-present payments for online or phone orders.
20% of Overall Score
More than in any quick-service restaurant software, pizza POS systems need to be easy to use. Tools that draw your cashiers’ attention to ingredients, modifiers, and potential allergens are an absolute necessity to maintain service speed. There can be many moving pieces in a pizza POS, so we gave bonus points for systems that have 24/7 customer support, online training resources, and in-person training options.
20% of Overall Score
To round out the rating, we considered each system’s standout features and whether the overall POS offers a good value for the money. We considered each system’s popularity among pizza restaurants, and I also awarded points based on my personal experience using the software and interacting with the company’s customer support.
Revel Systems: Best Overall Pizza POS
Revel Systems
What We Like
- Built-in driver management with integrated GPS mapping
- Highly customizable
- 24/7 customer support and comprehensive online training resources
- Several options for payment processing
What's Missing
- Service requires a three-year contract
- Back-office functions have a learning curve
- Full pricing requires a custom quote
Revel Systems Pricing
- Software subscription fee: Starts at $99 per terminal, per month
- Hardware costs: Custom quoted
- One-time installation fees: $674
- Processing fees: Custom-quoted by Revel Advantage or compatible processors (FreedomPay and Moneris)
Revel Systems is a hybrid iPad POS that operates on a locally installed server with a cloud backup, which gives it excellent offline functionality. In addition to basic features like multiple modification screens, Revel has built-in delivery driver management, with a full suite of navigational tools to track your team members when they are out of the shop. Revel also offers a diverse suite of hardware, including self-order kiosks and kitchen display systems (KDSes), making it an excellent fit for high-volume, delivery-heavy pizzerias.
Revel earned a rating of 3.91 out of 5 in our ranking, mostly for the combination of its cloud-POS pricing and pizza shop-supporting features. This pizza POS has integrated online ordering and driver management features to manage in-house delivery, as well as integrations with third-party delivery aggregators if you prefer to use third-party drivers. Centralized reporting and inventory make Revel Systems an excellent pizza POS system for multi-location pizza brands.
However, Revel lost points due to its custom-quoted pricing
You can purchase a wide array of hardware directly from Revel Systems.(Image from Revel Systems)
Revel Systems offers dynamic iPad-based terminals with customer-facing displays.(Image from Revel Systems)
Revel's dynamic screen configurations make combo-building easy.(Image from Revel Systems)
Revel System's integrated online ordering site is easy for customers to navigate.(Image from Revel Systems)
Revel's KDS color codes orders to keep your team on the same page.(Image from Revel Systems)
Revel's maps-based driver management is incredibly user-friendly.(Image from Revel Systems)
Revel Systems allows you to manage delivery drivers with the same detail as in-house servers. (Image from Revel Systems)
Revel Systems Features
For an iPad POS, Revel Systems has massive functionality. The hybrid installation includes a locally installed server that gives Revel much stronger offline functionality than competitors like Square for Restaurants. Operating via the cloud makes the back-office more accessible and Revel more affordable than a completely locally installed solution like SpeedLine.
Combined with Revel’s incredibly customizable features, these qualities make the system an obvious choice for busy restaurants of all kinds. Several features are handy for pizza shops, in particular. Revel Systems standout features include:
- Comprehensive inventory: Revels’ inventory is semi-automated, allowing you to bulk import your raw ingredients, create purchase orders (POs) in the POS, and email orders directly to vendors. The inventory is centralized so your stock levels update in real time, whether customer orders are placed in person or online, ensuring that you never sell items you don’t have.
- Streamlined combo and modifier screens: Revel supports multiple modifier screens and combo building. The system lets you set prices for various sizes of the same dish—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. Your online ordering site can spotlight new dishes, seasonal items for holidays or special events, or featured combos. The online ordering login allows customers to log in via Facebook, so they don’t need to create a new username and password.
- Driver management: Revel’s delivery management tools allow you to assign multiple orders to a single driver. The GPS integration generates the speediest route for your drivers based on order addresses and sends them via email to drivers’ smartphones, saving you the need to buy extra hardware. The system also estimates prep and delivery times and tracks your drivers’ delivery histories, giving you a massive amount of data to create reports. You can also assign cash tills to drivers to track their cash payments when they are out of the shop.
- Third-party delivery: Revel integrates with several aggregators—Chowly, ItsaCheckmate, and Deliverect are just a few—that feed third-party platform orders directly into your POS. The system also has a “passthrough fee” function that can pass on third-party fees to customers, so you can let customers order the way they want without destroying your bottom line.
- CRM and marketing: You can prompt customers to enroll in your loyalty program at checkout or via email and SMS text messages. Creating customer groups lets you design offers specifically for friends and family or the staff of neighboring businesses. You can also create targeted email promotions for unique groups like “Customers with February Birthdays” or “Local Soccer Team Parents.”
Toast: Best for Full-Service Pizzerias With Dining Rooms
Toast
What We Like
- Starter POS is pay-as-you-go
- Extremely user-friendly
- Best in class baseline functions
What's Missing
- Locked into Toast’s built-in payment processor
- Operates on proprietary hardware
- Modifier screens are not robust enough for large, build-your-own pizza operations
Toast Pricing
- Software subscription fee: Starts at $0 per terminal, per month with payment processing
- Hardware costs: Custom quoted
- One-time installation fees: Custom-quoted
- Processing fees: Custom-quoted based on card mix and business type
Nowadays, it is impossible to have a restaurant POS conversation without mentioning Toast. This cloud-backed, hybrid tablet POS continually develops new tools to support every type of restaurant. Toast spent 2020 rapidly expanding its online ordering and delivery functions, which is good news for pizzeria owners. The customer support and personal attention make this POS the best fit for tech-phobic restaurant owners. Its excellent baseline POS functions make it a perfect fit for pizzerias that operate as full-service restaurants with lots of in-house dining. But if you are trying to compete with Domino’s, you’ll find the high-volume pizza functions limited.
On our pizza POS rating, Toast earns a 3.84 out of 5. This put it behind Revel, mostly because Toast lacks some niche pizza functions. However, Toast outperformed the others on this list for ease of use and value for money. Pricing for Toast’s entry-level “Starter” POS starts at $0 per month; all you pay are processing fees. The accessible pricing, combined with Toast’s ease of use, makes this system a solid pizzeria POS.
Toast operates on pre-configured ELO tablets. (Image from Toast)
Toast's pre-configured tablets include a customer-facing display. (Image from Toast)
Toast Go handheld tablets can process orders and payments tableside. (Image from Toast)
Toast's color coded KDS lets you see order statuses at a glance. (Image from Toast)
Toast's integrated online ordering streamlines your order channels. (Image from Toast)
Toast includes map-baked delivery management. (Image from Toast)
Toast Features
Pizzerias that operate more like a traditional full-service restaurant will appreciate Toast’s comprehensive features that support their overall business’s health. Unlike Square for Restaurants, Toast includes driver management tools. They are not quite as robust as Revel, HungerRush, and SpeedLine, but they provide excellent support for pizza shops that offer delivery in addition to in-house dining. Unlike the others on this list, Toast offers pizza shops multiple options for on-demand third-party delivery and includes some of the best built-in workforce management tools available.
Toast’s standout features include:
- Ease of use: Toast is hands down one of the most comfortable POS systems for pizza shops to use. The modification screens are easy to navigate. Multiple modifier-nesting variations mimic your order process, so your staff can adjust crust type, extra toppings, and other customizations the way your customers are most likely to order them.
- Training and support: Toast’s customer hub, Toast Central, contains a wealth of resources to train your managers and staff. The searchable knowledge database can answer any question you have about your system. Toast users give Toast’s customer support glowing reviews.
- Baseline POS functions: Toast offers the most streamlined, all-in-one restaurant POS functions of the pizza POS software on this list. Toast has tools for workforce management, built-in employee scheduling, comprehensive inventory, payroll processing, and many more general restaurant-supporting tasks.
- Driver management: The Toast POS supports in-house driver management. You can set a delivery area, assign delivery fees, and assign orders to drivers directly in the POS. Drivers can also 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 offers Toast Delivery Services, allowing pizza shops to dispatch independent local drivers on-demand through a partnership with DoorDash. Toast also integrates directly with Grubhub to send orders directly to your pizzeria’s POS. Other third-party apps are supported via aggregators ItsaCheckmate and Chowly.
Lavu: Best POS for Pizzerias on a Budget
Lavu
What We Like
- Integrated MenuDrive platform supports online ordering and promotions
- Competitively priced
- Pizza building function supports complex orders in house and online
What's Missing
- Long-term hardware leases are difficult to cancel
- Does not have built-in driver dispatch tools
- Offline functionality is not robust
Lavu Pricing
- Software subscription fee: Starts at $69 per month for a single terminal
- Hardware costs: Custom-quoted
- One-time installation fees: None, the system is self-installed
- Processing fees: Custom-quoted by Lavu Pay or compatible processors (PayPal, Vantiv, BridgePay, Heartland)
For a pizzeria, Lavu is like a Swiss army knife; it has all the tools you need, at an affordable price. Lavu’s pizza-building function might fall a bit short of the dynamic visual cues that you’ll find in a SpeedLine or Clover system, but Lavu’s MenuDrive function— a combined online ordering and marketing tool—is very user-friendly. Lavu’s price is also competitive, and the system integrates with several payment gateways. So it is a good choice for pizzerias that can afford the system without signing on to a long-term hardware lease.
Lavu earned a score of 3.74 on our pizza POS ranking, getting high marks for its price and general POS functions. The only thing holding this system back is the less than robust offline functionality and the lack of truly standout features like heat map sales reports, pay at the door credit card processing, or text ordering. But if you’re on a tight budget and don’t need a lot of bells and whistles, Lavu has your pizzeria covered.
Lavu supports dynamic modifier screens for combo-building. (Image from Lavu)
Lavu's KDS has straightforward design. (Image from Lavu)
Lavu's pilot reporting app allows you to see dynamic reports anywhere. (Image from Lavu)
Lavu Features
Lavu has everything a small pizzeria needs to accept in-person, phone, and online orders. The system has tools for managing a team of in-house drivers or relying on third-party platforms. Both the Lavu POS and the affiliated MenuDrive tool allow you to customize coupons and promotions. Unlike Toast, Revel, and Speedline, however, the MenuDrive system does not support map-based driver dispatch. If you want to manage a team of delivery drivers with Uber-like precision, you’ll need an additional integration.
Lavu’s standout features include:
- Pizza builder: Lavu includes a pizza building function to help your team ring in customized pizzas by whole or half pies. Lavu’s pizza builder is slightly less robust than Clover’s Swift Pizza integration, but Lavu users don’t need to add an extra integration to get this function.
- Combo builder: The Lavu combo-builder routes complex orders to the correct kitchen printers or KDS screens, and allows you to add custom pricing for add-ons or premium options. This is great for pizzerias that offer pizza and wing combos, or individual slice and drink meals.
- MenuDrive: In 2019, Lavu purchased the online ordering system MenuDrive. When you enroll, the MenuDrive software walks you through an intuitive setup wizard so you can begin taking online orders right away. Coupon building tools allow you to create online coupons and send email blasts for upcoming promotions. Customizable modifier screens display modifications in simple check boxes or allow you to limit the number of modifiers on a single order. You can also route delivery orders on-demand to DoorDash drivers. Dispatching an in-house driver team, however, will require an additional integration, or an analog system.
- Flexible payments: For pizza shop owners that want to shop around for the best processing rates, Lavu supports integrations with Heartland, Bridge Pay, Vantiv, and PayPal. Lavu does not charge any extra fees for bringing your own processor, but each processor will set a rate based on your card mix and sales volume. If you’d prefer an all-in-one solution that mimics a Toast or Square experience, you can opt to use LavuPay (which operates through the First Data gateway), instead. Using MenuDrive for online orders, however, currently requires enrollment in either LavuPay or MenuDrive Pay.
SpeedLine: Best for High-Volume, Traditional Pizzerias
SpeedLine
What We Like
- Locally installed system works without the internet
- Massive mapping tools support driver dispatch and targeted marketing campaigns
- Pay-at-the-door functions avoid card-not-present processing fees
What's Missing
- High upfront cost
- Operates on industry-specific terminals
SpeedLine Pricing
- Software subscription fee: Custom quoted, all-in-one software and hardware price
- Hardware costs: Custom-quoted
- One-time installation fees: Custom-quoted
- Processing fees: Custom-quoted from compatible payment gateways (WorldPay, Monetra)
SpeedLine POS is an all-inclusive POS tool that includes delivery management and online ordering features with live driver mapping and targeting promotions. The basic SpeedLine system includes detailed driver dispatch functions, customer loyalty, at-a-glance menu modifications, and dynamic build-your-own-pie and combo-building features. These functions make SpeedLine an excellent fit for traditional pizzerias that offer multiple, simultaneous coupons to showcase pizza, wing, sandwich, and soda deals.
On our scale, SpeedLine earns an overall rating of 3.70 out of 5. This middling rating is not a reflection of the functionality so much as the price. As an entirely locally installed POS, SpeedLine’s upfront cost is much higher than cloud-based systems like Toast and Square for Restaurants. However, when it comes to functions, no other POS has as many insightful, pizzeria-specific tools (as you’ll see in the list below).
SpeedLine's dynamic layout keeps all your order information on a single screen.(Image from SpeedLine)
Integrated online ordering routes digital orders directly to your POS.(Image from SpeedLine)
SpeedLine's dispatch functions are the most robust available in a pizza POS.(Image from SpeedLine)
Mobile card readers allow you to process in-person payments upon delivery.(Image from SpeedLine)
SpeedLine Features
Founded in 1990, SpeedLine has been in the pizza POS business for a long time—and it has stuck around for a reason. SpeedLine customers swear by this streamlined, all-in-one pizza POS software with robust delivery management. It is different from others on this list, as it operates on a closed internal network that stores all of your pizza shop’s data at your location. This setup is frequently called a “traditional” or “legacy” POS. Because SpeedLine doesn’t rely on the internet to operate, it is an excellent system for pizzerias that lack a reliable internet signal.
Some of SpeedLine’s standout Pizza POS features include:
- Pay-at-the-door functionality: Its “SpeedLine Pay” app allows your drivers to accept card payments at your customers’ doorsteps. Customers feel more secure keeping their card in hand, and your pizza shop can avoid higher card-not-present transaction fees. SpeedLine Pay card readers are EMV-compliant, which means you’ll have fewer chargeback disputes.
- Pizza-focused order screens: SpeedLine’s order screens show nutritional information, allergens, and recipes at the touch of a button. So, your cashiers can answer any question a customer asks without slowing your operation down. SpeedLine’s Directed Order Entry walks servers through modifier prompts to ensure things like salad dressings or crust choices are never forgotten. You can also add pop-up screens for item-specific upsells and lists of currently running coupons, so anyone ringing in an order has all the information at their fingertips.
- Heatmap reporting: One of SpeedLine’s most impressive functions is how the system combines 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.
- Kitchen-oriented tickets: No matter what order a customer states their preferred modifiers in, SpeedLine will organize the information to display the way your kitchen team prefers to see it. This saves a lot of headaches and potential miscommunications, plus it keeps your cooks happy.
- Integrated caller ID: When customers call your pizzeria, SpeedLine displays their customer profiles on the POS, including any active orders. Your staff never has to leave the POS to give customers updates or make changes to existing orders.
- Driver management: You can organize your delivery assignments from a map view, allowing you to see which deliveries can be most efficiently grouped. The dispatch screen displays estimated driver return times, so you know when to have the next rounds of orders ready. SpeedLine sends delivery information to driver smartphones and allows drivers to use their preferred navigation app. You can also set the SpeedLine POS to calculate driver reimbursement fees based on the most efficient route distance rather than their self-reported odometer readings.
- Inventory: SpeedLine’s Inventory contains a dynamic “topping matrix” to streamline recipe creation. This tool also easily tracks tiny amounts of every topping used for build-your-own pizzas.
- Online ordering: SpeedLine’s online ordering module, SpeedDine, allows customers to order from any internet-enabled device or via your branded mobile app. Both the app and your online ordering site are tied directly to your POS, so prices, combos, promotional offers, and tax rates are uniform. You aren’t locked into SpeedDine as your only option; SpeedLine’s open software architecture allows you to integrate with any online ordering platform you like.
HungerRush: Best for Order Innovations and Delivery
HungerRush
What We Like
- Constantly innovating system includes text ordering tools
- Tools to process in-person credit card transactions in the field
- Dynamic order screens show ingredients and modifiers at a glance
What's Missing
- Fees are all custom-quoted
- User interface is dated
- Pricey
HungerRush Pricing
- Combined software and hardware subscription fee: Starts at $199 per month for a single terminal*
- One-time installation fees: Custom-quoted
- Processing fees: Custom-quoted
*based on quotes received for a single terminal operation; actual costs may vary
HungerRush is a cloud-based POS that evolved out of the Revention legacy POS. The ancestral Revention POS is worth mentioning because that system was designed specifically to support pizza restaurants. In 2020, Revention rebranded as HungerRush with the mission to develop a lighter, cloud-based POS to centralize ordering channels and simplify customer data analysis for small, independent restaurants. This system constantly develops new tools and recently rolled out an AI-based text-ordering tool that allows you to ditch the landline and accept orders via text message.
In our pizza POS software ranking, HungerRush weighs in with a ranking of 3.56 out of 5. This newcomer to the cloud POS ranks is a fascinating system for pizza shops that do a lot of delivery. This system even has one advantage over the top-ranking Revel POS—HungerRush supports pay-at-the-door card payments, reducing your transaction fees. The price of the system is the main thing that kept HungerRush from scoring higher. However, we felt that the system’s unique and innovative features should earn a top spot.
HungerRush's POS screens include a lot of information. (Image from HungerRush)
HungerRush's driver dispatch screen is easy to navigate. (Image from HungerRush)
The connected driver app lets your pizza shop operated with Uber-like efficiency.(Image from HungerRush)
Map-based navigation shows your driver locations in real time. (Image from HungerRush)
HungerRush Features:
With its legacy POS background and new focus on cloud functionality, HungerRush combines a wealth of excellent pizza shop software tools in a pretty affordable package. Like Revel Systems, HungerRush is a hybrid POS, and like SpeedLine, the system was explicitly designed to support pizzerias, so it has lots of insightful fixes for common pizza pain points.
HungerRush’s standout features include:
- Pay-at-the-door payments: Like SpeedLine, HungerRush allows your drivers to accept card and mobile wallet payments when a delivery is completed. This function allows you to get the card-present transaction rate rather than the higher card-not-present transaction rate that usually comes with online payments.
- Text ordering: In March 2021, HungerRush launched a text-ordering function, TextAI, that allows users to let go of their landlines and 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.
- 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.
- Loyalty: An integrated loyalty program gives you valuable insight into your customers and their spending habits. You can also save notes to a customer’s profile for future orders or to tag them for future promotions.
- Google analytics: HungerRush comes with integrated Google Analytics, so you know how many people visit your ordering page, even if they don’t place an order.
- Pizza-style order screens: HungerRush’s order screen highlights each pizza’s ingredients with red lights and green lights, so it is easy to make modifications at a glance. The system also allows your cashiers to edit items without deletions or re-entries.
Clover: Best for Customizable Software
Clover
What We Like
- Popular system is easy to troubleshoot
- App-based add-ons ensure you only pay for what you need
- Pay at the door functionality
What's Missing
- Inventory functions are limited
- Cost of additional apps can add up
- Contracts can vary depending on the reseller you work with
Clover Pricing
- Software subscription fee: Starting at $39.95 per month for a single terminal, $9.95 per month for each additional terminal
- Hardware costs: From $499 for a Clover Flex handheld to $1649 for a complete terminal kit with cash drawer and printer
- One-time installation fee: N/A
- Processing fees: Varies based on which merchant services provider you purchase your system through
Clover is a popular POS with small retailers and restaurants. This popularity means that Clover has the resources to provide comprehensive customer support, keep their prices affordable, and develop solutions like the Clover Flex handheld device ($499) that allow you to accept payments in the field. Clover is owned by Fiserv, one of the largest payments providers in the US. You can purchase a Clover POS directly from Fiserv or through a several affiliated merchant services providers; contract terms and processing rates will vary depending on your vendor. Prospective Clover customers should shop around to ensure they get the most favorable terms.
Clover earned a score of 3.61 out of 5 on our pizza POS scoring system. The affordable price and the ability to process in-person payments in the field earned Clover high marks. The system’s limited inventory and marketing features, though, prevented Clover from earning a higher score.
The Clover POS is an attractive terminal. (Image from Clover)
The Clover Flex terminal accepts debit, credit, and NFC payments at your delivery locations. (Image from Clover)
Clover users that want KDS tools can integrate with Applova Simple Kitchen Display, Fresh KDS, or ChefTab. (Image from Applova Simple Kitchen Display)
Clover's integration with Swift Pizza gives users a dynamic pizza-building screen that rivals the function of a higher-priced system. (Image from Clover)
Clover Features
The baseline Clover POS is affordable and streamlined, but lacks several features that a pizzeria might want. Like Square, however, Clover POS gives you the option to expand your POS functions by adding third-party software via an app marketplace. And Clover has a lot of useful apps, from multiple KDS tools to a comprehensive pizza-building tool. Over 200 affiliated apps mean you can customize your Clover system from top to bottom, but many apps come with additional monthly fees, which can add up quickly.
Clover’s standout features include:
- The Ordering.App integration: Clover is currently the only POS that integrates directly with Google’s online ordering tool, The Ordering.App. This combination is especially useful for small pizza shops that don’t have the bandwidth to build out a search optimized website.
- Pay-at-the-door function: The optional Clover Flex mobile device allows you to process in-person payments in the field. This will save you money on card-not-present transaction fees and reduce chargeback claims.
- Swift Pizza app: Clover integrates with the Swift Pizza app ($0.99 per online order, or $19.95 per month), which includes a detailed pizza builder and online ordering tools.
- Delivery options: Clover integrates with third-party delivery platforms to process delivery orders. Or you can add an integration with GetSwift ($0.18 per order) to manage an in-house team of drivers.
Thrive POS: Best for Hardware Customization
Thrive POS
What We Like
- Offer customer promotions via email, text, or mobile notification
- Options for in-house delivery management and third-party platforms
- Operates on iOS or Android tablets, or touch-screen computer terminals
What's Missing
- Pricing can add up
- Few payment integrations
Thrive Pricing
- Software subscription fee: Starts at $149 per month for a single terminal
- Hardware costs: $460 to $805 for terminals with tablets
- One-time installation fees: Thrive’s “Getting Started Kit” is $3,000 and includes installation
- Processing fees: Custom-quoted by WorldPay, TSYS, or Open Edge based on card mix and sales volume
Like SpeedLine, Thrive POS was built from the ground up with pizza shops in mind. This multi-featured system has a unique and transparent pricing structure that allows shop owners to choose exactly the functions they need. You can certainly schedule a product demo with a member of the Thrive sales team or simply navigate to the pricing page on the Thrive website to build your own custom quote. The Thrive Basic package starts at $149 per month for software for two terminals and includes delivery tools. The top-of-the-line Thrive Loaded tier includes online ordering, the Drive app, and Inventory on unlimited terminals for $549
Thrive racked up a respectable 3.58 out of 5 on our pizza POS scoring system, putting it right behind Clover. Thrive has a lot more built-in pizza-specific features than Clover, but the system could have scored higher if it were more competitively priced.
The Thrive POS dashboard centralizes POS and back-office functions.(Image from Thrive POS)
Thrive POS is available on rugged hardware that can withstand a busy restaurant environment. (Image from Thrive POS)
You can operate Thrive on a variety of touchscreen tablets. (Image from Thrive POS)
Your team can quickly find applicable coupons with a built-in look-up function.(Image from Thrive POS)
Thrive's online ordering screens are straightforward and streamlined.(Image from Thrive POS)
Thrive's integrated driver app gives your team a powerful navigational tool.(Image from throve POS)
Thrive's driver management dashboard displays driver performance at a glance.(Image from Thrive POS)
Thrive Features
Thrive has all the functions you expect to find in a restaurant POS from cash tracking to ingredient-level inventory tracking and daily reporting. But like SpeedLine, Thrive is a pizza-first POS, so it includes order screens that are optimized for complex pizza orders and combos.
Thrive’s standout features include:
- Flexible hardware: Thrive operates on iPads, Android tablets, or ethernet-connected i3 Acrobat Touch Dynamic touch-screen terminals if your pizza shop needs more robust hardware with offline functionality.
- Smart Coupons: Thrive’s Smart Coupons function allows your staff to quickly search available coupons and apply them to an open order. So if the customer on the phone mentions a promotion they saw on Facebook, your team can easily find and apply it.
- Pizza-focused order screens: Thrive’s order screen compresses a lot of information on a single screen. Various button columns, shapes, and colors help your counter service team see modifiers and add-ons at a glance.
- Online ordering suggestions: You can set your integrated Thrive online ordering site to suggest additional side items or combos to customers placing orders.
- Built-in driver management: More than simply assigning orders to drivers, Thrive actively tracks your drivers’ status, compiles productivity reports, and includes detailed cash-out reports.
- Pizzeria-friendly phone integrations: Thrive’s pizza experience is evident in its phone integrations. The system integrates directly with PizzaCloud, a service specializing in optimizing pizzeria phone systems to lower phone bills and streamline caller ID and delivery processes. Busy pizzerias and multi-location operations will also like the Kanekt 365 integration that routes phone orders to a call center.
- A la carte training and support options: Thrive offers a menu of additional support if you need extra help with your online ordering site, on-site POS installation, or additional staff training. Prices range from $75 per hour for guided training up to $800 for a full day of on-site support; you only pay for what you need.
Square for Restaurants: Best Free Pizza POS for Slice Shops
Square for Restaurants
What We Like
- Baseline POS is free
- Can bring your own compatible hardware
- App marketplace lets you customize your POS
What's Missing
- Driver dispatch tools require additional app purchases
- Square is the only payment processing option
- Does not support complex pizza building
Square for Restaurants Pricing
- Software subscription fees: $0 to $60+ per month for a single terminal
- Hardware costs: $1,400 for terminal kits that includes an iPad, $1,000 without the iPad; users can also bring their own compatible hardware
- One-time installation fee: Self-install for free, or request one-on-one assistance for $600
- Processing fees: 2.6% + $0.10 for in person swiped or dipped transactions, 2.9% + $0.30 per online transactions, and 3.5% + $0.15 per manually keyed transactions
Square’s cloud-based restaurant POS, Square for Restaurants, is more affordable than most other pizza POS options. It also has payment processing built in, so it’s a terrific choice for shop owners on a budget. The entry-level Square for Restaurants subscription is free and requires no long-term contract. This makes Square a great fit for seasonal pizza operations in travel destinations, as well as quick-service slice shops. Modifications and inventory tracking are limited, but these hurdles won’t hold back an operation where modifications are uncommon.
Square for Restaurants earns a 3.23 out of 5 rating on our pizza POS ranking. That might sound like a low score to still be considered a top contender, but Square for Restaurants has a few unique features that make it the best fit for a particular pizzeria type: the slice shop.
Square for Restaurants operates on iPads or Square Register and SquareTerminal devices. (Image from Square)
Square's color-coded KDS is available for $10 per device per month. (Image from Square)
Square's website builder lets you quickly build an online ordering site. (Image from Square)
Square's back office reports are easy to navigate. (Image from Square)
Square POS users can manage a team of in-house delivery drivers via integration with OnTime Delivery. (Image from OnTime Delivery)
Square for Restaurants Features
Pizza shops are a tight-margin business—slice shops, especially so. Square for Restaurants is the lowest-cost pizza POS software on this list, with a starting monthly price of free. An iPad, a Square account, and a Square credit card reader are all you need to start taking your first orders with Square for Restaurants.
Square for Restaurants’ standout features include:
- Popularity: Square is one of the most familiar software ecosystems for both staff and customers. In major cities, you can buy a Square card reader from an office supply or drugstore and start taking payments in a few minutes.
- 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.
- Integrations: Square for Restaurants integrates with some of the most popular restaurant-industry software like Slice (pizza-specific online ordering and delivery), QuickBooks (accounting), MarketMan (inventory), Chowly (third-party ordering), and Homebase (employee scheduling).
- 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 pickup only, or use online orders to develop an in-house delivery team.
- Integrations: As with Clover, Square for Restaurants POS users can customize their systems by adding integrated apps. Pizza shops that want to add delivery management can do so for $99 per month via Square’s integration with OnTime Delivery. Square POS users will also find integrations for more complex online menus via Menufy, though currently Square does not have a pizza builder integration.
- Marketing: Square for Restaurants POS plugs directly into high functioning Square tools like Square’s marketing software. For an additional monthly fee ($15 to $35 per month; available 30-day free trial), you can create customized marketing campaigns to reach your guests with deals that appeal to them. Real-time reporting lets you measure the success of each promotion so that you can drive more sales.
Notable Runner-Up Pizza POS Systems
Upserve by Lightspeed
Upserve by Lightspeed is a sleek all-in-one hybrid POS explicitly built for restaurants. Upserve is functionally very similar to Toast, with an intuitive user interface and comprehensive built-in tools for workforce management and ingredient-level inventory tracking. Upserve also currently includes built-in online ordering and delivery management in its Pro subscription package, which starts at $199 per month, plus $50 per terminal. But Upserve lacks a pizza-builder function and its built-in delivery management tools are not quite strong enough for a high-volume delivery operation.
High-volume pizzerias with several order streams can find a better-fitting POS at a more affordable price. But if your pizzeria operates more like a sit-down restaurant, with delivery orders as a sideline revenue center, you’ll really like Upserve. The inventory, reporting, and customer relationship management functions are some of the most intuitive we’ve seen in a restaurant POS. For a deeper look check out our full review.
Slice Register
Slice Register is a brand-new POS offering developed by the third-party pizza platform, Slice. The system is purpose-built for small, independent pizzerias, and includes a sophisticated pizza builder function. Slice Register routes online orders directly to your POS screen, with real-time visual alerts that indicate new online orders, so your team is never surprised. The system integrates directly with the Slice platform and third-party app, which gives small pizzerias a great opportunity to reach new customers.
Slice Register is a new system, though, and we cannot yet assess the level of customer support or user satisfaction. The pricing and contract length are also not yet clear. But if being an early adopter of new software interests you, Slice Register currently offers the system with no startup costs and 2% processing fees for “VIP Launch” customers.
Bottom Line
No matter how you serve your pizzas or what budget you have to work with, there are great pizza POS software options available to support your business. Our top-rated pizza POS, Revel Systems, combines the best features of all these systems. It is a multi-featured POS with built-in options to manage in-house or third-party drivers. And, as an iPad-based system with robust offline functionality, Revel is accessible and reliable for pizza shops of any kind. Visit Revel Systems for a demo and see if it is a fit for your pizzeria.
