6 Best POS Apps for 2018

Point-of-sale (POS) apps are tools that retailers and individual sellers can install on their mobile device to accept credit card payments, track sales and inventory, and manage various business functions. We compared six top-rated POS apps in terms of price, device compatibility, online integrations, and functions that meet most small business needs.

POS App Summary Table

POS App	Best For
Square	Small and startup retailers and multichannel sellers
Lightspeed	High-volume retailers with large inventories
Loyverse	Shops and cafes needing a free loyalty program
PayPal Here	Any seller wanting to accept PayPal payments via mobile device
Shopify POS	New or existing Shopify sellers who want to sell via mobile or in-store
Imonggo	Sellers wanting a low-cost, browser-based POS solution

Click here to learn more about how we evaluated the best POS apps.

Best Free POS App for Startups & Small Business: Square

We recommend Square as the best free POS app for startups and small businesses because it delivers an impressive suite of business management features in its free POS app. Square is an all-in-one solution, which means it combines a credit card processing service and a full suite of business management tools in one app. This all-in-one approach makes it fast and easy for a small business to get up and running with the free Square POS app.

Square POS App Pricing

The Square POS app has no monthly, startup, or cancellation fees, but Square does charge a fee each time you process a credit card. However, recording sales made via cash or check costs you nothing. There are hardware costs if you want a countertop register setup, but not if you can run the Square POS app on your Apple or Android mobile device.

Square Services & Hardware	Cost
POS app software	$0 - no startup, monthly, or cancellation fees
Credit card processing fees	In-store & mobile: 2.75% of sale amount E-commerce orders: 2.9% + 30¢ per order Keyed-in payments:: 3.5% + 15¢ per sale
Advanced POS app add-on features	Staff management: $5/month per employee Add payroll: from $5/month Email & Facebook marketing: from $15/month Loyalty program: from $25/month Gift cards: 90¢ each Advanced inventory: $60/month Square online store: Free E-commerce platform integrations: Free
Square credit card readers for iPhone, iPad & Android devices	Magstripe reader: free with your Square account Contactless & chip card reader: $49
iPad Register Station	$169 for an iPad stand with a contactless card reader (add an iPad for $498) Build out a Square POS app register to suit your needs with à la carte peripherals such as a cash drawer, barcode scanner, and receipt printer
Square Register (New)	$999 one-time purchase Or pay over time: $49/month for 24 months With the Square Register, your credit card processing fees drop to 2.5% + 10¢ per sale

Square POS App Features

Features-wise, Square meets or beats many POS apps that charge monthly account fees. With its $0/month price tag, any startup can easily launch with a full business management toolkit. Later on, when growth demands advanced features like payroll or loyalty programs, users can turn on added functionality as needed with low monthly fees.

Feature		Details
Apple & Android devices	✔	POS app works on both, countertop register stands use iPads only
Process credit cards	✔	Built-in with Square payments
Offline Mode	✔	Record sales and process credit card payments without an internet connection
User accounts	✔	Unlimited
Product lists	✔	Add items to orders and track items per sale
Inventory management	✔	Track inventory quantities per item and sync quantities in real-time to your online store
Purchase orders	✔*	Requires Square for Retail add-on
Multi-location management	✔	Track sales and staff across multiple locations
E-commerce sales	✔	Built-in with Square’s free online store or via numerous platform integrations
Staff time tracking & management	✔*	Built-in; advanced tracking and payroll for add-on fees
Customer management & marketing	✔*	Built-in; email marketing for an add-on fee
Loyalty program & gift cards	✔*	Both are built-in features with add-on fees

*With some added fees

Square POS App Customer Service

Square POS app offers support via phone, online form, and user forums, during business hours, plus an in-depth knowledge base. Phone support is available Monday through Friday, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PST, but Square’s online knowledge base and tutorials are the best you’ll find among our top POS app picks.

Square is one of the largest small business and startup POS apps on the market and in the past, users reported spotty customer service. But that trend is improving and users overall seem happier with Square’s customer support in recent years.

What’s Missing from the Square POS App

The biggest downside of the Square POS app is that you can’t use another credit card processor with the software. To benefit from the Square POS app’s many free features, you must use Square as your credit card processor. However, most small retailers and mobile sellers find Square’s processing fees to be very competitive, especially those processing under $25,000/month in sales.

Visit Square

Best POS App for High-Volume Retailers with Large Inventories: Lightspeed POS

The Lightspeed POS app is a robust point-of-sale system that offers an array of advanced multi-store, staff, and inventory management features. Unlike Square’s POS app and a few others on the list, Lightspeed is not a free POS app. But you get a huge toolkit of advanced features for surprisingly low monthly fees, starting at just $99/month ($69/month for the restaurant version). Plus, you can choose from a variety of credit card processing options that can lower fees for sellers processing over $25,000/month, compared to Square’s all-in-one solution.

Lightspeed POS App Pricing

The Lightspeed POS app has monthly fees based on your number of registers and the version of the app that you need: Retail, Restaurant, or e-Commerce, detailed below. Advanced reporting features can be added for a fee, plus you can expand Lightspeed’s already impressive features with add-ons from third-party providers. Lightspeed POS works on Apple, Android, Mac, and PC platforms, so you can build a mobile payment or register solution with hardware that meets your exact needs.

Service/Hardware	Cost
Lightspeed Retail POS app software - 3 plans	$99/month for 1 register, 5 users $169/month up to 2 register, 10 users $289/month up to 4 registers, 20 users Contact Lightspeed for multi-location pricing
Lightspeed Restaurant POS app software - 3 plans	$69/month for 1 register $129/month up to 3 registers $198/month up to 5 registers Contact Lightspeed for multi-location pricing
Lightspeed e-Commerce	From $59/month for 1-user website with 250 online listings
Credit card processing	Choose from several providers like Cayan and others
Expanded features	Advanced business reporting + $29/month Added capabilities via 3rd-party integrations Ecommerce platform integrations via 3rd party partners
iPad, iPhones, Android devices & Mac or PC computers	Use an iPad or computer-based register terminal and add register hardware like stands or printers Use iPads (all sizes), Android tablets, and iPhones for floor and tableside sales
Purchase Register Bundle	From $699 - Register bundle includes iPad stand with card reader, cash drawer, and receipt printer
Lease a Register Station	From $69/month - Lease a full Lightspeed POS app register through Lightspeed’s partnership with RedFynn

Lightspeed POS App Features

The Lightspeed POS app has everything a high-volume business needs to run efficiently. However, it takes more time to set up compared to others on the list. Unlike POS apps from Square, PayPal, and Shopify, you can’t sign up and immediately start processing credit cards. You must first set up a merchant services account through a provider like Cayan. Then, Lightspeed’s free onboarding session helps you connect your payment solution and get up and running.

Once setup is complete, you’ll find a wealth of high-performance tools at your fingertips. The Lightspeed POS app delivers an array of advanced business management features within one system. Most notably, its advanced inventory tracking, excellent purchase order features, and direct integration to supplier databases help you efficiently manage stock and purchasing tasks. Lightspeed also offers different versions of its app, with features designed to meet the specific needs of retailers, restaurant, and e-commerce businesses.

Feature		Details
Apple & Android devices	✔	Mobile POS app works on both, registers require Mac, PC, or iPad
Process credit cards	✔	Via your own credit card processor
Offline Mode	✔	Record sales and process credit card payments without an internet connection
User accounts	✔	Based on plan
Product lists	✔	Add items to orders and track items per sale
Inventory management	✔	Track inventory quantities per item, plus kit and group items, and track parts to items, also sync quantities to online store
Purchase orders	✔	Built-in and integrated directly to more than 3,000 wholesale supplier databases
Multi-location management	✔	Supports multi-store staffing and inventory
E-commerce sales	✔*	Built-in with Lightspeed eCom or via numerous platform integrations
Staff time tracking & management	✔*	Sales and commission tracking per user, plus integrates with top payroll provider, Gusto
Customer management & marketing	✔*	Capture customer order details and integrate to third-party email marketing providers
Loyalty program & gift cards	✔*	Via various third-party providers

* Some features via third-party providers

Lightspeed POS App Customer Service

Lightspeed’s POS app has a very good customer service record. Phone support is available 24/7 via a callback request system. This is a great feature for businesses that don’t operate on a 9-5 schedule, like bars, restaurants, and e-commerce sellers. Plus, you can chat with support within your Lightspeed dashboard during business hours (Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST, Saturday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST) and send email as needed. Lightspeed’s POS app also has a very comprehensive online knowledgebase.

What’s Missing from the Lightspeed POS App

The Lightspeed POS app really can do it all. But some things, like email marketing, a loyalty program, employee payroll, and gift card tracking are only available via third-party add-ons. These add extra fees and require a separate account setup and integration. For a small retail outfit, that can be a bit much.

For this reason, we recommend the Lightspeed POS app for the larger and fast-growing businesses. For startups and small businesses that want low-cost, built-in customer marketing and loyalty programs, Square or Loyverse are more cost-effective solutions.

Visit Lightspeed

Best Free POS App with a Free Loyalty Program: Loyverse

Loyverse is a free POS app that also gives you a free loyalty program called Loyalty Ocean. Its free POS app delivers a very respectable set of sales, payment, and inventory management features. Plus it offers a few extended features like staff management and advanced inventory for low monthly fees. Loyverse’s base POS features aren’t quite as robust as Square’s free POS app, but unlike Square, the loyalty program is free. If you’re looking for a well-rounded, free POS app with a free loyalty program, Loyverse may be the one for you.

Loyverse POS App Pricing

The Loyverse POS app has no startup, monthly, or cancellation fees to use the app on your mobile device or via desktop. Unlike other free POS apps like Square and PayPal Here, Loyverse doesn’t provide credit card processing services. You’ll have to link your own credit card processing account and your provider will then pay fees per transaction. Recording cash and check sales is free.

Device-wise, Loyverse can cost you $0 to set up, but that depends on the type of checkout you need: mobile or countertop. Loyverse works on both iPhone and Android systems, so you can download the POS app to your existing mobile devices and use them as e-registers for free. If you need hardware like cash drawers, printers, or tablet stands, you can purchase compatible devices wherever you find a good deal.

Service/Hardware	Cost
POS app	$0 - no startup, monthly, or cancellation fees
Credit card processing	Price-compare rates from integrated providers: Vantiv, SumUp, or iZettle
Advanced features	Staff management: $5/month per employee Advanced inventory & purchase orders: $25/month
Credit card readers & terminals	Purchase directly from your payment provider
Register Station	You can build an iPad or Android-based register with compatible peripherals including cash drawers, tablet stands, and receipt printers from the seller of your choice

Loyverse POS App Features

Loyverse’s free POS app is loaded with features that you can access the minute you download the app to your device. Setup is quick for most users and it takes just minutes to familiarize yourself with Loyverse’s intuitive POS app screens. In minutes, you’ll be creating item lists, entering inventory quantities, and signing up customers for the Loyalty Ocean loyalty program and recording cash and check sales. To accept credit card and eWallet payments, you need to first set up your own payment account from Loyverse’s compatible payment processors.

Feature		Details
Apple & Android devices	✔	Mobile POS app works on both Apple and Android devices, and PC and Mac for desktop access
Process credit cards	✔	Via integrated payment providers: Vantiv, SumUp, or iZettle
Offline mode	✔	Record sales and process credit card payments without an internet connection
User accounts	✔	Unlimited
Product lists	✔	Add items to orders and track items per sale
Inventory management	✔	Track inventory quantities per item, plus kit and group items, and track parts to items
Purchase orders	✔*	Forecasting, purchase order tracking and store transfers
Multi-location management	✔	Supports multi-store staffing and inventory
E-commerce sales	✖	No direct integration with ecommerce platforms yet
Staff time tracking & management	✔*	Manage access, and track timecards and sales by employee
Customer management & marketing	✔	Capture customer order details and market direct via feedback or messaging
Loyalty program & gift cards	✔	Via Loyalty Ocean

* Some features with added fees

Loyverse POS App Customer Service

Loyverse customer service is primarily via instant 24/7 chat, which was pretty darned handy with fast answers to all of our questions. It also has an active community support forum and excellent online knowledgebase.

What’s Missing from the Loyverse POS

There’s little missing from Loyverse’s array of POS app features covering sales, inventory, payment, and customer loyalty marketing. One big downside, however, is its lack of integrations for e-commerce, email, and bookkeeping platforms. But, Loyverse reports it’s working on an open API to support those integrations very soon.

Visit Loyverse

Best POS App for Accepting PayPal Payments: PayPal Here

PayPal Here is the only small business POS app that directly accepts PayPal payments via mobile device. If you already accept PayPal for your online sales and want to also accept payments in-person using your mobile phone or tablet, PayPal Here is the logical choice. However, in our side-by-side POS app comparisons, PayPal Here doesn’t provide the same level of business management features as others on our list.

PayPal Here POS App Pricing

PayPal here is similar to Square in many ways. The PayPal Here POS app has no startup, monthly, or cancellation fees. It can be added to any PayPal business account, including the free Starter plan, so, like Square, it can be completely free to use. Also like Square, it’s an all-in-one solution with your card credit card processing built-in through PayPal. Your only real costs are your processing fees per sale, shown below, and card readers or register hardware.

Service/Hardware	Cost
POS app software	$0 - no startup, monthly, or cancellation fees
Credit card & PayPal payment processing fees	In-store & mobile: 2.7% of total sale Online orders: 2.9% + 30¢ per order Keyed-in payments: 3.5% + 15¢ per sale
Advanced POS app add-on features	Virtual terminal: $30/month to accept keyed-in payments Inventory tracking: $24/month using Shopventory
Square credit card readers for iPhone, iPad & Android devices	First magstripe reader: Free with signup Additional magstripes readers: $14.99 Contactless & chip card reader: Choose from several options ranging from $24.99-$79.99
iPad Register Station	Windfall iPad Stand: $129 (iPad not included) Add peripherals like card readers, cash drawers, and printers, sold separately See more PayPal Here register options

PayPal Here POS App Features

PayPal Here’s biggest plus is its ability to accept PayPal payments via mobile or in-store checkout. None of our other solutions can do that. Another plus is that PayPal tends to deposit payments faster than other credit card processors, including Square. If you already get instant payments from online sales, then you will for your PayPal Here sales, too.

The POS app itself is simple to add to your device and set up. Once installed, you can instantly start accepting payments and emailing receipts to customers. You also can create a list of products to add items to orders. However, PayPal Here doesn’t track inventory quantities without a third-party add-on. And, as shown in the table below, some key features found in other POS apps on our list aren’t available at all.

Feature		Details
Apple & Android devices	✔	POS app works on both, countertop register stands use iPads only
Process credit cards & PayPal payments	✔	Built-in through PayPal payments
Offline mode	✖	No delayed capture and authorize on credit cards if no internet connection
User accounts	✔	Unlimited
Product lists	✔	Add items to orders and track items per sale
Inventory management	✔*	Tracking inventory quantity requires Shopventory third-party add-on
Purchase orders	✔*	Requires Shopventory third-party add-on
Multi-location management	✔	Track sales across multiple locations
E-commerce sales	✔	PayPal online checkout integrates with virtually all e-commerce platforms, but POS inventory integration requires Shopventory third-party add-on
Staff time tracking & management	✖	No staff time-tracking features
Customer management & marketing	✔	Collect customer data for download to email marketing programs but no direct integration
Loyalty program & gift cards	✖	No loyalty program or store-specific giftcards

*With some added fees

PayPal Here App Customer Service

PayPal is a behemoth company with many customer service groups. You can contact PayPal via phone using the numbers listed throughout its site and generally get a good response. Being so large, PayPal certainly has some complaints listed online regarding customer service, but overall, we found you can get help when you need it. The hold times are rather long, upwards of 20 minutes, but phone staff was helpful when our calls were finally picked up.

What’s Missing from the PayPal Here POS App

Compared to our other POS app options, PayPal Here has a relatively limited set of features. There’s no offline mode that lets you accept a credit card when you don’t have an internet connection. Others, like Square and Loyverse, have a delayed capture feature for offline credit card sales. Basic inventory quantity tracking requires a third-party add-on starting at $24/month. Plus, to make keyed-in payments, you need to add PayPal’s virtual terminal service, which has a $30/month fee. All other POS apps in our list support keyed-in payments with no extra fees.

If you need just a basic set of payment processing and sales tracking tools, and definitely want to accept PayPal payments via mobile device, PayPal Here is really your top option.

Visit PayPal

Best POS App for E-commerce Sellers: Shopify POS

If you sell online using Shopify, or want to launch a multichannel business that sells both online and in-person, Shopify offers a tidy turnkey solution. Shopify is the leading small business e-commerce platform, and also offers a built-in POS app feature that ties online and in-person sales within one centralized system. From it, you can track products, inventory counts, online and in-person sales and customers, and much more. Best of all, the basic POS app is free to add to any Shopify account, including the $9/month Shopify Lite account.

Shopify POS App Pricing

The Shopify POS app is a free add-on to any Shopify account and lets you accept in-person payments using your Apple and Android mobile devices. The $9/month Shopify Lite plan is the base account. Combine that with the free Shopify POS app and you can sell online via a blog or Facebook Shop, in-person on your mobile device, and enjoy Shopify’s many inventory, sales, and customer management features.

Going this route, your only other cost is Shopify’s credit card processing fees, listed below. You even get one free card reader to get started. However, Shopify also offers a full retail POS package for $49/month added to any Shopify plan. This adds in-store management features like register hardware integration, staff tracking, gift cards, and more for a complete retail management solution.

Service/Hardware	Cost
POS app software	Shopify POS: Free add-on to any Shopify plan No startup or cancellation fees
Credit card processing fees	Using Shopify Payments: In-store & mobile: 2.7% of sale amount Online: 2.9% + 30¢ per sale or order
Advanced POS app add-on features	Retail Package : $49/month for checkout hardware integration, staff tracking, and gift cards; fee is added to your Shopify plan.
Shopify credit card readers for iPhone, iPad & Android devices	Chip and magstripe card reader: Free Tap, chip, and swipe card reader: $89
iPad Register Station	Square Retail register kits start at $449 (excluding the iPad), you can build whatever register you wish with compatible hardware Register integration required the $49/month Retail Package add-on to any Shopify account

Shopify POS App Features

Combining Shopify POS with Shopify’s industry-leading online selling features gives you a powerful mix of multichannel sales tools. You can make in-person sales, accept payments, capture customer information, and send e-receipts; you can sell on a blog, website, social channels, and via email campaigns, and even manage shipping, all in one system. Shopify ties it all together so you can seamlessly record and track your inventory, sales, customers, orders, and promotional activities across all sales channels.

For additional in-store selling features like employee management tools and countertop registers, you can expand to the $49/month Retail Package plan. Square and Lightspeed both offer a wide array of e-commerce integrations, too, so Shopify isn’t the only multichannel solution on our list. But, if e-commerce is a primary focus of your business, the fully integrated Shopify solution is hard to beat.

Feature		Details
Apple & Android devices	✔	POS app works on both, countertop register stands use iPads only
Process credit cards	✔	Built-in with Shopify Payments
Offline mode	✖	No delayed capture and authorize on credit cards if no internet connection
User accounts	✔	Unlimited POS user accounts
Product lists	✔	Add items to orders and track items per sale
Inventory management	✔	Using Shopify’s built-in inventory tracking tools and sync in real-time with your Shopify online store
Purchase orders	✔*	Not built-in but available via third-party apps
Multi-location management	✔	Track sales across multiple locations
E-commerce sales	✔	Integrates with any Shopify e-commerce plan
Staff time tracking & management	✔*	Track store staff logins and schedules
Customer management & marketing	✔*	Collect customer data for email marketing via third-party app
Loyalty program & gift cards	✔*	Gift cards on certain Shopify plans and loyalty programs via third-party apps

*With higher Shopify Retail Package or via third-party app

What’s Missing from the Shopify POS

Despite its many features, there are a few areas where Shopify POS falls short. First, unlike Square, it has no offline mode for processing credit cards. You can record cash and check sales in the POS app without a connection, but it won’t capture payment information offline for authorization at reconnection. Also, you can’t connect your own merchant account like you can with Lightspeed POS, Loyverse, and Imonggo.

However, if these two shortcomings don’t matter and you want a seamless, easy to use, and low-cost multichannel solution, Shopify POS is hard to beat.

Shopify POS App Customer Service

Shopify’s customer service is simply outstanding. You can access live help 24/7 via phone, live chat, or email. Shopify’s support team is top-rated in the industry, and issues are usually solved with one call or contact.

Visit Shopify POS

Best Browser-based POS App for Small Businesses: Imonggo

Imonggo differs from the other POS apps on our list because it’s completely browser-based. Since there’s no app to download onto your device, you don’t encounter any device compatibility issues. You can access and use Imonggo from any smartphone, tablet, or computer that supports a web browser. Technically, Imonggo is a free POS system and offers nice features in the free version, including robust inventory tools, simple setup, intuitive screens, and comprehensive sales reports.

However, if you want to use Imonggo to process credit cards, have multiple users, or access features like purchase orders or a loyalty program, you have to upgrade to their $30/month plan. So most sellers are likely looking at a $30/month cost for Imonggo and should use that as their benchmark when comparing Imonggo to other POS apps.

Imonggo Browser-based POS App Pricing

As mentioned above, Imonggo has two plans: Free and $30/month to add the credit card processing and other advanced features. Imonggo charges no other fees. Your only added costs are any register hardware you need and credit card processing fees charged by your merchant services provider if you accept credit cards. There are no startup, onboarding, or cancellation fees with your Imonggo account.

Service/Hardware	Cost
POS app	POS features with 1 user: Free No startup, onboarding, or cancellation fees
Credit card processing	Price-compare rates from integrated provider Vantiv or your own provider via Authorize.net
Advanced features	$30/month for unlimited users and inventory items, credit card processing, loyalty program and purchase order features
Credit card readers & terminals	Use countertop terminals and mobile card reader equipment from your payment provider
Register station	Combine Apple and Android mobile devices or Mac and PC computers with an array of cash drawers and receipt printers build any checkout register you need

Imonggo Browser-based POS App Features

Imonggo’s browser-based solution is the feature that really sets it apart in our field. There’s nothing to download, so mobile device compatibility is not an issue. If you have a browser, you can connect to your Imonggo data, period.

Drilling down into sales and business management features, Imonggo’s one-user free plan covers much that a small operation needs for comprehensive inventory tracking, sales tracking, recording customer data, and running reports. However, Square’s free plan provides many of the same features along with convenient, built-in credit card processing and unlimited user access. With Imonggo, you need the $30 plan for that. Also, like Loyverse, Imonggo can’t yet integrate an e-commerce solution, unlike Square and the others on our list.

Feature		Details
Apple & Android devices	✔	Works on any mobile, laptop, or desktop device with a browser
Process credit cards	✔*	Use Vantiv or an Authorize.net provider
Offline mode	✔	Record sales and process credit card payments without an internet connection
User accounts	✔	Free: 1 User; $30/month: Unlimited users
Product lists	✔	Free: 1,000 items; $30/month: Unlimited items
Inventory management	✔	Track inventory quantities per item
Purchase orders	✔*	Create, track, and receive purchase orders
Multi-location management	✔*	Track sales, inventory, and staff across multiple locations
E-commerce sales	✖	No e-commerce platform integrations
Staff time tracking & management	✔*	Multi-user features and staff tracking
Customer management & marketing	✔	Built-in email marketing on free and paid plan
Loyalty program & gift cards	✔*	Points-based loyalty program

*Requires $30/month plan

Imonggo POS App Customer Service

Like Loyverse, Imonggo’s customer service is primarily via chat, which answered all of our questions, but it did take a few hours to get a response. Imonggo also has an active community forum and comprehensive online knowledgebase.

What’s Missing from the Imonggo Browser-based POS App

Imonggo delivers a good set of POS app features covering sales, inventory, payment, and customer loyalty marketing, especially on its $30/month plan. It doesn’t yet offer direct integrations with e-commerce platforms or bookkeeping software. It does implement a REST API, so it can integrate with various programs and platforms, but that takes programming knowledge. Most small business owners are better off going with a POS app that integrates directly, like Square, if connectivity is a factor.

Visit Imonggo

How We Evaluated the 6 Best POS Apps

All POS apps share a set of core features that help you handle key business activities, such as:

• Processing in-person and keyed-in credit card payments
• Recording sales made via check or cash
• Refund sales and make exchanges
• Managing product lists and adding items to orders
• Sending receipts to customers via email or SMS text message
• Tracking sales data and providing reports
• Add and track sales tax on orders
• Tracking customer information
• Tracking staff logins and sales
• Online sales features and website integrations
• Inventory, sales, and customer sync between POS app and websites

For our comparisons, we looked into and beyond these core features to see what sets these six top-rated POS apps apart. For some, it’s a startup-friendly price and wide-ranging device compatibility. For others, it’s multi-user access, register hardware, e-commerce integration, and credit card processing options.

However, the number one feature we looked for is the ability to access the POS app software from your own device. Not all POS apps let you do that. Some require that you purchase devices preloaded with their software, which increases your startup costs from day one. Frankly, there are plenty of terrific free and low-cost cloud-based POS apps that do everything a small business needs, so that’s all you’ll find in our roundup of the top six POS apps for 2018.

The Bottom Line

If you want to accept credit cards in-person using a mobile device or countertop register setup, there’s really no reason not to use a POS app. The sales tracking and business management benefits are far-ranging, even with free options from Square, Loyverse, PayPal Here, and Imonggo. Of these, Square is consistently the top choice among users for its convenient, built-in credit card payments and array of business management tools.

Visit Square

Key business management tools such as inventory tracking, staff management, detailed business reports, loyalty programs, and email marketing are, quite literally, at your fingertips with all of these cloud-based POS apps. But if you need specific advanced features, like powerhouse inventory management or a top-rated e-commerce platform, POS apps from Lightspeed or Shopify can deliver the goods for low monthly fees.

Visit Lightspeed

Do you use a POS app to manage your day-to-day sales? Which POS app do you use and why? Please share your insights on which features help you manage day-to-day tasks in your operation in the comments below.