A point-of-sale (POS) system is a hardware and software bundle that serves as the nerve center of brick and mortar businesses by centralizing payment processing, automating stock tracking and sales reports, and streamlining customer relationship management. Some POS software is available for free, while other systems cost up to $200 per month for one station.
The 10 best POS systems for 2020 are:
- Square POS: Best overall free and immediate POS system
- Lightspeed Retail: Best POS for excellent inventory management and reporting
- ShopKeep: Best specialty shop iPad POS with built-in payment processing
- Shopify: Best for ecommerce businesses that also want to sell in-person
- Toast: Best for restaurants and bars needing a POS with menu and table management
- Vend: Best for retailers needing a POS with built-in customer loyalty features
- IT Retail: Best for small grocers that need a POS with scale integration
- PayPal Here: Best free mobile POS to accept payments on the go
- Revel Systems: Best for quick-service restaurants with multiple locations
- Fresha: Best POS for spas and salons needing to manage appointments
If you’re not sure which POS system is best for your needs, take this 4-question quiz:
Which POS Software is Best For You?
How We Evaluated POS Systems for Small Business
In this guide, we chose the best POS systems by weighing the price of each system (monthly fees, startup costs, payment processing fees, and any add-on costs). Then we compared each system to the overall value they provide, making sure each solution is accessible to small businesses. We also prioritized systems that are easy to use, read POS user reviews, and tested customer support.
We evaluated types of POS software for different kinds of businesses such as restaurants and grocery stores, companies that process mobile sales, and retailers needing a connected online store. Finally, we looked at what devices each system requires, so you’ll know whether you have to invest in new equipment.
Square: Best Overall POS System for Small Businesses
Square POS is the best POS system for small businesses because it is free and is incredibly user-friendly. Square’s free POS software supports mobile and brick-and-mortar stores and includes a free online store. Built-in payment processing makes it easy to get up and running quickly, and Square’s many optional add-on features mean the system can grow with your business.
Square POS Strengths | Square POS Weaknesses |
|---|---|
 Free POS, best value for small businesses |  Limited inventory control |
| Easy to use, fast set-up | Not suitable for high-risk businesses |
| Can grow with your business | Limited phone support |
Square POS Pricing
- Point-of-sale app: Free—no startup or monthly fees
- Processing fee (magstripe, chip, contactless): 2.6% + 10 cents per transaction
- Terminal costs: The app downloads onto any iOS or Android smartphone or tablet for free. Optional Square Terminal and Registers are available for $299 – $799.
- Card reader pricing: Square POS comes with a free magstripe card reader. However, we recommend purchasing the $49 chip and contactless card reader for secure payments.
- Add-ons: Businesses can add restaurant or retail tools, email marketing, loyalty program, payroll, and team management for additional fees.
Square POS Free Features
- Sales management: Process transactions, track product sales, and view reports
- Built-in payment processing: Accept credit and debit card payments with next-day deposits
- Customer relationship management: Create customer profiles, collect and respond to customer feedback
- Online store: Build a free website and online store to sell products online for pickup, shipping, or delivery.
To learn more, read our full Square POS Review.
Lightspeed Retail: Best POS System for Inventory Management
Lightspeed Retail is the best retail POS system for businesses with large or complex inventories, including specialty shops needing to manage custom orders. The software lets retailers create product bundles, categorize with multiple variants, and manage purchase orders with a built-in catalog. Lightspeed also offers one of the most sophisticated analytics platforms for small businesses.
Lightspeed Retail Strengths | Lightspeed Retail Weaknesses |
|---|---|
 Detailed inventory and analytics tools | Expensive for small businesses |
| Robust ecommerce platform | User interface hard to navigate |
| 24/7 support and onboarding |
Lightspeed Retail Pricing
- Monthly software fees: $69 – $229
- Additional registers: $29 per month
- Card-present payment processing: 2.6% + 10 cents per transaction
- Hardware: receipt printers, cash drawers, Bluetooth scanners, and iPad stands available—iPads and desktop computers purchased separately
- Setup fees: N/A
Lightspeed Retail Features
- POS: Flexible cloud-based system that runs on iPads or desktops
- Inventory management: Bulk upload up to 10,000 SKUs at once, manage variants, create bundles, track unit costs, layaways, and special orders. Streamline purchase orders with built-in product catalog and low-stock alerts.
- Reporting and analytics: Lightspeed offers the most powerful analytics platform available at a small-business friendly price. Includes over 40 built-in reports, allows retailers to build custom reports, view data in visual forms like graphs and charts, and includes tips on how to interpret the data.
- Ecommerce: Lightspeed Ecommerce syncs with POS data, offers over 50 professional themes, includes full shipping and order management tools, marketing, CRM, and SEO features.
Read More: Lightspeed Retail Review
ShopKeep: Best POS for Boutique & Specialty Stores
ShopKeep POS is a cloud-based iPad system designed for small specialty shops and boutiques. It has a user-friendly dashboard with built-in payment processing and marketing tools to help businesses manage online directory listings. It also offers a detailed, yet user-friendly Back Office reporting app.
ShopKeep Strengths | ShopKeep Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| User-friendly interface |  Limited customization options |
| 24/7 support |  Reports of software glitches |
| Robust back-office apps | No public pricing information |
ShopKeep Pricing
- Monthly software fees: $69 – $199*
- Payment processing: Flat-rate fees through ShopKeep Payments, or choose your own processor
- Hardware: Retail, restaurant, and quick-service hardware bundles available. ShopKeep is also compatible with Clover POS hardware.
*Estimated monthly fees. ShopKeep provides custom quotes for every business
ShopKeep Features
- POS: User-friendly cloud-based iPad POS requiring minimal setup or configuration
- Back office: Raw good and variant-level inventory management, bar code printing and management, low-stock alerts, bulk product upload, analytics dashboard with built-in report templates
- Pocket app: Mobile app for viewing real-time reporting data on-the-go
- Marketing tools: Features include creating email lists and campaigns, built-in gift cards, customer loyalty programs, and a business website or online store. Some plans include ShopKeep Spotlight, which helps businesses manage online listings for sites like Facebook and Yelp.
Read More: ShopKeep POS review
Shopify: Best POS for Retailers Wanting to Sell Online
Shopify is an ecommerce platform that comes with a free POS software for selling products at events or on-the-go, plus features to sell on social media and third-party marketplaces. For brick and mortar retailers, Shopify has a POS Pro plan with omnichannel selling tools, sophisticated inventory management, and more detailed analytics. With all Shopify plans, sales, inventory, and customer data are stored in one place, making Shopify the best POS for multichannel sellers.
Shopify POS Strengths | Shopify POS Weaknesses |
|---|---|
 Good value for small businesses | Glitchy offline mode |
| Omnichannel sales tools | Free POS app has limited features |
| Easy to use, intuitive interface | Advanced plans are pricey |
Shopify POS Pricing
- Monthly ecommerce software fees: $9 – $299
- Monthly POS software fees: $0 for basic POS app, $89 for Shopify POS Pro
- In-person processing fees: 2.4% – 2.7% with built-in Shopify Payments
- Tap and chip card reader: $49
- Additional hardware: POS app can be downloaded on iPad, iPhone, and Android devices. iPad stands and card reader docks available through Shopify.
Shopify POS Features
- Omnichannel selling: Offer frictionless shopping experiences with buy online, pick up or return in-store; buy in-store, ship to customer; and browse in-store, buy online with email carts and QR product codes.
- Products: Add unlimited products, categories, and collections including multiple variants.
- Inventory management: POS Pro includes Stocky, a smart inventory app for performing inventory counts, receiving products with a barcode scanner, generating low-stock alerts and detailed inventory reports, demand forecasting, performing inventory analysis, and viewing sale item suggestions.
- Customer management: All Shopify plans include tools to generate customer profiles with contact information and shopping habits, add customer tags (such as VIP designations), track special requests, generate targeted promotions, create marketing content, and optimize social media campaigns.
- Online sales: Shopify is the leading small business ecommerce platform, but it also offers features to sell on social media, third-party marketplaces, and add “Buy” buttons to blogs.
Read more: Shopify POS review
Toast: Best POS System for Restaurants
Toast is a restaurant POS software specifically designed for the foodservice industry. It combines front-of-house features like table mapping, menu management, and real-time feedback collection with back-of-house features like kitchen displays and ingredient-level inventory tracking. Toast also offers online ordering and delivery features, along with payroll tools and a wide array of industry-specific hardware, making it the best POS system for bars and restaurants.
Toast POS Strengths | Toast POS Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Easy to use, all-in-one system | Expensive - mandatory installation fees; costly add-ons |
| Customizable for different types of restaurants | Android-only; not compatible with Apple iOS |
| 24/7 support |
Toast POS Pricing
- Point-of-sale app: $75 per month per terminal
- Installation: Starts at $499 (mandatory)
- Toast POS Payments (fixed flat fees): Not disclosed
- Toast Hardware: Standard terminals with flip screens, customer-facing displays, tableside/mobile ordering, kitchen display screens, and self-order kiosks available for quoted fees.
- Add-ons: Payroll, team management, online ordering, marketing, gift cards, and loyalty programs available for additional monthly fees.
Toast POS Features
- POS: User-friendly Android-based cloud POS with touch-screen navigation
Front-of-house features: Table mapping and management, real-time customer feedback collection, tickets automatically sent to kitchen display, order notifications - Reporting and back-office: Detailed menu management with ingredient-level tracking, recipe costing, waste and COGS reports, payroll administration, sales and performance data, all with real-time data.
- Online ordering and delivery: Integrated online ordering (no third-party commissions) with customizable mobile-responsive site, real-time ingredient and menu updates, and configurable hours and delivery settings.
Read More: Toast POS Review
Vend: Best POS With Built-in Loyalty Program
Vend is an iPad and web-based POS designed strictly for brick and mortar retailers. It is one of the few POS systems that come with built-in loyalty programs, store credit, layaway tools, offline processing, and easy product catalog management. Vend integrates with many different payment processors so businesses can shop around for the lowest rates, and offer multiple payment options like PayPal.
Vend Strengths | Vend Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Flexible checkout features - built-in loyalty, store credit, layaway | Weak ecommerce integration |
| User-friendly system - runs on all operating systems | Basic reporting tools |
| 24/7 phone support | Lack of integrated email marketing |
Vend POS Pricing:
- Monthly software fees: $99 ($20,000 turnover limit) or $129 (unlimited turnover)*
- Additional registers: $49 per month each*
- Payment processing: Varies; Vend integrates with more than eight different processors
- Hardware: Operates on Mac, PC, and iPad. Use your own hardware or purchase through Vend.
- Setup and installation fees: Quote-based
*Based on annual billing. Month-to-month rates higher.
Vend POS Features
- POS: User-friendly cloud system with offline processing, staff logins, flexible configurations including layaway and on-account sales, store credit, gift cards, and partial payment.
- Detailed inventory tools: Track variants and bundles, create, import, and print bar codes, build a centralized product catalog, set custom low-stock alerts, and manage tax rates.
- Mobile bar code scanning app: Vend has a free iOS app for scanning bar codes to perform quick inventory counts, receive shipments, or lookup product details from the sales floor. Any changes made in the app can sync to Vend’s reporting data.
- Add-ons and growth tools: Vend comes with a native loyalty program and integrates with third-party tools for ecommerce, accounting, employee scheduling, and multichannel inventory management.
Read more: Vend POS review
IT Retail: Best Grocery POS
IT Retail’s Market POS is a specific system that includes hard-to-find features like scale integration for selling goods by weight, bottle deposit management, automated shopper rewards program, and self-checkout options. The POS comes packaged in rugged hardware necessary in a grocery environment, and allows markets to sell online and connect with a network of delivery drivers.
IT Retail Strengths | IT Retail Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Grocery & market-specific features | No fuel pump or deli/cafe features |
| Scale integration and strong loyalty features | High hardware costs |
| 24/7 support | Not a lot of available pricing information |
IT Retail POS Pricing
- Market POS: Starts at $59 per month. Custom quotes for larger markets and multi-location businesses.
- Hardware: Terminals, scanner scales, customer displays, self-checkout kiosks, and PIN pads all available for custom fees.
- Setup: Quote-based fees for on-site installation, product import, and data backups.
IT Retail POS Features
- Checkout: Flexible checkout options for produce and bulk goods, scale integration for selling goods by weight, customer-display, and self-checkout setups. Accept all major credit and debit cards, EBT food and cash payments, gift cards, eWIC, and contactless payments such as Apple Pay.
- Inventory management: Create, print, and scan bar code labels, generate purchase orders, receive and count stock using a mobile app, generate purchase orders, and generate shelf tags. Mobile reporting available on any device.
- CRM tools: Issue scannable loyalty cards, create a custom loyalty program, POS automatically tracks available rewards at checkout.
- Online grocery: Enable online ordering and delivery, including specialty and fresh items, with the Mercato integration.
Read more: IT Retail review
PayPal Here: Best Free mPOS for Mobile Vendors
PayPal Here is a free mobile POS powered by PayPal that allows businesses to accept payments and send invoices from anywhere. PayPal is the only small business mobile POS that directly accepts PayPal payments. This option makes it a convenient Square POS and payments alternative for mobile vendors and their customers.
PayPal Strengths | PayPal Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Easy to setup & use - works on many devices | Account stability |
| No monthly fees, predictable transaction fees | Not ideal for high-risk or high-volume businesses |
| Best for accepting occasional mobile payments | Not a full-featured POS |
PayPal Here Pricing
- Mobile POS app: Free
- Chip and swipe payments: 2.7%
- Invoice payments: 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction
- Keyed-in payments: 3.5% plus 15 cents per transaction
- Contactless and chip reader: $24.99 to $74.99. We recommend purchasing a chip reader (instead of magstripe) for more secure payments.
PayPal Here Features
- Mobile POS app: Download PayPal Here on any smartphone or tablet to accept credit, debit, and PayPal payments, or to create and send invoices.
- Business management: Create customized receipts, calculate sales tax, manage a product list (including descriptions and photos), assign user roles and permission, and track sales with reports.
- Limited features: Paypal Here is best for businesses that don’t need a lot of management features, and just want a simple tool to process occasional payments.
Read more: PayPal Here review
Revel Systems: Best QuickService POS for Multilocation Restaurants
Revel Systems is a cloud-based foodservice POS that has configurable features for self-order kiosks, customer-facing displays, mobile and tableside ordering, and online ordering. This makes Revel a good fit for large, high-volume, or chain restaurants that need more than just a checkout counter or tableside POS. The digital kitchen display automatically sends orders from the POS to iPad touchscreens in the kitchen.
Revel Systems Strengths | Revel Systems Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Robust, customizable system | Complex cost and setup |
| Granular reporting tools | Expensive system with no free trials |
| Back Office management accessible through registers | Not as user-friendly as other systems |
Revel Systems Pricing
- POS software: Starts at $99 per month per terminal
- Payment processing: Flat transaction fee—specific rates not disclosed
- Installation and onboarding fee: Starts at $649
- Hardware: iPads and stands, self-serve kiosks, PIN pads, kitchen printers, and other kitchen-specific hardware available at custom quoted pricing
Revel Systems Features
- Front-of-house tools: Revel has comprehensive permission settings, detailed table mapping and management, and offline payment processing.
- Reporting and management: Revel Insights reporting offers real-time ingredient-level inventory tracking, performance metrics, and sales reports.
- Back-of-house: Menu-building tools, integrated kitchen display communication, integrated online ordering, centralized multi-location management, and an open API allow businesses to build a setup that meets their needs.
- Customer-facing features: Revel has features for customer display systems, self-order kiosks, and mobile ordering for speedy service, plus loyalty, gift card, and discount tools for customer retention.
Read more: Revel Systems review
Fresha: Best Spa and Salon POS
Fresha, formerly known as Shedul, is a free and versatile spa and salon POS and management software for beauty industry professionals. Fresha combines retail sales and inventory management features with online appointment booking, calendar management, marketing tools, and reporting for an all-in-one POS software. The software is completely free to use, which is an unbeatable value.
Fresha Strengths | Fresha Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Combines online booking, CRM, retail POS, and calendar management | No phone support |
| Extremely user-friendly | Free plan has limited features |
| Free plan options |
Fresha Pricing
- Monthly software fee: N/A—software is free to use. No setup or installation fees.
- Payment processing: 2.19 + 20 cents per transaction.
- New client fee: 20% (when booking through Fresha customer-facing marketplace).
- Hardware fees: POS is web-based, iOS and Android apps available. Payments can be processed online, so no specific hardware required.
Fresha Features
- POS: Fresha offers solutions for spas, salons, barbershops, personal training professionals, tanning studios, tattoo and piercing businesses, and several health, beauty, and fitness businesses. Support bar code scanners, receipt printers, and cash drawers.
- Appointment management: Customers can book online through your website, Fresha marketplace, Instagram, Facebook, and Google. Send automated reminders and allow employees to track their schedules.
- CRM tools: Create targeted email campaigns, identify top clients, segment client groups, send personalized offers, and more.
- Management and reporting: Track inventory levels, generate supply orders, track internal product use, view real-time performance, and financial reports.
Read more: Fresha review
Bottom Line
The best POS systems provide business owners more than simply a way to accept payments. POS trends such as mobile-first technology mean businesses can sell products and services anywhere, anytime. Artificial intelligence (AI) developments in POS software mean that instead of telling businesses how much product they have on-hand, POS systems can tell businesses exactly what they need to order and in what quantities. The best POS software combines analytics and ease of use at a price point that is accessible for small businesses.
Square POS is free to use, and its core features are powerful enough on their own that you may not even need the optional add-ons to build out the POS system. If you do opt to include the loyalty program, staff management features, or payroll, you’ll still likely pay less than some other POS systems. Get a free account today.
Denis
Hi,
For a business having products with variant like T-Shirts with colors and sizes, Lightspeed is really NOT the right POS for you because that features has been added late in the software development and it makes that feature so complicated. Try another one.
Krista Fabregas
Hi Denis,
We used that feature for years in a motorcycle shop and it wasn’t difficult to manage. I’d love to know what you found to be the hangup in the process so I can check it out. Look forward to hearing back.
Cheers!
Krista
Deb
This is a great tool. I am opening a new home decor and gift shop this summer and am overwhelmed by the POS decision. The store is around 1300 sq ft, so inventory will not be massive, however inventory mgmt is important to me. The shop will have 3-5 total employees at any given time. I would like an integrated online platform as I will be selling some of the shops private label goods online. Next year I plan to open an outdoor patio at the shop that will seed a separate register. I’ve narrowed down my focus to Square, Shopify and Shopkeep. Can you provide advice or direction? Than you
Krista Fabregas
Hi Deb,
Square is going to be the least expensive solution that ticks all of the bells whistles for you. Shopify is going to run you additional monthly fees to add the full retail management portal. Both are all-in-ones that combine credit card solutions with your POS capabilities and the credit card processing fees are similar. ShopKeep is a great system but you’ll have to add third-party payroll and ecommerce capabilities, Square has great ecommerce capabilities and integrations to other platforms built in, and even payroll is available in most states. That’s how I’d break it down if I were making the choice for my own shop. Hope this helps, good luck!
Cheers,
Krista
Michael
Have you had a chance to review NCR Silver, if so, how do you think it compares? I am in the process of selecting a system and think I need something a bit more robust than Square. Lightspeed seemed overpriced, so I have narrowed it down to ShopKeep and NCR Silver. NCR Silver seems to have a slightly better customer contact/tracking tool and is slightly cheaper per month. Any reason I should avoid it?
Thanks!
Krista Fabregas
Hi Michael,
It has good user reviews and documentation and it’s on our list to review for upcoming articles. I’d consider it and do a free trial first if it seems to meet your needs and budget.
Cheers!
Krista
Alice
Is there any easy way to sync Shopify inventory counts with Square?
Krista Fabregas
Yes, but it’s not free. Squarify.io uploads and links products between your Square dashboard and your Shopify store inventory for free, but to add count updates, you need the paid version which starts at $49/mo. It is a pretty simple solution, though, so the time it saves can easily be worth the monthly fee. Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Krista
Tina Hogoboom
Your article is very informative, thank you. I am currently trying to decide on a POS system & credit card processing system. I am leaning towards Square. My concern is, I am not an Ipad user. Can I use Square with a standard Android tablet? I am also confused trying to match up equipment. Android tablet, cash drawer and printer. Any advise on the equipment end of things? Thanks, Tina
Krista Fabregas
Hi Tina,
Square’s mobile card reader and POS system work on both Apple and Android devices, but the Square stand that connects to cash drawers and receipt printers only works with an iPad. It is an extra cost if you don’t already have one, but the iPad stand register is very slick and runs well. You might consider making the switch. Even with buying an iPad, the overall Square solution is much less expensive than other POS cash register setups. Good luck!
Cheers,
Krista