In today’s competitive landscape, retailers need functionality beyond simply ringing up sales and processing payments. Retail point-of-sale (POS) systems must also have robust inventory management tools, multichannel sales management, streamlined CRM features, staff management, and reports and insights into which products and employees perform best.
The best retail POS systems should offer all these functions in an affordable and easy-to-use package.
Based on our evaluation, the best retail POS systems are:
- Best overall (and best free): Square for Retail
- Best for online sellers: Shopify POS
- Best for advanced inventory management: Lightspeed Retail (Lightspeed R-Series)
- Best for flexible payment processing: Vend by Lightspeed (Lightspeed X-Series)
- Best for high-risk sales and event management: KORONA POS
Best Retail POS Systems Compared
Take a look at how the top retail POS systems compare.
Score | User Reviews* | Built-in Ecommerce/ Online Ordering | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 4.58 out of 5 | 4.65 out of 5 | âś“ | |
 | 4.48 out of 5 | 4.05 out of 5 | âś“ | |
 | 4.43 out of 5 | 4.05 out of 5 | Only included in higher plans | |
 | 4.22 out of 5 | 4.1 out of 5 | Only included in higher plans | |
 | 4.07 out of 5 | 4.0 Out of 5 | âś“ |
Free Plan | Monthly POS Software Fee | Processing Rates | POS Register Cost | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✓ | $0–$60 | In-person: 2.6% + 10 cents  Online: 3.5% + 15 cents | $799 | |
| ✓ | $0–$89 | In-person: 2.4%–2.7%  Online: 2.4%–2.9% + 30 cents | $219 (tablet not included) | |
| ✕ | $89–$269 | In-person: 2.6% + 10 cents  Online: 2.6% + 30 cents | Custom quote | |
| ✕ | $89–$269 | In-person: 2.6% + 10 cents  Online: 2.6% + 30 cents | Custom quote | |
 | ✕** | $59–$89 | In-person: varies with processor Online: varies with processor | Custom quote |
Square for Retail: Best Overall Retail POS System
Pros
- Forever-free plan
- Plus plan offers incredible value—advanced reporting tools and inventory features
- Scalable; grows with your business
- Works on any internet-enabled device (via app or online account)
Cons
- Free plan has limited inventory functions
- Not available on Android devices
- Limited customer support hours
- No layaway payment methods
What we like:
Overall, Square offers some of the best POS systems for small businesses of all types. Square for Retail is no exception. It stands out as a user-friendly system offering unbeatable value and smart tools to grow your business.
The system is cloud-based and runs on iPads or Square Register. Every plan comes with built-in payment processing via Square Payments, a free online store for ecommerce and curbside pickup, digital receipts and customer feedback collection, and customer profiles with marketing insights.
Shopify POS: Best for Primarily Online Sellers
Pros
- Best-in-class ecommerce features
- Intuitive mobile app interface
- Customizable mobile checkout
- Advanced POS plan available
Cons
- POS is only available with ecommerce plan
- Limited inventory features in the free plan
- Minimal offline payment options
- Paid subscriptions can be pricey
What we like:
Shopify POS is an add-on to Shopify’s industry-leading ecommerce platform. It’s only available to Shopify ecommerce sellers, so it’s best for online stores looking to expand to in-person sales or small businesses looking to sell online and upgrade their in-store software program.
What makes this provider shine is its powerful, comprehensive omnichannel selling features that make it the best option for retailers wanting to grow online sales or emphasize curbside pickup—a necessity for retailers today. In our evaluation, Shopify earned perfect marks for ease of use and a near-perfect score for register features.
Lightspeed Retail: Best for Advanced Inventory Management
Pros
- Detailed, actionable analytics
- Granular inventory management, including matrices
- Built-in RACS compliance
- Strong integrated ecommerce platform
- Can handle custom products and work orders
Cons
- Complex interface
- No built-in local delivery tool
- Not available on Android devices
- High price point
- Learning curve for management and checkout features
What we like:
Lightspeed Retail is a robust retail POS system that includes more than 40 sales and inventory reports, analytics tools, and detailed inventory management. It also has top-of-the-line ecommerce and loyalty add-ons.
Overall, Lightspeed Retail is one of the best retail POS systems because of its sophisticated inventory and analytics tools. In fact, Lightspeed is our top-recommended POS for inventory management.
Vend by Lightspeed (Lightspeed X-series): Best for Flexible Payments
Pros
- User-friendly interface
- Ability to integrate with third-party payment processors
- Many compatible payment processor options
- Free apps for inventory scanning and customer-facing display
Cons
- Pricey
- Higher price if you use a third-party merchant account
- Many advanced tools reserved for highest plan
What we like:
Vend by Lightspeed (now known as Lightspeed X-series) is an intuitive iPad POS system built specifically for retailers, with key features such as built-in loyalty programs, mobile checkout, a free customer-facing display app, and a mobile scanner app for quick inventory counts. It also stands out for its flexible payment options—you can choose your own merchant account and set up custom payment types like layaway, store credit, and on-account sales.
The checkout screen is also one of the easiest to navigate, especially when it comes to ringing returns and exchanges. While many POS systems try to offer every feature for every business, Vend focuses on providing fantastic in-store retail functions and lets third-party apps handle everything else.
KORONA: Best for High-risk Sales & Events Management
Pros
- Option to choose from major payment processors
- Ability to designate age-restricted products
- Shelf-life reports and settings for perishable items
- POS features for wineries, cannabis, vape shops, events/ticketing, and convenience stores
- Self-service kiosk functionality and compatible hardware
Cons
- No in-house payment processor option
- No free POS option
- Hardware pricing is not transparent
- No in-house subscription management
What we like
KORONA is a leading POS system for businesses that process age-restricted or high-risk sales and retailers that need ticketing or event management functionality.
This POS has tools to help retailers keep track of perishable goods, process age-restricted transactions, and ticket management tools. Thus, KORONA is ideal for retailers that host events that serve alcohol or other high-risk goods and businesses that handle both food and beverage as well as non-perishable goods.
Overall, KORONA earned a 4.07 out of 5 in our evaluation, getting top marks for its ease of use and niche management tools for high-risk and event-based retailers but losing points for its lack of a free plan and modifier/variant inventory management tools.
How We Evaluated Retail POS Systems
We prioritized POS systems that are affordable, reliable, and easy to use. We also considered inventory management tools, online store and multichannel selling features, customer and employee management, payment processing options, reporting and accounting tools, customer support hours and quality, and third-party integrations. Finally, we considered our hands-on experience testing and using the software.
Each system on our list has multiple hardware options, including iPad apps, tools for selling online, and multiple plans so the software can grow with your business. Every system on this list is also cloud-based. Based on our evaluation, Square for Retail is the best overall retail POS system, earning a 4.58 out of 5.
Methodology
Click through the tabs below for our in-depth evaluation criteria:
15% of Overall Score
We prioritized low monthly fees, free trials, competitive payment processing fees, along with unlimited users, inventory, and transactions. POS systems with volume, employee, or product caps on plans did not earn full points.
20% of Overall Score
A streamlined and customizable checkout interface was the biggest factor we considered. We also looked for a variety of compatible payment methods, return and exchange management, mobility, and integrated online ordering.
30% of Overall Score
Inventory management took priority in this category. We also looked for purchase order and vendor management, easy stock counts, customer management tools, reporting and analytics, and employee management.
20% of Overall Score
We tested the interface of each POS for its ease of use. We also considered downtime and overall stability, customer support, installation options, and hardware compatibility, as people have different preferences around what devices are easiest to operate.
15% of Overall Score
Here we considered any standout features, unique details, the overall value for money each system offers, user reviews, our own experience testing and using each system, as well as feedback from small business owners.
Bottom Line
A retail POS system is a crucial software tool that serves as the central hub for your retail business. In addition to processing sales, retail POS systems collect and analyze data to help inform purchasing and staffing decisions, manage employees and inventory, and help build your customer base with loyalty and marketing efforts.
Square for Retail is our top pick because it has a free plan to help new businesses (or businesses new to using a point-of-sale) get started, with plans and add-ons to grow with your business. Square also makes it easy and free to set up a basic online store with in-store pickup options, manage customers, and track sales. Visit Square to create a free account.
