The 5 Best iPad POS Apps for Businesses in 2026

Square is the best iPad POS app for small businesses. There is very little that Square can’t do – it gives users access to advanced POS features such as a strong customer engagement eco-system and robust inventory management tools, all the while being intuitive and easy to navigate, and affordable for most small businesses.

If your business is looking to grow, we would also recommend Clover and its app, Clover Go. The app integrates seamlessly with Clover card readers, and gives you access to plenty of reporting and analytics tools that will help your business expand.

While having an iPad POS setup isn’t entirely free, it can be highly beneficial for businesses looking to save on often expensive hardware options. Likewise, it offers flexibility and portability, and gives good use to any iPads you may have lying around. If you’re good to go and want to explore your options when it comes to iPad POS apps, you can head straight to our comparison tool for obligation-free quotes.

In this guide:

• What Is an iPad POS System?
• 5 Best POS Apps of 2026
• How to Choose an iPad POS App
• How Did We Research The Best iPad Apps?
• Verdict: Best iPad POS System
• Best iPad POS System FAQs

As inflation rates escalate and customers reel back spending, 2026 might just be a tough year for retailers. iPad POS apps can be a great way to bypass the costs of pricey hardware, without compromising on useful features. If that’s what your business needs, scroll down to discover our top picks, or compare the best apps on the market now with our dedicated POS comparison tool.

The Best iPad POS Apps – Reviews

Most iPad POS apps claim to offer similar services. However, not all of them can live up to their own hype. We’ve done the research on the leading providers, and found the ones that are actually worth considering:

1. Square – Best iPad POS overall
2. Clover – Best for growing businesses
3. SpotOn – Best for staff communications
4. SumUp – Best for speed and efficiency
5. Epos Now – Best for managing large inventories

Use the above links to jump to our reviews of each provider.

1. Square: Best iPad POS App Overall

Price from: Free

Square was deemted the perfect all-round iPad POS system in our latest round of testing. Our users enjoyed exploring Square’s simple interface, and many functions were described as effortless, giving the platform a high usability. Likewise, we found Square’s hardware offering to be both responsive and user-friendly, perfect for new POS users. And, businesses can get started with its free plan by simply downloading the app, adding to the user experience even further.

What makes Square good for iPads?

If you’re after a user-friendly iPad app with a feature package that gives POS terminals a run for their money, Square is that. Square’s iPad app is exceptional, boasting an impressive score of 4.8/5 on the App Store, with more than 500,000 individual reviews.

Of course, you’d expect this from Square – its entire POS system is designed to function best on iPads. You can use the app to access the full Square dashboard, which lets you examine live sales data, access your analytics, and track your inventory. This makes it a great choice for businesses wanting an immediate, at-a-glance look at their metrics, without having to dig through a complicated back-end.

And complicated, Square definitely isn’t. During testing, our users praised its intuitive and user-friendly interface, which contributed to a fast and smooth experience. In particular, Square’s simplicity was highlighted when seating guests and sending orders to the kitchen. For fast-paced hospitality businesses such as bars, this ability would be highly valuable.

Square is an easy-to-use, sleek and feature-rich iPad POS app. Source: Square

In terms of features, Square has businesses more than covered. You’ll be able to update stock levels, receive low and no stock alerts, and bulk upload inventory, all on your iPad. On top of this, tips can be automatically shared between employees – a feature missing from both Clover and Epos Now. For fast-paced businesses like busy restaurants, this feature is highly beneficial, to avoid having to manually share tips at the end of the day.

Its customer engagement tools are particularly impressive: businesses will be able to use built-in email/SMS marketing, gift card functionality, and email/SMS marketing integrations. These are among the many integrations that are available on the platform, which include CRM and accounting.

Compared to other providers such as Epos Now, that doesn’t include either built-in email/SMS marketing or built-in gift card functionality, Square is a much better option for businesses looking to engage with customers and encourage repeat buying.

Square’s POS app let me manage my floor plan, but it lacked the customization options of Clover. Source: Tech.co testing

However, despite Square’s impressive feature set, the POS system lacks a dedicated training mode, which could be a roadblock for businesses that onboard new staff regularly. Square also lacks some advanced inventory controls, like cost-profit management and ingredient level tracking, meaning businesses looking for more granular-level metrics should opt for Clover instead.

How much does Square cost?

If you just need the software for iPads you already own, Square has no monthly fees. However, it charges 2.6% + 15¢ for card-present transactions and 3.5% + 15¢ for keyed-in transactions. The upside is, of course, that your business won’t have to start paying for the service until you start making money.

Square will also give you a free card reader to fit your iPad when you sign up (additional readers are $10). Plus, you can get a contactless chip and PIN reader for $59, and an iPad stand or mount from $149.

Compared with the other iPad POS apps on our list, Square’s free plan sets it apart. While both SpotOn and SumUp also offer free plans, neither of them stand up to the capabilities of Square’s in terms of features. Of the three providers, Square is the only provider that gives the option of converting images of menus into the system, for example.

Square’s paid plans won’t dramatically set you back either, with price points being suited for smaller businesses. It’s less expensive than both Clover, SumUp, and SpotOn.

We believe Square is the best value POS system on the market today. See our full guide to Square POS pricing to learn more.

2. Clover: Best iPad POS App for Growing Businesses

Price from: $199 upfront

While Clover has made itself well and truly noticed in our POS research for its exceptional hardware and its iPad POS app, Clover Go, is no slack either. With an easy-to-use interface and intuitive nature, Clover’s app offers convenience and flexibility, due to its pairing with a portable card reader.

In particular, Clover Go’s ability to streamline scheduling ensures that you can stay on top of your business as it expands and grows. Overall, this strong element of coordination could be vital for businesses with a large number of employees that have to carry out a lot of tasks day-to-day.

What makes Clover good for iPads?

Clover’s iPad POS app is one of the most well-regarded on the App Store, scoring a near-perfect 4.8/5 from more than 47,000 reviews.

The app has been optimized for Apple iPad screens, which means that device owners can expect improved functionality and ease of use. When we tested it out, we were blown away by how easy it was to set up the POS and manage complex tasks, like separating orders by guests and using the reports to track performance.

The app will let you accept payments on the go, as long as you have wireless or cellular coverage. The app also offers clear and intuitive reporting on sales activity, along with – surprisingly – insights about other local businesses within your industry.

Resolving queries promptly is a top concern for smaller service businesses using iPads, like food trucks and market stalls. Fortunately, 24/7 customer support is available with the Clover Go app.

Clover made it easy for me to manage and view staff profiles. Source: Tech.co testing

Features-wise, Clover can certainly compete. Its reporting and analytics tools allow users to view sales reports, item/category sales, and individual team member sales and shifts. For businesses managing multiple locations, such as chain restaurants, these kinds of features could be essential for keeping up with your bottom line.

Similarly, Clover has powerful sales and inventory management features. Users are able to bulk upload inventory, use a cost/profit management tool,  and create modifier groups, a feature which is missing from another one of our top choices, Epos Now.

I was really impressed with how many integrations Clover offered when I browsed its App Market. Source: Tech.co testing

The downside for Clover is its price point. To fully unlock Clover’s capabilities, you’ll have to fork out more than just $199 upfront for its Starter plan, and the costs can add up for smaller businesses in particular. We talk more about pricing below.

Likewise, for those on the retail side, in order to get started making online sales with Clover you’ll need an existing website to connect to. That’s why we recommend Clover for businesses with an existing online presence, and Shopify for other businesses that need an online and offline POS system.

Clover POS pricing

Clover offers two pricing plans for iPads: Starter and Essentials.

• Clover Go Starter: The Starter plan costs $199 up-front and includes the provider’s mobile card reader, Clover Go, and access to Clover’s Payments software plan. This tier gives businesses access to a range of basic POS capabilities, including multiple payment options, invoicing tools, and online selling features.
• Clover Go Essentials: iPad and tablet users in need of more advanced POS features can also use Clover’s Essentials plan, which costs $199 up-front plus an additional $29.95 per month. Clover Go Essentials also includes the provider’s mobile card reader, Clover Go, but gives businesses access to the Essential software plan, instead. This POS software plan is more feature rich and offers a variety of top-notch tools including tracking and reporting, stock management and employee management capabilities, and access to the provider’s excellent loyalty program.

On top of their base price, both Clover’s Starter and Standard plans charge 2.6% + 10¢ for card-present transactions and 3.5% + 10¢ for card-not-present transactions. These are pretty standard across the other providers on our list.

3. SpotOn: Best iPad POS App for Staff Communications

Price from: Free

SpotOn stood out for us, mostly for a free plan that allows you to get started with both software and hardware, without any hefty upfront costs. In our testing, SpotOn was able to compete with some of the best POS software for small businesses, including Square and Toast. Its selection of iPad POS apps are a perfect addition to its existing hardware.

In particular, the SpotOn Teamwork app stood out for its exceptional staff management capabilities, making it perfect for businesses wanting to maximize their communications.

What makes SpotOn good for iPads?

The features users have access to with SpotOn make it a great choice for businesses looking to maintain strong communication with staff, a vital component for stores with multiple locations, that need to keep track of personnel.

SpotOn allows you to automatically share tips between employees, a feature that isn’t available with SumUp or Clover. For busy businesses, such as fast-food restaurants, this kind of functionality could save a lot of time.

SpotOn’s main staff management tool comes in the form of the SpotOn Teamwork app. This allows users to track tips, request time off, coordinate schedules, and even has two-way messaging between teams to allow frequent communication.

We found SpotOn’s extensive staff management options perfect for keeping track of employees. Image: Tech.co testing

However, compared with the stellar reviews of Square and Clover’s apps, SpotOn doesn’t have the same app store reputation. Rated only 1.7/5 from 124 reviews, customers of SpotOn Teamwork have complained about the app being difficult to navigate and overcomplicated when it comes to simple functions like tracking employee hours. There have also been complaints of glitches and cases of the app showing outdated/wrong information to viewers.

Likewise, SpotOn Restaurant, which accompanies SpotOn’s POS restaurant solution, only has a 3.3/5 average rating out of 15 reviews. The main problem for users appears to be accessibility. The app logged many users out after only twenty-four hours, which caused inconvenience and frustration. However, there were also some positive reviews, with some five-star reviewers praising SpotOn’s ability to show them their sales in real-time.

It’s also important to note that unlike Square and Clover, SpotOn’s POS apps aren’t an iPad version of its POS solution. Instead, the apps supplement the existing hardware that SpotOn provides, and add to the overall experience. So, if you’re after an entirely app-based POS solution, we would recommend some of the other providers on this list.

SpotOn pricing

SpotOn’s apps are all free to download. However, to use them, you’ll need to purchase SpotOn’s separate POS solution. Luckily, restaurants can get started for free with both software and hardware, the latter of which you pay off with a slightly higher transaction fee (2.89% + 25¢).

This excellent package earned SpotOn numerous accolades during our research, by allowing businesses to get started with high-quality hardware at an affordable rate.

Otherwise, SpotOn offers two paid plans for restaurants. They are:

• POS essentials plan: $55 per station, per month, including ordering, payments, menu management, table layout, and reporting features.
• Build your own: Custom rates decided between your business and SpotOn. It includes all essentials features, and other bonus features including marketing and loyalty programs, employee scheduling, and automated cost analysis.

SpotOn’s base processing fee is 1.99% + 25¢, one of the best rates of providers on this list. Comparatively, Square’s comes in at 2.6% + 15¢, and SumUp’s is 2.6% + 10¢. This puts SpotOn slightly below the average.

4. SumUp: Best iPad POS App for Speed and Efficiency

Price from: Free

SumUp’s simple, easy-to-use interface makes it perfect for beginners or smaller businesses. During testing, our users described its black and white interface as “minimal” and “responsive”. This ease of use makes it perfect for businesses that value efficiency and want a platform that can keep up to speed with its operations.

Similarly, it hosts a range of features, including a “park order” function, that was singled out during our research, for allowing users to quickly adjust items mid-transaction. Users were also impressed with the option to integrate an online store as part of its package.

What makes SumUp good for iPads?

SumUp’s POS app provides an all-in-one solution for businesses to take payments, manage items, track sales, and more. The app will connect with any SumUp hardware, ensuring a smooth experience across products. On the app store, SumUp’s payment and POS app boasts an impressive 4.7/5 average rating out of over 13,000 reviews.

SumUp’s straightforward UI extends onto its app offering. Users can easily take payments from multiple sources, including Apple Pay and other digital wallets, and easily issue refunds and add tipping options.

Likewise, SumUp has a strong set of inventory management features that can rival some of the best POS systems we’ve tested. Users can be notified with both low and no stock alerts, and unlike Epos Now, you’ll be able to create modifier groups and fully customize options for items.

SumUp’s sleek and modern-looking hardware options seamlessly connect with its app offering, which can be accessed on both an iPad or on mobile. Source: Tech.co testing

Another great feature of using the app comes in being able to connect it with an online store, one you can open directly on the app. You’ll be able to add items, publish your store, and grow your customer base. And, the app will provide real-time analytics to help your business grow. For businesses looking for an online presence, such as cafes that want to sell recipe books or accessories, this could be a standout feature.

On the other hand, SumUp’s help and support options weren’t on a par with the competition. Due to the lack of an easily accessible knowledge base, our users found themselves regularly Googling queries, instead of finding the help they needed straight away. This echoes a review of the SumUp app, where one user said the system “was great, until I needed customer service”.

For businesses that don’t have as much experience with POS systems, we would recommend providers with more robust support options, such as Square.

SumUp pricing

SumUp’s POS app is free to download, but you will have to invest in both software and hardware to use it. SumUp does offer a plan with no monthly costs, POS Lite, but you will have to pay $499 for a bundle that includes a register and card reader. If you want more than the free plan, here are your options:

• Connect Lite: $99 per month, which includes the basic cloud-based POS software, online ordering, employee management, and other basic POS functions
• Connect Plus: $199 per month, includes customer rewards, automated marketing, and standard SMS and email promotions (two per month)
• Connect Pro: $289 per month, includes daily enhanced SMS and email promotions, Google review boosts, and further growth and marketing tools

SumUp’s transaction fees are 2.6% + 10¢ for in-person transactions, and 3.5% + 15¢ for online and manually entered sales. While the former sits within the average of the POS systems we’ve tested, the latter can be on the steeper side.

Similarly, SumUp is one of the more expensive options on our list. While it does include a rich feature set, other providers such as Square and SpotOn offer more for their price.

5. Epos Now: Best iPad POS App for Managing Large Inventories

Price from: $349 upfront (+$79 per month)

During testing, our users found Epos Now intuitive and easy to use, and praised its sleek and colorful interface. Significantly, it made “basic tasks feel straightforward”, and we appreciated its strong customization options and reliability as a provider.

Epos Now’s robust set of inventory management tools made it stand out the most during our testing, making it well-equipped to deal with the inventories of large businesses, such as multi-location restaurants. The service also offers a bulk importing feature and live stock alerts.

Plus, you’ll get access to a cost/profit management tool, perfect for businesses wanting to keep an eye on their margins. Smaller POS providers, such as PayPal POS, don’t offer this on their iPad apps.

What makes Epos Now good for iPads?

Epos Now’s POS Till app lets you turn any iPhone or iPad into a register and business management device for a retail store or restaurant.

While its value may not top Square’s, Epos Now is a cheap and relatively simple POS system with a quick and easy setup process. The company claims that you can be up and running in just 15 minutes. The iPad app itself scores 2.4/5 in the App Store, but it does only have 19 reviews at the time of writing – and they’re fairly mixed.

You can download the app for free and sign up for a trial account to give it a go before fully committing. After testing the app ourselves, we also found that it was easy to use. Its dedicated register mode is intuitive and will let you easily add or delete items from carts.

What’s more, if you’re running a restaurant, you’ll also find tools to manage bookings, tables, orders, and bar tabs, with an intuitive bird’s-eye view of your location. However, while Epos Now is extremely functional, after we tested it out, we found the system to be slightly less intuitive than competitors like Clover.

Read our guide to the best restaurant POS systems to learn more about our top picks for hospitality businesses.

Epos Now’s iPad app comes with a hardware kit to help users take payments straight away. Source: Epos Now

As with most other POS systems, Epos Now will help manage your inventory and track online and offline sales. It also has built-in functionality to print invoices and read barcodes.

Epos Now has a dedicated hospitality version, offering bill splitting, table management, and loyalty programs.

If you’re looking to get earning right away, Epos Now’s main draw is its speedy setup. As we mentioned above, the company claims that you can get started using its system in just 15 minutes. This rapid setup is certainly aided by Epos Now’s intuitive iPad app.

Epos Now pricing

The price of Epos Now will depend on your business’s needs. If it’s a simple iPad set-up you’re after, you’ll need to pay $39 per month for the software plan, and anywhere from $349 up-front for a tablet-friendly hardware package – which includes a tablet stand, Epos Now Payments card machine, and a thermal receipt printer.

If you’ve already got the hardware sorted, you’re able to get started with the stand-alone software package for just $39 per month.

How to Choose an iPad POS App

Choosing the right iPad POS app is far more complicated than simply opening the App Store and picking the one with the best reviews.

You should consider:

1. Does it track your inventory and record sales?
2. Does the POS app work properly in your industry?
3. Does it support the payment processor you use?
4. Is the app easy to use?
5. Does the provider offer the hardware options you need?

All of the POS apps on this page will easily cover the first point. However, some are better suited to certain business models or setups than others. Square is a great choice for any business getting set up from scratch, while Epos Now’s advanced inventory tools will suit bigger and more complex businesses.

The easiest way to find your perfect POS app is to let us do it for you with our POS system comparison tool. You’ll receive bespoke, no-obligation quotes for your business’s POS system, all without the headache of endless hours of research (we’ve already done it!).

Does my business need an iPad POS app?

You’ll most likely need an iPad POS app if your business values convenience, efficiency, and prefers to save a little more on hardware costs.

An iPad POS setup allows you to get started, pretty much anywhere. They’re easily portable and will give you access to thousands of other useful apps, so if you’re a single-location or pop-up seller, this is a good option for you. Likewise, the added efficiency gains could be vital for busy businesses, like established stores, that serve a high volume of customers.

On the other hand, investing in POS hardware can be beneficial for businesses. For starters, POS countertop terminals typically have much larger screens than iPads, which often makes for an easier, quicker sales process. This is why most high-volume sales environments, such as busy retail stores and large restaurants, will have POS heavy-duty countertop terminals.

Secondly, a lot of major POS brands offer hardware items that have built-in, customer-facing screens, which again impacts the sales process. They may even be necessary depending on things like the size and shape of your checkout/bar/reception area.

What iPad do I need?

The iPad you’ll need will depend on the POS provider that you choose, as each app has different requirements. The Epos Now app, for example, requires iPad iOS 11.0 or later, so you’ll need to make sure your iPad is eligible for at least that software update.

We would also recommend taking a look at iPad prices before committing to buying them for your business, especially if you’ve not already got ones lying around at home. The newest iPad, 11th gen, starts at $799, for example.

Having said this, iPads are very intuitive – almost everyone will have used one – which can make onboarding staff significantly easier. What’s more, you won’t be beholden to a single POS provider with its branded hardware. If you don’t like a change it makes, you can leave and delete your app.

It’s important to point out that some POS hardware is only compatible with certain types of iPad, so it’s always worth doing your research before purchasing a new model.

How Did We Research The Best POS Apps?

We take our impartial research and analysis seriously, so you can have complete confidence that we’re giving you the clearest, most useful recommendations. After identifying the most relevant, popular POS platforms on the market, we put them through their paces with hands-on testing to better understand their strengths and weaknesses.

In total, we put 16 POS systems to the test, with a vigorous research and testing methodology. In our testing sessions, participants were asked to carry out tasks on POS software and describe their user journey, to help us understand what it’s like to use the systems first-hand.

In addition to first-hand testing, we developed a detailed methodology that focuses on six categories of investigation, including criteria like software features and help and support centers.

These categories were broken down into further subcategories, so we were able to drill down further into certain topics, to make our insights as granular and useful as possible. Here’s an overview of our main testing categories for POS systems:

• Software: The capabilities provided by the POS product. Includes general features like ordering and payment functionality, as well as industry-specific tools like KSU uploads, and inventory-level stock tracking KDS software.
• Hardware: The quality of a POS’s hardware selection. The presence of an own-brand terminal, as well as hardware accessories like kitchen display systems, receipt printers, and barcode scanners.
• Pricing: The cost associated with acquiring and using the POS system, such as the initial purchase cost, transaction fees, licensing fees, subscription plans, and any additional charges or ongoing costs.
• Usability: We test out the software to gauge how intuitive and easy to use it is. We also consider how easy the software is to navigate and whether any errors took place during testing.
• Help and support: The assistance and resources available to users when they encounter issues or need guidance while using the POS system, including documentation, tutorials, and knowledge bases.
• Reputation: The aggregate score from customer review sites like Trustpilot and TrustRadius, to understand how POS providers are viewed by their own customer bases.

When it comes to calculating a product’s final score, not all testing areas are weighted evenly, as we know some aspects matter more to our readers than others. For example, we’ll prioritize certain industry-specific features for specific reviews, like an offline mode when reviewing POS systems for food trucks, or kitchen display systems (KDS) when reviewing restaurant POS systems.

At Tech.co, we have a number of full-time in-house researchers who re-run this testing process regularly to ensure our results remain reflective of the present day.

iPad POS System FAQs