The best POS system for small businesses is Square, due to its versatile, low-cost hardware solutions, helpful support options, and easy-to-use interface. Plus, with a free forever plan that allows you to sell, it’s arguably the most accessible POS option for small businesses on a budget.
A POS system can help your small business operate more efficiently by quickly processing a range of transaction types, as well as analyzing sales data and managing employees. But with pricing plans and feature sets varying from provider to provider, it’s important to understand precisely what you’re paying for.
To help, we’ve put a range of top POS systems through their paces with extensive hands-on testing to help you find the right one. In this guide, you’ll learn about all the features, pricing, and other information that’s important to choosing a POS for your small business.
What are the Best POS Systems?
In this guide:
Key Takeaways
- Square is the best POS system for small businesses, because of its robust free plan and affordable, versatile hardware
- Toast is another great option for hospitality businesses due to its extensive array of inventory management tools, and if you’re looking for top-of-the-line hardware, Clover is your best bet
- When choosing a POS system for your business, it is important to consider elements such as software, hardware, pricing, usability, and the level of customer support available
- You can expect to pay between $40 to $100 per month for a single registered POS system, but prices can vary
- Our recommendations are based on hands-on research and user testing scenarios
Best POS Systems for Small Business
The information on this page is based on Tech.co’s impartial research and testing of POS systems, taking into account pricing, help and support, hardware options, software functionality, reputation, and overall usability, for a variety of industries, including hospitality and retail POS systems.
Check out our research page to learn more about how we rate and rank these POS providers, and check out the table below to see how these providers match up on the basics:
| Price The typical lowest starting price. The lowest price available for your business will depend on your needs | Best for Tech.co's verdict to help you identify the most suitable choice for your small business | Additional costs Any additional costs you'll need to pay to get started | Lowest transaction fee The lowest possible fee that will be incurred with each transaction | User limit | Get started | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BEST OVERALL  |  |  |  |  |  | ||
| Free (but transaction fees apply) | Free (with transaction fees) | Free (but transaction fees apply) | |||||
| Scaling and growing your business | Restaurants with complex operations | Professional hardware | Speed, efficiency and data-driven sales insights | Simplifying staff scheduling and communication | Managing in-store and online sales | ||
| Marketing, customer loyalty, and employee management features cost extra | Digital ordering, third party delivery, email marketing, and catering/events cost extra | Accounting integrations cost extra | Customer loyalty programs cost extra | Loyalty programs cost extra | Shopify POS Pro is available for $89/location/month | ||
| 2.4% + 15¢ | 2.49% + 15¢ | 2.3% +10¢ | 2.6% + 10¢ | 1.99% + 25¢ | 2.6% + 10¢ | ||
| Unlimited — but each till requires a new license | Unlimited user limit | Unlimited — but each till requires a new license | Unlimited user limit | Unlimited user limit | Single user/license across all plans | ||
| Visit Square | Visit Toast | Compare Prices | Try SumUp | Compare Quotes | Try Shopify |
Why Should You Trust Us?
The Tech.co team pours hundreds of hours into researching the best POS systems because it’s the only way to ensure we’re providing our readers with the most accurate, up-to-date information possible.
We’ve spoken to daily POS users working in restaurants, retail and more, and have tested out more than 20 point-of-sale platforms ourselves, paying close attention to everything from the quality and feel of the hardware to how easy the software is to use, to help you make a clear decision for your business needs.
Head over to our methodology section to learn more about our product review process, which is one of the reasons more than one million users consult our articles every month.
Pros
- Free to get started
- Slick and stylish hardware that impresses customers
- Serves businesses of all sizes and in all sectors
- Strong analytics, inventory, and third-party integrations
Cons
- Some necessary features for mid-sized businesses cost more
- 3.5% + 15¢ charge for keyed-in transactions
- Support options vary by plan
- No monthly fees. Charges transaction fees instead
- 2.6% + 15¢ fees for card transactions
- 3.3% + 30¢ fees for online transactions
What Features Does Square POS Offer For Small Businesses?
One of the leading names in POS technology, Square provides serious scalability for virtually any kind of business. That starts with the robust free plan, which can get you started at absolutely no cost to your business. You will have to endure transaction fees, but if you’re on a tight budget, it’s a great way to ensure you aren’t going over before making a sale.
Beyond that, though, Square is a highly functional, yet notably intuitive platform that provides advanced features for ecommerce integration and inventory management.
In fact, Square emerged as the best POS system for restaurants and retail stores in our research – it has features like floor plan customization and bill splitting, which rivals like Clover don’t offer.
This makes the POS a particularly favorable option for businesses that regularly experiment with floor plans, as well as those with high stock turnovers.
The Square POS uses clearly marked fields and a drag-and-drop editor to help guide users through item creation. Source: Tech.co user testing
When it comes to software usability, we found Square’s interface to be mostly user-friendly and easy to navigate across both the front-end and back-end. In particular, our users highlighted how easy and simple it was to carry out functions such as seating guests and sending orders to the kitchen.
However, some processes we found to be overly complex and repetitive. For instance, cancelling items or adding users required multiple clicks, therefore seeming unnecessarily time-consuming. We also found it a little bit tricky to add a batch of items to an order one at a time, with one tester admitting they did find this process “a bit clunky”.
“I did find it a bit like clunky, but I think this is suited to small businesses or like food trucks or just starting out with like a food store.” – Tech.co POS testing participant
While this shouldn’t pose problems for smaller businesses like pop-up sellers or food trucks, it could be a sticking point for businesses with complex operations like established restaurants or retailers who want to maximise efficiency.
Square’s inventory management tools allowed us to get an overview of what stock we had. Source: Tech.co user testing
To pile on the compliments even more, Square retails its own line of hardware, from mobile terminals right up to register kits. They’re among the sleekest-looking in the industry, too – you don’t want your staff dragging around beefy, outdated card machines or bashing orders into an ancient POS terminal if possible.
The price of Square’s hardware is ideal for small businesses. The provider gives you a card reader for free, and its 2nd-generation tablet stand is only $149 – which matches or beats the price of most competitors.
Square also offers mobile terminals, which can be a useful way to trim down time, especially with research showing handheld POS systems can help restaurants turn tables 15-20% faster than businesses that don’t.
Notes from Testing
Overall, I found the app-based approach of Square really convenient and easy to use, and the back-end felt responsive and intuitive on the laptop. In particular, when creating a new product in the system, I loved the fact that there were several ways you could go about it. It made it feel like Square had definitely kept its users in mind.
There were some functions that I found unnecessarily difficult. For example, when generating a sales report, I found it difficult to create a custom timeframe for the data I wanted to see. It was also hard to find where I could toggle certain filters, such as seeing how much I had sold of each item.
However, I think even a POS novice would be able to handle Square, and it could be mastered quite quickly. There’s a reason it has such a good reputation, and why it has topped so much of our research over the years.
Most suitable for:
- Businesses that want a platform they can grow with
- Businesses that want to start selling for free
- Mobile sellers like pop-up shops and food trucks
Less suitable for:
- Large restaurants that want ingredient-tracking features
- Businesses that need a training mode for new employees
- Businesses that need granular cost vs profit tools
Square POS pricing
Square offers its software at no cost to users. That’s right, you can get access to a wide range of features and functionality without having to pay a monthly fee.
You can even get some basic hardware, the Square Reader, for free, although they’ll cost $10 each after the first one. Plus, you will have to pay transaction fees, but overall, this free plan helps to make Square Online our top POS for small businesses.
Beyond the free plan, Square’s affordable software and hardware and low-cost plans earned notably high scores for pricing. This cemented its position as the best value POS we reviewed overall, making it a great option for businesses with smaller budgets.
For small businesses willing to pay a premium for more comprehensive features, like 24/7 support and reporting tools, Square also offers separate Retail Plus and Restaurant Plus plans.
Check out our full guide to Square POS pricing to learn more
| Plan | Price Monthly cost of the software. | Best for | Transaction fees | |
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| Businesses getting started | Growing retail businesses | Well-established businesses with complex operations | ||
| Card: 2.6% + 15¢ | Card: 2.5% + 15¢ | Card: 2.4% + 15¢ |
If you like Square, you might also like…
- Toast, if you’re a restaurant that needs a training mode for new staff
- Clover, if you’re after slightly more advanced features like ingredient-level stock tracking
What's New for Square POS?
- Square has recently announced a set of upgrades to its Square Kiosk offering for restaurants – this includes picture-based category navigation for menus, larger front sizes, and instant load times for maximum efficiency
- A new hardware option, the Square Handheld, is now available. It’s purposefully pocketable for busy restaurants, and allows users access to data such as floor plans and orders in seconds
2. Toast POS – Best for Hospitality Businesses with Complex Operations
- Price: Free (with transaction fees)
- Payment processing fees: From $2.49% + 15¢
Pros
- Built-in customer engagement and loyalty program features
- Excellent inventory management tools, like stock alerts
- Support for tableside ordering and payment
Cons
- No iOS compatibility
- No social media or email support
- No ecommerce app market integration
- Free pay-as-you-go plan available
- POS pricing starts at $69/month
- Transaction fee: 2.49% + 15¢
- Customizable starter kits available
What Features Does Toast POS Offer For Small Businesses?
If you are a restaurant with large or complex stocks, you’ll find that this POS will be able to meet your needs quite easily. Toast may have narrowly missed out on the top spot in our POS research, but it’s still a great option for hospitality businesses that need excellent inventory management and customer engagement tools.
I was able to access key metrics such as net sales and labor costs through Toast’s reporting. Source: Tech.co testing
In terms of inventory management, Toast offers plenty – low & no stock alerts, bulk uploads, and a cost/profit management tool, a feature that is notably missing from our top pick, Square. Likewise, unlike Square, Toast offers ingredient-level tracking, perfect for restaurants that need a granular level of stock reports.
On top of its restaurant features, we found Toast really excels when it comes to customer engagement. Unlike another top choice, Clover, Toast has a built-in email/SMS marketing tool, which makes it a perfect choice for businesses looking to encourage repeat customers. And, you’ll have access to customer loyalty programs as a free add-on, a feature you’ll have to pay extra for with SumUp and Square.
On the other hand, Toast’s help and support options lagged behind the other systems we tested, lacking social media and email support. Our users, however, liked the initial tutorial that offered a step-by-step guide on how to use the platform, an asset that could be beneficial for businesses looking to train multiple staff on a POS.
We were also disappointed to find that, for a hospitality-specific POS, we were only able to add/remove items to the menu via the back-end. Despite this, excellent tip management and a built-in reservation system mean Toast is well-suited to meet the needs of a growing and complex restaurant.
While Toast’s help center answered many of our queries, it lagged behind some of the other support options we tested. Source: Tech.co testing
Most suitable for:
- Medium to large restaurant establishments
- Owners looking to build customer engagement and loyalty
- Restaurants with complex and large inventories
Less suitable for:
- Users who require an iOS solution
- Small businesses with simple inventories
- Users who want several help and support options
Toast POS pricing
You can get started for free with Toast’s Starter Kit, although there will still be transaction fees involved. However, for a more feature-rich free plan, we would recommend SpotOn instead.
Check out our Toast POS review for more information
| Plan | Price Monthly cost of the software. | Best for | Transaction fees | Benefits | |
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| Small, single location food vendors and mobile sellers | Established food and beverage businesses | Large or complex food and beverage establishments | |||
| 3.09% | 2.49% + 15¢ for in-person transactions | 2.49% + 15¢ for in-person transactions | |||
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If you like Toast POS, you might also like…
- TouchBistro, if you need a robust iPad-based solution
- Square, if you are a smaller restaurant and don’t require as many features
What's New for Toast POS?
- Users now have the option to swipe up or down on the menu header during an order, to open or close the menu on Toast Go handheld devices
- For Kitchen Display Systems (KDS) using grid view, ticket timers will now continue until the highest level of fulfilment is reached for the ticket
Pros
- Solid range of hardware options
- 90-day free trial (software-only)
- Low transaction fees
Cons
- Need pre-existing website, unlike, for example, Shopify
- Additional features cost extra and can become expensive
- No inter-store transactions
- Cheapest plan: $14.95/month (virtual terminal)
- Cheapest Retail plan: $16/month
- Cheapest Restaurant plan: $135/month
- Transaction rates from 2.3% + 10¢
What Features Does Clover Offer For Small Businesses?
There’s something to be said for a POS that prioritizes hardware, and that’s absolutely Clover. This platform offers the highest quality terminals, along with a range of accessories that can enhance them even more.
During testing, our users praised the front-end experience Clover offers. We enjoyed how easy it was to carry out functions such as selecting items and splitting bills, and we enjoyed the intuitive, slick touchscreen interface. A standout feature for us was also the fingerprint scanning for employee access.
The Clover hardware offering is high-quality and sleek, and our users found it just as impressive during usability testing. Image: Tech.co
With great hardware like Clover’s, you can really dig deep into what’s working for your business, and what isn’t. Luckily, Clover also shines is its robust set of analytics tools, which can help you with everything from real-time sales and cost tracking to order efficiency.
Despite impressive hardware options and strong analytics tools, Clover didn’t perform as well as competitors such as Shopify or SpotOn during our usability tests, particularly due to the steep learning curve of the back-end. In particular, functions such as discount and loyalty workflows proved difficult to carry out.
Check out our head-to-head comparison of Square vs Clover
Setting up customer profiles was straightforward with Clover. I could even include payment information that was associated with the customer. Source: Tech.co user testing
Most suitable for:
- Users who want to deep dive into their analytics
- Sellers after low transaction fees
- Owners who want high-quality hardware
Less suitable for:
- Small pop-ups or simple establishments
- Sellers wanting low or no start-up costs
- Users who want automated tip-sharing tools
Clover POS pricing
Clover’s price points are a little complex, and monthly costs depend on which industry you’re working in, either retail, services, or food and beverage. As we mentioned, there is a free plan, but only for retail and service industries, as restaurants will have to go with either countertop or full-service options.
The lowest price that all industries can get started at is $14.95 per month, which gives you access to the Essentials platform, representing a competitive option for advanced analytics and impressive functionality.
Check out our Clover pricing guide here for more information
| Plan | Price Monthly cost of the software. | Best for | Transaction fees | Hardware | |||||||||||||
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| Kiosks and market stalls | Small stores | Mid-side to large stores | Food trucks and pop-ups | Small counter service food businesses | Counter service restaurants | Small full-service restaurants | Tableside service restaurants | Mid-size to large full service restaurants | Sole traders and mobile personal service businesses | Small personal services businesses | Mid-side to large service businesses | Gardeners, plumbers, etc. | Contractors that need to accept payments on the go | Businesses that operate remotely, e.g. a team of builders | Selling services online | Small B2B services businesses, e.g. an IT consultant | Medium-to-large medical clinics |
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| Compact terminal system with 3.6″ screen and built-in receipt printer |
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| Compact terminal system with 3.6″ screen and built-in receipt printer |
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If you like Clover, you might also like…
- Square, if you’re a smaller retail store or restaurant that wants to avoid hefty start-up fees
- Toast, if you want automated tip-sharing tools
What's New in Clover?
- Clover Payments, the POS’s payment platform, now has more details added to the Checkout page. This 9incides a card holder name field and icons for accepted card network brands
- 3D Secure (3DS) authentication has been enabled in Clover’s payment processing services, adding a layer of verification for card-not-present transactions
Pros
- Great range of hardware accessories for in-person selling
- Low monthly costs for small businesses on a budget
- Excellent stock management to track your inventory
Cons
- No customer display option
- No restaurant reservation system
- No handheld POS option
- Free to install
- Hardware and software packages from $99/month
- 2.6% + 10¢ for transaction fees
What Features Does SumUp POS Offer For Small Businesses?
SumUp’s sleek and professional hardware offering makes it ideal for businesses looking to improve their speed and efficiency. Overall, our users found the front-end simple and easy to navigate, and found there were very minimal areas of difficulty. In particular, users found the black and white, minimalist design easy to follow.
For retail businesses, SumUp is able to provide data-driven sales insights, perfect for businesses looking to grow by keeping track of their numbers. The platform can easily create general sales reports and summaries, as well as keep track of item sales and the sales of specific item categories. It can even keep track of discounts, promotions, and gift card sales.
SumUp hardware and software platforms. Source: Tech.co user testing
Unlike the front-end, back-end wasn’t received with as much enthusiasm. It was described as “clunky” and “unintuitive”, and we had problems during our tests because of slow loading times. Similarly, we were frustrated with the lack of a knowledge base, and many of our users reverted to using Google when wanting to find out how to carry out a specific feature.
While SumUp offers its own receipt printer and terminal, it doesn’t offer a customer display, which Clover and Shopify both offer. Likewise, we were disappointed to find that there was no option for a handheld POS terminal, which may be a setback for busy businesses that want to take orders quickly.
Nevertheless, our users described SumUp’s existing hardware as sleek and lightweight. However, if you’re looking for the best hardware on the market, we would recommend Clover instead.
SumUp’s card reader, both modern and easy to use Source: Tech.co testing
SumUp pricing
SumUp’s pricing is clear and transparent, and its plans include options for both software and hardware. You can get started for $99/month on the Connect Lite plan, which includes dedicated installation and training.
SumUp also offers a free plan like Square and Toast, but in this case, the only fees you’ll have to pay are on withdrawals that exceed your monthly fee withdrawal allowance and any withdrawals made abroad, which is 2%.
Upfront costs can also be made on hardware packages.
| Plan | Price Monthly cost of the software. | Transaction fees | Loyalty program | Marketing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| 2.6% + 10¢ (in-person card) | 2.6% + 10¢ (in-person card) | 2.6% + 10¢ (in-person card) | |||
| No | Yes | Yes | |||
| No | 2 monthly promotions | Daily promotions |
Most suitable for:
- Small to medium-sized stores
- Owners who want the option of one upfront cost
- Users who want to integrate an online store
Less suitable for:
- Owners who want physical gift card creation
- Businesses that need a handheld POS option
If you like SumUp, you might also like…
- Square, if you want to create physical gift cards
- Shopify, if you need a handheld POS option
What's New for SumUp?
- At the beginning of the month, SumUp launched a new POS terminal, which includes a card reader, POS, ordering system, and receipt printer
- SumUp now supports offline functionality, a feature that had been missing from the software
Pros:
- Top tier free plan for small businesses
- Affordable hardware add-ons for in-person selling
- Automatic offline functionality without internet connection
Cons
- Few hardware options
- Expensive paid plans for restaurants
- Limited retail functionality only suited for small shops
- Free plan includes hardware
- Small Business plan: From $25/month
- Restaurant plan: From $50/month
- Transaction fees from: 1.99% + 25¢
What Features Does SpotOn Offer For Small Businesses?
If you’re a small business that needs to get started with truly no upfront cost to your budget, SpotOn is where you want to go. Yes, Square can get you started with software, but hardware options are going to cost you actual money.
SpotOn, on the other hand, will allow you to get started with software and hardware for nothing more than transaction fees. You’re essentially financing the hardware with transaction fees, while paying no upfront or monthly fee.
Also, to be clear, SpotOn is specifically designed for restaurant POS functionality, so retail stores won’t be able to take advantage, but all types of restaurants can take part, from full-service to countertop.
We found the SpotOn interface quite customizable with thorough modifiers for each item, even in dark mode. Source: Tech.co testing
We found SpotOn generally pretty easy to use too, considering its impressive suite of features. Yet, one of our first-hand user testers was frustrated when they were trying to create a custom floor plan, as the POS doesn’t have a drag-and-drop builder like Square or Clover.
“Frustration came with little things like when creating the floor plan, you had to click an add or minus button… and I was just like, why can’t it just be drag and drop?” – Tech.co POS testing participant
Despite some issues with the usability, SpotOn offers a wide range of tools beyond its own collection. With the software, you’ll also get access to a wide set of third-party POS integrations. This includes Teamwork, where you can easily view team management, cost projections, and payroll.
If you were dead set on tablet usage for your POS system, though, you are out of luck. SpotOn only works with its own hardware, so you won’t be able to use the software on any third-party devices. Still, as a low-risk option with no upfront costs, you could do a lot worse than SpotOn.
Check out our SpotOn review for more information
Most suitable for:
- Businesses looking to get started for free
- Owners who need seamless staff management
- Users who want a low-risk option
Less suitable for:
- Users who update/change their floor plan frequently
- Owners who want a tablet-based system
SpotOn pricing
The free plan from SpotOn is very attractive, but the paid plans are quite competitive as well, with reasonable rates for both countertop and full-service restaurants.
The hardware, on the other hand, is quite expensive, but the financing options ensure that you won’t have to take a big hit right as you’re launching your restaurant.
| Plan | Price Monthly cost of the software. | Transaction fees | Benefits | ||
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| 2.89% + 25¢ | 1.99% + 25¢ | 1.99% + 25¢ | 1.99% + 25¢ | 1.99% + 25¢ | 1.99% + 25¢ |
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If you like SpotOn, you might also like…
- Square, if you want to purchase additional accessories or hardware for your POS
- TouchBistro, if you want a portable, tablet-based system for your staff
What's New for SpotOn?
- The SpotOn Dashboard mobile app is now available on Android, so you can access all of your POS tools from your phone, including sales data and invoices
- A new add-on is available via Reserve with Google, where you can collect no-show fees and deposits
Pros
- Very strong ecommerce integration
- 24/7 support via phone, live chat, and email
- Works with lots of different hardware options
Cons
- Exclusively-focused on retail and ecommerce
- Charges transaction fees unless you're using Shopify's own Payments processing system
- No offline mode
- $1/month for first 3 months
- Plans available for $29/month
- 2.4% + 10¢ card transaction fees
What Features Does Shopify POS Offer For Small Businesses?
The idea of using Shopify as a small business is likely a bit daunting, considering its a massive ecommerce platform for larger enterprises. However, the reality is that Shopify is equipped to handle the online sales of any size business, with offerings that are affordable and scalable for your team.
As you can guess, the Shopify POS integrates flawlessly with the Shopify ecommerce platform, so you can easily track stock between both online and in-person stores with the unified dashboard. Even better, Shopify offers omnichannel functionality, so you can sell across a wide range of channels, including social media and other online platforms.
Shopify’s expansive app store let me integrate my POS with a wide range of apps during testing. Source: Tech.co user testing
The POS is generally really easy to use, too. Our team of user testers found its software to be extremely responsive, with changes made on the back end instantly appearing on the front end. Many even described it as the best POS system they’d ever used, scoring higher than both Clover and SumUp in our task completion tests.
Shopify’s interface is very modern as well, and its tile system makes adding individual products a breeze. Our testers also found that while the POS was tailored well to businesses with multiple collections of products, this perk may be lost on smaller retailers, who might be better off with an option like Square.
Shopify’s POS UI extensions let users build extensions that mirror the look of the retail POS. Source: Shopify
“It was very responsive. As soon as you did something on the back end, it would appear on the iPad straight away.” – – Tech.co POS testing participant
The downside of Shopify is that it charges some pretty hefty transaction fees, which can make it a tad expensive. On top of that, while Shopify does offer its own hardware options, its products are slightly more expensive than competitor Square.
You will, however, have access to the iOS app on iPad, which in the modern era, shouldn’t be a dealbreaker for most businesses.
Most suitable for:
- Retailers that also sell online
- Businesses with extensive or complex stocks
- Users who want to take advantage of a range of apps
Less suitable for:
- Restaurants or hospitality businesses
- Users who want to pay low processing fees
- Those who need a training mode for staff
Shopify pricing
As far as price is concerned, Shopify is on the more expensive side of the spectrum. It does offer a $5 per month Starter plan, which is very affordable, but the transaction fees are through the roof, and its functionality is quite limited.
For small businesses, the Retail plan at $89 per month is likely your best bet, but you’ll still be spending quite a lot on transaction fees.
| Plan | Price Monthly cost of the software. | Transaction fees | Users | Benefits | Analytics | |
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| $5/month | $79/month | |||||
| Online: 5% + 30¢ | Online: 2.9% + 30¢ | |||||
| 1 | Unlimited | |||||
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If you like Shopify, you might also like…
- Zettle, if you want low processing fees and a low-cost plan
- Lightspeed Retail, if you onboard regularly and would prefer a training mode for your staff
What's New in Shopify?
- Shopify has refreshed and refined its visual design across POS with cleaner layouts and more accessible information
- When using a tablet, you can now use the vertical navigation bar to get one-tap access to the Register, Connectivity, and Lock Screen. On mobile, the Cart is also one tap away in the main navigation
How To Choose the Best POS for Your Small Business
Here are a couple of important things to bear in mind when you’re searching for your best POS option:
- Your budget – If you have limited means, only choose plans that offer the features you need.
- Ease of use – Selecting a POS system with a good user experience is essential, especially if you’re new to the software.
- Integrations – If your business already uses certain software, you should only be considering POS systems that can readily integrate with this software. Check out our guide to POS integrations to learn more.
- Help and support – Picking a system with reliable help and support options is an effective way to keep technical disruptions at bay. You should also make sure their channels are compatible with your needs, i.e., would you rather access support through live chats or phone lines?
- Your industry – Select options that were designed with your industry specialism in mind.
While these are all important, Julia Lozanov, a POS expert and marketing manager who recently spoke to Tech.co about their experiences with POS systems, told us that ease of use is among the most key:
“A crucial tip for POS beginners is to prioritize user-friendly systems. Look for intuitive interfaces, clear instructions, and easily accessible support channels.” – Julia Lozanov, Chief Editor at Verpex
Julia’s right – we test POS systems all the time, and there’s actually quite a wide range of interface designs, meaning some are a lot more tricky to get to grips with than others.
If you’re completely new to the technology and this all sounds a bit overwhelming, don’t sweat it. You can read our small business guide to work out how to use a POS system.
How much should a small business pay for a POS system?
Small businesses can expect to pay anywhere from $40 to $100 per month for a single registered system.
Typically, systems at this price point will contain a suite of basic tools and services. There are, however, loads of promising POS solutions available within this price range, so if you run a small or growing business, rest assured that you can find a reliable, feature-rich system without breaking the bank.
“Invest in a POS system that balances cost with functionality. Starting costs can vary, but choosing a system that scales with your business without breaking the bank is key.” – Saving Expert Dr. Thanu Jey
If you’re after slightly more premium options, some more advanced POS systems could easily exceed $100 per month. For this price, you can expect customizable features, strong CRM and analytics tools, and multiple licenses.
For more information, check out our guide on POS pricing.
What features should I look for when choosing a POS system?
For starters, make sure your POS system comes with an offline mode. This will allow you to still accept payments and run your business, even if the internet goes out. Additionally, some POS systems work on mobile devices, so you can simply switch over to cellular data if Wi-Fi issues arise.
Finally, if you want help fixing these kinds of problems, a POS provider with 24/7 live support will be key. You’ll be able to get in touch with an actual person any time of day, so any connectivity problems won’t last until the next day.
Here are some more features to consider:
POS Software Features
- Loyalty programs
- Inventory management
- Transaction history
- Returns and refunds
- Customer relationship management (CRM)
- Reporting and analytics
POS Hardware Features
- Accept transactions
- Touch display
- Tip functionality
- Digital and paper receipts
- Floor plan and table management
- Guest feedback
What’s the Best Free POS Software for Small Businesses?
The best free POS software for small businesses is Square POS and Zettle by PayPal. Both systems are completely free and offer useful tools like sales and analytics tracking and CRM software. It should be noted, however, that while Zettle and Square’s POS solution is free to set up, they do charge transaction fees for every sale.
With experts forecasting that consumers are about to tighten their belts, lots of small businesses are dealing with margins that are tighter than ever. Fortunately, if you’re looking to scale back your costs, there are lots of quality POS systems available for free.
Free POS software can provide a lifeline to small businesses on tight budgets. Despite this, users should be aware that complementary options often feature many limitations and may not be able to keep up with the demands of growing businesses.
How We Researched the Best POS Systems for Small Businesses
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 navigate it is. We also consider how easy the software is to navigate, and whether any errors took place during testing.
- Help & Support: The assistance and resources available to users when they encounter issues or need guidance while using the POS system, including documentation, tutorials, or 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.
Verdict: What Is the Best POS for Small Business?
Our research found that Square is the best POS system for small businesses, thanks to its affordable pricing, robust hardware offerings, and helpful customer support options.
POS systems are essential for small businesses. By helping you manage sales transitions, take stock of inventory, and improve the experiences of both staff and customers, the right system can streamline your business’s operations and save you money over time.
If you’re after a new POS for your small enterprise, we can help. If you fill out our quick online questionnaire, you’ll be able to get custom quotes from leading suppliers that are relevant to your needs.
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