The 5 Best Retail POS Systems: Which Is Right for Your Business?

1. Clover POS: Best For Established Retail Stores

• Tech.co retail rating: 4.9/5
• Price from: $13 per month
• Payment processing: Starting from 2.3% + 10¢

Clover is a versatile POS system that offers just about every retail-focused feature in the book – including advanced tools like multi-site inventory management and in-house customer loyalty capabilities – making it a great choice for established retail stores looking to grow. Its feature-rich software, combined with its state-of-the-art hardware options, and user-friendly software helped it overtake Square since our last round of research, earning it the top position on this list. 

However, while Clover’s feature-rich packages and affordable payment processing fees make it a great deal for businesses selling high volumes of goods, its packages are on the pricier side, and it doesn’t offer a free plan like Square, which could be a dealbreaker for smaller sellers looking to avoid start-up fees altogether.

Clover POS features: What we like

• Clover’s retail features are strong across the board, but it shines when it comes to in-house customer loyalty.

The Clover Rewards program lets you customize perks for repeat buyers, issue birthday rewards, and launch win-back campaigns to target inactive customers. Clover loyalty even lets you launch campaigns in your business’s own branding, to broaden your reach, which is a benefit no other provider on this list offers. Clover’s customer-focused app is simple to use too. All customers need to do to qualify is enter their first name when transacting.

• Clover includes strong data analytics tools, which allow you to track sales performance in real-time and see your sales across different locations.

You can also filter your POS reports to view your busiest times and best-selling items, making it easier for businesses to work on their selling strategy, and identify areas for improvement.

Check out our POS data analysis guide if you’d like more information on how to gain actionable insights from your point-of-sale system.

• Clover’s range of inventory management tools are great for retail stores with large or complex inventories

The provider offers advanced stock management controls like bulk uploads, low stock alerts, and product-level profitability analysis designed to help businesses expand their bottom lines. Clover even offers multi-location inventory tracking, making it a great option for chain retail businesses, and sellers with stock in warehouses or fulfillment centers.

Clover lets you track your sale performance in real-time, and view your best-selling products. Source: Tech.co’s user testing

• Clover’s hardware devices are among the best in the business

Clover’s powerful POS toolkit is complemented by its excellent hardware options. The provider gives businesses access to just about any point-of-sale device they could desire, from basics like POS terminals and accessories to more specialist items like customizable customer-facing displays. This positions the POS well for businesses that run larger and more complex operations and would benefit from a more robust hardware setup.

The Clover POS hardware suite includes terminals, scanners, and accessories. Source: Tech.co’s user testing

• Finally, both Clover’s front and back end are easy to navigate

While its interface may not be as customizable as alternatives like Epos Now or Square, the system was extremely beginner-friendly. Its intuitive nature allowed our testers to log orders and carry out complex functions like discounts and refunds quickly and easily.

Our research team was particularly impressed with how easy it was to measure business performance with Clover too, with one tester commenting “I’m really amazed at the reporting side of things.”

Thanks in part to how easy the system is to use, Clover also topped our tests when we looked at a range of POS systems for food and beverage businesses. See how it compares to the competition in our best POS systems for restaurants guide.

Who should use Clover?

• Medium to large retail stores
• Businesses looking for low processing fees
• Users getting started with a POS for the first time

Who shouldn’t use Clover?

• Retailers with simple or small inventories
• Small pop-up retail stores
• Retailers that don’t want hardware and software bundles

Clover POS pricing and fees

Clover offers three combined hardware and software packages for retail businesses. See how they compare in our table below, or learn more in our guide Clover POS pricing.

If you like Clover, you might also like…

• Shopify, if you’re a fan of Clover’s streamlined user experience, but want to sell online as well as in person
• Square, if you’re a smaller retail store or restaurant that wants to avoid hefty start-up fees

See how Clover and Square compare head to head in our Square vs Clover POS comparison guide

2. Square POS: Best For Small Retail Stores and Pop-Ups

• Tech.co retail rating: 4.9/5
• Price from: Free (plus processing fees)
• Payment processing: Card transactions: 2.6% + 10¢. Keyed-in transactions: 3.5% + 15¢

Square is a reliable POS system perfectly suited to small or portable retail vendors, because of its generous free plan and ultra-low learning curve. Don’t be fooled by its simplicity though. Square’s impressive hardware options and raft retail-specific features – from multi-store stock management and email marketing – also lend themselves well to medium-sized retail stores looking for something more elevated than a basic iPad setup.

Want to learn more about the POS system? Check out our Square POS review for more info on its pricing and features.

Square POS features: What we like

From powerful customer relationship management (CRM) tools to strong sales reporting features that let you filter findings through items, sales, and team members, Square’s feature offering is impressive. The POS offers most capabilities you’d find in pricier systems like Clover and Lightspeed Retail including multi-level stock controls, and flexible delivery options, making it ideal for small and growing retail stores.

Square lets you select your order fulfilment method when logging an order, directly through the POS. Source: SquareUp

• Square’s seamless integration with its website builder SquareUp gives it a leg up over other providers for businesses selling online as well as in-store

This is because omnichannel sellers can keep track of sales data through one centralized system, eliminating the need to skip back and forth between platforms. This integration makes Square an attractive choice for omnichannel sellers looking to avoid Shopify’s steep transaction fees, especially if they’ve already got a website set up with SquareUp.

• Square also offers a Square Subscriptions feature, that allows ecommerce retailers to sell products on a recurring basis

This makes Square even more competitive for cross-channel sellers looking to secure consistent revenue. But Square isn’t just an asset to small or omnichannel sellers. Retail managers with large teams will benefit from the POS’s impressive employee management features.

• Shift scheduling is easy with Square, too

Managers can view staff availability, gauge labor costs, and allocate shifts all through its central dashboard. The feature also lets you track data across multiple locations, making the POS perfectly suited to chain retail stores.

Square lets managers create custom roles for staff, customize these roles to their business, and grant employees full access to the POS – a feature that even Clover lacks.

The Square POS offers a form for adding each new item to the backend of the software. Source: Tech.co

After giving Square a try ourselves, we found its software and hardware are easier to use than alternatives like Epos Now and Shopify. The provider has also recently improved the Bluetooth connectivity for its chip and pin Square Reader, making it even easier for small vendors like market stalls and kiosks to take payments on the go.

Square POS features: What we don’t like

But while Square’s suite of features will be able to meet the needs of most small and medium retail stores, it does lack a few capabilities offered by our frontrunner Clover, including an inventory profit-cost calculator, and an in-house customer loyalty system.

For this reason, alongside its slightly “clunky” navigation, Square was unable to maintain its title as the best POS for retail businesses, and may not be the best pick for large or rapidly expanding retail stores.

Who should use Square?

• Small brick-and-mortar stores or pop-up sellers
• Businesses that want a stripped-back user experience
• Sellers looking to integrate with their online store

Who shouldn’t use Square?

• Stores that want a training mode
• Businesses that need cost and profit management tools
• Retailers that want ultra-low processing fees

Square POS pricing and fees

Square is the most affordable retail POS we’ve reviewed — making it ideal for small or temporary vendors like market stalls or pop-up shops. 

Square Free lets businesses get up and running at no monthly cost. However, they will need to pay 2.6% + 10¢ for each card-present sale. This plan contains access to Square’s retail POS app, basic inventory tools, and a complimentary card reader.

Check out our pricing table below to learn more about Square’s different plans.

You can find out more about Square and its unique pricing structure in our full guide to Square POS pricing.

If you like Square, you might also like…

• Zettle By PayPal. The POS also has a generous free plan and is ideal for businesses that want a simple tablet-based setup
• Clover, if you’re able to invest more in a POS with slightly more intuitive software

3. Shopify: Best for Omnichannel Sellers

• Tech.co rating: 4.2/5
• Price from: $29/month
• Payment processing: Starting from 2.4%

Shopify POS is a user-friendly point-of-sale system that seamlessly syncs with the provider’s ecommerce platform. Shopify’s industry-leading online selling features and stock controls make it a top choice for omnichannel sellers. Moreover, its straightforward front-end design and $5 per month entry-level plan store also make it a safe bet for smaller stores and retailers getting started with POS systems for the first time – as long as they’re able to go without fairly standard tools like shipping labels.

Shopify POS features: What we like

• Shopify is great for big businesses and cross-channel selling.

Omnichannel retail is booming, and research reveals the market is projected to grow a further 13.6% before 2030. If your retail business sells online and in-store, Shopify will be perfectly equipped to meet your needs. The provider lets you run your ecommerce site and up to 1,000 physical stores, all from one unified platform. This makes the POS an asset to large omnichannel franchises, and retail stores looking to branch out into new locations.

Shopify’s reporting features were designed to support cross-channel selling too. Businesses are able to track online and in-person sales data with product reports, cash flow reports, and daily sales reports if they upgrade to the Pro plan. The POS also lets you analyze sales performance across team members, helping you to drive up revenue by identifying and rewarding top sellers in brick-and-mortar stores.

Users can add customer profiles within the Shopify POS for better tracking and engagement. Source: Tech.co’s user testing

• Shopify also offers a great selection of till features, and the POS really shines when it comes to stock control.

The provider’s inventory management tools let you create, edit, and review stock levels in a few clicks. Shopify also offers a cost-profit management tool and lets you sync stock between multiple stores, which makes it an attractive option for chain stores looking to improve their profit margins.

I found it easy to add products to the Shopify POS with this simple field. Source: Tech.co user testing

Shopify has huge potential and has come a long way since our last round of testing, due to its ever-evolving sales features. The system is easier to use than alternatives like Square and Lightspeed Retail as well, which will pose a huge advantage to people getting started with POS systems for the first time.

“It was very responsive. As soon as you did something on the back end, it would appear on the iPad straight away.” – A member of Tech.co’s user testing team

Shopify POS features: What we don’t like

One of the biggest downsides to Shopify is that it doesn’t offer as many hardware options as many competitors: For example, Clover and Square both sell multiple types of self-service kiosk, while Shopify only supports them through third-party sellers. However, this difference won’t matter as much if the bulk of your sales are made online.

In addition, many features, like CRM, accounting, or marketing tools, are only available as third-party integrations. This will rule the POS out from being used by a huge pool of stores, preventing it from appearing any higher on this list.

Who should use Shopify?

• Omnichannel sellers, especially if they already use Shopify
• Retailers with large or complex inventories
• Multi-store retailers

Who shouldn’t use Shopify?

• Businesses that want a physical POS terminal
• Sellers looking for low processing fees
• Retailers than need a training mode

Shopify POS pricing and fees

Shopify’s POS pricing can seem confusing at first glance. Check out the table below for an overview of its main plans, or read our guide to Shopify POS pricing for more details.

If you like Shopify, you might also like…

• Lightspeed Retail, if you onboard regularly and would prefer a dedicated training mode for your staff
• Square, if you want to sell online with useful ecommerce integrations, but you want to get started for less

How does Shopify compare to a more traditional POS provider? Find out in our head-to-head comparison of Lightspeed vs Shopify.

4. Epos Now – Best POS For Expanding Retail Stores

• Tech.co retail rating: 4.2/5
• Price from:$39 per month (software only)/$349 (one-time fee) + $79/month
• Payment processing: 2.6% + 10¢

Epos Now is a capable point-of-sale system that offers all the retail-focused features you can find with Square – including granular stock controls and customer loyalty tools – alongside an excellent range of hardware options. Businesses can also pay for their packages upfront, allowing them to bring down their overheads by avoiding monthly costs. Epos Now makes it easy for retailers to add new locations too, which is why we think the POS is one of the best choices out there for businesses that are just starting to expand. 

Despite Epos Now’s clear suitability for growing retail stores, it lacks a dedicated training mode and its pricing structure might be a dealbreaker for new stores or pop-up sellers that don’t have lots of capital to invest upfront.

Epos Now POS features: What we like

• Epos Now packs a good punch when it comes to retail-focused features

From advanced inventory management tools like low stock alerts and bulk uploads to multiple location stock syncing abilities, the POS should be able to easily meet the needs of retail businesses that handle large, or complex inventories. The POS even offers a cost-profit calculator to help stores price items competitively – a benefit that leading systems like Square currently lack.

• Epos Now offers its own loyalty app to encourage customers to come back

Epos Now Loyalty lets you create a point-based loyalty scheme that aligns with your business model, and analyze shopper behavior through a Loyalty dashboard. Businesses using the system can also request their own customizable loyalty card that can be scanned via Epos’s swipe and card reader.

The Epos Now countertop terminal is designed to accept point-of-sale transactions from a fixed location. Source: Tech.co user testing

Who should use Epos Now?

• Businesses happy to pay up-front
• Established retail stores
• Growing retailers looking to set up a second store

Who shouldn’t use Epos Now?

• Small retailers and pop-up sellers
• Businesses after a strong in-house customer loyalty system
• Businesses looking to avoid hefty start-up costs

Epos Now POS pricing

Last time we spoke to Epos Now directly, they confirmed an entry price of $349 up-front plus a $79 per month subscription, or $39 per month for just the software. However, it feels like EPOS Now changes its pricing every week, so keep an eye out for different pricing options!

Its processing fees, on the other hand, are the same as Square and Lightspeed Retail though, so it’ll still be a good value for stores with higher turnovers.

If you’re interested in learning more about Epos Now’s pricing tiers, we break them down in our table below:

If you like Epos Now, you might also like…

• Square, if you’re happy with a stripped-back tablet-based set-up, but want to avoid up-front costs
• Clover, if you don’t want to pay extra for advanced customer loyalty features

5. Lightspeed Retail – Best POS For Multi-Branch Stores

• Tech.co retail rating: 3.9/5
• Price from: $89/month
• Payment processing: 2.6% +10c per card transaction

Lightspeed Retail is an iPad-based POS system designed for medium to large retail stores. The POS comes packed with advanced stock management capabilities and customer loyalty features aimed at supporting business growth, and its multi-site inventory and employee oversight tools make it especially useful for retailers with multiple locations.

Lightspeed Retail features: What we like

Lightspeed Retail comes with a raft of retail-specific features designed to make selling as easy as possible and encourage business growth. In fact, our research found that its retail features are even more comprehensive than Square and Epos Now, making it a great option for stores that want to rely on in-house capabilities instead of costly software add-ons.

• Lightspeed offers lots of useful features to support in-store selling

These include barcode scanning and customizable gift receipts, as well as store credit, refund, and exchange options.

When we tested Lightspeed Retail out for ourselves, we were particularly impressed with its built-in gift card creation tool, as the feature lets businesses customize gift cards with their personal branding and customer details. This unique feature isn’t offered by alternatives like Clover or Square, and helps businesses establish customer rapport.

Lightspeed lets you build customer profiles in a breeze. The POS also gives customers the choice to receive marketing and promotional emails, useful for encouraging repeat buying.

Lightspeed Retail lets you create customer profiles and send buyers marketing and promotional emails. Source: Tech.co’s user testing

• Lightspeed Retail’s employee management features also stand out

The POS lets you create roles for staff, customize these roles to their business, and enable specific functions for different users. Lightspeed also lets managers give full access to employees of any level – a perk not currently offered by Epos Now or Clover. This capability can be useful for managers who need retail staff to take on certain responsibilities when they’re not around.

We found the ordering system on Lightspeed Retail clear and concise. Source: Tech.co testing

• Lightspeed’s features lend themselves especially well to multi-store retailers

The POS offers dedicated multi-store management tools that let you easily add new locations and manage activity across branches from one centralized dashboard.

Lightspeed Retail features: What we don’t like

If you’re looking for support with pricing products, the POS may not be for you. Lightspeed doesn’t offer a cost-profit analysis software that helps users calculate the profit margins of their items. If you need this, we’d recommend Clover or Epos Now.

Who should use Lightspeed Retail?

• Retailers with more than one location
• Sellers that want to attract a loyal community
• Medium to large retail stores

Who shouldn’t use Lightspeed Retail?

• Small stores with limited budgets
• Retailers that require an extensive hardware set-up
• Managers who need assistance with setting prices

Lightspeed Retail pricing

With prices for Lightspeed Retail starting at $89 per month for its Basic plan, the POS isn’t the most budget-friendly option on the market. Lightspeed’s impressive retail features do justify its slightly larger price tag though – making it a worthwhile investment for larger and multi-store retailers.

Check out how Lightspeed Retail’s paid plans compare below:

Read our full Lightspeed POS review here. Overwhelmed with confusing pricing plans? Use our pricing comparison tool to receive tailored POS quotes.

If you like Lightspeed Retail, you might also like…

• Square, if you don’t handle large inventories, and want to avoid pricey monthly fees
• Clover, if you manage an established retail store and you want high-end hardware to match

How to Choose a Retail POS System

If you’re just getting started with your search for a good POS system, you might not know what to consider when it comes to choosing the right provider. Here are some factors to consider when choosing the right retail POS system for your business.

Price

Cost is always a good place to start when it comes to any business software including POS systems. If your budget is tight, starting with a free plan that only charges transaction fees might be your best bet. On the other hand, paid plans can get you more affordable transaction fees, as well as more features for reporting retail sales and managing sales and discounts.

Business size

You’ll need to consider the size of your business carefully when choosing a new POS system. Some are more natural fits with startups and SMBs, while others are designed to be scalable and better suit larger organizations. For instance, our top pick Square is perfect for smaller sellers starting out, but Shopify’s strong ecommerce integration may make it more suitable for bigger businesses.

Software features

The best POS systems for small businesses will log the number and value of the sales you’ve made, track your inventory, and let you know when to restock. It’ll also help you analyze sales and refunds so you can maximize profits.

If you’re new to retail-centric POS systems, here are some features to look out for for your store:

• Quick keys – Also known as product lookup, quick keys is a till shortcut that lets you log popular products quickly without having to search through the full catalog.
• Low stock notifications – Low stock alerts send you pop-up notifications to let you know when an item is running out, prompting you to order more.
• Barcode inventories – Barcoded inventory systems let you track products using scannable codes, offering real-time visibility into the location of each item.
• Multi-store stock transfers – For stores with more than one branch, this feature helps you relocate stock between locations easily.
• Ecommerce integrations – If stores also have a virtual shopfront, ecommerce integrations let you manage sales across multiple channels from one platform.

Learn more about important store-front capabilities in our POS features guide.

Hardware components

Unless you plan to rely on a simple iPad setup, your business will also need to invest in physical hardware. Here’s an example of some retail-specific devices to consider.

• Barcode scanners – A barcode scanner or reader is a handheld device that lets you ring up purchases quickly, without having to enter items into your system manually.
• Weighing scales – If your store calculates the price for certain items based on weight, you may need to integrate weighing scales into your POS.
• Receipt printers – This device prints receipts for customers and vendors, providing a record of the transaction and facilitating the return process.
• Mobile card readers – Otherwise known as contactless card readers, this payment device accepts payments via tap and chip and pin. It’s best suited to small retail stores, market stalls, or pop-up vendors.
• Countertop card terminals – This payment device is capable of accepting just about every method of digital payment – including swipe – and is best suited to permanent brick-and-mortar locations.

How Much Will I Pay for a Retail POS System?

Small business POS system costs normally sit somewhere between $15 and $100 per month for a system with a single cash register. Larger businesses, on the other hand, might be looking at costs between $100 and $300 per month, with additional one-time hardware purchases that typically cost in excess of $2,500 per location. That said, businesses with small margins can always opt for free solutions like Square, which only charges transaction fees.

Industry-specific systems will likely cost more, with major POS providers like Lightspeed and Vend offering plans that start at $69 per month, and more advanced features costing a premium. However, as inflation rates are forcing business owners to be even more mindful of their bottom line, lots of low-cost and free retail-specific systems exist too.

What’s more, retail POS systems will almost always be a better value than general-purpose systems as they’re packed with more industry-specific features and specialist hardware — from inventory and sales tracking to barcode scanners and weighing scales.

Whether you choose a one-size-fits-all POS or a specialized system, the month-to-month pricing, plus the transaction fees, can seem high at first. However, the right system will make your business far more efficient and profitable in the long run, so investing in a top solution really is a no-brainer.