The 6 Best EPOS Systems in the UK in 2024

At their most basic, EPOS (electronic point of sale) systems can help your business manage stock, orders, and staff performance, but the best ones will also help you keep track of your business’s finances, and reduce human error when it comes to handling payments.

Whether you’re getting an EPOS system for the first time, or looking to switch providers, it can be hard to choose the right one for your business, given all the options available.

That’s why we’ve done the work for you. We tested over 10 EPOS systems to come up with our top six picks for UK businesses. The top three EPOS systems are Square, Clover, and Shopify.

Keep reading to find out what other EPOS systems made the cut, what they’re best for, and how much they cost.

If you’d like to cut the chase, you can get free quotes directly from the best EPOS suppliers in the UK through our free comparison tool.

1. Square: Best for Scaling and Growing Your Business

What Makes Square One of the Best EPOS Systems?

Square is the best EPOS system for businesses looking to scale and grow, thanks to its affordable entry point price, and range of EPOS solutions designed to suit businesses of different sizes.

Small businesses, or those just starting out, can benefit from Square’s free EPOS software plan, which comes with multi-site stock and employee management, customizable gift card creation, and menu and table management for food service businesses.

As your business grows, you can upgrade your Square plan (for a monthly fee of £29 to £69) to get access to more advanced features, catered to the type of business you run. For example, Square’s paid plan for retail businesses, which starts at £49 per month, per location, gives you access to more advanced inventory and reporting tools. Square also has monthly subscription plans for restaurant businesses, and appointments-based businesses (such as salons and hairdressers).

The paid plans have a wide range of additional features, tailored to each business type, and offer good value for money on that front. Processing fees are still slightly, however, staying at 1.75%.

Square’s range of POS hardware also makes it easy to scale. Businesses can start out with simple card readers or tablets, and move on to tills complete with cash drawers and receipt printers when needed, without having to switch to a new provider.

Square’s Unique Feature

Square’s EPOS system comes with a free online store builder. It’s a good option for businesses that are primarily focused on in-person sales, but want to branch out into ecommerce.

The EPOS system and online store seamlessly integrate with each other, helping you track orders and sales across platforms.

What Type of Business is Square Good for?

Square’s free plan is good for small, single-location businesses, such as cafes, independent boutiques, or salons. The paid plans are suitable for businesses with up to three locations, such as budding chain restaurants. Businesses with more than three locations might find Square’s reporting tools a little limiting, as they aren’t designed to handle a lot of different locations, unless you opt for a custom plan.

Square’s Pricing

Square Alternatives You Might Also Like

• EPOS Now: If your restaurant or cafe frequently updates its floor plan, it’ll be easier to do this with EPOS Now than with Square. We found EPOS Now’s drag-and-drop editor easier to use than Square’s floor plan function
• Lightspeed: If you need cost management tools, or an EPOS system with a training mode for your staff, Lightspeed has these options, while Square doesn’t
• Clover: If you want an EPOS system that comes with cheap card processing fees, or own a restaurant and need to track ingredients, Clover is a better option than Square. It’s processing fees are negotiable, and can be as low as 0.2% if you process a lot of cards
• Shopify: If you’re an online-first business, Shopify can build you a better online store than Square – it has far more design and customisation options – and has a POS system that includes cost management tools

2. Clover: Best for Professional Hardware

What Makes Clover One of the Best EPOS Systems?

Clover is the best EPOS system for businesses seeking professional hardware that can handle a fast-paced environment.

The Clover Station Pro is a countertop kit that comes with an employee and customer-facing screen, and a card machine. We found the customer display screen particularly intuitive to use, which restaurants will find useful when taking orders. It’s got a sleek design and responsive touch-screen, so your staff won’t have trouble with it, and you can customise the display and use it to show off promotional items.

During testing, we found the Clover EPOS system quite easy to use, despite having advanced features such as stock alerts and profit tracking. This is an advantage when training multiple employees, since they won’t need to waste time figuring out how the system works. On your end, you’ll be able to track inventory, profits, and employee performance across multiple locations.

Clover also has an extensive app store, where you can find solutions such as employee time clocks, customer loyalty programs, and cash tracking.

Clover’s Unique Feature

Clover comes with fingerprint recognition, which means your staff can log in to the POS system with just a touch. This saves a lot of time on busy days when employees are alternating between taking payments and serving customers on the shop or restaurant floor.

What Type of Business is Clover Good for?

Clover is a good option for establishments with multiple locations and several staff members. Its advanced features and easy-to-use platform makes it especially well suited to fast-paced environments.

It’s a good solution for retail stores, although we’d say it’s slightly more catered to food and beverage businesses, thanks to extra features such as QR code ordering.

Clover’s Pricing

Clover offers custom pricing, which varies depending on the type of POS software and hardware (such as card machines, tablets, and tills) your business needs. You’ll pay one monthly subscription fee, which covers the cost of using Clover’s software, and renting the equipment.

Transaction fees are not included in the subscription, but they’re negotiable with Clover – the more payments you process per month, the cheaper your fees will typically be. For medium-sized businesses, you can expect transaction fees to be around 1% + 10p, which is very cheap compared to competitors.

Clover Alternatives You Might Also Like

• Square: If you’re a small cafe or pop up that needs a low risk, portable POS system, Square is more suited to your needs than Clover
• Lightspeed: If you’re a restaurant owner who wants to know what you’ll be paying from the get-go, Lightspeed is a good alternative to Clover, since they disclose pricing on their website, which Clover does not
• Shopify: If you’re a retailer that values a good help and support network, you might want to go with Shopify, since it has a community forum (something Clover lacks)

3. Shopify: Best for Managing In-store and Online Sales

What Makes Shopify One of the Best EPOS Systems?

Shopify is the best EPOS system for managing both in-store and online sales, thanks to its dual offering of ecommerce and EPOS software.

First and foremost an online store builder, Shopify has branched out into the EPOS landscape. It has a unified dashboard that integrates both ecommerce and EPOS functions, and is able to manage inventory across channels to prevent any discrepancies in sale reports.

Useful features include the ability to accept in-store returns for online purchases, and low-stock reports that take both online and in-person sales into account. You can also create customer profiles that sync in-person and online purchase history, making it easier to reward customer loyalty.

Shopify also comes with a great help and support network for new users. In the Shopify Help Centre, we found answers to an enormous range of questions, as well as tutorials for using the platform, and a forum where you can troubleshoot with other businesses that use Shopify.

Shopify’s Unique Feature

As we’ve outlined above, Shopify’s unique feature is that it allows you to manage your online and in-person sales from the same platform.

While other EPOS systems can integrate with online stores, it’ll never be as seamless as when your ecommerce system and EPOS system come from the same provider.

What Type of Business is Shopify Good for?

Shopify’s EPOS system is tailored to retail stores that also sell online. Its ideal candidates are established online retail businesses that have one to five physical stores, and need robust inventory management. We wouldn’t recommend it to smaller businesses since its ecommerce plans (which you have to pay to get access to EPOS features) are expensive.

Smaller businesses that are just starting to sell online and in person are also good candidates, since the Shopify EPOS app can be accessed via smartphones and tablets, meaning you can use it without paying for expensive hardware. The £5 Starter plan also allows businesses to accept in-person payments via smartphone with tap-to-pay, no card machine required.

Shopify isn’t recommended for food and drink businesses, as it doesn’t have the features to handle menus and table plans.

Shopify’s Pricing

Shopify Alternatives You Might Also Like

• EPOS Now or Clover: Shopify doesn’t sell physical terminals or tablets, despite the fact that its EPOS app can only be accessed via smartphone or tablet. If you don’t already have these available, and want a supplier that can provide you with some, EPOS Now or Clover are a good alternative
• Zettle: Shopify’s processing fees (starting from 1.5%) are on the expensive side, especially when paired with the monthly fee. If you want cheap processing fees and a low-cost plan, you could try Zettle by PayPal, which doesn’t charge monthly fees, and can integrate with a variety of ecommerce platforms – though it hasn’t made our top selection because its hardware and EPOS software isn’t on par with competitors
• Lightspeed: Although Shopify has tutorials and a vast help centre, its EPOS system doesn’t have a training mode for staff. If that’s a priority for you, Lightspeed is a good alternative

4. Lightspeed: Best for Fostering Repeat Business and Customer Loyalty

What Makes Lightspeed One of the Best EPOS Systems?

Lightspeed is one the best EPOS systems for driving customer loyalty.

Lightspeed’s Retail EPOS system comes with email and SMS marketing tools, loyalty programs, and automated marketing features, while its Restaurant EPOS system comes with gift card creation, loyalty and points programmes, and customer tabs, so you have a history of all previous orders.

Using features like these to stay connected with your customers and give them incentives to return can help drive business growth. Lightspeed’s customer loyalty features also include access to an app store (on both Restaurant and Retail plans) that includes tools such as customer birthday mailers.

Both of Lightspeed’s EPOS systems also have a robust set of tools for managing sales and inventory, including cost vs profit breakdowns. Reports offer detailed insights into the performance of each channel or store.

On the practical side, since Lightspeed’s EPOS software is completely tablet based, it allows your staff to stay mobile while serving customers. The software is also a cloud-based, unified platform, making it easy for you to oversee multiple locations at once.

Lightspeed’s Unique Feature

Lightspeed offers a 14-day free trial, so you can get to grips with the software and decide whether it’s right for you before committing to it. That’s a rarity in the EPOS sector.

What Type of Business is Lightspeed Good for?

Lightspeed is a good EPOS solution for both restaurants and retail stores, since it has dedicated systems for both these business types, with tailored functionalities.

Lightspeed Restaurant, for example, allows customers to order online, at the table, or from a QR code, while Lightspeed Retail comes with an online store builder.

Both of these solutions are best suited for medium-sized establishments, or ones with multiple locations, who need an EPOS system that can handle complex inventories, and help them grow and maintain their reputation by driving repeat sales.

Lightspeed’s Pricing

Transaction fee amounts and hardware costs (card machines, tills, tablets, and terminals) are only available upon request at Lightspeed.

Lightspeed Alternatives You Might Also Like

• Clover: Clover has a superior range of terminals and accessories than Lightspeed, so if you need the best EPOS hardware on the market, Clover’s your best bet
• EPOS Now: We found it easier to change and save floor plans on EPOS Now’s system than on Lightspeed’s, making it a better option for restaurants that switch up their seating arrangements frequently
• Shopify or Square: If you’re a smaller business, or are just starting out, and need a cheap or free starting plan, Shopify (with its £5 per month retail Starter Plan), or Square, with doesn’t charge for its EPOS software, are more affordable options than Lightspeed

5. TouchBistro: Easiest EPOS System to Use

What Makes TouchBistro One of the Best EPOS Systems?

Designed specifically for food and beverage businesses, TouchBistro is the easiest to use POS system. During our testing, we found it to be the most intuitive platform to use, largely thanks to its straightforward front-end interface, which made it easy for us to process orders quickly.

You can customise your package to get the features you need, which means you don’t pay for features you don’t use. Unneeded features also won’t appear in your back-end or front-end, making the process of finding the features you do need while working much simpler.

One of TouchBistro’s standout tools is table planning. The floorplan can be edited and changed at any time, from both the front and back-end, and we found it easy to input guest table transfers into the system too, without losing the customers’ orders.

Since the system is tablet-based, it’s also highly mobile, so your staff have easy access to it while taking orders at tables.

Other features available as add-ons are reservation management, and marketing and loyalty tools, such as customer app creation and point collection systems.

TouchBistro’s Unique Feature

TouchBistro has a customised approach to features, which means you pay for the ones you need, and not for the ones you don’t. This isn’t the case with most other EPOS systems.

A bonus of this feature is that your EPOS back-end won’t be cluttered up with tabs for features you hardly touch.

What Type of Business is TouchBistro Good for?

TouchBistro is best suited to growing food and beverage chains, whether that be restaurants, cafes, or bars and pubs. This is mainly due to its excellent table management features, and tablet-based design, allowing for mobility.

Since a lot of TouchBistro’s most useful features (advanced reservation management, and customer loyalty programs) come at an extra cost, it’s not well-suited to businesses that are starting out, or serve at one small location, since they might end up spending over budget.

TouchBistro’s Pricing

TouchBitro doesn’t disclose the cost of its EPOS hardware solutions, or its processing fees. Businesses can purchase a variety of equipment from TouchBistro, including iPad tablets, card machines, tills, and receipt printers, with prices available upon request.

TouchBistro Alternatives You Might Also Like

• Clover: Clover has the best EPOS hardware on the market, so it’s a better fit than TouchBistro if you need top of the range terminals and accessories
• Toast: TouchBistro doesn’t offer mobile and QR code ordering for customers, so if that’s a feature you’re looking for, Toast has you covered
• Square: Square comes with extensive tip management tools that TouchBistro lacks, so if your staff relies on tips, Square might be a better option

6. EPOS Now: Best for Managing Complex Inventories

What Makes EPOS Now One of the Best EPOS Systems?

EPOS Now is our top pick for managing large, complex inventories. The cloud-based software comes with crucial features, such as stock alerts, bulk inventory upload, and cost vs. profit analysis. All this can help businesses juggling a large inventory identify the most profitable items for future ordering.

When it comes to physical terminals, EPOS Now offers up a terminal with a 15.6 inch HD touchscreen, and a large customer display, so everything is clearly visible. There’s also a host of accessories available, such as barcode scanners, card machines, and receipt printers.

Epos Now’s key drawback is the fact that it isn’t as easy to use as others on this list. We found it tricky to navigate certain tasks, such as order splitting.

EPOS Now’s Unique Feature

EPOS Now gives you the option of paying for its EPOS software and the associated hardware in one upfront payment, with no monthly fees. This reduces overheads, and can potentially lead to greater profit in the long run, making it a good option for small businesses with one location, if you’re able to save up enough to pay the £899 upfront fee.

What Type of Business is EPOS Now Good for?

EPOS Now is suitable for a range of businesses, from smaller stores with just one or two locations, to large restaurants with multiple locations. That’s because it combines powerful EPOS software functions with a flexible pricing structure.

Large or multi-location businesses will benefit from excellent inventory and profit management tools, while smaller businesses looking to decrease their monthly spending can purchase their EPOS solution upfront, with the option of an iPad-based app available at a reduced rate.

EPOS Now’s Pricing

EPOS Now accepts both upfront payments and monthly payments. Its EPOS software package includes equipment such as a physical terminal and receipt printer, but businesses have the option of purchasing or renting additional hardware.

EPOS Now Alternatives You Might Also Like

• Square: EPOS Now doesn’t have many built-in marketing features, or extensive and automated tip management tools, so if those are your must-haves, Square is a better option
• TouchBistro or Shopify: EPOS Now is not the most intuitive system to use. If you or your staff are uninitiated when it comes to EPOS systems, you’ll have an easier time with TouchBistro (if you’re in the food and beverage sector) or Shopify (if you’re in retail)
• Lightspeed or Clover: EPOS Now’s upfront pricing might work for some businesses, but £899 will be too hefty a price tag for many. If that’s you, you can get an EPOS system with no upfront costs through Lightspeed, or split the cost of hardware into monthly payments with Clover

How to Choose an EPOS System

We get it: with so many providers on the market, picking one can feel daunting. To help you out, we’ve listed some of the things you should consider when choosing your EPOS system.

Cost and Pricing Structure

You know your budget better than we do, and it goes without saying that you shouldn’t choose an EPOS system that you can’t afford. We recommend that you look closely at the pricing structure, and assess what’s included for free, and what comes at an added cost, to get the best deal.

For example, Square charges zero fees for using its EPOS software, but you’ll have to pay upfront for each card machine, till, or other piece of equipment you need. This can really add up if you have multiple stores.

A provider such as Clover, on the other hand, charges a monthly fee for using its software and any equipment you rent. This could work out cheaper if your business has multiple locations.

Don’t forget about card processing fees either. Companies that have cheap or free software tend to charge more expensive transaction fees, so that’s something to be wary of.

EPOS Functions and Available Hardware

Assess your business needs, and choose a provider that meets them closely. Some EPOS systems are designed with certain types of businesses in mind (eg. pubs and restaurants vs retail stores), which makes locating the right fit easier.

It’s also important to look at the features included in the EPOS software. Are you a pub or fast-food establishment that requires QR code ordering? Providers such as Clover and Lightspeed have this, while TouchBistro doesn’t.

You should also look at the physical equipment that’s available to buy or rent from each EPOS system provider. If your staff needs to take orders at tables, for example, a tablet based EPOS system will be beneficial. If you accept cash as well as card, look for an EPOS provider that has a till setup.

Some EPOS systems are compatible with third-party hardware, but it’s always best to check if your existing equipment, or the equipment you plan on buying can easily integrate with your chosen EPOS system.

Ease of Use

As a rule of thumb, the easier an EPOS system is to use, the better. This will speed up training and service times, and reduce room for error.

This doesn’t mean you need to go with the absolute easiest system to use. If you and your employees are experienced with EPOS systems, you could compromise on ease-of-use in favour of advanced features.

EPOS systems like Clover and TouchBistro are particularly easy to operate, while Lightspeed has a training mode for new employees.

Customer Support

Good customer support shouldn’t be overlooked when it comes to EPOS systems. In an ideal world, you’d never have to contact customer support but, let’s face it, no system is ever perfect.

We’d recommend choosing an EPOS system that has a customer support phone line, since calling is usually the fastest way to get an issue resolved. Live chat channels, help centres, and community forums, if the EPOS system has them, can also be great for quick troubleshooting.

Don’t forget to look at opening times. Most EPOS customer support teams operate during the week, but a few are also available at weekends and holidays, which could be really valuable if those are your busiest times.

Our Methodology

The Expert Market team tested and assessed over ten different EPOS systems to bring you this list. We evaluated how each EPOS system fared in six categories that are important to businesses, in order to get an impartial ranking.

Here’s what we looked at:

• EPOS software: the breadth of features included in the EPOS software, and how valuable they are to the average business
• Hardware/equipment: the variety of equipment available to purchase or rent, with special importance given to key items, such as KDS, receipt printers, and barcode scanners
• Ease-of-use: how easy the system is to use, navigate, and customise
• Help and support: how effective and reachable the customer support teams are, with bonus points given to EPOS systems with help centres and training modes
• Costs: the price of the system, how it compares to competitors, and whether it’s good value for money
• User experience: whether everyday users like the system, whether they’d recommend it, and what they say about it in online reviews

We gave each EPOS system a score in each category, and combined them to produce an overall score, which was used to rank them.