The 7 Best POS Systems: Reviewed & Ranked

Looking for a POS system to hear those sweet cha-chings? Coupling free software, affordable hardware and comprehensive features, Square is likely to fit your bill. Unsurprisingly, it topped our research into POS systems with an impressive 4.8/5 score.

That said, backed by our experience of nearly 15 years in the market, we undertook a deep-dive analysis of POS systems and came across other strong contenders and ranked them. To do that, we took into account features such as business management, usability, price, and support – in essence, things that matter to you as you look for a way to boost your business through the current economic stagnation.

If you feel like knowing more about the findings of our research, just head to our ranking below.

Prices correct as of last update.

1. Square: Best Overall POS System

Square’s Key Features

Whilst Square is not necessarily tailored to the hospitality industry, it does have relevant features such as timecard reports, integrated payments, and eGift Cards. Zettle also offers a free POS app, more tailored to the hospitality industry. Zettle’s transactions fees are much lower than Squares, at 1.75% compared to 2.6% and 3.5%. However, Zettle offers less features and a more basic POS system.

Square scored a 5/5 in all areas of research except in business development and till, where it scored a 4/5. Unlike Clover, Square doesn’t come with traditional POS hardware and is run on a tablet device. This is not necessarily a drawback however as you can choose to run the app on a tablet you already own and purchase necessary hardware such as the Square card reader. Or, you can opt for the Square register which offers one screen for you and one for your customers.

The Square register costs $799 or $39/month for 24 months. Whilst this is a little pricey, this is a one-off fee and once you have the hardware your software will be free unless you choose the Plus version. The monthly payment plan means you don’t need to make a huge monetary investment if you want to purchase the register.

The transaction fees are fairly steep at 2.6% + 10¢ for in-person transactions and 3.5% + 15¢ for online/manual transactions. However, this is offset by the fact that the core POS app is free.

The software works very well and processes payments quickly, offering various ways to take payments. This gives both your staff and customers an easy experience and according to users, the interface is easy to use and adapt to.

Square’s Pricing

Software price plans range from $0 per month to $60 per month.

2. Vend: Best for Scalability

Vend’s Key Features

Vend is cloud-based so you can access reports, inventory and other features from your phone, tablet or laptop even if you aren’t physically present. If you travel often or want the security that you can keep an eye on your business even whilst you’re away, cloud-based POS systems such as Vend are a good option.

Vend integrates with various third-party apps such as Xero, Mailchimp, and Shopify. Although some users have found that the Shopify integration is often broken and does not work as seamlessly as it should.

Vend offers 24/7 global support so you can always get assistance when you need it.

Its inventory solutions are vast, you can automate orders, monitor what is and isn’t selling and manage stock across multiple locations. These extensive inventory tools make Vend a good option for retailers or restaurants that have more than one location. That said, Talech’s has more options than Vend when it comes to inventory, as it packs supplier tracking and inventory alerts, which Vend doesn’t do.

We recommend Vend for businesses that are looking to scale as Vend offer add-on features. such as advanced reporting and ecommerce,  more suited to larger businesses. A scalable POS system helps to prevent overspending as you can opt for the more expensive tiers once your business has grown.

Vend’s Pricing

From $69/month

3. Talech: Best for Mobile Businesses

Talech’s Key Features

In its free version, Talech comes with features such as menu management, basic order management, and multi-level tax support. You can also access reports online.

If you want a meatier POS system, you can opt for a paid version which starts from $29, though both the free and paid versions are equipped to serve hospitality as well as retail businesses. On the latter, it’s worth noting Talech comes with inventory tracking, customer management, and order management – features that show up consistently among the best retail POS systems we researched.

Although the software is easy to use, some users have reported issues with the hardware especially the card reader, which breaks often. Users have also reported that the software can be fairly glitchy and you’ll need to contact tech support to fix it, which can be frustrating. This puts Talech in a disadvantage against Square, whose software provides a better user experience and a more user-friendly interface.

However, Talech’s inventory capabilities – which include bundles, supplier tracking, and barcode label printing – trump Vend’s more limited offer on that end.

For the hospitality industry, you can set up a floor plan with multiple rooms. Having this bird’s eye view of your available seats so you can serve new customers quickly and easily. The order management tools include being able to void an item and apply taxes, gratuities and other service charges.

Additional devices cost $29/month for every paid plan, and there’s no limit to additional devices you can have.

Talech’s Pricing

Mobile: $0

Starter: $29/month

Standard: $69/month

Premium: $99/month

4. Lightspeed: Best for Bars

Lightspeed’s Key Features

Lightspeed has an integrated CRM (customer relationship management) system so you can foster better relationships with your customers. You can store customer details, and build their profiles for tailored marketing and loyalty programs. Other POS systems such as Vend also offer loyalty programs however a CRM system gives your business a more organized way to store and manage customer information.

Accounting platforms can be integrated into the POS system, such as Xero and Sage, although other POS systems such as Square also offer this integration. Square offers integration with Xero only so Lightspeed does offer more options, especially if you want to continue using your current accounting software.

Starting $69 a month, Lightspeed is pricier than Square (that has a free version) and Talech (which starts at $29 per month). However, it offers a wide range of features specific to the retail and hospitality industry. Because it’s so comprehensive we recommend it for businesses that have multiple locations, so you can easily manage all your locations from one system.

Lightspeed’ Pricing

• Lean: $69/month (billed annually) $89/month (billed monthly)
• Standard: $119/month (billed annually) $149/month (billed monthly)
• Advanced: $199/month (billed annually) $269/month (billed monthly)
• Enterprise: Custom

5. Shopify: Best for Retail Stores

Shopify’s Key Features

Even if you’re a pop up store, you can still benefit from using a POS system to organize and manage all the moving parts of a retail business. Your mobile device can be turned into a POS system at your fingertips by downloading the Shopify Retail POS app on to an Android or iOS smartphone or tablet.

The system is customizable so you can personalize it to suit the way you want to use it for your business. For example, you can keep your most popular discounts or products on the front page to make it easier to access.

Shopify POS is best suited to those who want to take their business online or who already have an online store with Shopify. If you’re just interested in the POS system, this system is not worth it as there are much better and more affordable systems such as Square or Talech. We look at the benefits in greater detail in our Shopify review, so feel free to check it out.

Shopify’s Pricing

If you want an online store to go along with your POS, you first need to choose one of the below plans. Each one comes with “POS Lite,” at no extra cost. This is an app which allows you to take payments on your iPhone. The full POS subscription comes at an extra $89 per month, plus hardware costs.

6. TouchBistro: Best for Restaurants

TouchBistro’s Key Features

TouchBistro has an offline mode, and provides you with the ability to offer mobile and pay-at-table solutions, so customers can have a more convenient, and efficient way to pay.

TouchBistro does not offer a free trial, making it more difficult to make an informed decision. Also, its $89/month initial price tag make it pricier Vend and Lightspeed – both of which start at $69 per month.

Once you’ve signed a contract with the provider, it can be difficult to get out of the contract as you’ll need to send TouchBistro 30 day’s written notice before the end of your contract. Failure to do this means your contract is automatically renewed. This makes TouchBistro less flexible than Square, which doesn’t require you to sign a long-term contract, although it lacks the advanced hospitality-focused features that TouchBistro offers.

The system is customizable and offers add-on features so you can build a complete restaurant management system. For example, you can add online ordering from $50/month, and marketing tools from $99/month. Whilst this means you don’t need to pay for features you don’t need or want, it does mean that all these add-ons that you do need can make your monthly fee very costly. Lightspeed might be a better alternative as it offers similar hospitality-focused features without the add-on fees.

TouchBistro scores a perfect 5/5 in our research for its help and support. You can access a wide variety of online tools to troubleshoot any issues, plus 24/7/365 phone support.

TouchBistro’s Pricing

• Lean: $89/month
• Standard: $159/month

7. Clover: Best for Medium-sized Businesses

Clover’s Key Features

For the hospitality industry, Clover offers relevant features such as, offering customers the ability to view the menu and pay via a QR code on their table. You can also create custom floor plans, customise orders, and track sales in real-time.

Retailers can also use this POS systems as it has an integrated online store, plus the ability to manage your inventory of the online and physical store from one system.

We score Clover’s help and support a 3.5, as they offer each customer a dedicated Clover support number.

Clover’s software only runs on Clover hardware, so the initial cost can be fairly expensive as hardware starts from around $1,000. If your business needs more than one terminal, the price is fairly steep. In comparison, you can run Square and Lightspeed on tablets you already own, which make Clover a costlier option.

Clover is a good fit for your business if you want sturdy POS hardware and a good payment processor. However, the software itself can be a little difficult, as it lacks some features which can be added via a third party. This means issues with integration, and if something does go wrong you’ll need to contact the third party yourself. If you want a more feature heavy software, Vend or Square Plus is a better option.

Clover’s Pricing

Clover’s pricing is based on your business activity and further divided in three plans: Starter, Standard, and Advanced.

Our Methodology

Square tops the list out of 12 providers for the best POS system, scoring a 4.8/5. Its affordability, ease of use, and range of features secures its number one spot. Our research team researched several areas:

• Till – this takes into account the hardware and added features such as bill splitting, receipt customisation, and training mode
• Business management – this looks for features such as detailed reporting, offline mode, and sales forecasting
• Stock management – this score is based on the comprehensiveness of the stock management tools
• Usability – this area takes into account features that increase the systems usability such as digital receipts or a one touch till
• Price – this score is based on the average price of the system, plus whether it offers a free trial, demo, or plan

The score of each of these areas was combined to create an overall score for each of the different types of POS system.

Next Steps

We’ve shown you the best POS systems available in the United States. Having compared their features, pricing, customer support, and ease of use, you now know which one is best for you.

That said, most POS suppliers provide bespoke pricing, which can make it hard for you to plan your budget. But worry not – the easiest way to get crystal clear pricing is by comparing free quotes, which is where we can help you.

Simply tell us what you need from your next POS system using our quick form, and we’ll match your business with the best POS suppliers for your unique needs. They’ll then be in touch, offering non-obligation quotes for you to compare. It’s quick, easy, and free to get started.