The Best POS Systems for US Businesses

After testing over 10 POS systems, we can confidently say that Square is the best POS system for US businesses. It’s extremely scalable, with a comprehensive free plan for small and new businesses, and paid plans from $49 per month that offer more advanced functions for growing businesses.

Modern POS systems aren’t just for taking payments – they’re a digital hub where you can track inventory, orders, and staff shifts, as well as access reports. Restaurant and retail POS systems will often come with built-in marketing and loyalty tools, for instance, while restaurant POS systems will usually contain table management and scheduled discounts.

Whether you’re getting a POS system for the first time or looking to switch from your current provider, we’re confident your perfect system is somewhere on this page.

The Best POS Systems: Comparison Table

Before we begin our in-depth reviews, here’s a quick comparison table of the best POS systems for US businesses:

1. Square: Best for Scaling and Growing Your Business

Square is the best POS system for businesses looking to scale and grow, with its paid plan starting at $49 per month, per location. It also offers a range of POS solutions designed to suit businesses of different sizes and industries, from hospitality to service-based businesses.

What makes Square one of the best POS systems?

Small businesses, or those just starting, can benefit from Square’s free POS software plan, which comes with:

• Multi-site stock and employee management, and menu and table management for hospitality businesses (something that’s missing from SumUp’s free POS option).
• The ability to take payments offline if your internet connection drops.
• Reporting and analytics tools, including access to real-time data tracking and downloading complete sales and inventory spreadsheets into CSV format.
• A free online store builder, allowing you to host an online store with basic SEO tools, sync stock levels with your physical register, and accept orders for pickup, local delivery, or shipping.

As your business grows, you can upgrade your Square plan to get access to more advanced features, tailored to the type of business you run. For example, Square’s Plus plan is $49 per month, per location – offering everything in the free plan, plus POS features for every industry, lower processing fees, email and text message marketing, and more.

Our experience testing Square

We found Square generally very easy to use. The backend was quite intuitive, and we had no trouble creating menus or listing items. We also appreciated the search function, which helped us find tools quickly.

We did run into a few annoying glitches, however, such as the table plan not appearing in the backend, and we found the process of cancelling orders and adding staff accounts overly complicated.

When it comes to hardware, we tested the Square Terminal, its portable EPOS device and card machine. While it was easy to access inventory and process payments from the device, we did have issues with the physical design. The card machine was quite wide, so it wasn’t easy to hold in one hand, making it better suited to countertops than table service

How could Square improve?

Although Square offers a wide range of features across its three types of POS systems, it’s missing a few useful features for large businesses. For example, Square doesn’t offer cost versus profit analysis on any of its plans, and its restaurant POS system is missing ingredient usage tracking.

Processing fees are slightly high as well, at 2.4% + $0.15¢ for in-store purchases and 3.3% + $0.30¢ for online sales under its free plan.

Square also doesn’t have a training mode for staff, which might cause issues when onboarding new staff in a fast-paced takeaway environment. That said, Square’s software is quite easy to use, so this isn’t a huge issue, but if a training mode is a must for your business, competitors Clover, SumUp, Toast, and Lightspeed Restaurant all offer one.

2. Toast: Best for Managing Complex Operations

Toast is a great option for established restaurants with multiple locations and complex operations, as it offers a wide array of inventory and profit management tools and some useful customer engagement features.

What makes Toast one of the best POS systems?

Toast offers one of the best restaurant POS systems on the market, capable of handling large, busy establishments. For example, you can:

• Create different menus for different times of day (a feature missing from rival Clover) and create variations of menu items – perfect for restaurants with a separate lunch and dinner service, or for those that encourage item customization.
• Manage food and recipe costs, stock alerts, and cost versus profit analysis – allowing growing chains to keep on top of finance and limit waste.
• Take your restaurant online with online and mobile ordering thanks to Toast’s delivery services and takeout app, and a host of integrations with third-party delivery apps.
• Create a points system or gift cards through its wide set of built-in customer engagement and loyalty tools, which includes both physical and digital cards – something SumUp is missing.

Finally, we were impressed by Toast’s native reservation management tools, which allow businesses not only to accept reservations but to automatically assign seating based on guest count and allow the host to keep track of service progression. Unlike competitors, Toast’s tools are built into the POS system and not integrations.

Our experience testing Toast

We found Toast generally easy to use. We found the backend particularly intuitive and had no trouble navigating it and finding features. The setup tutorial also offered a clear step-by-step guide that helped us find our way around the platform.

The only task we struggled with a little was setting up a discount on an order, which is something we had trouble with on a lot of other EPOS platforms we tested. In this case, we found Toast’s wording a little confusing, since you have to click on an “update” button to find the discount button. Lightspeed and Square both clearly label this option on the checkout screen.

How could Toast improve?

Although Toast offers both countertop terminals and a POS app that works on tablets, its app is only compatible with Android tablets. If you already use an iPad-based POS software and want to spare yourself the expense of replacing your hardware, we recommend Square or Lightspeed.

Toast is also on the expensive side, with plans starting at $69 per month for a basic package, not including marketing or KDS add-ons. Small cafes or new hospitality businesses might prefer a more affordable solution, such as the free plans offered by Square and SpotOn.

3. Clover: Best for Professional Hardware

Clover is the best POS system for businesses seeking professional hardware that can handle the fast-paced environment of an expanding business. It offers three different countertop terminals, two of which include a customer display, a handheld POS device that doubles as a card machine, and a range of accessories.

What makes Clover one of the best POS systems?

Clover’s hardware was the best we tested. It was sleek and responsive, and its handheld POS device and card machine, the Clover Flex, felt lightweight, despite its size. Most notably:

• It has an intuitive customer display screen, sleek design and responsive touchscreen, which you can customize to show off promotional items.
  
• Its Clover Station Pro countertop kit offers an impressive customer-facing screen and a card machine, as well as fingerprint recognition – letting your staff log into the POS system with just one touch.
• System features include low stock alerts and cost versus profit tracking, as well as advanced analytics that let you break down sales by category, item, or even employees, across multiple locations.

Clover also has an extensive app store, which features many native Clover tools, allowing businesses to build the perfect POS system. Native Clover tools include employee time clocks, customer loyalty programs, and cash tracking.

Our experience testing Clover

Clover has remained consistently easy to use in our testing, despite offering advanced features. We particularly like Clover’s frontend, which is highly intuitive and makes great use of colour to highlight features. The drag-and-drop design of Clover’s table planner is also a nice touch for hospitality businesses.

That said, it wasn’t quite smooth sailing when it came to certain backend features. For example, we had trouble finding where to set up discounts and loyalty programmes, and real-time syncing issues disrupted the overall smoothness of the experience.

When it comes to hardware, we were particularly impressed by how light the Clover Flex, Clover’s handheld EPOS device/card machine, was. Despite its size, it fit easily in our hand and didn’t feel awkward to hold, making it great for table service.

How could Clover improve?

Clover’s hardware can be expensive and prices have recently gone up further. The Clover Flex alone now costs $799, far more than Square’s $299 equivalent. If you’re a small business looking for an affordable POS system, providers like Square or SpotOn are a better choice, since they both offer free plans and cheap hardware.

Additionally, Clover, although it has advanced features, is missing automated tip sharing, a useful feature for hospitality businesses. The best option for easy tip sharing is Square.

4. Shopify: Best for Managing In-Store and Online Sales

Shopify is the best POS system for retailers looking to manage in-person and online sales. Starting out as an ecommerce platform, Shopify has since branched out into POS software, and its unified dashboard for both ecommerce and POS makes consolidating sales and data easy.

What makes Shopify one of the best POS systems?

Shopify’s unified dashboard that integrates both ecommerce and POS functions is one of its key strengths. Businesses can:

• Assign products to be sold online, in-store, or both, while stock levels are updated to reflect both in-person and online sales.
• Accept in-store returns for online purchases, making cross-channel returns seamless for both staff and customers.
• Create customer profiles that sync in-person and online purchase history, making it easier to reward customer loyalty.
• Incentivize repeat business through Shop Cash – the platform’s native rewards currency, which customers can earn and redeem across participating Shopify stores.
• Integrate with over 8,000 apps – far more than the 1,300 that runner-up Square integrates with – including loyalty tools, CRM software, and social media integrations.
• Access a help and support network through Shopify Help Center, where we found an enormous range of questions, tutorials on using the platform, and a troubleshooting forum.

That being said, unlike Square or Clover, Shopify doesn’t have a built-in loyalty program builder – you need to integrate the system with a third-party app to build one.

Our experience with Shopify

While we found Shopify’s frontend easy to navigate, we had a little more trouble navigating the backend, mainly due to the sheer volume of features and menus.

What made the frontend easy to use was the intuitive layout of the checkout page, product library, and discount buttons.

Plus, the addition of an AI assistant allowed for quick troubleshooting and feature lookup. We also generally liked the sleek and modern appearance of the frontend, which made subtle use of color to make features stand out.

The abundance of menus and submenus made finding features, such as staff accounts and discount settings, difficult, leading us to rely on the AI assistant a lot.

How could Shopify improve?

Shopify only offers iPad-based software and doesn’t sell physical countertop terminals, only a tablet stand. This set-up won’t work for all businesses, so if you prefer a more heavy-duty terminal, we recommend Clover.

Like Square, Shopify is also missing a training mode for employees. Given that most staff will only be handling Shopify’s easy-to-use frontend, this might not be an issue, but if it is, all other providers on this page, besides Square, offer a training mode.

Lastly, Shopify’s card processing fees are on the high side, at an average of 2.6% + $0.10 for in-person purchases. You can get lower fees if you pay for an expensive ecommerce plan, but this will increase your monthly costs.

Learn more about the e-commerce-focused POS in our detailed Shopify POS guide.

5. SpotOn: Best for Simplifying Staff Scheduling and Communication

SpotOn is the best POS system for businesses looking to simplify their staff scheduling, thanks to its proprietary shift and payroll management software.

What makes SpotOn one of the best POS systems?

SpotOn has several “crowning jewels” that make it a strong-performing POS system. This includes its:

• Proprietary “Teamwork” app, which handles shift management and payroll and even creates cost projections based on employee salaries.
• Automatic tip-sharing feature that a lot of top POS providers like Clover are missing – improving motivation in back-of-house or front-desk employees by giving a salary boost.
• Hospitality POS system, including a full table plan customization – including changing table colors – which is unusual for a provider that markets itself as affordable.
• Automatic offline functionality, which means none of your data will be lost if you lose connection.
• Customizable customer-facing screens and optional marketing tools, such as email marketing, discount codes, gift card creation, and a loyalty plan builder (paid plan only).

SpotOn also offers a free plan, which includes both free POS software and hardware (on Square’s free plan, you still have to pay for hardware), in exchange for slightly higher transaction fees of 2.89% + $0.25. This is a good option for new businesses with limited startup funds, although the free plan doesn’t include access to SpotOn’s Teamwork app.

Our experience with SpotOn

During testing, we found SpotOn to be one of the most intuitive POS systems to navigate. We didn’t have much trouble setting up discounts or creating menu items with variations.

However, the backend was easier to use than the frontend, mainly because the frontend required a few extra clicks to add items to order, compared with how quickly we could do this using other POS systems, like Lightspeed.

We also didn’t like the floor plan functionality, since it’s not drag-and-drop. To change the size of the tables, you have to click a bar chart button rather than drag them to make them bigger, something restaurants with large floor plans might want to consider.

How could SpotOn improve?

If we’re being picky, we don’t love the fact that SpotOn doesn’t have a wide range of POS hardware and accessories, especially when compared with competitors like Square or Clover.

There’s also no app version of the software for use on iPad or Android tablets, making SpotOn a slightly less accessible choice for businesses that need a compact and mobile system. If you’re looking for a cheap iPad-based restaurant POS system, we recommend Square.

6. SumUp: Best for Integrated Marketing and Sales Insights

SumUp is ideal for businesses looking to access a wide range of built-in marketing and loyalty features at no extra cost. Like Square, it offers both free and paid POS software plans, all of which come with advanced reporting and sales analysis so that you can maximize profitability.

What makes SumUp one of the best POS systems?

SumUp’s free POS software plan is suitable for retail and restaurant businesses, and comes with access to:

• Broken down reporting by item, staff member, and discounts, as well as data on returns, so you can see what items are your best sellers and order stock accordingly.
• A cost versus profit analysis tool – something that’s noticeably absent from any of Square’s POS plans – and can help you minimize waste and focus on marketing and selling only your most profitable items.

That said, SumUp’s free POS plan might be too basic for some restaurants since it doesn’t include table plan management. Ambitious businesses might also want to upgrade to at least SumUp’s $99 per month Connect Lite plan to get access to its integrated marketing tools. These include:

• Easy and free digital gift card creation, as well as a loyalty program
• Marketing tools through email and SMS
• Self-service kiosks for hospitality businesses, which come in the form of large-standing kiosks (unlike Square, which only offers iPad-based kiosks)
• Built-in menu allergen warnings that let you easily add allergens to menu items in the backend, which then appear in the frontend.

Our experience with SumUp

The frontend of SumUp’s POS system is very user-friendly, but the backend remains hard to navigate.

SumUp’s frontend has a simple, clear, and responsive interface with a minimalist design, making finding features, such as table management and order cancellation/editing, easy. We especially like the “park order” function, which allowed us to quickly adjust items mid-transaction.

However, the backend consistently frustrated us, since its design was much clunkier, and we ran into a lot of slow loading when trying to access reports, bulk imports or user settings. The sidebar menu would also often cover up other navigation elements, which made completing tasks difficult.

How could SumUp improve?

SumUp doesn’t have an automatic offline function, which means that if you lose internet access, you won’t be able to keep processing orders. Many competitors offer this function, since it’s a useful backup in a crisis, including Clover and Toast.

Additionally, SumUp doesn’t yet supply handheld POS devices in the US, although it has rolled out a new device for the European market. In the meantime, bars that do table service are missing this key hardware tool offered by most competitors, including Square, Clover and SpotOn.

Buying Guide: How to Choose a POS System

When choosing a POS system, you must prioritize industry-specific functionality, hardware compatibility, upfront and processing costs, and the availability of real-time support channels.

Here are some of the things you should consider before making a decision:

Check for POS functions and available hardware

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

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

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

Some POS 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 POS system.

Prioritize cost and pricing structure

You know your budget better than we do, and you shouldn’t choose a POS 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 POS 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 like SpotOn, on the other hand, doesn’t charge for software or hardware but compensates for this with high transaction fees. If business is booming, this could be more expensive in the long run.

Ensure the POS system is easy to use

As a rule of thumb, the easier a POS 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 POS systems, you could compromise on ease of use in favor of advanced features.

POS systems like Clover and Square are particularly easy to operate, while Clover has a training mode for new employees.

Research the customer support options

Good customer support shouldn’t be overlooked when it comes to POS systems.

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

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

Our Methodology: How We Test POS Systems