7 Best Restaurant EPOS Systems in 2023

Square receives a high overall score of 4.7/5 in our independent research, making it the highest scoring EPOS provider of the top seven providers we look at in this guide.

Our independent research team compared 10 different EPOS systems to find the best on the market.  Our researchers then scored each provider across several categories, including price, restaurant features, help and support, and customer score. We then narrowed this list down to the top seven.

If Square isn't the best fit for your business, we've also rated six other EPOS systems to ensure you find the right provider for your restaurant. Read on to find the best provider for your business.

If you're short on time, you can use our free comparison tool to get tailored quotes straight from the providers. We just need a few details from you and we'll get matching!

1. Square – Best overall

Square offers a free POS app and affordable hardware (starting at £16 for a card reader), so its no surprise it scores a perfect 5/5 for pricing in our research.

Square offers the ability to take orders online without any fees or commission. You can also set up delivery and click and collect, expanding your customer base. You can set up online ordering through your restaurant's website, or integrate third-party providers. You can opt for the paid version, but this is mostly suited to retail businesses as it offers advanced retail features, priced at £49 per month.

For online orders, menu items are easily imported and all online orders are synced with the EPOS system. An added bonus is that you can also set up Instagram and Facebook ad integration.

Square's kitchen display system (KDS) is straightforward and easy to use, displaying in-house and online orders for maximum efficiency. Square KDS is priced at £15 per month, per device.  This is more or less where the restaurant-specific features stop, although Square does have other helpful features, such as stock management, employee management, and analytics.

Square scores a 5/5 in the help and support area, offering customers the chance to contact them via phone, email, or social media. Its average Trustpilot score is 4.2/5 out of almost 2,000 reviews.

Overall, we recommend Square to small businesses or startups with simple needs. As your business grows, you might find that you'll need a comprehensive and specialised system, such as Clover, Lightspeed or TouchBistro. These systems come with built-in restaurant features such as staff management and happy hour.

2. Clover – Best for handheld EPOS

Clover has a variety of EPOS systems, including its handheld EPOS system, Clover Flex. Clover Flex allows you to take payments on the go, making it ideal for busy restaurants, cafes, and bars.

In addition to taking payments, you can also access features like inventory management, sales reports, and gift cards. It also has a barcode scanner and receipt printer, so you can use it to manage your stock. It will take payments offline for a period of time but, if you're on the Register subscription, it generally runs off Wi-Fi or 3G.

This handheld POS system is a fairly unique piece of hardware, although other mobile EPOS systems are technically handheld as they can be downloaded onto a mobile phone.

Clover scores a 5/5 for pricing in our research, but it is pricier when compared with other mobile EPOS systems, like Square or Zettle. Clover's pricing is custom, so you'll need to contact them for a more accurate price. You can either lease or buy the hardware outright. The leasing option is good if you're a small business, or you don't want to invest too much into a system upfront. Leasing the hardware costs around £25+ per month, and buying it outright is in the range of £500 to £1400. The software is around £30+ per month.

Clover scores a 4.6/5 for restaurant features in our research because you can set up custom floor plans, track and transfer bar tabs, split bills, take bookings, and see the status of each table. You can also set up online ordering with Clover and link these orders to the EPOS system, making it easy and efficient for your staff.

Help and support scores a 3/5, compared to Square which scores a 5/5. Square offers customers the opportunity to contact them via phone, email, or social media whereas Clover only offers phone and email support. However, it does offer various phone lines for different purposes, such as terminal leasing, technical support, and POS support.

Overall, we would recommend Clover to larger businesses that want comprehensive EPOS hardware alongside restaurant-specific features.

3. Zettle by PayPal – Best for startups

Zettle scores a 3/5 in the help and support area, as it offers phone support, email or live chat. Square scoresa 5/5 as it allows customers to contact them via phone, email, or social media. Square's support is available 24/7 compared to Zettle's options which are only available during business hours. Its customer score is a solid 4.2/5, with many customers enjoying how easy it is to use.

One of Zettle's biggest attractions is the fact that it's so simple to use. Coupled with its core but basic features, this makes it a good choice for small businesses or startups. It's especially good for businesses with a straightforward menu that doesn't change often.

It's also a good choice for restaurants that aren't full-service because it doesn't include custom floor plans or a booking system. If you are wanting these features, then a better option would be to go with Clover or Lightspeed – but they are pricier. If you aren't able to extend your budget for these, then Square is a good alternative. It may not have as many restaurant-focused features as Clover or Lightspeed, but it's much cheaper and has more features than Zettle.

4. TouchBistro – Best for full-service restaurants

Scoring an overall 4/5 in our research, TouchBistro's extensive number of restaurant features make it a good option for full-service restaurants. Its other features include being able to  set up online ordering, customise floor plans, and track table turnover. However, it doesn't offer any multi-location management, so if that is what you are after, then Clover or Lightspeed would be a better fit.

The UK system doesn't offer reservations or online ordering, although this is offered in the US. Instead, you can integrate delivery apps, such as Deliveroo or UberEats. Aside from this, there are no other options for click and collect or ecommerce integrations. If you want to offer this, a good alternative would be Lightspeed, which offers extensive functionality in this area, such as the ability to create a delivery only menu and consolidate online orders on one screen.

TouchBistro doesn't do as well in the pricing department, scoring a measly 2.8/5. This is partly because you have to commit to a minimum contract length of 12 months. Once you've signed the contract with TouchBistro, it can be difficult to get out of as you'll need to provide 30 day's written notice before the end of your contract. Failure to do this means your contract is automatically renewed. You do get the choice of paying monthly, quarterly, biannually, or annually.

TouchBistro is iPad-based, which is limiting for Android users. The first iPad licence is £49 +VAT per month, the second and third iPad are £45 +VAT per month, and the 4th to 9th iPad is £40 +VAT per month. For 10 or more iPads, the price is custom.

5. Epos Now – Best for wide-range of hardware

You can track ‘time at table', manage floor plans, and set up automated ordering, which is why Epos Now scores a hearty 5/5 in our in depth research for business management. It also offers extensive integration with apps such as Deliveroo, Xero, and MailChimp. So, if there are features not on the system, you can access these via a third-party integration.

As it is fairly pricey (especially the hardware), Epos Now scores a 3.3/5 for pricing in our research. Costing £799 plus VAT for the hardware and £39 per month for the software, Epos Now's pricing is on the higher end of EPOS systems. If this is out of your price range, a better option is Square, as it's software is free and it's hardware more affordable than Epos Now with its card reader priced at £16.

However, it does come with restaurant-focused features and one of its biggest strengths is that it offers comprehensive EPOS hardware. You can opt for an iPad system, an Android system, or a more traditional EPOS system with Epos Now's own touch screen, complete with a cash drawer and printer. You can choose to pay monthly, so the cost of the hardware is spread out over a period of time, making it easier on the budget. Ultimately, it is more expensive than many other EPOS systems.

For help and support, Epos Now scores a 4/5, as you can reach the provider over the phone, via email, or live chat. You can also access the Epos Now community and reach out to software designers and product developers to provide you with feedback and make improvement suggestions.

In the customer score area, Epos Now has been rated a 4.2/5. This is echoed by its Trustpilot review, which gives it a rating of 4.5/5 out of over 11,000+ reviews. Many customers found that the customer service provided was friendly and helpful.

6. Lightspeed Restaurant – Best for multi-location restaurants 

With Lightspeed you can manage multiple locations from one system, generate multi-location reports, and edit all your menus at all locations – no matter where you are. You can also access in-depth reports on daily, weekly, and monthly revenue, as well as product and category reports to accurately track which items are least and most popular. If you want advanced reporting, this can be purchased as an add-on.

Third-party delivery apps can be integrated into the system, so you can access them all on one screen for ease and convenience.

Lightspeed scores a 2.3/5 for pricing because its packages are fairly expensive when compared with other EPOS providers we looked at. Square scores a 5/5 for pricing as its software is free and its hardware is also affordable, with a card reader priced at £16. Lightspeed's lowest package is £39 per month, if you pay annually. Of course, this is limiting for small businesses and businesses with tight budgets. If you opt to pay monthly, the same package shoots up to £59 per month. However, Lightspeed Restaurant is worth it for businesses that want to make use of its restaurant-specific features, specifically for multi-location restaurants. Extra terminals cost £29, so, depending on how many terminals you'll need, this can get pricey.

Lightspeed's help and support scores a 3/5 as it's customer support options are fairly limited, with only a phone number and email address to contact. It lacks a live chat option, so if you want this a better option would be Square, scoring a 5/5 for customer support.

7. Shopify – Best for restaurants with an ecommerce store

Shopify has the highest score for restaurant features with a 4.3/5, although it is geared towards retail businesses. Shopify allows you to manage online and in-store orders in one place, monitor analytics, and track loyalty.

Shopify is missing some restaurant features, but you can add these to the system via third-party integration. Integrations can be a little tricky as they may not always work well and, if an issue arises, you'll need to deal with the third-party directly. If you want these features to be built in, a better option would be to choose Clover or Lightspeed. Both of these providers offer more restaurant-focused features.

Shopify doesn't do very well in the pricing department, scoring a below average 2.3/5. Although its prices start from £19 per month for the Basic package, this isn't a suitable choice for restaurants. Instead the Advanced package, priced at £259 per month, is more suitable for restaurants. This pricing is much steeper than other EPOS systems we've looked at, so it's really only worth it if you already have a Shopify ecommerce store, or want to run one alongside your business.

Shopify scores a 4/5 for its help and support features because it offers 24/7 customer support. You can get in touch with them via phone, email, and live chat. This 24/7 support is fairly rare among the EPOS providers we've taken a look at as most only provide support within business hours.

Which provider has the best free plan?

As our reigning champ, Square has the best free plan. Its free EPOS app can be used alongside affordable hardware, with costs starting from £16 for a card reader. Square is easy to use, customisable, and offers a variety of features from employee management, inventory tools, and digital gift cards.

Zettle by PayPal also offers a free EPOS app, however, it offers less features when compared with Square. It is super simple and suits start-ups or small businesses, especially as its transaction fees are much lower than Square's.

Our methodology

Our research team compared 10 EPOS providers, looking at restaurant features, price, help and support, and customer score. Based on how well the providers performed in each of these areas, our team was able to find the best EPOS systems for restaurants as well as what each system is best for.

The areas we looked at included:

• Hardware – this takes into account the industry type the hardware it suited to, bill splitting, and transaction processing
• Business management- this looks at various features such as detailed reports, offline mode, and delivery support
• Price – this score is worked out based on the average price of the provider and whether it offers a free plan or a free trial

Square scores 4.8/5 for restaurant features and Clover a 4.6/5 and, although these scores are close, Square won out thanks to its integrations. However, Clover does have built-in, restaurant-specific features, such as being able to customise floor plans, take bookings, and split bills.

Although both Square and Clover score a 5/5 for price, Square offers a free EPOS app which can't be beat and Clover's pricing starts from £30+/month.

Square scores a 4/5 for help and support, and Clover scores a 3/5, as you can also contact Square via social media, whereas Clover can only be contacted via phone or email.

With an almost identical rating in the customer score area, Square scores a 4.3/5 and Clover a 4.2/5. Both perform fairly well with customers, but Square's easy-to-use system gives it the winning edge.