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These restaurant POS systems are all easy to use, priced well, and built with all the tools you need to run your restaurant efficiently.
Nicolette began writing on small business topics in 2020. After hundreds of hours researching, testing, and assisting small business owners with web building and point of sale software, she is now an expert on all things eCommerce and point of sale. She has a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Pittsburgh and resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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Nicolette KierNicolette began writing on small business topics in 2020. After hundreds of hours researching, testing, and assisting small business owners with web building and point of sale software, she is now an expert on all things eCommerce and point of sale. She has a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Pittsburgh and resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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Erica has been writing about small business finance and technology since 2008. She joined Merchant Maverick in 2018 and specializes in researching and reviewing business software, financial products, and other topics to help small businesses manage and grow their operations. Her expertise has been cited in MSN, Reader's Digest, Vox, U.S. News & World Report, and Real Simple. She is a Certified ProAdvisor for QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Payroll, a graduate of Limestone University, and currently resides in Greenville, South Carolina.
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Erica SeppalaErica has been writing about small business finance and technology since 2008. She joined Merchant Maverick in 2018 and specializes in researching and reviewing business software, financial products, and other topics to help small businesses manage and grow their operations. Her expertise has been cited in MSN, Reader's Digest, Vox, U.S. News & World Report, and Real Simple. She is a Certified ProAdvisor for QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Payroll, a graduate of Limestone University, and currently resides in Greenville, South Carolina.
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Restaurant POS systems help business owners take orders, accept payments, create menus, manage inventory, and generate sales reports. The best restaurant POS systems have online ordering capabilities, a loyalty program builder, advanced inventory and menu management, offline payment acceptance, and several software integrations.
We reviewed several of the best POS systems for restaurants based on pricing, ease of use, restaurant POS hardware options, and niche features to help you find the system for your business.
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Pros
Free POS software plan
Free online ordering for pickup/delivery
Unlimited POS devices on free plan
Affordable hardware options
Cons
No perishable inventory management
No built-in reservation management
No built-in self-serve kiosk software available
Why We Picked Square
Square is one of the best low-cost restaurant POS systems. The company offers the best free restaurant POS system with free POS software, a free online ordering site for takeout and delivery, and support for an unlimited number of POS devices.
Paid Square plans are highly affordable and include a 30-day free trial, advanced employee management, and more inventory management features. Plus, the company offers affordable POS hardware with no-interest financing.
Potential for very cost-effective payment processing rates
Full-service and quick-service software plans are available
Free online ordering module
Loyalty program included
Cons
Potential for bad contract terms
Not all Clover sellers are reputable
Hardware can get expensive
Why We Picked Clover POS
Clover offers several POS hardware, software, and payment processing options for restaurant owners. Many merchant services providers sell Clover software and hardware and give you the best payment processing rates for your business.
Clover also offers a free basic loyalty program, a free online ordering module, and free/low-cost POS integrations, making Clover a more affordable POS option in terms of monthly software fees.
Payment Processing: Depends on your merchant services provider
POS Hardware: $199 – $1,799
Kitchen Display System Software: $25/device/month
Clover Integrations: Varies
Expert Tip: Many Clover resellers offer POS hardware leasing. You typically pay more over time with hardware leasing than if you purchase the hardware. We recommend getting a small business loan or line of credit to pay for your hardware if necessary.
Features
Clover POS Features
Availability
Multi-Store Support
Contactless Payments
Depends on hardware choice
Multi-Channel Selling
Gift Cards
Customer Loyalty
Marketing Tools
Online Ordering
Based on software plan
Inventory Management
Reporting
Menu Management
Delivery Management
EBT Acceptance
Add-on app
Employee Management
Text Messaging
The best Clover features include:
Integration with several third-party payment processors
Free basic loyalty program
Free online ordering module for pickup and delivery orders
Integration with your Google Business profile
Large app market for POS integrations
Strong floor planning features
Integration with third-party delivery platforms
Scan-to-order and scan-to-pay QR code setup
Shift management
Cost tracking by item
Kitchen display system software
Who Should Use Clover
Restaurants looking for a custom payment processing rate for no added fee
Restaurants and cafes that want well-designed POS hardware
Restaurants looking for a basic free loyalty program and online ordering
Businesses looking for a POS system with many popular integrations
Lightspeed Restaurant is great for fast casual restaurants because it has a free loyalty program on all plans, strong inventory management features, buildable menus for selling items like burritos and salads, self-serve kiosks to reduce lines, strong kitchen display system software, and a quick-serve POS interface.
Lightspeed is also a solid choice for hotels. The POS system integrates with several hotel management software products, includes hotel revenue management functions, and allows guests to order from their room, the pool, at the bar, or anywhere in your hotel.
A long-term commitment with early cancellation fees
High transaction fees for online orders
Proprietary hardware is more expensive
Why We Picked Toast POS
Toast is a great pick for large multi-section restaurants because the POS software offers features like floor planning, order coursing, seat and table management, tipping, and menu management. The software also has great customer management features, including a strong loyalty program and gift card features.
There are also several Toast POS hardware options, including the Toast Go 2 handheld restaurant POS system, which provides servers with excellent tableside order management capabilities.
Toast-Powered Delivery Services: $7.49 per order ($9.49 in California)
Kitchen Display System Software: $35/screen/month
Loyalty:$75/month
Gift Cards:$50/month
Payment Processing Fees:2.49% + $0.15 for in-person transactions and 3.5% + $0.15 for Visa, Mastercard, and Discover, and 3.89% + $0.15 for AMEX for eCommerce orders
POS Hardware:$0+ if you agree to a higher processing rate
Features
Toast POS Features
Availability
Multi-Store Support
Contactless Payments
Multi-Channel Selling
Gift Cards
Customer Loyalty
Marketing Tools
Online Ordering
Inventory Management
Reporting
Menu Management
Delivery Management
EBT Acceptance
Employee Management
Text Messaging
Toast’s best multi-section restaurant features include:
Floor plans for each section of your restaurant
Move guests from a bar section to tables
Split checks by item, seat, and dollar amount
Kitchen display systems with routing to different kitchen stations and the bar section
Expo screens for bar, indoor, and outdoor sections
Tableside order hold, firing, and payments with Toast Go 2 handheld POS device
Toast’s best general restaurant add-ons include a fantastic POS loyalty program, a customizable gift card program, multi-location management, and strong reporting/invoicing software.
Who Should Use Toast POS
Restaurants with multiple sections (bar, outdoor, etc.)
Businesses looking for an all-in-one restaurant management solution
Restaurants looking for durable spill-resistant hardware
Restaurants looking for strong loyalty and gift card management features
Excellent in-house reservation and waitlist system
Offline mode with locally-installed software
Upsells and recommendations for servers
Best pricing for large staff numbers
Cons
Add-ons can get pricey
Not many third-party software integrations
Early termination fee
Why We Picked TouchBistro
If your restaurant needs help managing waitlists and reservations, look no further than TouchBistro. This POS has built-in wait list and reservation software that doesn't require a third-party integration -- although it does come at a cost.
TouchBistro is also excellent for restaurants that offer catering, with features including catering order and delivery settings, and an offline mode so caterers can sell from anywhere.
If you have basic restaurant needs and are interested in purchasing add-ons
TouchBistro fees include:
POS Software Plan:$69/month
Payment Processing: Custom; depends on your chosen payment processor
Online Ordering:$50/month
Reservations & Waitlist: $229/month
Loyalty Program:$99/month
Gift Cards:$25/month
Marketing: $99/month
Kitchen Display Systems: $19/device/month
Setup Fee: $200
Expert Tip: While TouchBistro reservation and waitlist management costs a high monthly fee, there are no per-cover fees like other third-party reservation and waitlist software charges, which may save you money in the long run.
Features
TouchBistro Features
Availability
Multi-Store Support
Contactless Payments
Multi-Channel Selling
Gift Cards
Add-on
Customer Loyalty
Add-on
Marketing Tools
Add-on
Online Ordering
Add-on
Inventory Management
Reporting
Menu Management
Delivery Management
EBT Acceptance
Employee Management
Text Messaging
TouchBistro’s standout features include:
Accept reservations from a branded web app, your Google Business profile, and over the phone
Send reminder emails and phone messages about upcoming reservations
Floor plans made for managing reservations
Custom reservation questions/requirements (list any allergies, whether children are coming, etc.)
Customers can add themselves to your restaurant’s waitlist
Send customers text updates about their waitlist status
Customer accounts for charging one-time or recurring catering services
Charge more depending on catering order delivery distance to account for gas usage
Schedule catering orders in advance
Create automated upselling prompts for servers
Offline mode to sell food, drinks, or retail items on-location
Requires a long-term processing contract for the best subscription price
Early termination fee
Why We Picked Revel Systems
Revel Systems is a good pick for very large restaurant businesses, franchises, and drive-thrus. The iPad-based POS offers a customizable business management solution, enterprise-level multi-location reporting, strong KDS software, and several third-party integrations, including drive-thru software/hardware options.
Restaurant owners can also set royalty payments and location-specific franchise management features.
talech has an affordable POS offering, especially considering the many full-service features available.
While this POS is not as well-designed or feature-rich as other full-service POS systems, such as TouchBistro and Toast, talech scores highly in pricing because it offers a formidable set of features at a transparent, affordable price for smaller sit-down restaurants.
If you operate a full-service restaurant, salon, spa, or another business with multiple locations
To use talech at your restaurant, you’ll need to sign up for at least the Starter plan, although most of the features that make talech a good full-service POS are available on the Premium plan.
Additional talech fees include:
$200 onboarding fee (required for Standard and Premium plans)
Tablets for POS hardware
Custom payment processing rates
$29/month/register
Features
talech POS Features
Availability
Multi-Store Support
Starter plan & up
Contactless Payments
Multi-Channel Selling
Gift Cards
Starter plan & up
Customer Loyalty
Standard & Premium plans
Marketing Tools
Online Ordering
Standard & Premium plans only
Inventory Management
Starter plan & up
Reporting
Menu Management
Delivery Management
EBT Acceptance
Employee Management
Standard & Premium plans
Text Messaging
Receipts only
talech offers these full-service features at a highly affordable price:
Customer house accounts
Table management and floor planning
Menu coursing
Ticket splitting and server tipping
Service charges and automated gratuity
Send and receive purchase orders
Perform stock takes
Get low stock alerts
Employee management features
Who Should Use talech
Restaurants and cafes looking for low-cost inventory management features
Restaurants looking for cheap online ordering software
Restaurants looking for basic self-contained restaurant software
Merchant Maverick has been researching and reviewing POS providers since 2012. Our writers have tested over 100 different point of sale systems, evaluating pricing, features, ease of use, customer service, and user reviewers. Read more about how we rate POS providers.
Weighted Rating Breakdown
Pricing 35%
Features 30%
Ease Of Use 20%
Customer Service 10%
User Reviews 5%
When comparing different POS software systems, we consider many data points, including relative pricing, the depth of niche features offered, the price of hardware, and any associated payment processing fees. Our lists of the best providers include only apps we’ve deemed worthwhile from multiple vantage points. The POS vendors we pick share qualities such as widespread availability, accessibility, user-friendliness, and reasonable pricing. We also look carefully at niche features, such as check-splitting, inventory management, eCommerce, loyalty programs, gift cards, and more.
We spend an average of 10-15 hours researching and updating each one of our lists, making sure the providers included meet our internal standards for quality and reputation.
80+
Vendors evaluated
65+
Attributes assessed per vendor
20+
Features weighed
30+
Combined years of experience
What Is A Restaurant POS System?
A restaurant POS system is software that, when combined with a card reader and tablet screen, allows you to take orders and digital payment types, manage a menu and inventory, and print receipts.
How Much Does A Restaurant POS System Cost?
Here’s a breakdown of potential costs associated with restaurant POS systems:
Buyer's Guide: How To Choose A Restaurant POS System
To choose a restaurant POS system:
Build Your Monthly Budget: Decide how much you can spend every month on POS software and any additional features.
Decide Your POS Hardware Needs: Choose between tablet POS and handheld POS hardware (or both). Decide whether you need KDS screens, self-serve kiosks, or other hardware. Consider your budget when you’re choosing your POS hardware.
Choose Your Must-Have Features: Consider your restaurant type, online ordering options, customer marketing, and restaurant management features when deciding your necessary features.
Narrow Down Your Options: With a budget, POS hardware needs, and must-have software features, narrow down your choices.
Get A Free Trial: If your options do not offer a free trial, make extensive use of a free demo.
Sign A Merchant Agreement: Read through and sign a merchant agreement. Make note of early termination fees, hardware warranties, and other contract requirements when signing your agreement.
Nicolette began writing on small business topics in 2020. After hundreds of hours researching, testing, and assisting small business owners with web building and point of sale software, she is now an expert on all things eCommerce and point of sale. She has a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Pittsburgh and resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
View Nicolette Kier's professional experience on LinkedIn.
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Our Experts Recommend Revel 🏆Revel is a top pick for restaurant POS software.We love Revel POS for its advanced features and exceptional versatility in both the retail and restaurant industries. Get a demo today to find out everything Revel has to offer.Learn MoreWith a free demo
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The vendors that appear on this list were chosen by subject matter experts on the basis of product quality, wide usage and availability, and positive reputation.
Merchant Maverick’s ratings are editorial in nature, and are not aggregated from user reviews. Each staff reviewer at Merchant Maverick is a subject matter expert with experience researching, testing, and evaluating small business software and services. The rating of this company or service is based on the author’s expert opinion and analysis of the product, and assessed and seconded by another subject matter expert on staff before publication. Merchant Maverick’s ratings are not influenced by affiliate partnerships.
Our unbiased reviews and content are supported in part by affiliate partnerships, and we adhere to strict guidelines to preserve editorial integrity. The editorial content on this page is not provided by any of the companies mentioned and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone.
Our Experts Recommend Revel 🏆Revel is a top pick for restaurant POS software.We love Revel POS for its advanced features and exceptional versatility in both the retail and restaurant industries. Get a demo today to find out everything Revel has to offer.Learn MoreWith a free demo
