Best POS Systems For Small Business

Square is one of the easiest POS systems for small businesses that want free POS software, flat-rate payment processing, and affordable hardware.

It includes tools for in-person sales, online checkout, invoices, appointments, inventory, team management, and customer management. However, Square requires Square Payments, and its aggregated processor model can increase the risk of account holds for some businesses.

Lightspeed Retail is a strong POS option for retailers that need advanced inventory management, multi-location tools, and built-in eCommerce features.

It supports large catalogs, item variants, purchase orders, stock transfers, vendor management, customer accounts, loyalty, and retail hardware for countertop or mobile checkout. U.S. and Canadian retailers are required to use Lightspeed Payments, and the system may be more advanced than very small businesses need.

Clover is a strong POS option for businesses that want payment processing, software, hardware, and add-ons in one system.

It offers countertop and mobile hardware, built-in payments, offline payments, customer management, loyalty, online ordering, inventory tools, and the Clover App Marketplace. However, Clover hardware can’t be reprogrammed for another processor, and pricing, rates, and contract terms can vary depending on where you purchase the system.

Toast is a strong POS system for restaurants that need tools for ordering, payments, kitchen operations, staff management, and customer loyalty.

It offers restaurant hardware, handheld ordering, kitchen display systems, kiosks, online ordering, delivery tools, payroll, scheduling, and multi-location menu management. However, Toast requires Toast payment processing, and lower-upfront-cost plans may come with higher processing fees.

Helcim is an excellent free POS option for B2B, B2G, and service-based businesses that need invoicing, recurring billing, client accounts, and stored payment methods.

It includes free POS software, interchange-plus processing, hosted payment pages, a virtual terminal, customer portals, and tools for charging saved cards or bank accounts. Businesses still pay processing fees on each transaction.

Lightspeed Restaurant is a great POS option for quick-service, fast-casual, hotel, and full-service restaurants that need better front-of-house, kitchen, and management tools.

It supports multiple order types, kitchen displays, order status screens, inventory and waste tracking, loyalty, hotel PMS integrations, and multi-location menu management. U.S. and Canadian restaurants are required to use Lightspeed Payments, so businesses should review contracts and add-on costs carefully.

Shopify is a strong POS option for businesses that sell both in person and online and want inventory syncing across channels.

It supports POS sales, online stores, social selling, marketplace integrations, Tap to Pay, retail hardware, Shopify Payments, international selling tools, and a large app marketplace. However, advanced retail features require POS Pro, and third-party payment processors can add extra Shopify transaction fees.

Vend by Lightspeed is a good fit for small to mid-sized retailers that want a simpler retail POS with strong inventory tools.

It supports returns, store credit, layaway, gift cards, loyalty, customer history, barcode scanning, purchase orders, product bundling, custom price books, and automated reordering. Businesses should review current pricing, payment requirements, and any third-party processing fees before signing up.

KORONA is a flexible POS system for retailers that want more control over payment processing and hardware.

It supports compatible third-party processors, including some that work with high-risk industries. KORONA also offers register security, inventory management, cashier permissions, reporting, self-checkout, ticketing, invoicing, and franchise tools. Processing rates and contract terms depend on the provider you choose.

Revel is a highly customizable iPad POS system for businesses that need both restaurant and retail tools in one platform.

It supports kitchen displays, online ordering, delivery, kiosks, table management, house accounts, purchase ordering, matrix inventory, appointment booking, and franchise controls. However, Revel is more complex and expensive than many small-business POS systems, so businesses should review contracts, implementation costs, and processing requirements carefully.

TouchBistro is a strong iPad POS system for restaurants, caterers, food trucks, and mobile food businesses that need reliable offline functionality.

It includes tools for table management, reservations, waitlists, catering orders, customer preferences, house accounts, loyalty, online ordering, gift cards, and TouchBistro Payments. Businesses should review add-on costs, setup fees, contract terms, and payment processing options before committing.