6 Best Small Business POS For Macs In 2023

Square’s retail and service-based POS apps are not available as Mac apps, but they do work well as browser-based apps that you can connect with a Square card reader to take itemized sales from your MacBook. We love that Square software offers so many features for free, along with affordable hardware options and transparent monthly fees and payment processing rates. This is why Square is one of our best free POS systems.

Retail and service-based business owners will find the administrative tools needed to manage day-to-day operations, such as inventory and employee management, as well as multichannel ordering options like a free online store/appointment booking website builder, and marketing tactics like social media advertising and in-app shopping integrations to help you grow your business.

On free Square plans, you can add Square POS software on an unlimited number of Mac devices. Since you don’t need any additional equipment except a card reader, the barrier to entry is even lower.

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The Square For Retail Plus plan includes inventory management features like vendor management, inventory counts, automated purchase ordering, and barcode printing. You can also accept cross-location returns and exchanges on the Plus plan.

Square also offers an appointment booking software for service businesses, Square Appointments.

Note: All free plans apply to single-location businesses only. If you open multiple locations, you must upgrade to a Plus plan.

Popular add-ons include Square Loyalty (starting at $45/month), Square Payroll (starting at $35/month), and Square Email Marketing (starting at $15/month).

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Square has software features for retail and service businesses, but no matter which industry plan you choose, you get these free features:

• Square Online: Free online store builder that allows you to sell items, memberships, and/or schedule appointments
• Square Invoices: Free invoice builder to send estimates, charge deposits, and charge cards on file for things like multi-stage home improvement projects or B2B retail orders
• Unlimited Devices: On the free plan, you can use an unlimited number of tablets at your location
• Square Checkout Links: Accept payments via QR code, hyperlink, email, text, social media profile, or buy button embedded in a website
• Square Dashboard: Manage your inventory, reports, online store, appointments, customer profiles, and your team from anywhere on one tablet dashboard

Service businesses such as salons or home repair businesses will appreciate the Google appointment booking integration, customer confirmation notifications and automated reminders, retail sales capabilities, and the ability to manage resources like manpower, in-store product usage, and tools.

Square POS on Mac with connected Square Terminal card reader.

You’ll need to connect the $299 Square Terminal to your Mac to take orders and payments in a streamlined way, or you can manually enter customers’ credit card numbers into the web-based POS app to accept payments.

However, if you manually enter card numbers, you will be charged higher payment processing fees.

Since late 2022, Square has offered Tap to Pay capabilities on iOS and Android devices. You can download the Square Point of Sale, Square Invoices, or Square Appointments app on your smartphone and accept tap card and digital wallet payments without a card reader, all while avoiding manually keyed-in card payment processing fees.

All Square accounts include payment processing with Square Payments. Square charges 2.6% + $0.10 for all in-person payments and 2.9% + $0.30 for all online payments.

Square offers monthly contracts that are easy to cancel with no early termination fees.

You will need to purchase the Square Terminal if you want to give customers the ability to pay with chip cards and for a more streamlined POS register payment setup.

We love that Helcim offers completely free Mac POS software and transparent interchange-plus payment processing fees to all business owners. With this POS model, many business owners (especially those with higher average transaction sizes) will save money and understand exactly what they’re paying for.

While the company’s in-person POS system is adequate for many small retail and countertop restaurant businesses, its invoicing, card storage vault, and custom online checkout designer are Helcim’s most outstanding features. These features are most beneficial for B2B businesses, service-based businesses such as veterinarian offices and carpet cleaners, and businesses selling subscriptions.

Helcim’s POS software is completely free to use. You only pay Helcim’s payment processing fees.

Helcim’s free Mac POS system offers all standard POS functions, and it’s easy for employees to add products, discounts, tips, and customer accounts during transactions. You can also sell individual items and sell to businesses using customer portals and large catalogs.

Helcim’s invoicing and recurring payments features are what really sets Helcim apart from the other providers in this list. Helcim’s invoicing features include:

• Custom drag-and-drop invoice creation and payment settings
• Set full and partial invoice due dates
• Send reminders to customers about upcoming and overdue invoice payments
• Set recurring invoice payments with card or account on file
• Create automated and manual tax settings for invoices

Helcim invoice designer request deposit for B2B wholesale order.

Helcim’s subscription management includes prorated billing, so you only charge customers for the days they use their subscription. It also includes metered billing, so you charge based on monthly usage data and have the ability to add one-time fees and add-ons. Customers will get an automated reminder when their card is about to expire.

You can also create free trials for customers. If a customer cancels their subscription, you can get feedback that will help you understand why they canceled to optimize your subscription business.

Helcim’s POS and web pages (including checkout carts, subscription signup, approvals, and client portals) can be built with a drag-and-drop builder, so your pages will have only the information you want, and they will all be custom-branded. This is useful for businesses that only need certain information fields, like those selling services, as you can remove fields like the shipping address.

Helcim credit card reader and POS terminal on desktop device.

Helcim has a desktop app available on the Mac App Store so you can take sales offline. Helcim’s card reader costs $109 and you just connect it to your Mac via Bluetooth to take payments.

There are also a few compatible receipt printers available.

Helcim offers interchange-plus payment processing for all businesses, small or large. There are no minimum sales volumes or transaction numbers. This is highly uncommon among POS providers.

The company offers a sample “find your custom rate” tool on its website. As an example, if a professional services business makes less than $25,000 per month and has an average transaction size of $250, the business can expect to pay a processing fee of 1.95% plus $0.08 for in-person payments and 2.4% plus $0.25 for online transactions.

Similar to Square, Helcim offers very flexible month-to-month contracts with no early termination fees.

We believe that Hike POS is equipped with everything you need to run your retail business with a Mac. The easy-to-use inventory management feature is a real standout, allowing you to add unlimited products with multiple variants, set up automated reminders and updates, and easily reorder stock. Add in robust reporting, an intuitive interface, competitive pricing, and good customer support, and it’s easy to see why this POS makes the cut.

Note: Hike offers a 14-day free trial, no credit card required.

Hike POS plans come with one register license per location. Additional registers cost $39/month/device and extra locations cost $99/location/month.

This cloud-based all-in-one POS has a number of features beneficial to small- to mid-sized businesses.

Standout features include:

• Inventory management system with tracking across multiple locations, automated reordering, custom barcodes, reminders, and updates
• Customizable loyalty program
• Real-time business analytics and numerous customizable reports
• Integrations including QuickBooks, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Shopify, and Mailchimp
• Customer and employee management
• In-store, online, and Amazon Marketplace sales

Note: If you’re looking for a retail POS system with a built-in online store builder, more online sales marketplace integrations, and better online/offline sales features, look into Shopify POS. Purchasing an iPad is worth it for the retail sales feature upgrades.

Receipt printer, cash drawer, Hike POS on Mac, barcode scanner.

Hike POS can be used directly from your Mac through a web browser or offline with the Hike POS app for Mac. Hike also sells various POS equipment, including barcode scanners, receipt printers, label printers, cash drawers, and hardware bundles. Contact the company for more information on hardware pricing.

Hike integrates with several payment processors in the US. Options include Square, PayPal, Elavon, WorldPay, TSYS, and Chase.

Hike POS does not have any contracts or hidden fees.

Make sure to read through any payment processing contracts before signing with any merchant services providers. Many providers have lengthy contract terms and early termination fees, so make sure to negotiate a good merchant agreement.

We appreciate that KORONA is built for regulated industries as well as unique industries such as amusement parks. With built-in security features, ID verification, and numerous payment processing integrations, KORONA POS is a competitively-priced option for high-risk businesses such as vape shops, dispensaries, and liquor stores.

KORONA plans are priced by terminal and on a monthly basis, although you will get one month free if you pay for a year upfront.

The software’s solid inventory management features start at the $69/month Advanced plan, while the multi-store/franchise management features are available on the $89/month Plus plan.

KORONA’s most unique POS features are its loss prevention features, affordable inventory management, and franchise capabilities.

You’ll get these loss prevention features with KORONA:

• Forced drawer closing, blind till counts, and restricting cash drawer access to open only when they make a sale
• Require manager approval for item voids, price changes, item returns, and inventory changes
• Run cash drawer reports at any time, at the end of shifts, and set maximum allowed balance differences
• Cashier balance and time tracking reports
• Restrict which cashiers can grant permissions to other cashiers (used for managers who need to be able to use registers but will also need to create new cashiers and associated cashier permissions)

KORONA offers great inventory management capabilities for its price point, and even general businesses can appreciate these features:

• Set reordering levels with preferred vendor/warehouse reordering sources
• Pack to single item conversion (great for selling items like cigarettes and liquor bottles)
• Product performance reports, including slow sellers, product movement, and reorder optimization level recommendations
• Stock difference lists and product discrepancy reports
• Inventory app so you can send purchase orders, receive items, and scan barcodes from your phone (Plus plan and higher only)

Franchise owners will appreciate the ability to create portals for franchisees with restricted user permissions. You’ll also get franchise revenue reports and a royalty collection setup.

KORONA’s event and ticket management features make this system great for places like amusement parks and museums.

KORONA POS terminal, cash drawer, credit card terminal, and receipt printer.

Like Helcim, KORONA has a desktop POS app available for download.

KORONA does not list pricing for hardware accessories online but is compatible with hardware from Epson, PartnerTech, PAX, Genius, Dejavoo, Econduit, Aures, Honeywell, and more.

You will need to connect your Mac device to a card reader to take card payments.

KORONA does not offer in-house payment processing but instead integrates with several payment processors, including Merchant Warehouse and Merchant Payment Systems.

You can also integrate KORONA with several merchant service providers through PAX and Dejavoo payment devices.

KORONA offers month-to-month contracts with no early termination fees. You can pay for an annual contract and get one month free.

The provider also offers an unlimited free trial so you can try out the software for as long as you need to before committing to it.

You do have to be careful about your merchant agreement and make sure the terms are fair for your business. High-risk business owners should expect to pay a little more for payment processing than other lower-risk business owners.

We’ve found that there are very few restaurant-centric POS systems that are available on Macs, but Poster POS has all the restaurant management features you need to manage your business from your MacBook. From ordering to recipe building, to inventory monitoring and takeout/delivery order management, Poster POS has it all. The register interface looks just like a tablet, so if you’ve ever taken sales that way, you’ll feel right at home on this MacOS app.

The provider also offers very affordable add-on apps like an online ordering platform builder, reservations manager, kitchen display system, and even hotel property management software. The only downside is that some add-ons are not compatible with MacBooks. For example, the kitchen display software is an Android application.

Note: Poster POS offers a 15-day free trial, no credit card required.

Poster POS offers the following subscription plans:

• Mini: $29/month ($24/month with annual billing)
• Business: $49/month ($44/month with annual billing)
• Pro: $69/month ($64/month with annual billing)

We recommend the Mini plan for small eateries that don’t have a large menu or need conversational item modifiers. The Business plan is for midsize restaurants and bars that open tabs for customers. The Pro plan is for full-service restaurants that accept table reservations.

Popular add-ons include the Poster Shop web-based online store builder app ($19/month), Poster Courier delivery management app ($5/month/courier), and GetOrder third-party delivery platform integration ($30/month).

Poster’s most important restaurant POS features include:

• Inventory Management: Assign ingredients to dishes and non-perishable items (e.g., coffee stirrers) to supplies. Take stock at any time and monitor stock movements. Transfer items to different storage locations (e.g., between two restaurants or two stations within one restaurant) and closely monitor where stock is going.
• Menu Builder: Poster POS has a surprisingly thorough menu builder that syncs well with your inventory management. You can create dishes and even create prep ingredients out of base ingredients (e.g., make “dough” out of flour, salt, and water) to create menu items quickly. Menus can be synced across in-person and online ordering platforms.
• Online Ordering: Allow customers to order online for takeout or delivery on the inexpensive online ordering platform builder. Incorporate the Poster courier logistics app to manage your delivery drivers. Add a QR code menu around your busy restaurant so customers can order at their table instead of waiting for servers during times when you’re short-staffed.
• Loyalty & Promotions: Poster POS includes a simple loyalty program builder that you can use to give members discounts on specific days, items, or other promotion conditions. It’s easy to sign customers up and servers just have to look up customers by name during checkout. You can also just create time-based or item-based promotions and apply the promotion to all patrons.

You can connect Poster POS to the kitchen display system app if you get an Android tablet. If you do that, servers can fire orders from the Mac POS terminal and kitchen staff will see them on a screen rather than a printed kitchen ticket. Kitchen staff can mark off various stages of cooking and receive orders from online platforms as well.

Poster POS also has an affordable table reservation integration that allows customers to make reservations on their own and servers can accept and monitor reservations.

Note: If you’re looking for a POS system that’s easier to use and has more restaurant management features, Square For Restaurants and Lightspeed Restaurant are excellent alternative restaurant POS systems. You’ll just have to invest in an iPad.

Poster POS receipt printer, plus Poster on desktop, mobile device, and tablet.

You may accept payments via an integrated SumUp card reader ($19) or non-integrated card reader that a third-party payment processing company would provide to you.

You can use just about any USB or Bluetooth receipt printer and any WiFi-enabled kitchen printer with Poster.

Poster integrates directly to SumUp for in-person payments at 2.65% for in-person orders, and Stripe for online orders.

You may also take payments with a non-integrated card reader for custom payment processing fees, although there is a little extra work involved to use this option.

Poster POS does require some extra work to set up, especially since it is a newer POS system without a huge library of tutorials and user demos. With the extra work comes more flexibility, though, especially in terms of payment processing and hardware requirements.

There are no early termination fees with Poster POS.

Odoo is a company that provides a very unique suite of integrated business tools, including POS software. All of Odoo’s apps are web-based and bundled at an extremely affordable price for everything you’re getting. For example, you can install the POS, rental, and maintenance apps on one Mac to create a complete bike retail and repair shop for one low monthly price.

Businesses with a lot of varying needs, several employees, or lots of customer touchpoints (phone, online, in-person, etc.) will appreciate how specific you can make your business settings and monitor your business’s activity.

The only downside is that Odoo apps are not as intuitive as the other options on this list, mostly because the software is so vast and there’s no integrated payment processing setup.

With Odoo, you get one app for free, so you can get your POS app without spending any money.

The paid plans are as follows:

• Standard: $31.10/user/month ($24.90/user/month with annual billing)
• Custom: $46.80/user/month ($37.40/user/month with annual billing)

With paid plans, you get access to all Odoo apps.

The Custom plan also includes an on-premise local installation offer for offline sales, multi-company management, the Odoo Studio which allows you to create your own Odoo apps, and an external API for even more developer customizations.

Odoo’s POS app comes with built-in inventory management and invoicing. Purchases are called “sessions” and you can create itemized sales or custom payments. Inventory can get very customized, including the ability to print barcode labels in a variety of sizes.

Much like Helcim, Odoo’s invoicing software allows you to create stylized invoice templates, store B2B customer information, and create custom repayment terms. Unlike Helcim, Odoo has expansive accounting software built into the invoicing software, and with some more account setup, you can keep even better track of your business activity.

However, the POS app is average, so we really like Odoo because of the other apps available. This includes a complete HR and payroll solution, a customer helpdesk ticket management app, a manufacturing order management app, a quality control monitoring app, and shipping courier integrations. No matter what kind of business you own or how large it is, Odoo has everything you and your employees need to succeed.

Odoo Rental management app item rental calendar.

You can purchase a Stripe Terminal card reader to take in-person payments. Depending on your model, you may spend between $59 and $299.

Odoo users can use Stripe to process online and in-person payments, so you’ll be subject to Stripe fees. There are no additional fees to take payments through Odoo. You will have to set up the Stripe connection, and while it isn’t straightforward, there are tutorials to help you.

Note: If you’re looking for a highly customizable POS system with built-in payment processor and you’re willing to move to an iPad-based POS, Revel Systems is a good alternative to Odoo’s POS system.

Odoo is an extremely flexible software provider with no early termination fees. Stripe is also a very secure payment processor, so the only warning we can give is that it will take a little while to fully set up and appreciate all that Odoo has to offer.