Compare POS software that helps retail stores, restaurants, ecommerce businesses, and small businesses process sales, accept payments, and manage inventory and reporting.
See our curated rankings of the best POS tools for small businesses, retail stores, restaurants, ecommerce, and multi-location operations.
Key factors when evaluating POS systems.
POS software sits at the heart of in-person (and often online) sales. This page is for retail stores, restaurants, ecommerce businesses, small businesses and multi-location businesses. Use the best POS software roundup for a curated shortlist, the comparison hub for head‑to‑head matchups, our POS guides for how to choose and use tools, and the scenario links below to jump into specific use cases.
Hand-picked for small businesses, retail, restaurants, and ecommerce. Updated regularly.
Square is our top pick for most small businesses. It offers free software, straightforward pricing, and a range of hardware so you can start small and scale. Payments, basic inventory, and reporting are all in one place. If you want a POS that is easy to set up and doesn’t lock you into long-term contracts, Square is a strong default.
Shopify POS is the best fit when your primary sales channel is (or will be) a Shopify store. It keeps online and in-person sales, orders, and inventory in one place. If you already use Shopify for ecommerce or plan to, adding POS gives you a single system for both channels. The trade-off is the requirement to be on a Shopify plan.
Lightspeed is built for retail. It offers deep inventory management, multi-location support, and reporting that fits stores with more complex operations. If you have (or plan to have) multiple locations, lots of SKUs, or need stronger purchasing and vendor management, Lightspeed is a strong choice. It’s more capable—and more involved—than general-purpose POS tools.
Toast is purpose-built for restaurants. It handles tables, courses, kitchen display systems, online ordering, and tips in a way general-purpose POS systems don’t. If you run a full-service or quick-service restaurant and want one system for front and back of house, Toast is a top pick. Pricing is quote-based and scales with location size and features.
Side-by-side pricing, fit, and standout features.
Use the table below to compare pricing, ratings, and standout features across popular POS platforms.
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square | Best overall POS system | Free software, hardware from $49 | 4.6 | Read review |
| Shopify POS | Best POS for ecommerce stores | From $39/mo (with Shopify plan) | 4.5 | Read review |
| Lightspeed | Best POS for retail businesses | From ~$69/mo | 4.4 | Read review |
 Clover | Best POS hardware ecosystem | From ~$69/mo (with hardware) | 4.3 | Read review |
| Toast | Best POS for restaurants | Quote (restaurant-focused) | 4.5 | Read review |
 TouchBistro | Restaurant and hospitality POS | From ~$69/mo | 4.4 | Read review |
Scenario-based picks—venue, payments, and ops load—not your org label alone.
Prioritize reliable hardware, transparent processing, and inventory basics you’ll actually maintain. Free or low software tiers help you validate throughput before you commit to industry-specific modules.
Variants, transfers, and purchasing workflows separate retail POS from generic registers. Evaluate multi-location limits and whether your inventory hub or POS owns stock truth.
Floor plans, coursing, and kitchen displays change the product class. Compare service models (counter vs full service) and whether online ordering is bundled or third-party.
If Shopify is your catalog source of truth, POS should reduce double-entry and stockouts across channels. Compare fees where Shopify Payments is required versus mixed gateways.
Permissions, reporting rollups, and hardware standards determine whether you can enforce process across sites. Plan for centralized item libraries and reconciliation overhead.
Identity-based navigation: retail, restaurant, ecommerce, or multi-location—how you sell in the real world.
Learn pricing, payments, and hardware tradeoffs—before you shortlist vendors.
Educational articles on evaluation—not duplicate scenario blurbs. For operational picks, use best POS software by use case; for how you sell (retail vs restaurant), see POS by business type.
Decision checklist: payments, hardware, inventory depth, and when bundled processing is worth it.
Read guide →GuideSoftware fees vs interchange, hardware leases, and add-ons that inflate total cost of ownership.
Read guide →GuideWhat the register software does versus what the processor settles—so you don’t double-pay for the wrong layer.
Read guide →GuideInventory, variants, and multi-location realities for brick-and-mortar retail.
Read guide →GuideTable service, kitchen workflows, and tipping rules—evaluation concepts for food & beverage.
Read guide →GuideUnified catalog and omnichannel inventory when online and in-person both matter.
Read guide →Side-by-side POS features, pricing, and recommendations.
Square offers a simple, flexible POS that works for many small businesses with low upfront cost; Shopify POS is the better fit when your pri…
Compare →Square is known for easy setup and transparent pricing with a free software tier; Clover offers a wider range of hardware and built-in apps…
Compare →Shopify POS shines for stores that sell online and in-person on Shopify; Lightspeed is built for retail-first businesses that need deeper in…
Compare →Toast is purpose-built for restaurants with table management, kitchen display, and online ordering; Square is a general-purpose POS that can…
Compare →
Lightspeed and Vend (Lightspeed Retail) both serve retail with strong inventory and multi-location; Lightspeed has a broader product family…
Compare →Square keeps startup cost and complexity low with flexible SMB POS; Lightspeed adds retail operations depth for inventory, purchasing, and m…
Compare →Shopify POS is strongest when your online store runs on Shopify and you want one catalog for web and store; Clover fits when hardware choice…
Compare →Toast scales for multi-unit restaurants with a broad hospitality platform; TouchBistro often fits independents and small chains with tiered…
Compare →What matters when businesses choose tools to process sales, accept payments, and support day-to-day operations.
Most POS systems bundle or partner with a payment processor so you can accept cards and other methods at the register. Compare processing rates, contract terms, and whether you can use your own processor if needed.
Look for item and variant management, stock levels, reorder alerts, and the ability to receive and adjust inventory. Deeper POS systems support purchase orders and multi-location stock sync.
Confirm which devices the POS runs on (tablets, terminals, computers) and which peripherals—receipt printers, cash drawers, barcode scanners—are supported. Some providers sell hardware bundles; others are bring-your-own-device.
Useful POS systems offer sales by period, by product or category, and by payment type. Dashboards and exports help you understand trends and reconcile with bank deposits and accounting.
If you have or plan to have multiple locations, check that the POS supports multi-store inventory, consolidated reporting, and consistent settings across sites. Some tools add location-based permissions and transfer workflows.
Quick answers to common questions.
Transparent process, small-business–focused criteria.
Our reviews are independent and updated regularly so you get current pricing and feature information. We evaluate POS tools on how well they help small businesses process sales, manage payments, and support inventory and reporting.
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