Point of Sale (POS) Software for Small Businesses (2026)

Simple, flexible POS for small businesses with in-person and online payments, inventory, and reporting.

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.

Unified POS for stores that sell online and in-person, with inventory sync and Shopify’s ecommerce ecosystem.

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.

Retail-focused POS with robust inventory, multi-location support, and advanced retail workflows.

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.

Restaurant-specific POS with table management, kitchen display, online ordering, and hospitality reporting.

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.

Flexible POS with a wide range of terminals, registers, and add-ons for various business types.

Clover stands out for hardware choice. You can run a simple counter setup, a full register, or a mobile station, with a large app market to extend functionality. If you want more say in terminals and peripherals and don’t mind a monthly hardware-related fee, Clover is a strong option. It works for retail, restaurants, and services.