How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Square for Retail | Single-location shops and new retailers that want the lowest startup cost | Free plan ($0); Plus $49/month per location; Premium $149/month per location | Yes (Free plan) |
 Shopify POS | Retailers that sell online and in person from one inventory pool | POS Lite included with Shopify plans (from $39/month); POS Pro $89/month per location | No standalone free plan (Lite included with a Shopify plan) |
 Lightspeed Retail | Multi-location retailers and specialty shops with complex stock | Basic $89/month ($109 month-to-month); Core $149/month; Plus $289/month | No (free trial offered) |
 Clover | Businesses that want a terminal for every counter shape and service style | See website (retail software from ~$15/month; hardware bundles vary by dealer) | No |
 Toast | Restaurants (quick service and full service) that want one vendor for everything | Starter Kit $0/month (pay-as-you-go processing); Point of Sale $69/month; Essentials $165/month | Yes ($0/month Starter Kit; higher processing rates apply) |
 TouchBistro | Restaurants that want an iPad-based POS their staff already knows how to use | Solo $69/month (1 license); Dual $129/month (2 licenses); Team $249/month (up to 5 licenses); Unlimited $399/month | No (free trial offered) |
 Epos Now | Retail and hospitality businesses that want POS on their own devices | Software-only $39/month; Complete System $349 upfront plus $79/month | No (30-day free trial) |
 SumUp | Market stalls, pop-ups and micro retailers that hate monthly fees | $0/month base; 2.6% + 10c per in-person transaction; hardware one-time | Yes (no monthly fee; pay as you go) |
 KORONA POS | Specialty retail owners who want to choose their own payment processor | Core $59/month per terminal; Retail $79/month per terminal | No (unlimited free trial, no credit card) |
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We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Key takeaways
- The cheapest real starting points: Square for Retail ($0 free plan) and SumUp ($0 monthly fee, pay-as-you-go processing) for single-location shops that want no contract.
- Selling online too? Shopify POS Lite comes with a Shopify plan (from $39/month), and Pro adds $89/month per location for advanced inventory.
- Inventory depth costs money: Lightspeed Retail starts at $89/month on annual billing, and the features serious stockrooms need sit on higher tiers.
- Restaurant specialists Toast (from $0/month Starter Kit, $69/month POS) and TouchBistro (from $69/month) charge per terminal or license, so count your stations before comparing.
- Clover, Epos Now and KORONA POS show how dealer pricing, long contracts and hardware bundles change the real monthly bill, so read the contract terms, not the headline.
The best POS inventory software
#1
Square for Retail
Best for: Single-location shops and new retailers that want the lowest startup cost
Visit squareup.com
Starting priceFree plan ($0); Plus $49/month per location; Premium $149/month per location
Free planYes (Free plan)
Square for Retail is the cheapest way to start, because the starting price is zero. The Free plan covers sales, basic inventory and payments at Square's standard processing rate, and small shops can run on it for a long time before needing anything else. Plus at $49 per month per location adds purchase orders, vendor management and advanced inventory counts; Premium at $149 adds the multi-location and loyalty tooling. All month-to-month, all cancellable.
The lock-in is the processing. You cannot bring your own processor to Square, so the per-transaction fee is non-negotiable. Shops that outgrow the free inventory features usually land on Plus, which at $49 per location still undercuts most competitors. Buy your own compatible hardware or budget a few hundred dollars for Square's register kits.
What we like- A genuine free plan with core POS and payments
- Month-to-month billing with no contracts
- One Square ecosystem for payments, online store, staff and payroll
- Inventory with item variants, modifiers and low-stock alerts
Watch out for- Payment processing is locked to Square, so you cannot shop for a better rate
- The deeper inventory tools (purchase orders, advanced stock counts) need Plus or Premium
- Registers and stands cost extra
#2
Shopify POS
Best for: Retailers that sell online and in person from one inventory pool
Visit shopify.com
Starting pricePOS Lite included with Shopify plans (from $39/month); POS Pro $89/month per location
Free planNo standalone free plan (Lite included with a Shopify plan)
If your store sells online as well as in person, Shopify POS earns its place. Lite is included with every Shopify plan (Basic starts at $39 per month) and handles checkout, basic inventory and customer profiles. Pro at $89 per month per location adds smart inventory management, unlimited registers and low-stock reporting. The killer feature is the shared inventory: sell a jacket in the store and the website count drops automatically.
The catch is the stack. A physical-only shop pays for a Shopify subscription it barely uses, and a multi-location retailer adds $89 per location for Pro on top of the base plan. For omnichannel sellers, no other system here keeps the online and offline counts this tightly in sync.
What we like- One inventory pool for the online store and the physical shop, so stock counts never drift apart
- Hundreds of apps for loyalty, accounting and marketing
- Works on phones, tablets and Shopify's own card readers
Watch out for- You must pay for a Shopify subscription on top of the POS, so it is never really free
- Pro costs $89/month per location for the advanced register features
- Best only for businesses that actually sell online
#3
Lightspeed Retail
Best for: Multi-location retailers and specialty shops with complex stock
Visit lightspeedhq.com
Starting priceBasic $89/month ($109 month-to-month); Core $149/month; Plus $289/month
Free planNo (free trial offered)
Lightspeed Retail is the inventory-first pick for stores with real stock complexity. Basic at $89 per month on annual billing ($109 month-to-month) covers POS, payments and core inventory with purchase orders and low-stock alerts. Core at $149 adds the multi-location transfers and advanced reporting that growing chains need; Plus at $289 adds loyalty, analytics and accounting integrations. It runs on a wide range of hardware, so you are not forced into one vendor's terminals.
This is the system for bike shops, apparel stores and specialty retailers where a product has sizes, colors and suppliers. The trade-off is commitment: the best price needs an annual contract, and setup takes real work compared with Square or SumUp.
What we like- Serious inventory depth (purchase orders, transfers, variants, matrix inventory) from the start
- Built-in eCommerce that shares the same catalog
- Works with third-party hardware instead of locking you in
Watch out for- The annual-billing price is the real price, and month-to-month costs more
- Onboarding and setup are heavier than plug-and-play rivals
- Advanced features push you to Core or Plus quickly
#4
Clover
Best for: Businesses that want a terminal for every counter shape and service style
Visit clover.com
Starting priceSee website (retail software from ~$15/month; hardware bundles vary by dealer)
Free planNo
Clover sells flexibility through hardware: a handheld Flex for line-busting, a Mini for small counters, a Station Duo for full setups, all running software plans matched to your business type. Retail software plans start around $15 per month at the basic end, with restaurant and service tiers running higher; most buyers take a bundled package with hardware included and pay one monthly figure over 36 months. Processing runs around 2.3% to 2.6% plus 10 cents in person depending on tier.
The warning label is the contract. Buy hardware outright if you can, because a 36-month lease turns a $1,899 station into several thousand dollars of payments. And get competing quotes: Clover sells through dealers, and the same package can price differently from two sellers. A strong system once the deal is right, but never sign the first quote.
What we like- Purpose-built hardware range from handhelds to full stations
- 300+ app integrations in the Clover App Market
- Offline card payments keep sales moving during outages
Watch out for- Pricing varies by dealer and reseller, so two buyers rarely get the same quote
- 36-month contracts are typical on hardware bundles
- Clover hardware is locked to the processor you bought it through
#5
Toast
Best for: Restaurants (quick service and full service) that want one vendor for everything
Visit pos.toasttab.com
Starting priceStarter Kit $0/month (pay-as-you-go processing); Point of Sale $69/month; Essentials $165/month
Free planYes ($0/month Starter Kit; higher processing rates apply)
Toast is a restaurant system first and a point of sale second, which is why it dominates the category. The Starter Kit at $0 per month gets a small restaurant running on core POS with pay-as-you-go processing (3.09% to 3.69% plus 15 cents, which is steep). The Point of Sale plan at $69 per month drops processing to 2.49% plus 15 cents and adds cloud reporting and 24/7 support; Essentials at $165 adds digital ordering and delivery. Retail-specific bundles start at $90 per month per location.
Do the processing math before the $0 sticker decides for you. At $60,000 a month in card sales, the gap between the Starter Kit rate and the paid-plan rate is roughly $720 a month, far more than the $69 software fee. Price the add-ons you will actually use too: online ordering, loyalty, gift cards and payroll each carry their own monthly fee.
What we like- Restaurant-specific features baked in (tableside ordering, online ordering, kitchen display add-ons)
- 24/7 support built for restaurants
- Retail bundles available (Basic Retail from $90/month per location)
Watch out for- Payment processing is locked to Toast, so the rate is take-it-or-leave-it
- The add-on stack (online ordering ~$75/mo, loyalty ~$50/mo) inflates the bill fast
- Contracts typically run one to three years
- Proprietary hardware does not move to another system
#6
TouchBistro
Best for: Restaurants that want an iPad-based POS their staff already knows how to use
Visit touchbistro.com
Starting priceSolo $69/month (1 license); Dual $129/month (2 licenses); Team $249/month (up to 5 licenses); Unlimited $399/month
Free planNo (free trial offered)
TouchBistro bets that your servers already know how to use an iPad, and for most restaurants that bet pays off in training time. Solo at $69 per month covers one license; Dual at $129 covers two; Team at $249 covers up to five; Unlimited at $399 removes the cap. Every plan includes cloud reporting, unlimited users, menu management and 24/7 support, with a 30-day free trial to test it.
The pricing is refreshingly simple next to Toast and Clover: count your licenses, pick the tier, done. For food service on iPads, the value at $69 a license is hard to beat.
What we like- Runs on iPads, so training is fast and hardware is cheap
- Strong offline mode keeps service running without internet
- Unlimited users on every plan
- Transparent published per-license pricing
Watch out for- Plans are billed annually in practice, so the monthly figure is a commitment
- Payment processing rates are quote-only
- Add-ons and premium support cost extra
#7
Epos Now
Best for: Retail and hospitality businesses that want POS on their own devices
Visit eposnow.com
Starting priceSoftware-only $39/month; Complete System $349 upfront plus $79/month
Free planNo (30-day free trial)
Epos Now covers retail and hospitality on hardware you may already own. The software-only plan at $39 per month works on iPads, Android tablets or PCs, and the Complete System bundle ($349 upfront plus $79 per month) ships the terminal, printer and cash drawer. A 30-day free trial lets you test the software before committing. Payment processing through Epos Now Payments runs 2.6% plus 10 cents in person.
The contract is the story here. Discounted bundles typically require a support package and multi-year terms, which pushes the real monthly cost well above the $39 headline. Get a written quote that itemizes software, support, hardware and processing separately before you sign.
What we like- Runs on iPad, Android, PC or Epos Now terminals, so existing hardware often works
- 100+ integrations including QuickBooks, Xero and Mailchimp
- Covers retail, restaurants and hospitality in one platform
Watch out for- Contracts run one to five years, among the longest in this set
- 24/7 support needs a paid upgrade
- Reviewers report billing and cancellation friction, so read every line before signing
#8
SumUp
Best for: Market stalls, pop-ups and micro retailers that hate monthly fees
Visit sumup.com
Starting price$0/month base; 2.6% + 10c per in-person transaction; hardware one-time
Free planYes (no monthly fee; pay as you go)
SumUp is the anti-contract POS: no monthly fee, no terminal lease, just a reader and a flat rate. The base model charges nothing per month; you pay 2.6% plus 10 cents per in-person transaction, with hardware as a one-time purchase (a basic reader around $54, a Solo terminal around $99). Tap to Pay on iPhone removes hardware entirely for the smallest sellers.
What you give up is depth. SumUp's inventory management handles the basics but will not run purchase orders, multi-location transfers or the matrix inventory a growing shop needs. For a market stall, food truck or single counter doing straightforward sales, the $0 monthly fee is unbeatable. When the stockroom gets complicated, graduate to Square for Retail or Lightspeed.
What we like- No monthly fee at all, you only pay per transaction
- Cheap one-time hardware (readers from around $54)
- Tap-to-pay on iPhone needs no hardware at all
- Simple flat processing rate
Watch out for- Inventory features are basic compared with Square or Lightspeed
- Reporting is lighter
- Support is mostly online
- Not built for multi-location operations
#9
KORONA POS
Best for: Specialty retail owners who want to choose their own payment processor
Visit koronapos.com
Starting priceCore $59/month per terminal; Retail $79/month per terminal
Free planNo (unlimited free trial, no credit card)
KORONA POS is for the owner who wants to choose their own payment processor instead of being locked into one. Core at $59 per month per terminal covers checkout, promotions, gift cards and reporting; Retail at $79 adds real-time inventory tracking, supplier integrations, barcode automation and automated ordering. There are no contracts, no cancellation fees and no surcharges, and the unlimited free trial needs no credit card.
The trade-offs are cosmetic and practical. The interface looks like it was designed by engineers, and the integration library is smaller than Clover's or Shopify's. But for liquor stores, vape shops, convenience stores and ticketed venues, the combination of processor freedom, real inventory depth and no contract is rare. Age verification and ticketing modules seal the deal for its niches.
What we like- Bring your own payment processor and shop for the best rate
- No contracts and no cancellation fees
- Strong inventory (real-time tracking, automated ordering) plus add-on modules for ticketing and food service
Watch out for- The interface feels dated next to Square and Shopify
- No permanent free tier
- Add-on modules raise the monthly cost
- Smaller integration library
How we chose
We reviewed the current pricing pages, plan feature lists and support docs for each vendor, then checked them against public reviews on G2, Capterra and Reddit and against 2026 published pricing breakdowns. Every price here reflects what the vendor publishes or what multiple 2026 sources confirm from the vendor's pages; where pricing is dealer-quoted or unpublished, we say so instead of guessing. We weighted inventory depth, hardware flexibility, contract terms and true monthly cost for small operations over raw feature counts, and we excluded systems that were acquired or folded into another product.
The four bills inside every POS quote
A POS quote is really four bills stapled together, and the software line is usually the smallest. First is the software subscription: the per-location or per-terminal monthly fee, from $0 on Square and SumUp to $289 on Lightspeed Plus. Second is hardware: a few hundred dollars for a Square or SumUp reader kit, or thousands for Clover and Toast stations, bought outright or leased over 36 months. Leases look gentle monthly and cost double by the end; buy outright whenever cash allows.
Third is payment processing, the bill nobody quotes you. At 2.6% plus 10 cents, $50,000 in monthly card sales costs $1,350 in fees before you pay a cent of software. Locked-in processors (Square, Toast) remove your negotiating power; bring-your-own-processor systems (KORONA, Lightspeed) let you shop it. Fourth is the add-on stack: online ordering, loyalty, gift cards, payroll and premium support, each $25 to $100 a month. A $69 Toast plan becomes $250 once the modules land. Add all four before you compare any two systems, or the cheapest headline will quietly become the most expensive year.
Retail POS vs restaurant POS: pick your side first
Retail and restaurant POS systems solve different problems, and buying the wrong side wastes a year. Retail POS lives in the stockroom: product variants, purchase orders, supplier management, barcode labels, transfers between locations. That is Lightspeed, Square for Retail, KORONA and Shopify POS territory. Restaurant POS lives in the dining room: table maps, coursing, kitchen tickets, tableside payments, tip handling. That is Toast, TouchBistro and the restaurant side of Clover.
The crossover picks exist for good reasons. Toast now sells retail bundles, Square for Retail handles quick-service counters, Clover and Epos Now cover both sides with different plan types, and KORONA's food-service module suits cafes. If you run a hybrid (a cafe with retail shelves, a bar with merch), pick the side that handles your harder problem and confirm the other side is genuinely covered, not just listed.
Frequently asked questions
Which POS system has the best inventory management?
For retail depth, Lightspeed Retail and KORONA POS lead: purchase orders, multi-location transfers, variants and automated reordering. Square for Retail covers the basics well on Plus and Premium. For restaurants, inventory is simpler everywhere; Toast's xtraCHEF add-on and TouchBistro's stock tracking handle the essentials.
Can I use my own hardware with these systems?
It depends. Lightspeed, KORONA POS and Epos Now run on standard iPads, Android devices and third-party peripherals, so existing hardware often works. Square and SumUp use their own readers and registers. Toast and Clover require their proprietary terminals, which cannot move to another system later.
What does a restaurant POS really cost per month?
Add four numbers: the software plan ($0 to $165 on Toast, $69 to $399 on TouchBistro), hardware (one-time or leased), processing fees (2.3% to 3.69% of card sales) and add-ons (online ordering ~$75/month, loyalty ~$50/month). Most independents land between $200 and $500 a month all-in once the modules are counted.
Is a free POS plan enough for a small shop?
Often yes at the start. Square for Retail's free plan and SumUp's $0-monthly-fee model both handle checkout, payments and basic inventory for a single counter. You outgrow them when you need purchase orders, multi-location stock, or staff permissions, and both vendors make the upgrade path obvious.
Should I lease POS hardware or buy it outright?
Buy it outright if you can. A 36-month lease on a Clover or Toast station typically costs two to three times the purchase price, and the hardware is locked to that vendor's processor either way. Leasing only makes sense when cash flow truly cannot cover the upfront cost.
Can I switch POS systems later without losing everything?
Plan for pain. Contracts of one to three years (Toast, Clover, Epos Now) carry early termination fees, and proprietary hardware does not transfer. Export your product catalog, customer list and sales history before cancelling, and confirm the export formats during the free trial.
Sources we checked (0)
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.