10 best POS systems in 2023

Clover is our choice for the best all-in-one POS thanks to its multiple features and hardware options that give companies of all sizes a way to manage their businesses. It also offers hardware combinations suitable to specific industries, such as retail or home and field services. With a straightforward and intuitive platform that includes payment processing, inventory management, cash flow management and invoicing, its offering is comprehensive. You can also integrate a range of third-party apps, all included in Clover systems.

However, Clover’s somewhat unclear pricing structure might put off some businesses, and the hardware also requires a significant investment. The standard POS system is $599, plus $14.95 per month, while an advanced terminal is $1,699, plus $49.95 per month. While these prices are not the most expensive, there are cheaper options out there. But, if you’re willing to pay out for a reliable and powerful all-in-one system, Clover is a good bet.

Square is a great POS system for small businesses that benefit most from flexibility, simplicity and transparent pricing. With no monthly fee for its most basic plan and a relatively competitive processing fee of 2.6% plus $0.10 per transaction, it’s an affordable option that offers an intuitive POS with useful features like team management tools, virtual terminals and online stores.

Paid features include a host of marketing and payroll tools. While these are reasonably priced, payroll starts at $35 per month plus $6 per person per month. As such, these complementary plans can get expensive for bigger businesses. In addition, with a free forever version but not the cheapest per-transaction rates, Square is not a good fit for companies with large sales volumes but instead offers a great value for smaller companies or seasonal brands.

For businesses that are just starting out and looking for an affordable option, eHopper offers a good introduction to POS systems. With a free, no-contract Essential plan and a 14-day trial of its full plan, it gives you a good opportunity to test the system to see if it works for you. Keep in mind that you won’t have access to customer support with the Essential plan, and you’ll be limited to 50 products and 300 transactions per month.

The full plan costs $29.99 per month and offers a handful of extra features for restaurants and retail businesses (such as self-ordering kiosks, contactless digital menus and an online ordering website); phone, email and chat support; and complementary features such as inventory management and loyalty card programs.

We recommend you use the free version to test the product and upgrade to its $29.99 per month plan if it’s a good fit. This POS system comes in at a great price point for an upgraded subscription that includes comprehensive features, such as loyalty programs and online stores.

Renowned for its e-commerce platform, it’s little wonder that Shopify’s POS system is our recommendation for businesses focused on e-commerce. That being said, it also offers helpful features for physical stores accepting in-person transactions, but if you’re mainly taking in-person payments, then Shopify is unlikely to be the best option for you.

All plans come with an online Shopify store, one of the best online shopping platforms in the business. With most plans, you’ll get 24/7 live chat and email support, inventory management tools, sales channels, the ability to list an unlimited number of products, abandoned cart recovery, marketing automations, discount codes, gift cards and tiers of reporting depending on the plan you choose. Shopify payment rates start at 2.9% plus $0.30 for online transactions with its Basic plan.

Erply’s POS system is extremely capable, offering a multitude of powerful features and a tiered pricing structure that serves businesses of all sizes. With a customizable self-checkout POS, reports and plugins with API access, Erply allows businesses to configure its POS setup to their own needs.

Its premium plans come with access to extra inventory and marketing tools and more advanced reporting. But it’s worth calling out that Erply’s more expensive POS plans can be quite complex to set up and use and might be overwhelming for smaller businesses.

With a host of strong inventory management tools and customizable checkout workflows that can help you automate upsells, collect customer data natively and prompt cashiers to take required steps, Lightspeed is our recommendation for retail businesses. It’s easy to use, scalable and efficient — and all plans come with a dedicated account manager and 24/7 customer support.

Lightspeed’s inventory management is perfect for retail businesses, offering a full suite of features on a unified cloud-based system and allowing you to keep robust data, including SKU, UPC, MSRP, descriptions, images and names.

Likewise, with loyalty programs and marketing features like exclusive deals, discounts, email blasts and SMS campaigns, it’s useful for interacting with customers and promoting loyalty.

However, it’s on the pricey side, so we advise trying the free trial before committing. And, even then, it’s advisable to wait to sign up for this software until you have enough sales volumes to offset the monthly costs.

Formerly known as NCR Silver, Aloha offers a POS system designed specifically for restaurants, with restaurant-grade equipment and a range of features, including a basic loyalty program, contactless ordering tools and gift cards. It offers a degree of flexibility with features available as add-ons, such as payroll and inventory management tools, labor management tools and marketing tools, allowing you to build a custom suite with everything you need from your POS.

Both its Essential and Cloud plans include payment processing, hardware and 24/7 customer care. However, Aloha’s prices are quite steep, and many of its features are only available as add-ons, so it might not be suitable for smaller businesses that don’t need an extensive array of customizable features.

High-risk merchants will be familiar with the restricted options they face when looking for payment partners, and Korona offers the strongest POS system for these businesses. With the flexibility to choose your own payment processor and an impressive set of features — including employee management, inventory management and discounts and promotions — it’s a more-than-capable system.

However, some of its add-ons can be expensive. Ticketing costs $50 per month per gate, while integrations cost $45 per month per token.

Lightspeed Restaurant POS offers a range of features for restaurants, bars, hotels and other food and drink-based businesses and venues. It integrates with a range of third-party apps and offers API access so you can build a custom customer experience.

While some features are locked behind the Premium plan, like API access, or the Essential plan, like multi-locations and contactless ordering, the Starter plan is still strong with 24/7 customer support and a CRM and loyalty program. It offers integrated payments, advanced insights, multi-location management and support for takeout and delivery, among other features.

However, Lightspeed Restaurant is more expensive than some providers on this list and it keeps some of its most useful features behind expensive plans, such as online ordering and API access.

With the added security of being a global brand like PayPal, its Zettle POS service is a useful system for solo entrepreneurs, but it’s limited in terms of what it can offer bigger businesses.

It comes with no monthly fee, no contracts and the first card reader is only $29. However, subsequent card readers are an additional $79. Supported by PayPal’s flexibility, you’ll be able to accept a number or payment methods, including QR codes, but costs rise when scaling up, so it’s more suited for individuals or hobbyists.