The best POS systems for restaurants in 2025

Choosing the best POS system for your restaurant can be critical to success. In May, we conducted our latest set of research, which revealed that Square is the best POS system for restaurants, due to recent improvements to its overall design and usability.

However, what’s best for you will depend on what type of restaurant you run – a pop-up might need the portability of a tablet-based POS, while a chain of high-end restaurants will need more sophisticated stock management systems.

Off the heels of the UK-EU reset deal, the costs of importing and exporting food products from the EU and Northern Ireland are expected to fall. It’s far from guaranteed though, and with good inflation steadily rising since the start of the year, restaurants in the UK will need a POS system that can help keep overheads low.

The best restaurant POS systems: comparison table

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SPONSORED	BEST OVERALL
Provider Epos Now	Provider Square	Provider Clover	Provider SumUp	Provider Toast	Provider Lightspeed for Restaurants	Provider takepayments	Provider TouchBistro
Best for Manage a complicated inventory	Best for Overall best POS system for restaurants	Best for Professional level hardware to help your staff	Best for Speed and efficiency at an affordable price point	Best for Advanced tools for medium and larger sized restaurants	Best for Inspiring repeat business and loyal customers	Best for An all-in-one option for quick-service restaurants	Best for Build a bespoke software package for your restaurants needs
Pricing Hardware: From £225 Monthly subscriptions: From £25 per month	Pricing Price from FREE	Pricing Currently from £1 per month (18 month contract)	Pricing Price from FREE	Pricing From £80 per month	Pricing From £109 per month	Pricing From £55 per month	Pricing $69 per month
Transaction Fees from 1.3%	Transaction Fees 1.75%	Transaction Fees From 1.49%	Transaction Fees 1.69%	Transaction Fees Quote-based	Transaction Fees Quote-based	Transaction Fees Quote-based	Transaction Fees Quote-based

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1. Square: overall best POS system for restaurants

Square

4.8

• Starting software price: Free plan
• Transaction fees from: From 1.75%

• Great range of POS hardware as well as an iOS app
• Excellent mobile ordering features
• Easy menu creation

Summary Square is headed up by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey. Specifically designed for small to medium sized businesses, it leads the US market for POS systems, currently serving four million clients.

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Why is Square a top POS system for restaurants?

Since we tested it in 2024, Square has upgraded its user experience to be more intuitive and modern, making everyday tasks like seating guests and sending orders to the kitchen a breeze. Thanks to these notable improvements, it has now taken the top spot as our overall best POS for restaurants.

In theory, restaurants of all shapes and sizes could use Square, but smaller to medium-sized eateries would benefit most from its well-designed interface and solid range of tools. It’s also a top option for new, basic restaurants, as you can get started with the free app, which we also ranked as the best free POS software.

This free plan makes Square ideal for businesses with smaller budgets, such as pop-ups and food trucks, while Square’s premium accessories and hardware are equally great for scaling restaurant chains. Square is really easy to use, but if you do find yourself running into trouble, it comes with a fleet of help and support options, offering every avenue of assistance you might need, from live chat to a forum.

We really appreciated how intuitive Square’s POS interface was during our testing. Source: Startups.co.uk

What could be improved?

• There’s still no built-in option to track ingredients being used in dishes, which Clover can provide (though Square says it’s working on this, and you can currently sign up to Ingredient Cost Tracking Beta if you’re subscribed to a Square for Restaurant Plus or Premium plan).
• We would have also liked to see some detailed cost management tools, which Clover also provides.
• We would have liked a training mode for new staff, as this can be crucial for restaurants that have high staff turnovers. Although, you can access Square Sandbox, an isolated server where you can simulate transactions for practice.

How much does it cost?

Where many other POS providers are murky about costs, Square is transparent about its pricing. Its transaction fees range from average to a little high, but it has a very solid free plan option.

The Square Register, while not cheap, is fairly priced for a dual screen till system. You can also choose to add on a kitchen display system that seamlessly connects with your POS, which starts at £15 per device. While they aren’t the cheapest prices, they’re not particularly aggressive either, and you know what you’re getting, which is ideal for newer businesses.

What our researchers think

I’m a huge fan of the Square interface. When we tested it on the an iPad, I found it really easy to navigate as everything was clearly labelled and the interface was really modern and clean looking, which made it even easier to find all the functions I needed.

Ollie Simpson Senior Research Executive

2. Clover: high quality hardware to boost efficiency

Clover

4.4

• Starting software price: Currently from £1 per month (18 month contract)
• Transaction fees from: 1.49%

• Highly customisable customer display
• Exceptional POS hardware and accessories
• Speedy fingerprint login on the Clover Terminal

Summary Clover is based in California and, as of 2020, processes $133 billion in card transactions annually. It’s owned by Fiserv, the largest merchant acquirer in the world.

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Why is Clover a top POS system for restaurants?

Clover’s sleek, well-designed hardware makes it a top POS for hospitality businesses. During our testing, we found that the slick touchscreen interface is highly responsive, and the fingerprint login – which helps staff quickly get into the system during high-pressure services – is a standout feature. Out of all the POS systems we tested, Clover also provides the best, fully customisable customer display screen.

Clover hasn’t undercooked the software either. Our latest round testing confirmed that the front end interface continues to impress, especially when assigning orders and separating items by guests. Compared to some clunkier competitors, Clover is more user friendly thanks to features like the drag-and-drop table plan.

The fleshed out features, including stock alerts and profit tracking capabilities (Clover is a great option for those want a detailed look into their analytics) also left us impressed.

Clover has an excellent range of card machines and terminals. Source: Startups.co.uk

What could be improved?

• While the front end continues to be impressively slick, we did find that Clover’s back office has slipped a little. Functions like bulk uploading and applying discounts are less intuitive than on the previous version we tested in 2024, creating a steeper learning curve now.
• We would have liked an option for automatic tip sharing, which Toast provides.

How much does it cost?

Just be aware that Clover’s top class hardware comes with a top tier price tag. If you run a small restaurant or pop-up shop, you should take a look at Square for more beginner-friendly products.

But, right now, Clover is running a promotion where you can try it out, starting from as little as £1 per month (which includes a device) on an 18-month contract. Another benefit of Clover, though, is that it can also provide you with a bespoke price.

What our researchers think

The Clover hardware was the most modern and sleek for me, out of all the POS systems we tested, I’d liken it to apple in the way it looks with glossy white colours. Using the system was really simple too, it’s laid out with icons and looks similar to an iPad, so there’s no issues with learning to use it – plus the finger print recognition was so useful and meant I could log in quicker than any other system we tested.

Ollie Simpson Senior Research Executive

3. SumUp: speedy transactions at an affordable price

SumUp

4.2

• Starting software price: Free
• Transaction fees from: 1.69%

• Superb range of hardware and accessories
• Mobile and QR code ordering
• Inventory management tools with stock alerts and cost management

Summary In 2020, London-based payment service provider SumUp acquired GoodTill, an iPad-based POS software provider.

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Why is SumUp a top POS system for restaurants?

Dealing with the stress of a rush hour coffee run is never fun, but you’d do a lot worse than SumUp’s user-friendly order screen and lightweight hardware to help maximise efficiency. We found that the simple, intuitive interface made processing sales easy and quick, and SumUp can provide this at a very affordable price point.

We tested the SumUp POS Lite, which consists of a splashproof 13” HD tablet, a stand, the Solo card reader, and comes with pre-installed POS software. We came away impressed with how sleek and professional the hardware felt during our testing. It also offers a kitchen display, so you can you can streamline communication between staff.

The simplicity, responsiveness and overall ease of navigation of SumUp’s front of house makes it ideal for first-time POS users, especially smaller restaurants. Core tasks you’ll be dealing with every working day, like cancelling payments and managing tables, are made easy by SumUp’s POS.

SumUp has a simple, user-friendly order screen. Source: Startups.co.uk

What could be improved?

• While the front end is fast and efficient, when we tested the back office, it felt clunky and unintuitive. We also found it could be frustratingly slow to load at times.
• We also found that the synchronisation between the back and front end wasn’t always perfect, a problem that has been persistent since our last testing in 2024.
• While SumUp impressed us with its hardware, it doesn’t have a handheld POS system (unlike those that Clover and Square both offer), which some restaurateurs might see as a must-have.

Read more: The best iPad POS systems for small businesses

How much does it cost?

SumUp is transparent about costs and charges some pretty reasonable prices, with its advanced Point of Sale Pro plan being cheaper than many other starting tiers on this list.

If you opt for the POS Lite package, you can get set up with almost everything you’ll need for one competitive price, and you won’t need to worry about monthly fees eating into your profits. This package has also recently dropped in price, making it even more affordable.

Keep in mind, though, that you’ll need to pay extra for certain features, like the kitchen display screen (£9 per month) and its advanced stock module, which includes features like real-time updates and in-depth reporting (£18 per month).

What our researchers think

I really liked how easily you could set up QR code ordering and customise it to your business, which is great for serving customers more efficiently. On the back-office side they have really great inventory management and analytical tools which make it a breeze when tracking your stock.

Ollie Simpson Senior Research Executive

4. Toast: advanced tools for larger restaurants

Toast

4.1

• Starting software price: £80 per month
• Transaction fees from: Quote-based

• Excellent inventory management tools
• Reservation tools built into the POS package
• Includes customer engagement tools that let you create a points system

Summary Toast, Inc. is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, with its POS system purpose built for the food and beverage industry. Toast's POS operates on Android, and is currently used by 140,000 restaurant locations.

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Why is Toast a top POS system for restaurants?

Toast is the only POS on this roundup that has been purpose built specifically for the food and beverage industry. Based on the results of our testing, we would recommend Toast to already established restaurants that have a reasonably complex workflow to manage.

This is due to the impressively vast array of helpful tools that can support more sophisticated operations, such as mobile ordering, cost management tools, and low stock alerts. We were also impressed to see that Toast offers automated tip sharing, a crucial tool for staying on the right side of the UK tipping laws, but something that’s missed off many other providers’ checklists.

You can use Toast’s built-in customer engagement tools to create your own loyalty progammes. Source: Startups.co.uk

Fostering repeat business is key to survival for restaurants in 2025, and Toast’s customer engagement tools enable you to build loyalty programmes and points systems for your customers to keep them coming back for more. Toast also has built-in reservation tools, so you can stay on top the flow of your guests.

The Toast Flex can be adjusted in multiple ways to adapt to different restaurant environments. Source: Startups.co.uk

What could be improved?

• Toast’s POS is exclusive to Android. That means you won’t be able to use any existing iPads you might already own to run Toast, as they won’t be compatible. If you want an iPad-based POS, Square is a better option.
• Smaller eateries, like diners, might find Toast’s complex range of advanced tools to be overkill. SumUp is a better cheap and cheerful option.

How much does it cost?

Toast comes packed with some impressive tools and features, but these inevitably also come with a rather large price tag. Considering the starting cost is £80 per month, Toast is one of the most expensive options on this roundup (but not quite as costly as Lightspeed).

However, more established restaurants with high volumes of sales might find the entry price is more than worth it for Toast’s advanced toolbox.

5. Lightspeed Restaurant: inspires repeat business and loyal customers

Lightspeed Restaurant

3.9

• Starting software price: £69 per month
• Transaction fees from: Quote-based

• Offline functionality that syncs automatically when back online
• Brilliant customer engagement features
• Tablet-based system is easy to carry around

Summary Based in Montreal, Canada, Lightspeed is a commerce platform that currently serves over 150,000 customer locations.

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Why is Lightspeed Restaurant a top POS system for restaurants?

Since our last testing in 2024, Lightspeed Restaurant has remained consistent and still boasts some of the best tools for driving customer engagement and fostering loyalty. This includes email and SMS marketing capabilities, as well as loyalty-boosting rewards programmes to help you lock in repeat business.

Lightspeed Loyalty, the POS’s advanced loyalty software, includes a drag-and-drop email builder, and gives you a deeper look into the habits of your customer base. Just keep in mind that Lightspeed Loyalty is compatible with Restaurant (L Series) only.

This tablet-based POS system is perfectly suited to a fast-paced environment that demands efficiency and maneuverability. In the high-pressure conditions of a restaurant, you’ll also want reliable help from your provider, and the user support offered by Lightspeed is some of the most extensive we’ve seen.

This is what your home screen will look like when using Lightspeed Restaurant POS. Source: Startups.co.uk

What could be improved?

• Our users found the front end to be less user-friendly than the back office – finding it difficult to add discounts and customers’ details.
• The lack of any automated tip sharing will be an issue for some restaurateurs. Take a look at Toast if you feel this is a must-have.
• Creating table plans was simple enough, but quickly changing them afterwards proved to be a speed bump.

How much does it cost?

Lightspeed’s software pricing isn’t what we’d call cheap. Even Lightspeed’s Essential plan is pricey compared to competitors’ entry level plans, and the provider doesn’t publicly list its hardware prices and transaction fees, which are provided on a quote-by-quote basis. However, Lightspeed does offer a demo of the software, so you can try it out before committing.

What our researchers think

Although Lightspeed may start slightly higher in monthly price than some other options it’s well worth the price. The customer management tools were some of the best I’ve seen in any platform and allow you to create email or SMS marketing, loyalty schemes and even customer segmenting!

Ollie Simpson Senior Research Executive

6. takepayments: an all-in-one option for quick-service restaurants

takepayments

3.8

• Starting software price: £55 per month
• Transaction fees from: Quote-based

• Code scanners built into the front and back of the terminal
• User-friendly and simple front end balanced with a feature-dense back end
• The terminal comes with a built-in printer

Summary takepayments is a UK-based company offering payment solutions including card terminals, online payments, and POS systems. It currently serves over 750,000 customers and is one of the fastest-growing card payment providers in the UK.

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Why is takepayments a top POS system for restaurants?

takepayments is best suited to quick service restaurants thanks to its all-in-one POS terminal. The tPOS Counter comes fully equipped with a built-in printer, barcode scanner, and customer-facing display. It can help declutter your counterspace, and gives your staff all they need to have orders flying out the door.

takepayments’ strengths extend beyond just the hardware, though. The back office provides built-in financial reporting tools, which can help you with your profit and cost management, and give you insights into your most profitable items. This can be especially helpful for quick service restaurants that have a fast turnover of items throughout the day, and need to know what the most profitable stock is.

takepayments’ reporting tools can help you maximise your profitability. Source: Startups.co.uk

We also think takepayments is a good choice for first-time users. This is thanks to its smooth onboarding process, which felt intuitive with processes clearly labelled. If you do run into any problems, you’ll be able to use takepayments’ remote support to easily identify and resolve any issues.

tPOS is the all-one-in-one takepayments POS solution, that comes with a built-in printer and customer facing display. Source: Startups.co.uk

What could be improved?

• While the back end is simple enough to navigate, our main complaint with takepayments is the clunkier front end. We found basic tasks like applying a discount or adding a new customer to the system frustratingly complex. During our testing, the front end could be slow and unresponsive, making it feel a little outdated.
• We also found that takepayments was missing any customer engagement tools. If you want to setup a loyalty programme, Square or Toast will be better bets.
• Some restaurant owners might also find takepayments’ lack of an app store to be a miss. If you want a wide variety of third-party apps to integrate, you should check out Clover instead.

How much does it cost?

takepayments isn’t neceserassily a budget option, but it won’t break the bank either. There’s no option for a free plan, and the lowest monthly cost isn’t the cheapest (£55 per month), but you do get the all-in-one tPOS Counter as part of the price.

One of the main benefits of takepayments, though, is its bespoke transaction fee structure. You can get something tailored to your specific needs, rather than being stuck in a set pricing structure.

Read more: Best takeaway POS systems for SMEs right now

7. TouchBistro: build a bespoke software package for your restaurants needs

TouchBistro

3.7

• Starting software price: $69
• Transaction fees from: Available on request

• Solid cost management tools
• Tablet-based system is easy to carry around
• Floor plans that are easy to edit

Summary TouchBistro is based in Toronto, Canada, and in 2013 it partnered with PayPal. It now focuses on its POS software developed specifically for iPad.

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Why is TouchBistro a top POS system for restaurants?

TouchBistro’s customisable packages really make it stand out from the crowd. Instead of a one-size-fits all approach, you can build your system by adding on the features you want – such as profit management, online ordering, and customer-facing displays – and avoid paying for unnecessary features.

We were impressed with how user-friendly the TouchBistro POS platform is. Source: Startups.co.uk

In our most recent round of testing, we were impressed with how exceptionally user-friendly TouchBistro is. The front end in particular was easy to use, as we were able to swiftly and painlessly complete orders. We really liked that we could edit the floor plan from either the front end or the back office.

We also appreciated the standout suite of features provided by TouchBistro, including the customisable reservation system that creates a smoother guest experience, and the detailed loyalty tools designed to help you drive repeat business.

During our testing, TouchBistro’s interface stood out as sleek and responsive. Source: Startups.co.uk

What could be improved?

• A missing ingredient is no option for QR code-based ordering – which Toast extensively provides – especially as events-based food companies might find this helpful.
• We would also like the ability to automate tip management, which Square can do.

Read more: TouchBistro also features in our list of the best pub and bar POS systems.

How much does it cost?

TouchBistro’s base plan’s price is pretty average compared to competitors… but with a caveat. Because of its à la carte, customisable system, many features – like online ordering and the reservation system – cost extra, with their own individual add-on prices. These could really start to add up if you need a stack of them. Fortunately, you can try a demo of the system before committing to a purchase.

What our researchers think

What I love about TouchBistro is the ability to pick and choose what features you want. You don’t have to pay extra for something that you won’t actually need and it means you’re getting a package tailored to you but what’s great is that their pricing is still completely transparent.

Ollie Simpson Senior Research Executive

8. Epos Now: manage a complicated inventory

Epos Now

3.7

• Starting software price: £25
• Transaction fees from: 1.3%

• You can pay upfront for the software and hardware
• In-depth inventory management tools
• High quality terminal with a large 15.6" HD display screen

Summary Based out of Norwich, Epos Now is a payment service provider and SaaS company, specifically focusing on providing POS systems to small and medium sized businesses.

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Why is Epos Now a top POS system for restaurants?

If you need to stay on top of a large, complex inventory, Epos Now’s cloud-based software should make your life easier. This is thanks to features like stock alerts, the ability to upload and edit items in bulk to save time, and cost vs profit analyses, which are particularly helpful for identifying what menu items are more lucrative than others. We also appreciate that Epos Now includes an automatic offline mode, so you can avoid losing payments.

We really appreciated the wide display on the Epos Now terminal when completing orders. Source: Startups.co.uk

Epos Now also boasts some pretty impressive hardware – particularly the high-quality terminal and its large 15.6-inch display. Its all-one-in-one hospitality POS will have you fully equipped with a till, cash drawer, printer and the payment terminal.

Epos Now provides an impressively sturdy terminal. Source: Startups.co.uk

What could be improved?

• While we were impressed with the back office customisation, we did find the front end slightly easier to use, and felt that there could be a steep learning curve for new users. Overall we found TouchBistro to be more user-friendly and intuitive.
• We would like to see tools for automated tip sharing, which Square and Toast both come with.

How much does it cost?

Epos Now’s pricing is structured differently to many other providers as it offers a range of different packages that include hardware, accessories, and software. Epos Now often runs limited time promotional offers on its hardware bundles (which includes onboarding and training) so these deals are worth keeping an eye out for.

What our researchers think

This is a great choice if you want some high quality hardware. Epos Now have recently released a new and updated terminal and it has a huge HD screen, which means you can see everything really clearly and also a crystal clear customer facing screen, which can help speed up orders as they can see what they’re ordering.

Ollie Simpson Senior Research Executive

Summary

Our new round of testing revealed Square as our top pick for a restaurant POS system, largely due to recent updates to overall usability. Square performed strongly across the board, with solid features, a free plan and excellent help and support options.

How we test restaurant POS systems

We are both impartial and rigorous. In May 2025, we conducted a new round of testing of 11 of the top UK POS platforms to ensure our recommendations are both helpful and accurate.

Our Senior Research Executive spearheaded this new round of research, and worked with our dedicated Reviews Writer to carry out hours of hands-on user testing in our Startups London offices.

The testing was carried out against a framework that was devised by the Senior Research Executive and Head of Research, to ensure we were reflecting the needs and pain points of real world restaurant owners.

These tests, along with our hours independent research and analysis, investigated the six most important factors for small business owners needing a restaurant POS system.

Our six scoring categories were:

1. Usability: We judged how easy the system is to use based on navigation, and how easy our testers found it to make errors.
2. Software: We assessed what we felt were the most crucial features for a restaurant POS system, including – but not limited to – table and floor management, app store variety, reservation options, and customer engagement tools.
3. Pricing: Are you getting a good deal? We compared upfront costs, monthly costs and transaction fees.
4. Help and support: Finding the avenues of customer support that are available, and testing the responsiveness and accuracy of the answers.
5. Hardware: How does the POS terminal perform in terms of display quality and portability, and what accessories are available?
6. Reputation: We assessed the providers’ standing in the marketplace based on competitor reviews, brand recognition and how likely our testers were to recommend the platform.

Buying guide: how to choose a restaurant POS system

The best POS systems for a retail business won’t be the best options for a food and beverage business. Here’s what you should consider when picking the perfect POS system for your restaurant:

Essential features

Look for must-haves like order management, inventory tracking, table management, and reporting. Think about what your unique restaurant might need – loyalty programs, or online or QR code-based ordering to accept takeaway or website orders.

Read more: How to start a takeaway business from home

Trials and demos

Before committing, ask for a trial or a demo. Nothing beats hands-on experience to find out whether a system is right for you.

Price points

It’s not just the initial costs; monthly fees, transaction charges, and hardware costs can sneak up and add to the overall cost of your POS system.

Hardware compatibility

Consider the hardware required. From touchscreen terminals to kitchen printers and handheld devices for waitstaff, ensure they sync seamlessly with the software. Think ruggedness – spills and hectic kitchens demand durable gear.

User-friendly interface

Your staff will thank you for getting an intuitive system. It should be easy to learn and navigate. The last thing you want is a complicated system that slows down your service.

Reliable support

Emergencies happen – ensure the POS provider offers responsive customer support. Whether it’s a tech glitch during the lunch rush or a query at odd hours, having reliable support is a game-changer.

Scalability

As your restaurant grows, so should your POS system. Opt for one that can expand to accommodate your evolving needs. Also, check for regular updates to keep your system running smoothly.

Security

With sensitive customer data and transactions, security is non-negotiable. Look for EMV compliance, data encryption, and regular security updates to safeguard your business.