The 7 best retail POS systems for your small business in 2025

Why should I choose Square POS for my retail businesses?

Square emerged from our testing as our number one recommendation thanks to a feature-packed back office, great help and support options, and a highly intuitive frontend. Square has made even further improvements to its usability since 2024, making it the easiest to use platform that we tested.

We found Square’s well designed frontend remarkably easy to navigate, making managing an inventory a cinch. Source: Startups.co.uk

You can also seamlessly integrate your POS with an ecommerce site, so you can keep your entire retail business under one (square-shaped) roof. The extensive Square ecosystem will let you build you own website, create your own email marketing campaign, and design a loyalty programme all in-house.

Square for Retail can help you bolster repeat business with its built-in marketing tools. Source: Startups.co.uk

What’s great for new business owners is that you can get all these features on Square’s free plan. It’s a great, no-risk, way of trying out the platform to see if it’s to your liking. If you feel yourself needing more advanced tools like a bulk inventory intake, barcode label printing or smart stock forecasting, you can upgrade to the paid Square for Retail Plus plan.

Are there any limitations I need to know about?

• We did find that Square POS was missing a dedicated cost/profit management tool, so if this is a stumbling block for you then Clover might be a better bet.
• There’s no built-in training mode for new staff, so if this is a must-have for you then jump over to Lightspeed Retail instead.
• Square only provides set transaction fees, so if you don’t want a one size-fits-all approach then we’d recommend looking at Clover instead.

One of Square’s big selling points is the free plan, which we ranked as the best free POS for small businesses. Another benefit of Square is the transparent pricing so you know what you’re letting yourself in for.

However, the flipside to this is that all of Square’s pricing and transaction fees are set costs. You might be able to find lower transaction fees with a competitor like Clover who offer a quote-based approach to pricing. There is a custom plan for Square, but this is generally aimed at more established businesses with a high turnover.

Why should I consider SumUp for my retail business?

For smaller and medium sized retail businesses (roughly anywhere from three to 50 employees), getting a clear look at your financial health can be critical. SumUp’s POS Pro (its premium tier) can give you data-driven sales insights into your operation, across different locations. You get a general overview from the dashboard, but you can also filter reports to focus on specific categories.

We were pleased to find SumUp provided a comprehensive range of help and support, including prompt live chat answers. Source: Startups.co.uk

We had tested the POS Pro version of the software in 2024, and most recently in May 2025 we tested the SumUp POS Lite. This is SumUp’s HD tablet (and stand) that comes pre-installed with the free version of the software. In our testing, we were impressed with how sleek and lightweight the POS Lite was, while still feeling professional.

You can get started by downloading the free SumUp app to your smartphone, or tablet. Source: Startups.co.uk

When we tested the basic, free version of the software we found it to be simple and intuitive, making it fast and easy to record a sale. Just keep in mind, if you’re choosing SumUp for its reporting features, you’ll need to upgrade to POS Pro. On this tier you’ll get advanced reporting like supplier cost comparison, and cash drawer session data.

Are there any limitations I need to know about?

• We did note that there wasn’t an option to create a physical gift card, so if this is a must-have for you, you should be taking a look at Square instead.
• While it does have an offline mode, there are specific steps you need to take to ensure it will work. If you want a system that has an automatic offline mode then Lightspeed Retail will be the POS to look into.
• Unlike a competitor such as Clover, there’s currently no option for a customer display. And while we were impressed by the sleek POS Lite, there’s no option for a handheld POS. If you want to manage your sales on the go, have a look at Clover or Square.

How much does SumUp cost?

SumUp is a particularly good option for smaller retail outfits (new businesses with around one to nine employees), thanks to its pay-as-you-go option with some competitive transaction fees. It’s a great, low-risk way to test out the platform.

The other benefit of SumUp is the option to sign up for its Payments Plus plan. This costs £19 per month (or £189 for the year), but it gets you extremely low 0.99% transaction fees. If your retail businesses is growing and seeing a high amount of monthly sales, then this could save you money in the long run. You also get the card reader for half price.

Why should I consider Shopify for my retail business?

Considering Shopify is the go-to name for ecommerce, it only makes sense to consider it for your POS if you’re looking to combine a brick-and-mortar shop with an online store. Shopify can seamlessly connect your online store with its iPad-based POS, and you manage both in-store and online operations from the unified dashboard. 

With Shopify you can manage both your in-store and online sales, all from the same interface. Source: Startups.co.uk

In our most recent set of tests, we found Shopify to be user-friendly and intuitive, with the front end being particularly straightforward to use. Retail stores will benefit from Shopify’s seamless inventory management, which can help you stay on top of varied and extensive inventories as well as preventing frustrating discrepancies in your sales.

Shopify has an impressive library of apps to help streamline your retail operation. Source: Startups.co.uk

Shopify also provides some excellent help and support options, including a community forum. So new users who are just getting started with a POS for the first time will have peace of mind. We also came away impressed by the extensive app store.

Are there any limitations I need to know about?

• Shopify does offer a stand to turn your iPad into a countertop style device, but it doesn’t offer any first-party POS terminals. If you want the rugged durability of a dedicated countertop terminal, then you may want to check out Epos Now or Clover instead.
• Depending on the plan you choose, Shopify can be subject to some reasonably high transaction fees in addition to a monthly fee. If you’re just starting out as a new business and you want low processing fees on a low cost plan, Square or SumUp will probably be a better bet.

How much does Shopify cost?

While it’s not outrageously expensive, Shopify isn’t the cheapest option on the market either. For anything larger than a solo operation you’ll need to pay for the mid-range “Grow” plan. This costs a not inconsiderable £65 per month, per location.

The transaction fees aren’t the lowest we’ve seen either, so while businesses who want to seamlessly combine in-store and online selling may consider the cost more than worth it, it might be a bit pricey for those just starting out.

Why should I consider Clover for my retail business?

Scalability is a key concern for retail businesses when selecting a POS system, and Clover is particularly adept at supporting your retail business as it grows and expands over time. This is due to Clover’s impressively wide ranging app store. The app market is filled with third-party applications than can help facilitate your growth as a business.

Clover has an extensive library of apps you can use to enhance your efficiency and expand your scope. Source: Startups.co.uk

Clover also has some of the sleekest and most responsive POS terminals that we’ve tested, so you can make sure your retail outlets are fully equipped with the tills and accessories they need to expand. We also felt that the back office struck that all-important balance between usability and features, offering a suite of tools for multi-site inventory and employee management.

Clover has an excellent range of terminals, card readers and accessories that can help your staff manage sales across your retail stores. Source: Startups.co.uk

A lack of a reliable payment infrastructure is a common pain point for retailers, but Clover has offline functionality so you can still take card payments when your signal drops out. Just keep in mind that you need to enable the offline mode with Clover, as it’s not automatic.

Are there any limitations I need to know about?

• While Clover is a great fit for medium, large and expanding retail stores, smaller outlets might find that Clover has slightly too much power under the hood for basic needs, and the cost of the equipment is pretty steep. Square is a much better fit for a low-financial-risk, portable POS system.
• Clover (along with Zettle and SumUp) is also missing a community forum where merchants can discuss pain-points and solutions with one another. If this is something you’ll think you’ll want, you should check out Shopify instead.

How much does Clover cost?

Clover has top-of-the-range equipment, but it comes with a top-of the-range price tag to match. This will price out some smaller businesses, but those who don’t mind shelling out for first-class hardware will find a lot to like about Clover’s range of terminals and accessories.

Clover usually takes a quote-based approach to its transaction fees. However, its current offer starts from £1 per month (monthly service fee, including device) on an 18 month contract, which will get you a competitive 1.49% transaction fee.

Why should I consider Lightspeed Retail for my retail business?

Lightspeed Retail has been designed with medium to larger sized businesses in mind, and is particularly well suited to assisting retail stores with multiple locations. This is due to its strong, cloud-based inventory management tools that can track across all your levels and Stock Keeping Units (SKUs) across all your locations.

Lightspeed offers some strong tools for customer engagement. Source: Startups.co.uk

It also provides extensive customer engagement tools (some of the best we’ve seen in our testing) to help you lock in that all-important repeat business, and ensure that your retail chain keeps growing. We came away from our testing impressed with the built-in gift card creation and email marketing tools to drive repeat business.

With Lightspeed Retail you can add notes to customer orders. Source: Startups.co.uk

Lightspeed Retail also provides an extensive library of apps, so you can download third-party applications to help boost your customer engagement capabilities even further. Lightspeed has also been designed to use specifically for iPad, which can be helpful for staff who need to continue to use the software while moving around a shop floor.

Are there any limitations I need to know about?

• While the solely iPad-based POS might be good for portability, some might prefer the high-quality hardware of Clover or Epos Now’s dedicated countertop terminals.
• Newer and smaller businesses might find Lightspeed to be too rich for their blood and the depth of features to be overkill. Newer, smaller businesses will be better suited to a low-cost option like SumUp, or Square’s free tier.

How much does Lightspeed Retail cost?

Please note that these are the starting prices for one register at one location. The price will increase for each location and register you need to add. 

Lightspeed Retail won’t be a budget option, as even the “Basic” package is reasonably high in price, and if you’re looking to use Lightspeed across multiple locations it can get expensive quickly.

However, some might consider the features for multi-store – and inventory – management worth splashing out for. Also keep in mind, if you want the built-in loyalty features or you want to integrate an ecommerce site, you’ll need to pay for at least the “Core” plan.

Why should I consider Zettle for my retail business?

In our most recent round of testing in May, Zettle stood out as one of easiest to use POS platforms. It was really easy to get to grips with, so would require very little training. The system’s simplicity, in conjunction with its free plan, would make it a really great short-term solution for very basic retail outlets, like a pop-up. 

You can download the free Zettle app to your smartphone, which can quickly connect to your PayPal account. Source: Startups.co.uk

In our testing we found that the frontend was particularly intuitive, with core tasks like adding products being completed with ease. While it might be missing out on some more sophisticated features, if you just have a few products to sell (and you have a tight budget) then Zettle would be a decent fit for your needs.

That being said, the customisable gift card creation was a highlight for us. You can also buy some solid kit bundles made up of tablet stands, card readers, barcode scanners and printers, to make sure you’re set up with everything you’ll need to start taking retail sales, without the headache of third party integrations.

Are there any limitations I should be aware of?

• Zettle is a great choice for basic setups, but more advanced or established operations will probably find the basic POS too limiting. For example, there’s no support for tracking stock across multiple locations. So multi-location chains will need to look to a platform like Lightspeed Retail instead.
• Similarly, if you have a large, complex stock with a high number of variants and product types, then a slightly more advanced system like Shopify or Epos Now will be more your speed.

How much does Zettle cost?

Zettle is a very solid deal from a pricing perspective. We think it comes in just behind SumUp as the best deal on the roundup. While it might be too basic for more advanced needs, if you just need a quick-to-learn free POS with a very solid 1.75% card fee, then Zettle is strong contender.

Why should I consider Epos Now for my retail business?

Our most recent testing confirmed that Epos Now’s POS is intuitive, easy-to-use and boasts a sleek, modern design. What stood out were the extensive inventory management tools in the backend, which would really help to  manage an extensive stock of items.

The Epos Now POS terminal also features a customer facing HD touchscreen display. Source: Startups.co.uk

In our testing we also really appreciated the wide, 15.6″ HD touchscreen on the Duo Countertop terminal, which comes with a customer facing screen so that your patrons can see their total. We found the back office especially easy to use, and it was really handy being able to access it straight from the POS terminal itself.

During our testing we found it very useful that we could access the back office directly from the POS terminal. Source: Startups.co.uk

It’s also good to know that the Epos Now POS can still take card payments while offline automatically, so you don’t need to set anything up. Epos Now is also a solid choice if you’re looking to open up secondary retail shops, thanks to its multi-store management features like being able to sync your stock across different locations.

Are there any limitations I need to know about?

• Epos Now has an impressive terminal and it’s packed with features, but we wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to first time POS users due to the complexity of the back office. If you’re a first time retail owner we’d advise trying out a more novice friendly platform like Zettle or Square.
• While we did find the customer facing display to be very helpful for showing customers their total, it can’t take payments. If you want a customer facing display that can accept payments, you should be looking at Clover instead.

How much does Epos Now cost?

Epos Now has some very competitive starting prices, especially for the POS terminal. So if you want to kit out your retail stores with some high-quality terminals and accessories without having to pay premium prices, Epos Now is worthy of your consideration.