The best POS systems for small businesses

1 of 3

Square POS: best all-round retail POS system

4.7

Try Square

2 of 3

Clover POS: best for rapidly growing retail businesses

4.3

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3 of 3

TouchBistro: easy food & beverage POS system

4.1

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A modern POS system should be able to swiftly and effortlessly process sales, accept a range of payment methods, access sales reporting and generate receipts for your customers. Whether you’re in retail or hospitality, these are the functions that will be the key to your success. 

The best POS system will be dependent on your industry and the size of the business you’re running. For example our latest research and testing determined Square to be the top choice for best overall retail POS system – but we found TouchBistro to be the easiest system to operate for the food and beverage sector. You should look for a system that displays industry-specific, advanced features that will benefit your type of business. We’ll go into this in more detail below. 

It’s also essential to choose one with costs that fit within your budget – and gives you competitive transaction fees. This is especially true in the current financial climate, where you’re going to be doing all you can to keep overheads down.

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BEST OVERALL
Square	Clover	TouchBistro	Shopify	Epos Now
Pricing from Hardware: From £19 plus VAT Software from: Free	Pricing from Contact Clover for prices	Pricing from £65 per month	Pricing from Free Trial available £25 per month – Basic Shopify	Pricing from Hardware: From £225 Monthly subscriptions: From £25 per month
Try Square	Compare Quotes	Compare Quotes	Compare Quotes	Compare Quotes

1. Square POS: best all-round retail POS system

Square for Retail

4.8

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

• Great range of hardware as well as an iOS app
• Excellent employee management system
• Lets you efficiently manage multiple store locations

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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We found the Square interface very easy to navigate. Source: Startups.co.uk

Why do we think Square POS is the top choice for small businesses?

When we put it through our testing process, Square provided everything you would need in a successful POS system – from its intuitive front end to its robust back end – we felt Square excelled in almost all major areas.

The clear, easy-to-understand menu headings meant navigating the system was a breeze in our testing. You can buy the Square Register on its own for an upfront fee, but you can also pay extra for any extras you might need, from barcode scanners to scales, so you’ll be equipped for any scenario.

If you don’t want to use Square’s own equipment, there’s also the option of using the Square Retail Point of Sale app. This means, if you’re a small operation you can run the Square POS on an iPad on a free plan to save on hardware costs.

We found all these elements to be extremely user friendly, but if you do run into any issues you can be rest assured that Square provides every help and support option you could want: there’s email support, live chat and even a forum you can use to talk to fellow merchants.

There are excellent features built in, ready to go – from seamless online ecommerce integration to the ability to customise your own bespoke gift cards. All of this is provided by Square at no extra cost.

While we came away appreciating the multi-site stock management – and speedy email marketing function – we did lament the absence of any serious cost management tools. For a more sophisticated suite of tools for keeping on top your business expenses, you could check out Shopify’s POS instead.

How much does it cost?

Newer businesses will appreciate the option for a free monthly plan, which gets you a fairly average 1.75% transaction fee for in person payments. Slightly more established businesses should consider the Square Plus plan, which has a monthly fee, but you’ll get a more competitive 1.6% transaction rate.

Just keep in mind, Square charges a much more aggressive 2.5% transaction fee for manually entered payments (such as virtual terminal or invoice payments). So, if you’ll be taking a lot of orders over the phone, then this is definitely something to be mindful of.

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. I especially like that I could start with the free plan to try it out for an extended period and then if I’m happy and want more I can upgrade and start paying, it’s mean you’re not under any pressure to purchase it immediately as the free plan still has great features!

Ollie Simpson Senior Research Executive

2. Clover POS: best for rapidly growing retail businesses

Clover POS

4.7

• Starting software price: Quote-based
• Transaction fees from: Quote-based

• Customisable customer display that supports contactless payments
• Great range of apps to help scale your business and support your customers
• Spread hardware costs out per month

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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The sleek Clover terminal was one of the most impressive pieces of hardware we tested. Source: Startups.co.uk

What did we like best about Clover POS?

Clover is a first-class choice for any expanding retail business. The features include everything from invoicing, to inventory management, to discounts. With Clover, you should have everything you need to run your business smoothly and scale it over time.

Clover’s excellent system made completing any task we threw at it intuitive and effortless. The software is easy to use, but we also loved the sleek design of the terminal, with the tactile feedback making inputs and selections easier for anyone working in a noisy store or restaurant. In particular we discovered that the process of selecting and adding items was fast and simple.

The only downside we discovered was the lack of a forum for getting support from other users. Take a look at Shopify if you want access to a forum to discuss pain points with other merchants.

How much does it cost?

Unfortunately Clover is less than transparent when it comes to its pricing – it’s a quote based system and you’ll need to contact Clover directly in order to get a full price breakdown (just remember to always be diligent before signing on the dotted line!).

The other thing to be wary of with Clover is its comparatively expensive hardware: the Clover Station Duo costs almost double than some of the other terminals we looked at. While Clover is the perfect choice for medium sized businesses, if you’re just starting out then the transparent set pricing, cheaper hardware or free plan of Square might be more suitable.

What our researchers think

The Clover hardware was the most modern and sleek for me, out of all the EPOS 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. TouchBistro: best for an easy food & beverage POS system

TouchBistro

4.4

• 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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Completing orders with TouchBistro was a smooth process. Source: Startups.co.uk

What do I need to know about TouchBistro?

TouchBistro leaped out as an extremely user-friendly experience from the word go in our testing. Our users were completing orders and tasks in both front and back of house with ease – it’s an exceptionally easy to operate POS with a streamlined set-up process.

We also appreciated the wide range of customisable options provided by TouchBistro, which saved us from having to spend money on supplementary features. Other positive features that made this stand out as a top-class POS system for restaurants were the reservation system, the great marketing tools and the detailed options for loyalty and promotional features.

We only found ourselves pining for a more extensive tip management tool – the likes of which provided by Square. Especially since making sure your tips are allocated correctly is more crucial than ever due to the new tipping law legislation. While we found that the tablet-based POS system was ideal for navigating around a busy restaurant, some owners might prefer a dedicated terminal – if that’s a dealbreaker for you then Clover’s range of hardware will have you covered.

How much does it cost?

TouchBistro can feel opaque, as it doesn’t provide any idea of what its hardware or transaction fees are. Its base software price is pretty average, but keep in mind that while the menu management, table management and the cloud-based reporting and analytics all come included in the standard POS software plan, features like the reservation system, online ordering and gift cards all have their own individual extra costs attached.

This can add up, but on the other hand it does give you control over what add-ons you want to spend money on.

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. The EPOS system was simple to use and places you on the floor plan page as soon as you log in which is great for ordering quickly and I also found that the menu and stock customisation was one of the best I’ve seen.

Ollie Simpson Senior Research Executive

4. Shopify: best for managing in-store and online retail sales with an iPad

Shopify

4.4

• Starting software price: £5
• Transaction fees from: 1.5%

• Plans starting from as low as £5 per month
• Strong support options to help inexperienced users
• Easily integrates into the online store platform (dependent on plan type)

Summary Headquartered in Ontario, Canada, Shopify is the second largest publicly traded Canadian company. It hosts 5.6 million active stores across more than 175 countries.

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The straightforward design of the Shopify interface makes for a user-friendly experience. Source: Startups.co.uk 

What makes Shopify a top POS system?

Shopify’s POS system may only run on an iPad, rather than a dedicated terminal. But, there’s plenty of power under the hood. Best of all is the seamless integration with an ecommerce store, if you sell online and in person.

We liked the stripped-down, straightforward simplicity of the software, which is extremely intuitive to use. We also appreciated the wide range of apps provided by the Shopify store, meaning you shouldn’t be found wanting if you need to bolt on any additional features.

There’s an extensive inventory management system, and detailed reporting features. All this makes Shopify one of the best POS systems to choose.

We were certainly impressed how easy it was to navigate both front and back end tasks using the iPad, but if you want a sturdy dedicated terminal then consider the POS hardware offered by Epos Now instead.

How much does it cost?

The transaction fees cover a broad range and will depend on your plan type. Unfortunately, there is no free plan offered by Shopify, so if you’re just getting started and need to keep costs to a minimum, you might want to consider Square instead. The upside is that it’s transparent about its pricing, and offers a range of different tiers. The downside is that on its lower tiers it can charge some pretty eye watering fees.

What our researchers think

This is the number one platform if you want to sell online too. I was able to set up my online store and then within 2 minutes I had set up my EPOS station and connected it to my iPad, that meant everything was in sync across both channels, something which most other platforms make a lot more complicated to set up! The back-end makes it so easy to create items and then all you have to do is tick a box and it appears on your EPOS screen. When we tested it from the perspective of serving customers, we found this to be one of the easiest retail options as it’s so simply laid out and they don’t over complicate at all.

Ollie Simpson Senior Research Executive

5. Epos Now: best for managing a complex food and beverage inventory

Epos Now

4.1

• Starting software price: £25

• 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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Epos Now provides a high-quality terminal with a large display. Source: Startups.co.uk

What’s the bottom line on Epos Now?

If you’re on the hunt for a new POS system for your bar or restaurant and you need to efficiently manage a large inventory, then the Epos Now POS should be in your crosshairs. In our testing we were impressed by how well it managed inventory updates – as well as stock tracking – and creating floor plans was a cinch thanks to the simple drag and drop tools.

If your business needs to closely monitor its profit margins, then Epos Now’s sales reports are hugely helpful. They even include a cost vs profit analysis. Though on the whole, we found TouchBistro’s software a tad more intuitive.

Epos Now also stands out from its competitors because it lets you (optionally) pay for both the hardware and software upfront. This means you can avoid being locked into monthly costs. We were thoroughly impressed with the terminal offered by Epos Now, which is well built and easy to use thanks to a massive 15.6” HD display. If you’re operating in a fast-paced hospitality environment, this will really help streamline those orders that are piling up.

How much does it cost?

Epos Now offers various packages containing different hardware and accessories, but it’s best to contact the company to find out which option is right for you. While this flexibility is welcome for retailers, it can make it difficult to compare the pricing against other providers. Make sure you have a clear understanding of everything you’ll be paying before signing any contracts, as additional fees can otherwise cause surprises.

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. They have tonnes of features in the back-end to create loyalty programmes and floor plans and being able to access this from the terminal itself is something that only very few platforms actually allow.

Ollie Simpson Senior Research Executive

How to choose a small business POS system

You should always compare different POS system providers before you sign on the dotted line, as well as having a solid idea of how much a POS should cost you. You don’t want to be tied to a service that doesn’t suit the specific needs of your business. It might be, generally speaking, a great product – but it might not be the right product for you.

While one system might look top of the range on paper, it might be lacking the specific features it needs to be the right POS for a takeaway business, for example.

But what factors should you compare? Which features do you most need to focus on? Here are our top tips for what to consider:

• Upfront costs: understand the initial costs you’ll encounter, and how this may vary depending on how many tills, terminals or other devices you need to buy.
• Transaction fees: you can’t avoid them, but different providers charge different transaction fee rates. Some will depend on how many sales you process, so make sure you get yourself the best deal.
• Mobile & tablet POS: no terminal? no problem – if you only wish to run a POS system on an iPad or mobile phone, that’s perfectly possible, as most providers now offer a POS app.
• Online store tie-in: if you process online sales as well as in-person sales, a modern POS system should run all of this for you from the same core inventory. You’ll make life easy for yourself by choosing one platform for both.

Types of POS system to consider

Every retail or hospitality business needs a POS system, regardless of their specific sector or size. However, there are different types of POS systems that suit certain types of businesses better:

• POS apps – best for small businesses with limited budgets that want a flexible and portable POS
• Mobile POS systems – best for market stalls or food trucks, or retailers that want to process transactions on the sales floor
• Multichannel POS systems – best for businesses that sell online and in-person and need to sync orders and inventory
• Self-service kiosk POS systems – best for businesses with self-checkout options, such as quick service restaurants, ticketing, and hospitality

Our methodology

We are extensive and impartial.

Our insights team looked at a total of 15 POS systems in order to determine the best. We completed 40 user testing sessions – which amounted to a total of 1,200 hours – in order to select the top 5.

We have based our rankings on the six categories we determined as the most relevant to small business owners looking for a POS system: hardware, software, help and support, customer score rating, price, and usability.

Between these main categories we then break each down further to anything from four to 12 subcategories, ensuring our evaluation is as rigorous as possible.

We then split our recommendations between POS systems for retail and POS systems for the food and beverage industry, to determine the specific factors that make the ideal system for their respective industries. All of this work is designed to make sure our lists are as helpful and relevant as possible.