The best POS systems for small businesses We rank and review the top POS systems to help you decide which option is best for your small business. Written by Eddie Harris Reviewed by Ollie Simpson Updated on 24 April 2025 Our Research When judging the best POS systems, our writers work with expert researchers to focus on key features that matter most to small businesses. These include value for money – setup, hardware and transaction fees – help and support, plus the till, stock, and business management tools available. Written and reviewed by: Eddie Harris Reviews Writer Ollie Simpson Senior Research Executive Startups.co.uk is reader supported – we may earn a commission from our recommendations, at no extra cost to you and without impacting our editorial impartiality. 💡Key takeaways Square POS is the best choice for retail businesses, particularly with its features like multi-site stock management, email marketing function and online ecommerce integration.Clover POS is ideal for growing retail businesses as it provides an extensive range of applications to help expand operations, plus core features like inventory management and discounts.TouchBistro provides a user-friendly experience, with easy-to-use reservation features and marketing tools — perfect for F&B businesses looking for a simple solution.Shopify only runs on an iPad, but it provides seamless integration with your ecommerce store, a wide range of apps for extra features, and an extensive inventory management system.Epos Now works best for restaurants/bars handling a large inventory, as it manages updates and stock tracking efficiently, plus can create simple floor plans with its drag-and-drop tools. 1 of 3 Square POS: best all-round retail POS system 4.8 Try Square 2 of 3 Clover POS: best for rapidly growing retail businesses 4.6 Compare Quotes 3 of 3 TouchBistro: easy food & beverage POS system 3.7 Compare Quotes 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. Best POS Systems for small businesses at a glance Square: best all-round retail POS systemClover POS: best for rapidly growing retail businessesTouchBistro: best for an easy food & beverage POS systemShopify: best for managing in-store and online retail sales with an iPadEpos Now: best for managing a complex food and beverage inventoryDon’t overspend – you can click any of the links above to begin comparing fees on POS systems for your own business’s size and needs. In this guide, we will cover: 1. Square POS: best all-round retail POS system 2. Clover POS: best for rapidly growing retail businesses 3. TouchBistro: best for an easy food & beverage POS system 4. Shopify: best for managing in-store and online retail sales with an iPad 5. Epos Now: best for managing a complex food & beverage inventory How to choose a small business POS system Our methodology Swipe right to see more 0 out of 0 backward forward SPONSORED BEST OVERALL Lightspeed Square Clover TouchBistro Shopify Epos Now Pricing from £59 per month Pricing from Hardware: From £19 plus VATSoftware from: Free Pricing from Bespoke Pricing from $69 per month Pricing from From £25 per monthCurrently £1 per month for the first three months on select plans Pricing from Hardware: From £225Monthly subscriptions: From £25 per month Try Lightspeed Try Square Compare Quotes Compare Quotes Compare Quotes Compare Quotes If you’d prefer our Reviews Writer to take you through some quick highlights of each POS system, you can refer to our video below: Loading 1. Square POS: best all-round retail POS system Square for Retail 4.8 Try Square 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. Show moreless We found the Square interface very easy to navigate. Source: Startups.co.uk Suitable if: You want to take payments both in person and online You need a simple, free plan option You have multiples stores, that need their own POS systems Not suitable if: You want a system that includes a training mode for new staff You’re looking for the lowest fees possible You need detailed cost management tools Why do we think Square POS is a top choice for small businesses?When we put it through our testing process, Square provided everything you would need in a successful retail POS system – from its intuitive front end to its feature-filled back end – we felt Square excelled in almost all major areas. We came away particularly appreciating the multi-site stock management, speedy email marketing function and seamless online ecommerce integration.The clear, easy-to-understand headings on the interface 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. If you’re a smaller operation, you can run the free plan Square POS software on an iPad to save on hardware costs. Square is an excellent choice for any retailer, regardless of size.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.What did we think could be improved?During our testing, we did feel the absence of any serious cost management tools. For more sophisticated tools for keeping on top your business expenses, you could check out Shopify’s POS instead. Need to know: front end and back end When talking about POS software, it generally falls into two categories you’ll need to use:Front end: this is the ‘front of house’ part, what you will use to manage customer transactions, such as inputting an order or printing a bill.Back end: this is the ‘back office’ part, the software used to manage the business, change the settings (for example, menu items or a connected inventory) and see analytics. How much does it cost?PricingSoftwareFree plan: FreeSquare for Retail Plus plan: £49/month, per locationPremium plan (for businesses that process more than £200,000 per year): custom pricingHardwareSquare Stand (to turn your iPad into a countertop terminal): £99 plus VATSquare Register: £599 plus VAT Transaction feesFree plan: 1.75% in person, 2.5% for virtual terminal and invoices, 1.4% + 25p for online transactionsSquare for Retail Plus plan: 1.6% in person, 1.4% + 25p for online transactionsPremium plan: custom ratesFree trial?You can test the system using the free plan on a tabletNewer 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 4.6 Starting software price: £1 per month (18 month contract) Transaction fees from: 1.49% 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. Show moreless The sleek Clover terminal was one of the most impressive pieces of hardware we tested. Source: Startups.co.uk Suitable if: An intuitive front-end is high priority Your store is growing rapidly Not suitable if: You’re a smaller - or pop-up sized - store You have a limited inventory You want a forum to get help Why do we think Clover POS is a top choice for small businesses?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, discovering that the process of selecting and adding items was fast and simple. 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 environment.The Clover POS terminal also comes bundled with its own receipt printer. Source: Startups.co.ukWe were also impressed by Clover’s wide library of apps. It provides you with an extensive range of applications that you can use to maximise efficiency and will help you expand your operation.What did we think could be improved?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?PricingSoftwareCurrently from £1 per monthHardwareClover Mini: £450Clover Station Solo: Contact Clover for pricesClover Station Duo: £1,300Transaction feesFrom 1.49%Free trial?NoneUnfortunately Clover is less than transparent when it comes to its pricing, as it’s a quote based system. The other thing to be aware 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 beginner friendly. However, right now Clover is running a promotion where you can try a card reader for just £1 a month for the first six months (terms and conditions will apply). How many POS terminals does your business need? Just 1 2-3 Over 3 Unsure Compare Costs 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. TouchBistro: best for an easy food & beverage POS system 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. Show moreless Completing orders with TouchBistro was a smooth process. Source: Startups.co.uk Suitable if: You need an integrated kitchen display system You’re a rapidly expanding chain You want targeted promotions for your customers Not suitable if: You want built-in QR code ordering You want a terminal You want an automated tip management system Why do we think TouchBistro is a top choice for small businesses?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 found that the tablet-based POS system was ideal for navigating around a busy restaurant, providing excellent mobility. 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 also appreciated the wide range of customisable options provided by TouchBistro, which saved us from having to spend money on supplementary features.What did we think could be improved?We would have liked to have seen the inclusion of a built-in QR code ordering system, and more extensive tip automation tools – both of which are provided by Square. Making sure your tips are allocated correctly is more crucial than ever due to the new tipping law legislation.While we appreciated the transportability of the entirely tablet-based system, 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?PricingSoftwareFrom $69/month (TouchBistro’s pricing is only available in US dollars)HardwareQuote-basedTransaction feesQuote-basedFree trial?No, but you can get a free demoTouchBistro’s pricing 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 POS 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 4.5 Starting software price: £25 per month Transaction fees from: 1.5% Easily integrates into the online store platform (dependent on plan type) Wide range of apps Strong support options to help inexperienced users 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. Show moreless The straightforward design of the Shopify interface makes for a user-friendly experience. Source: Startups.co.uk Suitable if: You have a wide-ranging and diverse inventory You want access to an extensive app store You want to integrate your existing Shopify website Not suitable if: You need to keep processing costs as low as possible You want a training mode for new staff You want a full POS terminal, rather than using software on an iPad Why do we think Shopify is a top choice for small businesses?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, with Shopify being the go to option for online businesses.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, so 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. We were also impressed by how easy it was to navigate both front and back end tasks using the iPad. What did we think could be improved?While we were certainly impressed by how easy the system was to use on an iPad, some business owners might prefer the option to have a sturdy countertop terminal. If this is the case, you should consider the POS hardware offered by Epos Now instead.How much does it cost?PricingSoftwareSell in person- Retail plan: £69/monthSell everywhere- Basic plan: £25/month- Grow plan: £65/month- Advanced plan: £344/monthHardwareBouncepad Click Tablet Stand: £168Transaction fees1.5% - 5%Free trial?YesThe 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. In addition to this, just be aware that while it has low-cost £5 plan, this is predominantly for selling through social media. 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 two minutes I had set up my POS 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 POS 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 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. Show moreless Epos Now provides a high-quality terminal with a large display. Source: Startups.co.uk Suitable if: You’re looking to reduce your monthly outgoings You're a restaurant of any size, small or large If you have a large and detailed inventory Not suitable if: You want an option to share out tips automatically You want a free POS You prefer more beginner friendly, basic software New feature: Standalone Mode For 2025, Epos Now has introduced a brand new feature to its POS toolbox: Standalone Mode.This allows you to keep taking payments with your card reader even when the integrated method of taking card payments (such as the main till) is down.You can now use 4G or WiFi as a backup when your till isn’t connecting to the reader, or if the internet has gone down. Why do we think Epos Now is a top choice for small businesses?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.The Epos Now terminal also comes with a separate display screen, which makes it easy for your customers to see their total. Source: Startups.co.ukEpos 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.What did we think could have been improved?While we appreciated the range of functionality Epos Now provides, we did feel that it’s missing a more extensive option for automated tip sharing, which Square is able to provide.How much does it cost?PricingSoftwareFrom £25 per monthHardwareFrom £225Transaction feesFrom 1.3%Free trial?NoneEpos Now offers various packages containing different hardware and accessories, depending on your specific needs. 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 In summaryTo sum things up, in order to find the perfect POS system for your business, you’ll need to look for the tools and features you think will benefit your specific operation.For retailers, Square for Retail is our overall top choice thanks to its range of features, usability, and suitability to both small and medium sized operations.If you’re operating in the food and beverage industry, we felt that TouchBistro was the most user-friendly system, but Epos Now is more suited to tackling complicated inventories. How to choose a small business POS systemYou 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 considerEvery 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 POSMobile POS systems – best for market stalls or food trucks, or retailers that want to process transactions on the sales floorMultichannel POS systems – best for businesses that sell online and in-person and need to sync orders and inventorySelf-service kiosk POS systems – best for businesses with self-checkout options, such as quick service restaurants, ticketing, and hospitality Our methodologyWe 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. Share this post facebook twitter linkedin Tags Recommendations Written by: Eddie Harris Reviews Writer Eddie is resident Reviews Expert for Startups, focusing on merchant accounts, point of sales systems and business phone systems. He works closely with our in-house team of research experts, carrying out hours of hands-on user testing and market analysis to ensure that our recommendations and reviews are as helpful and accurate as possible. Eddie is also Startups video presenter. He helps create informative, helpful visual content alongside our written reviews, to better aid customers with their decision making. Eddie joined Startups from its sister site Expert Reviews, where he wrote in-depth informational articles and covered the biggest consumer deals events of the year. And, having previously worked as a freelancer providing screenplay and book coverage in the film and television industry, Eddie is no stranger to the demands of the sole trader. Reviewed by: Ollie Simpson Senior Research Executive After three years of refining my skills in data analysis, I transitioned to a role as a researcher to help understand our readers' preferences and needs. My professional journey started as a researcher in law enforcement, where I developed strong analytical abilities. Later, I moved into operations, strengthening my understanding of quantitative data. Now, I blend my quantitative analysis skills with qualitative research to explore both audience preferences and product nuances. Armed with a UX design diploma, I translate research findings into actionable insights that facilitate informed decision-making. Whether enhancing Startups offerings or delivering research presentations, I am driven by a relentless pursuit of improvement and results.