Best POS Systems
Point-of-sale systems for retail, restaurants, and omnichannel businesses.
Read our ranked guide: Best POS Systems →We compare 5 POS systems. Square is our top pick at 4.5/5 (free to start). Paid entry pricing is $89/mo. 4 offer a free tier. 5 have a public API.
Shopify POS extends a Shopify store to in-person selling, unifying online and retail inventory, customers, and reporting. The natural POS choice for existing Shopify merchants.
Lightspeed offers cloud POS for retail and hospitality with strong inventory management, analytics, and ecommerce — a good fit for growing multi-location businesses.
All POS systems compared
| # | Tool | Starts at | Rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Square Unified online + in-person payments | Free | 4.5/5 | Retail, food & omnichannel SMBs |
| 2 | Toast POS built for restaurants | Free | 4.4/5 | Restaurants & food service |
| 3 | Shopify POS In-person selling for Shopify stores | Free | 4.4/5 | Shopify merchants going omnichannel |
| 4 | Lightspeed POS for retail & restaurants | $89/mo | 4.2/5 | Retail & multi-location |
| 5 | Clover Flexible POS with an app marketplace | Free | 4.1/5 | Retail, restaurants & services |
How to choose POS systems
Best rated → Square
4.5/5 across 12,600 reviews. Great for in-person.
Best free option → Square
Has a genuine free tier, so you can test before spending.
Need an API → Square
5 of 5 here expose a public API for integrations and automation.
- Check whether pricing is per seat — it multiplies with team size.
- Headline prices usually assume annual billing; monthly costs more.
- Start on a free tier or trial before committing to a year.
- Confirm the integrations you already rely on are supported.
Popular comparisons in this category
Frequently asked questions
What is the best POS system option?+
Square is our top-rated pick, scoring 4.5/5 and starting at Free. Great for in-person The best choice still depends on budget and team size — see the ranked list above.
How many POS systems are compared here?+
We currently compare 5 POS systems on pricing, features, and ratings, averaging 4.3/5.
Are there free POS systems?+
Yes — 4 of the 5 here have a free tier: Square, Toast, Shopify POS, Clover.
How much do POS systems cost?+
Paid entry pricing here is $89/mo (Lightspeed). 4 options also offer a free tier.