Best POS Systems — every ranking, by use case and budget
We priced every system against the same real trading pattern rather than quoting headline rates. Scores are locked before any affiliate link is added. Card processing is regulated and your own rate may be negotiated; always get a written quote.
Square
Very Good
8.9
Toast
Very Good
8.5
By use case indexed
By price page 1 indexedpage 2+ noindex
In-depth pos systems reviews
Helcim
Interchange-plus pricing with no monthly fee and automatic volume discounts — the cheapest total in our test, with rates published on the website
Read Helcim ReviewSquare
Free software, no contract, a $59 reader and a full business suite behind it — the default answer for most small businesses
Read Square ReviewToast
Built for restaurants and nothing else: coursing, modifiers, kitchen displays, online ordering and handhelds that survive a service
Read Toast ReviewShopify POS
One inventory across the shop floor and the website — the right answer when you sell the same stock in both places
Read Shopify POS ReviewClover
Proper countertop hardware and a large app marketplace — powerful, but buy it directly from Clover, never from a reseller
Read Clover ReviewLightspeed Retail
Serious inventory management — variants, matrices, purchase orders and supplier catalogues — for shops whose stock is genuinely complicated
Read Lightspeed Retail ReviewStripe Terminal
The developer's choice: card-present payments on the same Stripe account and API as your online business, with no monthly fee
Read Stripe Terminal ReviewGuides that send readers to these rankings
Flat Rate vs Interchange-Plus: Where the Crossover Actually Is
The same $25,000 a month priced seven ways, and the volume at which switching starts paying.