Best Free POS Systems

What separates the top free POS picks?

All three members here run on the same $25,000 a month basket, and the split comes down to how you pay for cards. Helcim and Square both score 8.9, but Helcim's interchange-plus pricing landed at $658 a month on our basket, while Square's flat rate came to $785. Toast scores 8.5 and starts from $0 software, though that plan charges a much higher card rate.

Helcim publishes its rates openly and adds automatic discounts as volume grows, with no monthly fee, no contract and no early-termination clause. Square gives you free software, no contract and a $59 reader, plus payroll, invoicing, an online store, appointments and loyalty in one account. Toast is built for restaurants only: kitchen display, coursing, modifiers and table management are all first-class, and its hardware is spill-resistant.

What should I check before buying a free POS system?

Processing fees and total cost carry the most weight in our scoring at 30 points, so run your own monthly card volume through each provider's rate before anything else. Hardware and reliability is worth 20, and that is where the differences show: Square kept taking cards through our simulated outage and settled afterwards, Toast's full offline mode kept taking orders and cards through our outage, while Helcim's offline card acceptance is limited compared with Square or Clover.

Features for the trade is another 20 points. If you run a restaurant, Helcim has no restaurant-specific features like table maps or coursing, and Toast does. Reporting and integrations is 15, and support and terms is 15 — check the terms closely, because Square can hold funds on unusual activity with little warning, and Toast hardware starts at $799, often financed over a multi-year agreement.

Which free POS system is right for you?

• Helcim — for businesses that want the cheapest total on our basket at $658 a month, published interchange-plus rates and no contract.
• Square — for most small businesses that want free software, a $59 reader and payroll, invoicing, online store, appointments and loyalty in one account.
• Toast — for restaurants that need coursing, modifiers, kitchen displays, online ordering and handhelds that survive a service.

Helcim suits businesses chasing the lowest total on our basket at $658 a month with published interchange-plus rates and no contract. Square suits most small businesses that want free software, a $59 reader and a full business suite in one account. Toast suits restaurants that need coursing, modifiers, kitchen displays and hardware built for a kitchen.