Best POS Systems for Restaurants

What separates the top picks on this page?

Three systems, three different trade-offs. Square scores 8.9 and costs nothing for the software — no monthly fee, no contract. Toast scores 8.5 and is built for restaurants only: coursing, modifiers, kitchen displays, handhelds. Clover scores 8.2 and starts at $14.95, with the Station Duo called the best physical hardware here.

The scores come from five weighted areas: processing fees and total cost (30), hardware and reliability (20), features for the trade (20), reporting and integrations (15), support and terms (15). Cost carries the most weight, which is why Square's free software sits on top despite a $785 a month bill on our basket — flat rate costs more than interchange-plus at this volume.

What should you check before buying?

Start with the card rate, not the sticker price. Toast's $0 software plan charges a much higher card rate, and its hardware runs from $799, often financed over a multi-year agreement. Clover's $14.95 is only the start — resellers sell the same hardware on three-year contracts with termination fees, and hardware bought from a reseller is often locked to that processor. Buy Clover directly.

Then check what happens when the internet drops. All three kept working through our simulated outage: Square kept taking cards and settled afterwards, Toast ran a full offline mode for orders and cards, Clover's offline mode worked too.

Finally, match the feature list to your service style:

• Toast — kitchen display, coursing, modifiers and table management are all first-class, and the hardware is spill-resistant and built for a kitchen.
• Square — payroll, invoicing, online store, appointments and loyalty in one account, though Square can hold funds on unusual activity with little warning.
• Clover — an app marketplace that covers trades the core software does not.

Square

For most small businesses that want free software, no contract and a $59 reader, and can live with flat-rate pricing at higher volume.

Toast

For full-service restaurants that need coursing, kitchen displays and handhelds that survive a service, and will accept the hardware cost and agreement.

Clover

For counters that want a genuine countertop till and app coverage beyond the core software — bought directly from Clover, never a reseller.

Square suits most small businesses that want free software and no contract. Toast suits full-service restaurants that need coursing, kitchen displays and kitchen-ready hardware. Clover suits counters that want the Station Duo and app marketplace coverage, bought directly from Clover.