Best POS Systems for Retail

What separates the best POS system for retail on this page?

Two systems tie at the top: Helcim and Square, both at 8.9. They get there in opposite ways. Square gives you free software, no contract, a $59 reader, and a full suite: payroll, invoicing, online store, appointments and loyalty in one account. On the same basket Square costs $785 a month, because a flat rate costs more than interchange-plus at this volume.

Below them sit Shopify POS and Clover, both at 8.2. Shopify POS costs $39 and keeps one stock count across store, website and marketplaces. Clover costs $14.95 and has the best physical hardware here — the Station Duo is a genuine countertop till. Lightspeed Retail scores 8 and costs $89, built for complicated stock: size and colour matrices, serial numbers, purchase orders and supplier catalogues.

What should I check before buying a retail POS?

Our scoring puts processing fees and total cost at 30 points, so run your own monthly volume through each quote before anything else. Then check these:

• Offline card acceptance. Square and Clover kept taking cards through our simulated outage. Shopify POS stopped entirely, and Helcim's offline acceptance is limited.
• Contract terms. Helcim and Square have no contract. Lightspeed needs an annual commitment to get listed prices. Clover resellers sell the same hardware on three-year contracts with termination fees — buy direct from Clover.
• Processor lock-in. Using a processor other than Shopify Payments adds a penalty fee per transaction. Hardware bought from a Clover reseller is often locked to that processor.
• Fund holds. Square can hold funds on unusual activity with little warning.
• Trade fit. Helcim has no restaurant features like table maps or coursing. Clover's app marketplace covers trades the core software does not.

Helcim

For shops that want the lowest total cost and openly published interchange-plus rates, with automatic discounts as volume grows.

Square

For most small businesses that want free software, no contract, and payroll, invoicing, an online store, appointments and loyalty in one account.

Shopify POS

For sellers moving the same stock on the shop floor and the website, with staff, customer profiles and loyalty shared between channels.

Clover

For shops that want proper countertop hardware and an app marketplace for trades the core software does not cover.

Lightspeed Retail

For shops whose stock is genuinely complicated — variants, matrices, purchase orders, multi-location transfers and supplier catalogues.

Helcim suits shops chasing the lowest total cost with published interchange-plus rates, while Square suits most small businesses that want free software and no contract. Shopify POS is the pick when the same stock sells in store and online, Clover when you want real countertop hardware bought direct, and Lightspeed Retail when your inventory is genuinely complicated.