Best Android POS Systems For Small Business

Note: Free Square For Retail and Square For Restaurants plans apply to single-location businesses only. You must upgrade to a Plus plan if you open multiple locations. The Plus plan includes one device per location. Additional devices cost $40/device/month.

The Square For Retail Plus plan includes inventory management features like vendor management, inventory counts, automated purchase ordering, and barcode printing. You can also accept cross-location returns and exchanges on the Plus plan.

The Square For Restaurants Plus plan includes unlimited Square KDS software licenses and operations management features like menu reports, section reports, and the ability to duplicate tablet settings across all devices. You can purchase KDS software device licenses for $20/device/month if you are on the free plan.

Square also offers an appointment booking software for service businesses, called Square Appointments, at the following prices:

• Free: $0/month; includes unlimited POS mobile app licenses, appointment booking website, automated appointment reminders, contract templates, and employee management
• Plus: $29/month/location; includes no-show protection, multiple staff appointments, automated appointment confirmations, and multi-location management
• Premium: $69/month/location; includes resource management, multiple wage rates, and staff commissions

Popular add-ons include Square Loyalty (starting at $45/month), Square Payroll (starting at $35/month), and Square Email Marketing (starting at $15/month).

Hardware Cost & Options

One of Square’s new features is Tap to Pay on Android, which turns regular Android smartphones into contactless card readers, meaning you can accept tap card and digital wallet payment types with no card reader required. To accept chip card payments, you need at least the $49 Square card reader (or the newly released $59 second-generation Square card reader.) This is ideal for businesses with no budget, especially mobile-only businesses.

Square’s proprietary hardware is Android-based, including the $299 Square Terminal, the new $259 Square Restaurant Mobile POS kit, and the $799 Square Register.

The provider also offers hardware peripherals such as weight scales and stands to create self-serve kiosks.

Since our last update, Square has made the kitchen display software available exclusively on Android devices, including the $599 15.6″ Microtouch Android screen and the $699 Microtouch 21.5″ screen.

Payment Processing Costs

You may only use Square for payment processing, and the provider charges these payment processing fees for these payment types:

• Card-Present: 2.6% + $0.10 on the Free plan; 2.5% + $0.10 on the Plus plan
• Online: $2.9 + $0.30
• Invoice: 3.3% + $0.30
• Manually-Keyed Card: 3.5% + $0.15

Note: Online payments include payments made via an online store, as well as QR codes and other Square Checkout links.

Square has software features for retail, restaurant, and service businesses, but no matter which industry plan you choose, you get these free features:

• Square Online: Free online store builder that allows you to sell retail items, take restaurant orders, and/or schedule appointments
• Square Invoices: Free invoice builder to send estimates, charge deposits, and charge cards on file for things like catering orders, multi-stage home improvement projects, or B2B retail orders
• Unlimited Devices: On the free plan, you can use any number of tablets at your location
• Checkout Links: Accept payments via QR code, hyperlink, email, text, social media profile, or buy button embedded in a website
• eGift Cards: Sell eGift cards for free, including group eGift cards, a feature now available as part of Square’s new features released in September 2023
• Square Dashboard: Manage your inventory, reports, online store, appointments, customer profiles, and your team from anywhere on one tablet dashboard

Retail establishments will appreciate the Square social media integrations so you can sell on Instagram or make TikTok sales, the Google product listing integration, and features like product reviews and saved carts. On September 26, 2023, Square announced a product update to the Square For Retail checkout interface, including online order fulfillment in-store, buy in-store for shipping, and item pickup from several locations.

Restaurants will appreciate that Square offers delivery solutions for restaurants with delivery staff and those who need to call on Square’s DoorDash delivery partners. You can also integrate Square with major third-party delivery platforms, embed your Square ordering site on your Google business profile, and route all orders from all ordering sources to your kitchen display screens.

Note: If you want more restaurant software features but do not want to pay a monthly fee, the Toast Quick Start Bundle is an excellent alternative Android POS system for restaurants.

Service businesses such as salons or home repair will appreciate the Google appointment booking integration, customer confirmation notifications and automated reminders, retail sales capabilities, and the ability to manage resources like labor, in-store product usage, and tools.

Note: If you have a service-based business and want free invoicing features, plus custom payment processing rates that will help you lower your monthly payment processing fees, Helcim may be a better choice than Square.

Square subscriptions are month-to-month, and you can cancel your account without consequences.

If you damage your Square hardware within your hardware warranty period, the company will send you new equipment, even if you don’t purchase the hardware directly from Square. Send old pieces back to Square within 14 days of getting your new hardware, or you will be charged for the new equipment.

The prices listed are for plans purchased directly through Clover.

However, you can purchase your Clover POS system from several Clover-authorized sellers, so prices will vary. Read our Clover pricing guide to understand more about how much you may pay for your Clover hardware, software, and payment processing fees.

Hardware Cost & Options

Clover countertop POS system, handheld POS system, barcode scanner, cash drawer, and card reader.

The $599 Clover Flex handheld POS system is great for mobile sellers, especially professional and field service providers like mobile hairdressers and landscapers.

The $799 Clover Mini is a small countertop terminal that includes a built-in receipt printer and is great for quick-serve restaurants as well as small retail establishments. The $1,699 Clover Station is a full countertop solution with a cash drawer, receipt printer, and card reader.

In June 2023, Clover released proprietary kitchen display software and hardware. On Clover.com, the Android-based kitchen screen costs $799 plus a $25/month software subscription.

Note: The above pricing is for hardware purchased on Clover.com. It’s important to note that Clover hardware costs will vary depending on Clover hardware providers.

Payment Processing Costs

Clover payment processing rates vary depending on where you get your Clover hardware and accompanying merchant services from.

If you get your POS from Clover.com, you’ll pay 2.3% plus $0.10 for card-present transactions and 3.5% plus $0.10 for all card-not-present transactions, which includes invoice payments and online ordering website payments.

Small businesses can get flat-rate payment processing. Larger businesses can seek a merchant services provider that offers an interchange-plus payment processing model, the most cost-effective model for processing large sales volumes.

Read our post on the best Clover resellers to find a Clover-authorized merchant services provider with the best payment processing rates and contract terms for your business.

Clover offers retail, restaurant, and service-based business software plans. All Clover users will appreciate the provider’s built-in loyalty program and free online ordering page.

The real power of Clover comes from the app market, which offers everything from form builders to employee management apps to appointment schedulers. For example, the niche gym membership integrations make Clover one of the best POS systems for gyms, while a more general ticketing app used in creative ways can make Clover one of the best coffee shop POS systems.

Clover POS app market categories.

Note: If you like Clover’s numerous software integrations but want a stronger eCommerce presence, Shopify is a good alternative POS for Android.

Clover offers 36-month and 48-month contracts with early termination fees should you cancel your contract early. There’s also nothing you can do with your Clover hardware if you stop using Clover POS software since Clover hardware is proprietary. The company won’t fix hardware that you obtain from any source other than Clover.com.

If you work with a Clover reseller, you are subject to that reseller’s terms, so do your research before committing. Read your contract and other customer reviews of your potential merchant service provider to avoid Clover scams.

The bottom line is that no matter where you get your Clover hardware, buying expensive proprietary hardware is a big commitment. So, make sure Clover is right for you before spending a lot of money on POS hardware.

Toast’s $0 upfront Quick Start Bundle plan looks like a good deal, but to get this deal, you have to pay much higher per-order fees, to the point where it could be worth it to purchase your POS equipment upfront and pay a monthly fee if you can afford it. If you can’t afford it, find a way to finance your purchase or switch to a paid plan as soon as you have the money to do so.

On the $69/month Core plan, you’ll have to pay an additional fee if you want to add digital ordering, which includes online orders to takeout and Toast delivery services. The $165/month Growth plan comes with digital ordering at no extra cost.

On the Quick Start Bundle plan, you can add the digital ordering and marketing suite (includes digital ordering, loyalty, gift cards, and email marketing) for no monthly cost, but Toast will increase your per-order payment processing fees again to a relatively high percentage.

You can purchase these popular Toast software add-ons at the following prices:

• Digital Ordering: $75/month (included for free on Growth plan)
• Third-Party Ordering Platform Sync: $30/month for Grubhub, DoorDash, or Uber Eats; $75/month for all three
• Loyalty: $50/month
• Gift Cards: $50/month
• Kitchen Display: $25/month plus one-time hardware purchase
• Self-Serve Kiosk: $90/month plus one-time hardware purchase
• Email Marketing: $75/month
• Catering & Events: $100/month

Other popular add-ons, such as Toast Payroll and Toast Scheduling, require you to get a custom quote which will be determined based on factors like the number of employees and locations you own.

If you plan on purchasing multiple Toast products at once, make sure to ask about a discount for bundling products.

Hardware Cost & Options

Toast handheld POS system, countertop POS system, kitchen display system, and PC restaurant management dashboard.

Since our last update, Toast has slightly increased the hardware pricing for the handheld and countertop POS systems. Toast hardware now comes at the following prices:

• Toast Go 2 Handheld POS: $627
• Countertop POS: $875
• Outdoor Wi-Fi Access Point: $104
• Kitchen Printer: $269
• Cash Drawer: $134
• KDS: $629
• Self-Serve Kiosk Terminal: $809

On the pay-as-you-go Quick Start Bundle plan, you can get the handheld POS for no upfront cost and no monthly fees, as long as you agree to pay higher per-transaction payment processing fees. If you pay upfront for your POS hardware, you’ll pay between $69/month and $165/month for your POS software.

In general, we do not recommend the pay-as-you-go plan because the higher per-order fees will cost you more than the original price of the hardware once you get in enough orders.

If you can, pay for your POS hardware upfront. Otherwise, look into equipment financing to help you cover the costs of the restaurant hardware you need in your establishment.

Payment Processing Costs

Individuals who purchase a Starter Kit are subject to the following payment processing fees from Toast’s in-house payment processor:

• Quick Start Bundle Plan: 2.99% + $0.15 per transaction; 3.49% + $0.15 per transaction if you add Toast’s optional digital ordering suite
• Core Plan: 2.49% + $0.15 per transaction

Individuals on the Core, New Restaurants, and Growth plans who get a custom hardware quote will also receive a custom payment processing rate.

Note: If you like Toast’s wide range of Android-based restaurant hardware but want better payment processing rates, Clover hardware paired with a reputable merchant services provider is a good alternative.

Toast has an extensive number of proprietary software products that all integrate with the Android POS system. Each one touches on another aspect of running a mid-size to a large restaurant, such as employee scheduling and payroll, vendor management, and centralized multilocation management.

Toast has one of the best rewards programs restaurant owners can offer their customer base. The Toast loyalty program builder includes these best features:

• Multiple Enrollment Opportunities: Customers can enroll during or after checkout on in-person, self-serve kiosks, tableside, delivery, and takeout orders, plus via a link on your website.
• Custom Account Information: Customers can sign up via text or email and receive a welcome message, plus updates on your loyalty program.
• Earn On Every Purchase: Customers automatically earn points with every purchase made through a card linked to their loyalty account (automatically set to whatever card was used to pay for the order during signup). They may add more linked cards whenever they want and manually enter their loyalty account information on purchases made with cash or check.
• Customer Loyalty Account Link: Customers get their own digital loyalty account link where they can view their points, see ways they can earn, and add their birthday to get a birthday reward.
• Automated Redemption Prompt: Once customers have spent enough to earn a reward, they are automatically asked if they’d like to redeem it. This automated prompt shows up on online, takeout, and in-person orders, so customers will never forget to redeem their points.

Toast restaurant POS loyalty program signup prompt.

We believe Toast’s loyalty program integration with kiosks makes Toast one of the best kiosks for restaurants.

Toast’s handheld POS system, the Toast Go 2, is another one of the provider’s best offerings. With this handheld POS, it’s easy to navigate multiple floor plans, fire orders by prep time so that everything comes out at the same time and temperature, manage seats and large parties, and more. We believe the Toast Go 2’s features make Toast one of the best bar POS systems, especially for large restaurants with a bar section.

The company has focused much of its September 2023 Toast product update on simplifying the handheld POS interface, including adding button labels for more clarity and reducing the number of steps required to start and update an order.

Finally, Toast’s restaurant costing tool, xtraCHEF, allows you to create a catalog of vendors and an ordering guide so that anyone ordering stock can easily do so. You can generate one large purchase order from several vendors simultaneously or send one based on a previous invoice. The tool makes purchase ordering feel like a B2C experience, with an easy checkout function that looks like you’re just shopping online.

Toast restaurant POS system purchase order.

Toast requires at least a two-year agreement and processing contract with Toast. If you decide to terminate your contract early, you will pay hefty fees to do so. If you choose Toast,  read your contract thoroughly and make sure you understand all the fees and how long you are committed.

All eCommerce plans come with the free POS Lite app. There is a POS Pro app you may add onto one of the above plans for an extra $89/month/location. This app comes with more employee permissions, better inventory reporting, and in-person workflow automations.

Your payment processing rate decreases on higher-level plans. Businesses with larger transaction volumes and inventory management needs should strongly consider upgrading to save money in the long run.

Hardware Cost & Options

Shopify card reader.

Shopify works on any Android tablet or smartphone.

Like Square, Shopify offers Tap to Pay on Android. You’ll need the $49 Shopify card reader to accept chip card payments. Shopify’s retail kits are built for iOS devices, so you won’t be able to use them with Android tablets.

The Shopify app paired with the company’s card reader makes Shopify one of the best mobile POS systems for retail stores.

The $399 Android-based Shopify Go all-in-one handheld POS system is similar to the Clover Flex and the Square Terminal. However, the Shopify Go is shaped more like a smartphone, making this a sleek option for taking swipe, chip, and tap payment types.

Payment Processing Costs

Shopify offers its own in-house payment processor, Shopify Payments, in several countries. To avoid transaction fees that range from 0.5% to 2% per transaction, qualified business owners must use Shopify Payments.

Shopify Payments charges a payments processing fee between 2.4% and 2.7% for in-person orders, while online orders have a processing fee between 2.4% and 2.9%, plus a $0.30 flat fee.

The higher your monthly Shopify subscription, the lower your payment processing fees will be. As companies increase their sales volumes, they should move to a higher plan to save money on fees. At some point, it may be worth it for larger businesses to switch to a third-party payment services provider that offers better payment processing rates and just pay the transaction fees.

Shopify’s unique features come in the form of its synced online/in-person sales features, which (depending on your version of the Android POS app) include:

• An elegant yet easy-to-use eCommerce store builder with in-store pickup, local delivery, and lots of shipping options
• Exchanges and returns on online items at any of your retail locations
• In-app social media sales through TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, WhatsApp, and more, so customers can buy products without having to leave their feed
• Integrations with online marketplaces such as Etsy, Walmart, Amazon, and Wish so you can get more sales and more exposure online
• Inventory syncing between all online and offline sales platforms

Return online purchases at the Shopify POS register.

In August 2023, Shopify launched Shopify Marketplace Connect, an app that connects all your marketplace sales accounts in one place and makes selling on multiple platforms much easier. For example, if you change a product’s pricing in your Shopify account, that change will immediately be reflected on your eBay, Amazon, and/or Etsy storefronts. The Shopify Marketplace Connect product syncing capabilities make Shopify one of our best inventory management POS systems for retail stores.

We also like Shopify’s international sales features, which are bundled into the constantly updating Shopify Markets suite of tools. You can set shipping and delivery fees/policies, automatically generate different versions of your online store in different languages, accept local currencies, and more. With Shopify Markets, you can expand your local offering on a global scale.

If you need a tool that Shopify lacks or want to connect Shopify to something like your favorite email marketing platform, Shopify’s app market offers over 8,000 add-on apps (both free and paid) for your online store and your Android POS system. These apps allow you to add functions like event ticket sales, a catalog builder, customer accounts, an appointment booking calendar, gift registry and wish list signups, and more.

There are very few limitations with Shopify for both online and in-person sellers, which is why we consider Shopify to be one of the best retail POS systems on the market.

Shopify has monthly and annual contracts. Annual contracts have better pricing, and Shopify doesn’t charge early termination fees. However, you won’t get a refund on any plan, so consider this as you’re purchasing your subscription plan. As always, make extensive use of your free trial before committing.

Most Shopify POS users get a one-year warranty on Shopify POS hardware. If you sign up for the POS Pro plan, you’ll get an extended two-year warranty.

Helcim started as one of the best merchant services providers and, from there, built free Android POS software, so you only pay your payment processing fees (which you have to pay no matter which POS system you use.)

Hardware Cost & Options

Helcim POS on smartphones, tablets, and desktops, plus Helcim card reader.

You need a tablet, smartphone, or desktop computer and the $109 Helcim card reader to make sales. Alternatively, Helcim released the new $349 Android-based Smart Terminal in August 2023, a handheld POS system that, similar to the Clover Flex and Square Terminal, allows you to take swipe, chip, and contactless payment types. It has a built-in printer and an option to email customers purchase or invoice payment receipts.

Payment Processing Costs

Each business, no matter the size or industry, will get its own custom interchange-plus payment processing rate. For many business owners, interchange-plus processing is much more cost-effective than flat-rate processing provided by companies such as Square and Shopify. This is why Helcim is one of our best payment processing companies.

The company offers a calculator on its website to give you an idea of how much you may pay per transaction based on your industry, total monthly sales volumes, average transaction size, payment method mix (online or in-person), and card mix (e.g. Visa, Discover, etc.)

The more money your company makes, and the higher the average transaction size, the better your payment processing rates will be.

Note: Helcim allows you to capture Level 3 transaction data, which translates to less risk on the part of credit card companies, volume payment processing discounts, and a lower payment processing rate for your business. With a Level 3 PCI compliance level, you can also accept corporate cards and government spending account payments.

With all checkouts, whether online or in person, customers will be automatically added to a customer registry. You can sign customers up for subscriptions, take deposits and partial payments, send invoices, and quickly add custom products and services with an Android tablet or smartphone.

Helcim’s unique subscription settings allow you to create free trials for memberships, build customer portals, bill on a prorated or metered basis, add one-time fees and add-ons, and send automated reminders to customers when their card is about to expire. If a customer cancels a subscription, you can get feedback about why they canceled to improve your service.

Add a customer to a subscription tier at Helcim tablet POS.

Service-based businesses will appreciate the drag-and-drop template builder that allows you to customize information fields. You can build quotes, estimates, and invoices with custom recurring payment schedules. With customer cards/accounts on file, you can bill automatically so customers do not miss deadlines. You can also send reminders about upcoming and overdue invoice payments.

Helcim POS custom invoice theme designer.

Finally, with Helcim’s higher levels of payment processing security, you can accept B2B and B2G (business to government) payments and get lower payment processing fees.

Note: Helcim may not be able to work with you if you own a high-risk business. Clover and KORONA are alternative Android POS systems compatible with high-risk merchant account providers.

Helcim offers flexible month-to-month contracts and charges no early termination fees, making Helcim a low-risk POS provider for you to try out.

Note: Helcim and Square offer similar contract terms and free POS software. Read our Helcim vs. Square comparison to help you choose the right POS software for you.

KORONA offers the above monthly plans as well as these add-ons:

• Plus: $20/month/terminal; includes advanced inventory management features like order level optimization and the ability to create different product pricing for each location
• Invoicing: $10/terminal/month; includes features like quotes, rentals, and invoicing
• Ticketing: $50/month/gate; includes features like ticket tiers and printing, customer management, and entry gate management
• Franchise: $30/month/franchise; includes features like automated royalty payments and consolidated inventory management
• Integration: $45/month/integration via KORONA’s open API

Other features, including self-serve kiosk hardware and software, require a custom quote.

Hardware Cost & Options

KORONA POS tablet, countertop register, barcode scanner, and card reader.

You can use KORONA on just about any smartphone, tablet, or desktop device, or purchase KORONA’s POS bundles (which you’ll get a custom quote for.)

KORONA is compatible with Epson, PartnerTech, PAX, Genius, Dejavoo, Econduit, Aures, Honeywell, and more hardware brands. Most hardware accessories are connected via ethernet cables to ports in a centralized POS hub.

Note: If you are looking for a more sleek, cohesive POS hardware setup, Clover offers an excellent line of Android-based POS systems and works with several of the best high-risk merchant account providers.

Payment Processing Costs

KORONA does not offer in-house payment processing but integrates with several payment processors, including Merchant Warehouse and Merchant Payment Systems.

You can also integrate KORONA with several merchant service providers through PAX and Dejavoo payment devices.

KORONA’s most unique Android POS system features are its loss prevention features, affordable inventory management, and new RFID (radio frequency identifying) product tagging security technology.

You get these loss prevention features with KORONA:

• Forced drawer closing, blind till counts, and restricting cash drawer access to open only when they make a sale
• Require manager approval for item voids, price changes, item returns, and inventory changes
• Run cash drawer reports at any time, at the end of shifts, and set maximum allowed balance differences
• Cashier balance and time tracking reports
• Restrict which cashiers can grant permissions to other cashiers (used for managers who need to be able to use registers but will also need to create new cashiers and associated cashier permissions)

KORONA POS system cashier permissions.

KORONA offers excellent inventory management capabilities for its price point, and even general businesses can appreciate these features:

• Set reordering levels with preferred vendor/warehouse reordering sources
• Pack to single-item conversion (which is great for managing tobacco and liquor products)
• Product performance reports, including slow sellers, product movement, and reorder optimization level recommendations
• Stock difference lists and product discrepancy reports
• Inventory app so you can send purchase orders, receive items, and scan barcodes from your phone

KORONA POS system set reordering levels.

KORONA’s regulated item inventory management features make this system one of the best convenience store POS systems.

Franchise owners will appreciate the ability to create portals for franchisees with restricted user permissions. Owners also get franchise revenue reports and a royalty collection setup.

KORONA has recently partnered with RES, a software provider that offers retail RFID tagging technology. With RFID tags, a self-checkout kiosk or KORONA register will automatically sense the tags and add them to an order. This way, no one can steal from self-checkout. There will also be fewer employee mistakes when scanning items at the checkout counter.

Additionally, RFID tags lower the amount of stock loss and inaccuracies, which will help you maintain proper inventory practices and save money.

KORONA self-checkout kiosk with RFID tagging and automated scanning.

KORONA offers month-to-month contracts with no early termination fees. You can pay for an annual contract and get one month free.

The provider also offers an unlimited free trial, so try the software for as long as you need before committing to it.

Make sure your merchant agreement terms are fair for your business. High-risk business owners should expect to pay more for payment processing than lower-risk business owners.