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These restaurant POS systems are all easy to use, priced well, and built with all the tools you need to run your restaurant efficiently.
Nicolette began writing on small business topics in 2020. After hundreds of hours researching, testing, and assisting small business owners with web building and point of sale software, she is now an expert on all things eCommerce and point of sale. She has a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Pittsburgh and resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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Nicolette KierNicolette began writing on small business topics in 2020. After hundreds of hours researching, testing, and assisting small business owners with web building and point of sale software, she is now an expert on all things eCommerce and point of sale. She has a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Pittsburgh and resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Expert Contributor
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Matt has been helping small businesses make decisions since 2017. He has written reviews and articles across many different channels but specializes in the point of sale, payroll, and small business insurance categories and has been quoted in articles for Fox Business, Forbes, and other publications. Prior to joining Merchant Maverick, Matt was a journalist and editor for 14 years for a pair of weekly newspapers. He is a graduate of the University of Oregon and currently resides in Gladstone, Oregon.
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Matt ShermanMatt has been helping small businesses make decisions since 2017. He has written reviews and articles across many different channels but specializes in the point of sale, payroll, and small business insurance categories and has been quoted in articles for Fox Business, Forbes, and other publications. Prior to joining Merchant Maverick, Matt was a journalist and editor for 14 years for a pair of weekly newspapers. He is a graduate of the University of Oregon and currently resides in Gladstone, Oregon.
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Restaurant POS systems help business owners take orders, accept payments, create menus, manage inventory, and generate sales reports. The best restaurant POS systems have online ordering capabilities, a loyalty program builder, advanced inventory and menu management, offline payment acceptance, and several software integrations.
We reviewed several of the best POS systems for restaurants based on pricing, ease of use, restaurant POS hardware options, and niche features to help you find the system for your business. Keep on reading to find out more about our top choices.
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Pros
Free POS software plan
Free online ordering for pickup/delivery
Unlimited POS devices on free plan
Affordable hardware options
Cons
No perishable inventory management
No built-in reservation management
No built-in self-serve kiosk software available
Why We Picked Square For Restaurants As The Best Low-Cost Option
Square tablet POS iPad stand with a built-in card reader. (Source: Square)
Square is one of the best low-cost restaurant POS systems, earning a 4.8/5 pricing score. The company offers the best free restaurant POS system due to its free POS software, free online ordering site for takeout and delivery, and unlimited number of POS devices allowed.
The paid Square plan is highly affordable and includes a 30-day free trial, unlimited kitchen display systems, advanced employee management, and more inventory management features. Plus, the company offers affordable POS hardware with no-interest financing.
Payment Processing: 2.6% + $0.10 for in-person payments; 2.9% + $0.30 for online payments
POS Hardware: Ranging from $59 (Square card reader) to $1,089 (full Square Restaurant Station)
Additional POS Devices: $40/device/month (only applicable on the Square Plus plan)
Kitchen Display System: $20/device/month (only applicable on free plan; unlimited free KDS on paid plan)
Gift Card Transaction Fee: 2.75% of gift card sale amount
Delivery Fee: $0.50 for in-house delivery management; $1.50 for delivery through DoorDash Drive
Related: Read our Square POS hardware guide to learn more about the hardware and financing options Square offers.
Features
Square For Restaurants Features
Availability
Multi-Store Support
Contactless Payments
Multi-Channel Selling
Gift Cards
Customer Loyalty
Add-on
Marketing Tools
Add-on
Online Ordering
Inventory Management
Reporting
Menu Management
Delivery Management
EBT Acceptance
Employee Management
Text Messaging
Square earned a 4.9/5 feature score because it has almost every restaurant management feature built into the software and third-party integrations for niche restaurant needs.
Square’s best features include:
Free customizable online ordering platform for pickup and delivery orders
Link your Square site to your Google Business profile so customers can order when they find your restaurant in search results
Delivery through your own fleet or Square partnership with DoorDash Drive
Third-party delivery service integrations
Kitchen display and expo software to manage orders
Automated inventory tracking
Auto-86 items/modifiers when an ingredient runs out
Start a loyalty program with Square Loyalty (great for coffee shops)
We picked TouchBistro for managing waitlists, reservations, and catering orders because the company includes built-in waitlist and reservation software, catering order and delivery settings, and an offline mode so caterers can sell on-location. The company earns a 4.9/5 feature score because of these built-in niche features, so most restaurants will find what they need without paying for third-party software integrations.
Pricing
TouchBistro earns a 4.0/5 pricing score, mostly because the company does not offer a free trial and charges an early termination fee for canceling contracts.
TouchBistro fees include:
POS Software Plan: Ranging from $69/month (one software license) to $399/month (unlimited software licenses)
Payment Processing: Custom; depends on your chosen payment processor
Online Ordering: $50/month
Reservations & Waitlist: $229/month
Loyalty Program: $50/month
Gift Cards: $25/month
Marketing: $99/month
Kitchen Display Systems: $19/device/month
Setup Fee: $200
Expert Tip: While TouchBistro reservation and waitlist management is a high monthly fee, there are no per-cover fees like other third-party reservation and waitlist software charges, which may save you money in the long run.
Features
TouchBistro Features
Availability
Multi-Store Support
Contactless Payments
Multi-Channel Selling
Gift Cards
Add-on
Customer Loyalty
Add-on
Marketing Tools
Add-on
Online Ordering
Add-on
Inventory Management
Reporting
Menu Management
Delivery Management
EBT Acceptance
Employee Management
Text Messaging
TouchBistro’s standout features include:
Accept reservations from a branded web app, your Google Business profile, and over the phone
Send reminder emails and phone messages about upcoming reservations
Floor plans made for managing reservations
Custom reservation questions/requirements (list any allergies, whether children are coming, etc.)
Customers can add themselves to your restaurant’s waitlist
Send customers text updates about their waitlist status
Customer accounts for charging one-time or recurring catering services
Charge more depending on catering order delivery distance to account for gas usage
Schedule catering orders in advance
Create automated upselling prompts for servers
Offline mode to sell food, drinks, or retail items on-location
Potential for very cost-effective payment processing rates
Full-service and quick-service software plans are available
Free online ordering module
Loyalty program included
Cons
Potential for bad contract terms
Not all Clover sellers are reputable
Hardware can get expensive
Why We Picked Clover POS For Payment Processing Options
Clover online ordering platform on a laptop and smartphone. (Source: Clover)
We like that Clover offers several POS hardware, software, and payment processing options for restaurant owners. Many merchant services providers sell Clover software and hardware and give you the best payment processing rates for your business. Clover also offers a free basic loyalty program, a free online ordering module, and free/low-cost POS integrations, making Clover a more affordable POS option in terms of monthly software fees.
Payment Processing: Depends on your merchant services provider
POS Hardware: Ranges from $599 (Clover Flex handheld restaurant POS) to $1,799 (Clover Station Duo)
Kitchen Display System Software: $25/device/month
Clover Integrations: $0-$400/month depending on integration from the Clover App Market
Clover earned a 4.0/5 pricing score overall. We awarded points because Clover charges no added fees for using a third-party payment processor. The system lost points because there is no free trial and Clover POS hardware is more expensive than many competitors.
Expert Tip: Many Clover resellers offer POS hardware leasing. You typically pay more over time with hardware leasing than if you purchase the hardware. We recommend getting a small business loan or line of credit to pay for your hardware if necessary.
Features
Clover POS Features
Availability
Multi-Store Support
Contactless Payments
Depends on hardware choice
Multi-Channel Selling
Gift Cards
Customer Loyalty
Marketing Tools
Online Ordering
Depends on software plan
Inventory Management
Reporting
Menu Management
Delivery Management
EBT Acceptance
Add-on app
Employee Management
Text Messaging
Based on our research, Clover earned a 4.5/5 feature score. The best Clover features include:
Integration with several third-party payment processors
Free basic loyalty program
Free online ordering module for pickup and delivery orders
Promo: Get 20% off of hardware and plans from Lightspeed when you sign up with Lightspeed Payments. Offer valid through 11/30/2024. Claim your discount.
Pros
Free loyalty program
In-depth ingredient management
Several integrations, including hotel management
Built-in self-serve kiosk software
Cons
Early termination fee
Add-ons can get expensive
Why We Picked Lightspeed Restaurant For Fast Casual Restaurants & Hotels
Lightspeed Restaurant self-ordering menu for customers to order with a tablet stationed at their table or a standing kiosk.
We picked Lightspeed Restaurant for fast casual restaurants because it has a free loyalty program on all plans, strong inventory management features, buildable menus for selling items like burritos and salads, self-serve kiosks to reduce lines, strong kitchen display system software, and a quick-serve POS interface.
We also like Lightspeed for hotels because the POS system integrates with several hotel management software products, includes hotel revenue management functions, and allows guests to order from their room, the pool, at the bar, or anywhere in your hotel.
Larger restaurants & hotels looking for custom payment processing rates
Additional Lightspeed Restaurant fees include:
Payment Processing: 2.6% + $0.10 for in-person orders; 2.9% + $0.30 for online orders
POS Hardware: $129-$519
Third-Party Online Order Management: $119-$249+/month (Deliverect) or $89-$219+/month (Otter integration)
Kitchen Display System Software: Custom pricing
We awarded Lightspeed Restaurant a 3.1/5 pricing score. The POS system earned points because you can use your own iPads as POS hardware, but lost points because the system has no free trial and an early termination fee.
Features
Lightspeed Restaurant earns a perfect 5/5 feature score because the software offers several built-in features and integrations, including integrations for hotel management.
Lightspeed’s best fast casual restaurant features include:
Free loyalty program on all plans
Forced and optional modifiers and add-ons (free and paid options)
Display nutritional information and allergens (or lack thereof) on every menu item
Automated inventory management
Alerts that trigger purchase orders when you run out of menu items
Convert an iPad register to a standing kiosk or tableside ordering tablet
Manage in-house deliveries and third-party delivery services
Manage all order types on iPad kitchen display screens
Order pickup screen to display takeout and delivery order status
Lightspeed’s best hotel management features include:
StayNTouch, Mews, and WebRezPro hotel integrations
Hotel bar management
Guests can order from their room, the pool, or a table with QR codes
Create different menus for dine-in, room service, and poolside service
A long-term commitment with early cancellation fees
High transaction fees for online orders
Proprietary hardware is more expensive
Why We Picked Toast POS For Large Multi-Section Restaurants
Toast online ordering on smartphone, Toast admin dashboard on PC, Toast KDS, Toast Go 2 handheld POS, Toast countertop POS. (Source: Toast)
We chose Toast for large multi-section restaurants because the POS software offers several floor planning, order coursing, seat and table management, tipping, and menu management. The software also has great customer management features like a strong loyalty program and gift card features.
There are also several Toast POS hardware options, including the Toast Go 2 handheld restaurant POS system, which provides servers with excellent tableside order management capabilities.
Toast-Powered Delivery Services: $7.49 per order ($9.49 in California)
Kitchen Display System Software: $35/screen/month
Loyalty: $50/month
Gift Cards: $50/month
Payment Processing Fees: 2.49%-3.69% + $0.15
POS Hardware: Ranging from $799.20 (handheld restaurant POS) to $1,034.10 (Toast self-serve kiosk)
We only awarded Toast a 2.6/5 price score because software add-ons and payment processing fees are often more expensive than competitors. Toast also charges an early termination fee.
Expert Tip: You can get your POS, online ordering, third-party delivery management, gift card, and loyalty program builder for free if you agree to a higher per-order payment processing fee (3.39% + $0.15) and only need one or two POS terminals. However, the per-order fee may cost more than the monthly fees in the long run, so switch to at least the $69/month plan as soon as possible.
Features
Toast POS Features
Availability
Multi-Store Support
Contactless Payments
Multi-Channel Selling
Gift Cards
Customer Loyalty
Marketing Tools
Online Ordering
Inventory Management
Reporting
Menu Management
Delivery Management
EBT Acceptance
Employee Management
Text Messaging
We awarded Toast a perfect 5/5 feature score because the company offers strong POS features and a suite of products that restaurant owners can use to build an all-in-one restaurant management solution.
Toast’s best multi-section restaurant features include:
Floor plans for each section of your restaurant
Move guests from a bar section to tables
Split checks by item, seat, and dollar amount
Kitchen display systems with routing to different kitchen stations and the bar section
Expo screens for bar, indoor, and outdoor sections
Tableside order hold, firing, and payments with Toast Go 2 handheld POS device
Toast’s best general restaurant add-ons include a fantastic POS loyalty program, a customizable gift card program, multi-location management, and strong reporting/invoicing software.
Who Should Use Toast POS
Restaurants with multiple sections (bar, outdoor, etc.)
Businesses looking for an all-in-one restaurant management solution
Restaurants looking for durable spill-resistant hardware
Restaurants looking for strong loyalty and gift card management features
Requires a long-term processing contract for the best subscription price
Early termination fee
Why We Picked Revel Systems For Multi-Location Restaurants, Franchises, & Drive-Thrus
Revel KDS is used to manage third-party delivery orders.
We chose Revel Systems for very large restaurant businesses, franchises, and drive-thrus because the iPad-based POS offers a customizable business management solution, enterprise-level multi-location reporting, strong KDS software, and several third-party integrations including drive-thru software/hardware options. Restaurant owners can also set royalty payments and location-specific franchise management features.
Use if you are committed to the product and have a need for high-end features.
Revel requires restaurant owners to get a custom quote. Revel is for larger businesses and larger businesses need to pay more than the average monthly bill. Some of Revel’s clients include Cinnabon, Auntie Anne’s, and Kung Fu Tea.
There’s also a one-time implementation fee starting at $674. This fee covers on-site hardware installation and an initial software setup.
Revel earned a 3.6/5 price score because while you can use any iPad for POS hardware, the lack of published pricing, long-term contracts, and early termination fees reduced the score.
Features
Revel POS Features
Availability
Multi-Store Support
Contactless Payments
Multi-Channel Selling
Gift Cards
Customer Loyalty
Marketing Tools
Online Ordering
Inventory Management
Reporting
Menu Management
Delivery Management
EBT Acceptance
Employee Management
Text Messaging
We awarded Revel a 4.7/5 feature score, with an especially high rating for niche features like franchise and drive-thru management.
Revel’s best features include:
Drive-thru headset, order confirmation display, and digital signage integration
Kitchen display and expo screens to manage all order types, including drive-thru orders
Order status display screens to update the status of takeout and delivery orders
Third-party delivery service integrations
Customizable self-ordering kiosk screens
Royalty payment management
Centralized and franchise location-specific reporting
Smart reporting tools to figure out which menu items perform the best, what’s draining money, and forecast your business’s performance
We appreciate how affordable talech has made its POS offering, especially considering the many full-service features available. While this POS is not as well-designed or feature-rich as other full-service POS systems, such as TouchBistro and Toast, talech scores highly in pricing because it offers a formidable set of features at a transparent, affordable price for smaller sit-down restaurants.
If you operate a full-service restaurant, salon, spa, or another business with multiple locations
To use talech at your restaurant, you’ll need to sign up for at least the Starter plan, although most of the features that make talech a good full-service POS are available on the Premium plan.
Additional talech fees include:
$200 onboarding fee (required for Standard and Premium plans)
Tablets for POS hardware
Custom payment processing rates
$29/added device/month
Features
talech POS Features
Availability
Multi-Store Support
Starter plan & up
Contactless Payments
Multi-Channel Selling
Gift Cards
Starter plan & up
Customer Loyalty
Standard & Premium plans
Marketing Tools
Online Ordering
Standard & Premium plans only
Inventory Management
Starter plan & up
Reporting
Menu Management
Delivery Management
EBT Acceptance
Employee Management
Standard & Premium plans
Text Messaging
Receipts only
talech offers top-tier inventory management features. You can send and receive purchase orders, create suppliers when you receive an item in the POS, perform stock takes, and get low-stock alerts when automated inventory monitoring is set up.
talech also offers these full-service features at a highly affordable price:
Customer house accounts
Table management and floor planning
Menu coursing
Ticket splitting and server tipping
Service charges and automated gratuity
The POS system also has great employee management features, including the ability to pay by position, generate timesheets, create user permissions, and even create employee access cards.
Who Should Use talech
Restaurants and cafes looking for low-cost inventory management features
Restaurants looking for cheap online ordering software
Restaurants looking for basic self-contained restaurant software
Merchant Maverick has been researching and reviewing POS providers since 2012. Our writers have tested over 100 different point of sale systems, evaluating pricing, features, ease of use, customer service, and user reviewers. Read more about how we rate POS providers.
Weighted Rating Breakdown
Pricing 40%
Features 30%
Ease Of Use 15%
Customer Service 10%
User Reviews 5%
When comparing different POS software systems, we consider many data points, including relative pricing, the depth of niche features offered, the price of hardware, and any associated payment processing fees. Our lists of the best providers include only apps we’ve deemed worthwhile from multiple vantage points. The POS vendors we pick share qualities such as widespread availability, accessibility, user-friendliness, and reasonable pricing. We also look carefully at niche features, such as check-splitting, inventory management, eCommerce, loyalty programs, gift cards, and more.
We spend an average of 10-15 hours researching and updating each one of our lists, making sure the providers included meet our internal standards for quality and reputation.
80+
Vendors evaluated
65+
Attributes assessed per vendor
20+
Features weighed
30+
Combined years of experience
What Is A Restaurant POS System?
A restaurant POS system is software that, when combined with a card reader and tablet screen, allows you to take orders and digital payment types, manage a menu and inventory, and print receipts.
How Much Does A Restaurant POS System Cost?
Restaurant POS system costs include:
$0-$400+/month for POS software
$0-$75/month for online ordering on average
$0-$50/month for loyalty program builder on average
Buyer's Guide: How To Choose A Restaurant POS System
To choose a restaurant POS system:
Build Your Monthly Budget: Decide how much you can spend every month on POS software and any additional features.
Decide Your POS Hardware Needs: Choose between tablet POS and handheld POS hardware (or both). Decide whether you need KDS screens, self-serve kiosks, or other hardware. Consider your budget when you’re choosing your POS hardware.
Choose Your Must-Have Features: Consider your restaurant type, online ordering options, customer marketing, and restaurant management features when deciding your necessary features.
Narrow Down Your Options: With a budget, POS hardware needs, and must-have software features, narrow down your choices.
Get A Free Trial: If your options do not offer a free trial, make extensive use of a free demo.
Sign A Merchant Agreement: Read through and sign a merchant agreement. Make note of early termination fees, hardware warranties, and other contract requirements when signing your agreement.
How do I set up online ordering for my restaurant?
To set up online ordering for your restaurant, get a POS system with an online ordering feature like Square or Toast, connect your restaurant POS to platforms like Doordash, and enable Order with Google on your Google Business Profile.
Can my restaurant POS software link to my accounting software?
Most restaurant POS software links to popular accounting software like QuickBooks and Xero. Some POS providers, like Toast and Lightspeed Restaurant, offer proprietary accounting software for an all-in-one solution.
Nicolette began writing on small business topics in 2020. After hundreds of hours researching, testing, and assisting small business owners with web building and point of sale software, she is now an expert on all things eCommerce and point of sale. She has a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Pittsburgh and resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
View Nicolette Kier's professional experience on LinkedIn.
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Our Experts Recommend Revel 🏆Revel is a top pick for restaurant POS software.We love Revel POS for its advanced features and exceptional versatility in both the retail and restaurant industries. Get a demo today to find out everything Revel has to offer.Learn MoreWith a free demo
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The vendors that appear on this list were chosen by subject matter experts on the basis of product quality, wide usage and availability, and positive reputation.
Merchant Maverick’s ratings are editorial in nature, and are not aggregated from user reviews. Each staff reviewer at Merchant Maverick is a subject matter expert with experience researching, testing, and evaluating small business software and services. The rating of this company or service is based on the author’s expert opinion and analysis of the product, and assessed and seconded by another subject matter expert on staff before publication. Merchant Maverick’s ratings are not influenced by affiliate partnerships.
Our unbiased reviews and content are supported in part by affiliate partnerships, and we adhere to strict guidelines to preserve editorial integrity. The editorial content on this page is not provided by any of the companies mentioned and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone.
Our Experts Recommend Revel 🏆Revel is a top pick for restaurant POS software.We love Revel POS for its advanced features and exceptional versatility in both the retail and restaurant industries. Get a demo today to find out everything Revel has to offer.Learn MoreWith a free demo
