Introduction
When everything is taken into account, Square is the finest point-of-sale solution for retail. Square offers the most extensible and cost-effective point-of-sale system that we’ve tested thanks to its free retail-focused point-of-sale software, reasonably priced yet fashionable hardware, and premium plans designed for expanding companies.
Lightspeed Retail is more appropriate for larger retail firms seeking sophisticated customer interaction and retention solutions, even though Square is a low-cost, low-risk choice for small to medium-sized businesses.
In what way did we arrive at this conclusion? To determine which five retail POS systems are best for retail firms, we tested ten different systems over the course of more than twenty hours. In addition to controlling inventory and tracking sales, we know that contemporary retail point-of-sale (POS) systems are also utilized to enhance marketing and bridge the gap between online and offline sales. For this reason, when assessing retail point-of-sale systems, we considered those features as well as others.
Why should you consider our recommendations?
To give businesses current, unbiased reviews, we have been studying and evaluating point-of-sale (POS) systems for almost 15 years. We examined the top ten retail POS systems in the United States in greater detail during the course of our latest effort.
To complete this project, I had to obtain hands-on experience with both POS software and hardware vendors to evaluate their feature sets and usability. The outcomes of these evaluations were then utilized to rank the suppliers according to a number of standards, such as hardware quality and value for money.
5 best retail point-of-sale systems
1. Square: The Best Retail POS System Overall
Square offers a dedicated retail POS system that comprises fully free software options for startups and reasonably priced subscription plans with more sophisticated capabilities for more established retailers.
Ideal for
- Customers looking for a low-risk, inexpensive choice
- Individuals who want to incorporate an online store
- Multi-location, small to medium-sized businesses
Not ideal for
- People who require tools for managing costs and profits
- Companies in need of a staff training mode
- Those who desire minimal processing costs
Our encounter with Square
Overall, Square was simple to use. The platform’s interface is incredibly user-friendly, with excellent labeling on the sidebar and throughout all tabs. This made it easy to do routine chores like adding products to the checkout and adding products and their variations to the inventory.
But we did find it difficult to complete more difficult activities, like adding discounts at the register. Due to its lack of clarity on the primary checkout page, it required some searching through the checkout options to locate this feature.
Reasons for our preference for Square in retail
If you are starting a small or new retail business, Square’s free point-of-sale plan is a terrific place to start. By simply scanning the barcodes and entering their information, you may quickly add already-existing products. If you’d like, you may import them in mass. You’ll also have access to essential features like managing refunds and exchanges.
Additionally, Square offers a great free web store builder that integrates with the point-of-sale system, enabling users to manage both online and in-store sales from a single interface. With this service, you can even let consumers arrange in-store pickups for their online shopping.
For more extensive retail capabilities like multi-location management and sophisticated inventory tools & reporting, you will have to spend $89 a month. When contrasted to other POS systems, this is still reasonably priced. For instance, Shopify costs $89 a month for each location, which makes it more costly than Square when you have multiple stores.
Additionally, Square offers some of the cheapest hardware available; their second-generation iPad POS stand costs $99, and card readers start at $19. For about $100, the latter provides a swiveling layout for transactions involving customers, integrated contactless & chip payment alternatives that work with an iPad, and Square’s iPad-made point-of-sale system.
In contrast, its countertop units begin at $579, while Clover’s counterpart would cost $1,699 instead.
Square’s drawbacks
It is a relatively adaptable point-of-sale system that can manage medium-sized and small retail businesses, but it has limitations.
Its limited profit management tools, for instance, can be a problem for companies that accept numerous payments at several locations. Businesses can handle online orders as well as sales across multiple channels and locations with Shopify’s superior suite of capabilities.
Additionally, there is no employee training option. Given that Square was among the most user-friendly systems we evaluated, this may not pose a problem. Lightspeed Retail is one such system that is suitable for training, so it can be useful if you have an extensive staff team and want to swiftly bring them up to pace.
Finally, at 2.6% plus 10¢ for the basic package and 2.5% + 10¢ for the premium plan, Square’s card processing costs are a little high. Clover offers fees as inexpensive as 2.3% plus 10¢, which is more affordable if your sales volume is high.
In Square, what’s new?
A number of new features were added to Square’s retail POS system in the latter part of 2024. These included the option to establish age limits on items (together with an alert for cashiers before checkout), AI-generated product descriptions for products in the backend, and an enhanced search engine at checkout that helped retailers identify things more quickly.
2. Clover: Ideal for Handling Accelerated Retail Growth
Clover’s three-tiered pricing options, a vast app store with a wealth of helpful software upgrades, and superb hardware selection make it the ideal point-of-sale system for handling fast retail expansion.
Ideal for
- Medium-sized to big retail establishments
- Retail establishments that are expanding quickly
- Owners who desire minimal processing costs
Not ideal for
- Mini pop-up shops
- Retail establishments with modest or basic stock
- Owners who prefer not to pay large upfront costs
Our encounter with Clover
During our testing, Clover’s hardware particularly pleased us. Its terminals had bright, responsive screens, and regardless of its size, the Clover Flex portable POS card/device processor was incredibly light and manageable in one hand.
Although we had no trouble doing the majority of the software tasks, we occasionally felt that Clover’s choice of phrases for functions was a little ambiguous. It was also a little difficult to add things and variations because we couldn’t just add prices and variations from the products tab; we needed to get into every item’s settings.
The reasons we appreciate Clover
Our testing revealed that it was incredibly user-friendly, finding a good mix between sophisticated capability and ease of use. You can produce customized reports for anything from revenue to profits with Clover’s POS inventory tools, which also let you track inventory across locations.
With its Clover Flex ($599), a handheld point-of-sale device that synchronizes with the main framework, you can instantly update your inventory thanks to a bar scanner. This portable gadget lets you collect payments while you’re on the road and is ideal for retail store payments. It may also be used for inventory management. With the fingerprint authentication feature of its countertop structures, the Station Solo ($1,699) or Station Duo ($1,799), staff members can easily log in and execute a sale fast.
Additionally, Clover offers a minimal processing fee. For personal transactions, its Standard and Advanced plans have a cheaper rate than any other supplier on this list, at 2.3% plus 10¢.
Clover’s drawbacks
Clover’s excellent hardware is expensive, and apart from its $14.95/month Starter plan, its software options are also not inexpensive, making it an unsuitable choice for small or startup retail establishments. With Square’s incredibly reasonably priced hardware, you’ll get more for your money.
With Clover, what’s new?
The Clover Flexible Pocket, a more compact variant of the Clover Flex, was introduced in the fall of 2024. The Clover Flex Pocket is comparable in size & width to a mobile device, but it retains a barcode scanner and syncs with the main point-of-sale system. Because it fits neatly in a pants pocket, it’s a simpler tool for merchants to utilize on their sales floor.
3. Shopify: Ideal for Managing Online and In-Store Sales
Shopify’s combined e-commerce and point-of-sale systems make it the ideal choice for handling both online and in-store transactions.
Ideal for
- Enterprises seeking to combine online and in-store purchase
- Companies having a wide range of inventory
- EPOS system users who want to incorporate numerous apps
Not ideal for
- Companies unwilling to spend money on a web-based shop
- Those seeking affordable processing fees
- Companies in need of a staff training mode
Our Shopify POS experience
Shopify was comparatively simple to get started with, and we liked that its POS and e-commerce site had the same interface, which allowed for a smooth transition between the two.
The platform was unique in that it made adding discounts to purchases a breeze, something we found difficult with many other point-of-sale systems. However, we found it difficult to check for errors because the keyboard and various pop-ups occasionally obscured what we’d been typing.
The reasons we pick Shopify
A popular option for multichannel retailers, Shopify is primarily an e-commerce website creation tool. You will have access to a single dashboard with its app-based platform, which allows you to monitor sales and inventory across all channels.
Accepting in-store returns for purchases made online and low-stock updates that account for both in-person and online sales are helpful features. Additionally, you may construct client profiles that link past in-person and online purchases, which makes rewarding loyal customers simpler.
Additionally, similar to Clover, Shopify has a vast app store that lets you customize the POS system and web store to your specifications.
Additionally, Shopify offers some good hardware. Since its software runs on an app, it does not offer physical equipment, but it does carry a huge assortment of POS equipment, such as barcode scanners and receipt printers.
Shopify offers a solution for new vendors.
With the $5 monthly Starter plan, you can make sales on Shopify for less. The POS system isn’t full. Only social networking apps or in-person tap-and-pay apps on smartphones are available for sale, and the functions are far more rudimentary. However, it is a very cost-effective option for pop-up vendors or tiny enterprises.
Shopify’s drawbacks
A major drawback of Shopify is that, in addition to the $89 monthly fee for the POS system, utilizing its POS system necessitates paying for a Shopify store, which is not inexpensive. Monthly rates for online stores start at $39 and go up to $399.
Clover is a better option if you want excellent functionality but aren’t keen on an online store. You might consider using Square if you are interested in an internet store but are unwilling to pay Shopify’s exorbitant fees. It offers free versions of its POS and e-commerce software, & its paid versions are more affordable than Shopify’s.
The transaction costs charged by Shopify are likewise rather hefty. In addition to third-party fees for processing, Shopify charges an additional 0.6% to 2% if you’re not conducting card transactions through Shopify Payments.
What’s the latest on Shopify?
Several upgrades were issued by Shopify in Oct 2024. Users of Android can now make payments using just their phone thanks to the release of its tap-to-pay application on Android, in addition to iOS. It is now possible for retailers to set up their point-of-sale system to enable employees to accept returns without receipts in exchange for vouchers.
4. Lightspeed: Best suited for managing several stores
Because Lightspeed Retail offers great marketing add-ons and extensive inventory management options, it is the ideal point-of-sale system for managing numerous businesses.
Ideal for
- Medium-sized to big retail establishments
- Companies looking to build a devoted community
- Multiple-location retail establishments
Not ideal for
- Entrepreneurs seeking a variety of equipment for their business
- People who require tools for managing costs and profits
- Companies looking for an affordable initial plan
Our encounter with Lightspeed Retail
Lightspeed Retail was not hard to use, but when changes were done, there was no confirmation, and there were some bugs, so we found the system a little annoying. We weren’t certain whether we had successfully uploaded things, for instance, because they didn’t show up in the product list right away.
Lightspeed’s dashboards impressed us despite these issues, and we especially appreciated the level of data provided in the payments & closure reports.
Why Lightspeed Retail appeals to us
Among Lightspeed’s great inventory management features are cross-site stock reorganizing, integrated supplier cataloging, and the ability to track things across several sites, all of which can assist prevent shrinkage.
You will also have access to excellent tools for maintaining client loyalty and retention if you choose Lightspeed Retail’s Comprehensive Marketing add-on. You can offer clients loyalty programs, make customized marketing communications and promotions, and save customer data.
Additionally, Lightspeed offers some excellent reporting features. You can swiftly adjust your operations and increase sales by using automated reporting to assess sales and consumer behavior.
Limitations of Lightspeed Retail
The primary flaw in Lightspeed Retail is that, in contrast to the other companies on our list, its pricing is not entirely transparent. It informs you of the price of its software and base hardware bundles, but not the cost of further hardware or extras. Square is the company with the most transparent pricing, outlining the costs of all items, including add-on software and hardware components.
The POS system from Lightspeed Retail is app-based, just like Shopify, and works only with iOS tablets; Android users cannot use it. For those seeking a physical terminal with a large selection of hardware, we would suggest Epos Now or Clover.
Finally, Lightspeed charges more for sophisticated reporting and lacks specific cost and profit management features. Therefore, we suggest Shopify or Clover if you require strong reporting as a component of your core system.
In Lightspeed Retail, what’s new?
Lightspeed Retail enhanced its cost calculation procedure in Oct 2024. The two cost techniques that users are currently able to employ to determine their remaining stock and sold goods are “first-in, first-out (FIFO)” and “average cost.”
5. Epos Now: Ideal for Small Retail Companies
Since Epos Now offers the option of paying no fees per month if you purchase the software and hardware package, it is our choice for the finest retail POS system for small-scale enterprises.
Ideal for
- Retail outlets that are small to medium in size
- Owners wishing to open a second location
- Users who wish to reduce their monthly expenses
Not ideal for
- Users desiring integrated email marketing solutions
- POS beginners or new store owners
- Owners in favor of no upfront expenses
Our encounter with Epos Now
Due to the abundance of features available to us, Epos Now has been one of the most difficult POS systems to evaluate. Adding items to the inventory, for instance, was quite simple, but the platform required a lot of information for each variant, making it difficult to create variations for them.
The touchscreen-mounted checkout at Epos Now was also difficult for us to type on because the display was so big and a bit too tall for comfort. If the supplier made the attachment retractable, we believe this might be readily improved.
The reasons we prefer Epos Now
Epos Now is a terrific deal. Epos Now’s point-of-sales software and an equipment kit consisting of a terminal, integrated receipt printer, & card machine are available to you for a one-time charge of $1,099; there are no ongoing costs.
If spending more than $1,000 seems excessive to you as well, Epos Now is offering its full POS solution for $299, with a 12-month subscription charge of $39 afterward. Beyond that, the amount you pay will depend on the terms of your new agreement with EPOS Now.
The software is also available for a relatively affordable $39 a month if you already possess the hardware. You may also purchase more hardware & accessories at affordable prices if you need them, such as staff swipe cards for $58 or barcode readers for $73.
Additionally, you get a good deal of capability for the cost of the POS system from Epos Now. Its point-of-sale software is hosted on the cloud, so you can use it from the till system, an app, or a desktop. Additionally, you will receive comprehensive inventory categorization and free access to first-rate expense and revenue management tools.
Epos Now’s drawbacks
Epos Now’s complete absence of native advertising capabilities is one of its primary drawbacks, which puts it at a disadvantage compared to every other supplier on this list. However, a number of marketing applications, such as Mailchimp and Loyalzoo, can be integrated with your Epos Now point-of-sale system.
Furthermore, even if Epos Now is a reasonably priced choice, it’s not the most user-friendly solution. It may not be an appropriate choice for inexperienced POS users because it was the system that we had the most trouble with while testing. We would suggest Square for a straightforward system.
What’s new?
Epos Now improved security by adding Apple and Google single sign-on to their back-office login between September & October 2024. Employers who utilize Epos Now’s clocking-in, and clocking-out tool to track employee activity may now generate a record that contains the name, place, and total number of hours worked by using the receipt printer.
How to Select a Retail POS System: A Buying Guide
Don’t worry if, after reading all the reviews, you’re still unsure about which point-of-sale system is appropriate for your retail store.
You should think about the following before selecting an option:
- Cost & pricing arrangement: You are more familiar with your spending than we are, therefore it should go without stating that you shouldn’t select a point-of-sale system that you cannot afford. We advise you to carefully examine the breakdown of prices and determine what is free and what is extra to obtain the greatest bargain.
- POS features and hardware options: Evaluate your company’s requirements and select a supplier who closely matches them. For instance, would you prefer to sell in person or online? Do you require a single store management system or one that can handle several? The actual equipment that each POS solution provider offers for sale or rental should also be examined. Choose a point-of-sale provider with a till setup if you handle both cash and credit cards.
- Usability: Generally speaking, a point-of-sale system that is easy to use is better. This will decrease the possibility of error and expedite training and servicing times. This is not to say that you have to choose the most user-friendly system. You could forgo ease of operation in favor of more sophisticated capabilities if you along with your staff are familiar with point-of-sale systems.
- Customer service: When it involves point-of-sale (POS) systems, it is important to provide excellent customer service. We would advise selecting a point-of-sale system with a customer service phone number, as this is typically the quickest way to address a problem. Quick troubleshooting can also be facilitated by community forums, help centers, and live chat channels, if the POS system provides them.
Our Approach: How We Evaluate Retail Point-of-Sale Systems
This list was created by our team after they evaluated and tested ten distinct retail point-of-sale systems. We test POS platforms for about 20 hours and spend about 160 hours studying them. To obtain an unbiased assessment, we applied what we had learned to assess each POS system’s performance in six factors that are significant to retail enterprises, divided into as many as 12 subcategories.
The following is what we examined during our testing:
- POS software: The range of capabilities offered by POS software, such as marketing & customer engagement tools, inventory management, and refund administration, and how beneficial they are to the typical firm.
- Hardware/equipment: The range of equipment that can be rented or bought, with a focus on essential components like client displays, physical terminals, and accessories.
- Ease-of-use: The degree to which each system is simple to use, as determined by the opinions of multiple ordinary consumers who were given simple tasks to perform on every system, like creating items, obtaining reports, or implementing a discount.
- Assistance and support: Bonus points are awarded to point-of-sale systems with training modes and help centers based on how well-run and accessible the customer care staff are.
- Costs: How much the system costs, how it stacks up against rivals, and if it’s a smart investment.
User experience: What regular users say about the system in internet reviews, if they are familiar with it and like it, and whether they would suggest it.
Verdict
Because of its scalability, low hardware costs, and free software plan, Square is the finest retail POS system overall.
Lightspeed and Clover provide the most sophisticated capabilities for larger companies with several locations, while Shopify offers an excellent point-of-sale system for online companies looking to create one or two storefronts. Not to be outdone, our number one recommendation for small retail firms is Epos Now. It gives companies the option to buy standalone software or pay in whole if that suits them better.
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Amit2025-04-17 13:03:082025-04-17 13:03:10Best Task Management Software for Teams and Individuals
