Best Restaurant POS Systems of 2024

With one of the most competitive payment processing rates we’ve seen among POS providers and a variety of add-ons — including online ordering, labor management, reservations and loyalty programs — SpotOn’s restaurant POS solution stands out for its customizability. SpotOn’s options let restaurants tailor the right solution for their needs, and the company consults with its restaurant advisory board — a group of restaurant-industry veterans — for feedback to continue improving its products.

Toast offers a wealth of restaurant-specific tools and features, including in-house delivery, online ordering and takeout services. Each of these is included in Toast’s mid-tier monthly plan or available as an add-on with other plans. Toast Delivery Services charges a flat fee for each order with no additional monthly cost. It offers a Pay-as-you-Go pricing option with any of its starter kits, which charges higher processing fees but no monthly software fee and no hardware payment — but you still own the hardware from the start. This can be a great and affordable option for restaurants with a lower volume of transactions. Toast runs on an Android operating system and sells proprietary hardware (at undisclosed prices) that’s been built to withstand the kitchen environment. Read our full Toast POS review.

In addition to a free plan, Square offers quick, commitment-free sign-up; flexibility to scale with any number of its add-on tools; the ability to trial the Plus plan free for 30 days and to cancel any of its plans without fees; and the option to pay for hardware in installments — making it an exceptional option for newer and smaller food-service establishments. These benefits in addition to competitive payment processing rates and full pricing transparency have earned Square a 5-star rating from NerdWallet. The tablet accessories offered by Square are mostly compatible with iPads, though they can operate on some Android tablets. Read our full Square for Restaurants review.

Bustling quick-service restaurants that draw big crowds can likely justify the heavy investment in Clover’s pricey but sturdy hardware. Those that are looking to help shorten long lines may especially appreciate the Clover Flex, a mobile POS terminal that enables employees to take orders, collect payments and print receipts on the go. Clover systems, like many competitive POS providers these days, can accept payments while the internet is down or you don’t have Wi-Fi. The Full-Service Restaurant plans also include online ordering that some competitors treat as add-ons. The company now offers its own kitchen display hardware and software, albeit at a steeper price than many of its competitors. Clover’s POS software runs on an Android operating system and operates only on its proprietary hardware, although it does provide a list of supported third-party accessories. Read our full Clover POS review.

As a powerful POS system that runs on the higher end of the pricing spectrum for monthly software fees, Lightspeed Restaurant POS is a good fit for restaurants that are firmly established, perhaps with multiple locations to take advantage of the features Lightspeed offers for multi-location management. Given the annual contract requirement and higher priced monthly plans, Lightspeed makes better sense for businesses that have had time to establish a reliable customer base. And if you process more than $50,000 a month, you may be eligible for lower payment processing fees. Lightspeed is compatible with a variety of iPads and iPhones and is optimized for use with iOS systems. Its supported hardware page doesn’t list any Android tablets. Read our full Lightspeed Restaurant POS review.

From a table management feature that shows total spend and time seated per table to a new (admittedly pricey) profit management tool with advanced inventory, reporting and vendor management capabilities, TouchBistro’s POS software features place a particular emphasis on helping restaurants assess, manage and increase profitability. It’s a hybrid POS system (meaning data is stored both locally and in the cloud, which enhances offline functionality) that has solutions for all types of restaurants, including food trucks, catering companies and bakeries. TouchBistro is an iPad POS system. It’s compatible with most iPad models but not Android devices. Read our full TouchBistro review.

On top of offering a cash discount program, all of Lavu’s POS software plans include team management features, inventory management tools and bluetooth scale plug-ins. You can also add gift card capabilities, as well as specific integrations for third-party products like QuickBooks Online, Xero, UberEats and DoorDash. Read our full Lavu review.

Lavu's POS terminals use iPads, which can be bought through Lavu or elsewhere. Vault Pro iPad enclosures start at $190. Stands, rotation bases, receipt printers and cash drawers are sold separately.

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SumUp’s POS system can help new and existing restaurants build and expand their customer base with automated marketing tools for sending targeted promotions to customers through text and email. While it’s true that restaurant-specific competitors generally offer some type of marketing tool, SumUp POS stands out for incorporating AI-powered text and email promotions in its highest-tier plan. The company also maintains its own customer network that businesses can tap in to. Other features include online ordering, a customer directory, QuickBooks integration and ingredient management tools. Read our full SumUp review.

Expect to pay around $800 to $1,700 upfront for a countertop register setup that includes a POS terminal, card reader, receipt printer and cash drawer. Other restaurant hardware accessories could include a kitchen display system or handheld terminal for taking orders tableside. Taxes, delivery and potential setup and training fees can get pricey too, so make sure you understand what additional costs are associated with a product before you sign a contract.

Consider whether you’ll need integrations such as advanced inventory management, vendor management or online ordering. These will further increase your monthly cost. And don’t forget to factor in the cost of add-ons, like delivery services and online ordering. Some providers include these services in their plans, but others charge extra for them.

Interchange-plus processors, on the other hand, pass savings to the merchants when customers use cards with low interchange fees, and their markups may be more negotiable. However, you’ll need to select a restaurant POS system that allows you to work with outside processors to access that option.