Top 54 Point of sale Software (Jun 2024)

Compare Pricing
Shlomi LaviShlomi Lavi / updated: Jun 06, 2024

We publish unbiased reviews. Our opinions are our own and are not influenced by payments from advertisers. This article includes contributions from OpenAI's ChatGPT. This content is reader-supported, which means if you leave your details with us, we may earn a commission. Learn why ComparesTo is free .

Point of sale Buyer's Guide

Overview

Point of sale (POS) software is a type of software used by businesses to manage sales transactions, process payments, and streamline operations at the point of purchase. It is commonly used in retail stores, restaurants, and other businesses where goods or services are sold to customers.

Why Businesses Need It

POS software is essential for businesses as it helps to improve efficiency, accuracy, and customer service. It allows businesses to track inventory levels, manage customer data, analyze sales trends, and process transactions quickly and securely. POS software also integrates with other business systems such as accounting and inventory management, providing a comprehensive solution for managing sales operations.

Main Features

Some of the main features of POS software include inventory management, sales reporting, customer relationship management (CRM), employee management, payment processing, barcode scanning, and integration with other business systems.

Main Business Processes

POS software can help businesses with various processes including:

  • Processing sales transactions
  • Managing inventory levels
  • Analyzing sales data and trends
  • Managing customer information and loyalty programs
  • Processing payments securely
  • Generating reports for informed decision-making

Steps to Buy POS Software

When buying POS software, businesses should consider the following steps:

  1. Assess business needs and requirements
  2. Research different POS software options
  3. Request demos and trials from potential vendors
  4. Compare features, pricing, and customer reviews
  5. Select a vendor and negotiate terms
  6. Implement and integrate the POS software with existing systems
  7. Train employees on how to use the POS software effectively
  8. Provide ongoing support and maintenance
  9. Things to Consider

    When choosing POS software, businesses should consider factors such as scalability, ease of use, customization options, security features, compatibility with hardware, integration capabilities, customer support, and pricing models.

    Popular Vendors and Market Share

    Some of the most popular POS software vendors in the market include:

    • Toast
    • Square
    • Shopify
    • Lightspeed
    • Clover

    According to recent market research, Square holds the largest market share in the POS software category, followed by Toast and Shopify.

    Trends and Future of POS Software

    Some trends shaping the future of POS software include the adoption of cloud-based solutions, mobile POS systems, omnichannel retailing, AI and machine learning capabilities, contactless payments, and enhanced data analytics for personalized customer experiences.

    10 Questions to Ask POS Software Vendors During a Demo

    1. How does your POS software handle inventory management?
    2. Can the POS software integrate with other business systems?
    3. What security features does the POS software offer to protect customer data?
    4. Does the POS software support mobile payments and contactless transactions?
    5. How easy is it to customize the POS software to fit our business needs?
    6. What kind of customer support and training do you provide?
    7. What are the pricing models and any additional fees associated with the POS software?
    8. Can the POS software generate detailed sales reports and analytics?
    9. Is the POS software compliant with industry regulations and standards?
    10. What are the hardware requirements for running your POS software?

    Head to head Point of sale software leaders comparisons:

    List of Point of sale Software:

    Narrow down your Point of sale software options and make a confident choice

    Get your personalized recommendations now:

Retail POS Price Range

Most retail point of sale products in the market have pricing based on the number of users, physical locations, machines, or sales outlet. Most products are priced per month, and their pricing can be divided into three tiers, starting from $29 to $39, $39 to $75, and then $75 upwards.

These are the price ranges for basic offerings of most vendors; hence, premium offerings which come with more features cost more. For example, Ricochet pricing starts from $99 per month, KORONA costs about $49 per month, and WooPOS pricing starts from $29 per month. Perpetual licences can also be bought for some retail POS software. An example is RetailEdge which can be bought with a one-time fee of $449.

In addition, retail POS vendors target different organization sizes, so business size determines the price.

  • Small Businesses that are looking for a retail POS system can expect to pay between $25 to $50 on a monthly basis. For instance, Epos Now pricing starts from $39 per month, and ThriftCart starts from $50 per location, per month. Meanwhile, some products have freemium plans for small business, while some products are completely free. For example, HadePay is 100-percent free to use.
  • Medium Businesses can expect pricing points between $50 to $120 for a retail POS system monthly. For example, Heartland Retail pricing starts from around $99 per month, LightSpeed POS from $69 per month, and Realtime Cloud from around $80 per month. The number of user accounts paid for on each plan can also attract discounts, depending on the pricing terms from each vendor.
  • Large Businesses can expect prices that fall between the range of $120 to $500 for a retail POS system monthly. For example, RUnit Realtime Cloud pricing starts from $258 per machine monthly, WinWard System Five from around $125 per month, and Epicor Retail Solutions costs around $350 per month for each user account. However, many vendors do not disclose their pricing for large businesses so as to enable them to adjust their pricing based on the need of each organization.

Here are some Retail POS best of breeds and their price ranges are as follows:

  • Retail Management Software Retail management products can be divided into three tiers, and the price ranges for each tier are $28 to $39, $39 to $83, and $83 above. Also, most retail management products are priced on a monthly basis per user or physical location managed with the software. For example, Quant Retail pricing starts from $180 per user monthly, PHP Point of Sale from $39 per month, and POSExpress costs up to $190 per month.
  • iPad POS Most iPad POS products in the market are priced per user or per usage based on a monthly basis. Their price points fall into two tiers, starting from $0 to $30, and then $30 to $85. For example, TillPoint pricing starts from $29 per month, Ambur POS from around $60 per month, and Loyverse pricing starts from $0.01 per usage every month. Meanwhile, some iPad POS software have perpetual licenses that can be bought with a one-time fee; an example is Digital Dining which costs $10,000.
  • Bar POS Software Bar POS products in the market can be divided into two tiers, with each having a different price range depending on the robustness of features. The price ranges fall within $15 to $40 and $40 to $85. For example, BePOZ Point of Sale pricing starts from $69 per month, HarbourTouch POS from $29 per month, and Unicenta from $49 monthly.
  • Restaurant POS Software For a restaurant POS software, users can expect to pay between the ranges of $50 to $100 above per user, table, or managed location. For example, SpotOn Restaurant pricing starts from $65 monthly, Toast POS from $79 per month, and Upserve POS pricing is around $59 monthly. However, most products may incur extra one-time fees that fall between $2,000 to $7,000 because they require additional hardware equipment to run.
  • Retail Management POS Most Retail Management POS software in the market are priced on a per-user, per-month basis, and their price can fall between three ranges, from $0 to $50, $50 to $100, and then $100+ upwards. For example, Lavu pricing starts from $69 per month, PoinOS from $39 per user monthly, and TouchBistro from around $70 per user monthly.

Need help? compare top software quotes and make a confident choice