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Best POS Systems 2026

Take payments, manage inventory and grow. We compared the top point-of-sale systems for retail, restaurants and service businesses.

ByBusiness & Software DeskBusiness, software and AI

Updated October 5, 2026How We Rate

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Best POS Systems 2026 — Photo: USDAgov / Flickr, Public domain

A modern POS system does far more than take payments: it manages inventory, staff, customers and reporting across your counter and online. We compared the leading systems for retail, hospitality and service businesses.

Our top picks

Square: Best Overall
Shopify POS: Best for Retail
Toast: Best for Restaurants
Clover: Best Hardware
Lightspeed: Best for Inventory

Compare at a glance

Compare at a glance
Product	#1 Square	#2 Shopify POS	#3 Toast	#4 Clover	#5 Lightspeed
Score	9.6/10Outstanding	9.3/10Excellent	9.1/10Very Good	8.8/10Very Good	8.9/10Very Good
Best for	Best Overall	Best for Retail	Best for Restaurants	Best Hardware	Best for Inventory
Free plan	Yes + free reader	No	Starter plan $0	No	No
Price	—	$5.00	$69.00	$14.95	$89.00
	Visit Site Square	Visit Site Shopify POS	Visit Site Toast	Visit Site Clover	Visit Site Lightspeed

POS Systems: our picks in detail

1. Square: Best Overall

Our score: 9.6/10 · Outstanding
Free plan: Yes + free reader

Why we picked it

For a new or small business that wants to start selling quickly without a contract, Square is the strongest all-round choice we have assessed. The free plan covers the essentials, the paid tiers add staff, loyalty and reporting tools when you need them, and the same account runs in-person sales, invoices and a basic online store. Independent reviewers broadly agree on that picture.

Pros

Free, capable POS software
Published processing rates
Affordable hardware
Great for small business

Cons

Fees add up at high volume
Account holds can occur

Visit Square Read our full Square review →

2. Shopify POS: Best for Retail

Our score: 9.3/10 · Excellent
Free plan: No
Price: $5.00

Why we picked it

Shopify POS is worth it for retailers who treat online and in-store selling as one business. Synchronised inventory, shared customer data, a polished app, strong security credentials and an enormous app ecosystem make it one of the most capable retail POS systems available. The cost of that power is complexity in pricing: a Shopify plan, POS Pro for serious retail locations, hardware, processing fees and any apps you add. Work out that total for your own store before you commit. If the numbers make sense, it is a system you are unlikely to outgrow.

Pros

Unified online and in-store
Strong inventory tools
Huge app ecosystem
Great for omnichannel

Cons

Needs a Shopify plan
Advanced POS costs more

Visit Shopify POS Read our full Shopify POS review →

3. Toast: Best for Restaurants

Our score: 9.1/10 · Very Good
Free plan: Starter plan $0
Price: $69.00

Why we picked it

A busy dining room with a kitchen, online orders and a team to schedule gets real benefit from having all of that in one system that staff find easy. The value falls away when you only need a simple checkout, because the contracts and fees are built for operations that use the whole platform.

Pros

Purpose-built for food service
Kitchen and online ordering
Sturdy hardware
Strong reporting

Cons

Restaurant-only focus
Locked to Toast processing

Visit Toast Read our full Toast review →

4. Clover: Best Hardware

Our score: 8.8/10 · Very Good
Free plan: No
Price: $14.95

Why we picked it

Clover is worth it for businesses that want polished, purpose-built hardware and a POS that covers payments, orders, inventory, staff and loyalty out of the box, with an app market to fill the gaps. Its flexibility across restaurants, retail and services is real. The value depends on the deal you sign: compare a quote from Clover Direct with any offer from your bank, check whether hardware is a non-cancelable subscription, and make sure you understand the processing rates before you commit.

Pros

Attractive, flexible hardware
Large app marketplace
Works across sectors
Good inventory tools

Cons

Pricing varies by reseller
Processor flexibility varies

Visit Clover Read our full Clover review →

5. Lightspeed: Best for Inventory

Our score: 8.9/10 · Very Good
Free plan: No
Price: $89.00

Why we picked it

Lightspeed is worth it for retailers and hospitality businesses whose margins depend on knowing exactly what is in stock, where it is and what it cost. Its inventory depth, built-in wholesale ordering, multi-location support and integrated payments are among the strongest in the category. Budget realistically for the plan that includes the tools you need, count every register and location, and use the trial to test support as well as software.

Pros

Deep inventory management
Strong analytics
Retail and restaurant versions
Good multi-location support

Cons

Higher starting price
More than tiny shops need

Visit Lightspeed Read our full Lightspeed review →

How we rate POS systems

Features (30%): payments, inventory, staff, reporting.
Hardware (20%), quality and flexibility.
Fees (30%), software and processing costs.
Ease of use (20%), setup and daily operation.

How to choose a POS

Pick a system built for your sector: restaurants need table and kitchen features, retailers need inventory depth, and service businesses need appointments. Watch processing fees as much as software fees.

Buyer's guide

Compare monthly software cost, per-transaction processing rates, hardware prices, and whether the system locks you into its own payment processor.

What users rate them

Checked October 5, 2026

User ratings show how customers feel about a company after they have paid, which often comes down to billing, cancellation and support rather than the software itself. Trustpilot scores the company as a whole, so one profile can cover many products, and its TrustScore weights recent reviews more heavily than old ones. App Store ratings cover only the vendor's own iPhone and iPad app, which is often a companion to the main desktop product. Neither source checks accuracy, features or price, and businesses can invite their own customers to review them, so read the numbers as a signal about service, not as a measure of the product.

User ratings for the products on this page, read on 5 October 2026
Product	Trustpilot (TrustScore, reviews)	Apple App Store, US (rating, ratings count)
Square	3.7 out of 5, 7,486 reviews (profile named Square US)	4.8 out of 5, 605,542 ratings (Square Point of Sale (POS), by Block, Inc.)
Shopify POS	1.3 out of 5, 5,164 reviews (Shopify profile, all products; no separate POS profile)	4.4 out of 5, 7,466 ratings (Shopify Point of Sale (POS), by Shopify Inc.)
Toast	2.7 out of 5, 1,489 reviews	4.9 out of 5, 11,731 ratings (Toast Now, the owner app, by Toast, Inc.)
Clover	1.9 out of 5, 2,200 reviews	4.9 out of 5, 53,120 ratings (Clover, by Clover Network, Inc.)
Lightspeed	3.7 out of 5, 2,516 reviews	No single main app: Lightspeed Commerce lists separate apps per product, for example Lightspeed Restaurant POS (L), 3.0 out of 5 from 30 ratings

Trustpilot figures were read on each company's Trustpilot profile and App Store figures from Apple's US store listing, both on 5 October 2026. Only apps published by the vendor itself are shown. "Not listed" means no matching profile or vendor app was found on that date. The two columns use different scales and audiences and are not combined.

Sources (10)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best POS for a small shop?

Square is a favourite for small retail and cafés thanks to free software, transparent fees and easy hardware.

Is there a free POS system?

Square offers free POS software and you only pay processing fees. Paid tiers add advanced inventory and reporting.

What are typical processing fees?

In-person card fees commonly sit around 2.5%–2.9% plus a small fixed amount per transaction, varying by provider and plan.

Can a POS work online and in store?

Yes. Systems like Shopify POS and Square sync in-store and online sales and inventory in one place.

Do I have to use their card processor?

Some systems require their own processor (Square, Toast); others, like Lightspeed and Clover, offer more flexibility.

In-depth reviews of every pick

Square 9.6/10 The easiest, most affordable way to start taking payments.
Shopify POS 9.3/10 The top choice for retailers selling online and in person.
Toast 9.1/10 A restaurant-first platform with deep hospitality features.
Clover 8.8/10 Versatile hardware and an app market for many business types.
Lightspeed 8.9/10 Powerful inventory and analytics for serious retailers.

All POS Systems reviews →

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