Choosing the right POS system for your restaurant can be a challenge.
In this article, we’ll show you the 10 best restaurant POS systems in 2025, tried and tested for performance and ease of use.
Whether you run a single location or manage multiple restaurants, these POS systems will help streamline your restaurant operations and boost efficiency.
Key Takeaways
Choosing the Right POS System: When selecting the best POS system, consider factors like scalability, ease of use, and integration with other tools, such as online ordering systems.
Customizable Features: The best POS systems offer flexibility, enabling restaurants to easily customize their menu settings and manage table configurations based on their specific needs.
Real-time Inventory Management: Look for POS systems that provide real-time inventory tracking to help prevent overstocking or understocking, ensuring better inventory control.
Cloud-based and Mobile Features: Many restaurant POS systems offer cloud-based solutions with mobile access, so it’s worth looking for a system that allows you to manage your restaurant operations remotely from anywhere.
Streamlined Operations: The best POS systems enhance efficiency by simplifying order processing, restaurant inventory management, and payment handling, making day-to-day operations smoother.
Best Restaurant POS Systems
This year, we’ve selected ten best restaurant POS systems, which you can explore below.
Restaurant POS Systems Comparison Matrix
Use this comparison matrix to find the best restaurant POS system that’s ideal for your restaurant business by comparing key features and functionalities.
| Systems | Free Trial | Sales Reporting | Inventory Management | Employee Management | Customer Relationship Mgmt | Online Ordering | Integration Capabilities | Mobile Access | Offline Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toast POS | |||||||||
| Square for Restaurants | |||||||||
| Lightspeed Restaurant | |||||||||
| SpotOn | |||||||||
| Loyverse | |||||||||
| Lavu | |||||||||
| PosBistro | |||||||||
| Clover | |||||||||
| Aloha POS by NCR | |||||||||
| Epos Now |
1. Toast POS
Toast is an all-in-one restaurant POS and management system designed to streamline operations for restaurants of all sizes. It integrates tools like online ordering, customer engagement, labor management, and sales reporting into a cloud-based platform.
Toast POS helps restaurants enhance efficiency, grow restaurant revenue, and gain better business insights while aiming to improve the overall guest experience by addressing the unique challenges of the restaurant industry.
Customer Rating: 4.2/5
Pricing
Toast POS offers a flexible pricing structure to suit different types of restaurants:
- Starter Kit: Starting at $0/month, ideal for single-location restaurants with 1-2 terminals. Includes cloud-based POS, one terminal, and essential add-ons (additional charges for extra devices).
- Point of Sale: Starting at $69/month, this plan offers core functionality, custom hardware, and flat-rate processing with additional add-ons.
- Build Your Own: Custom pricing for restaurants looking to scale, offering features like online ordering, payroll integration, inventory management, and guest marketing. Pricing varies based on selected features and hardware.
Toast POS: Our Insights
Toast’s cloud-based system ensures remote access, allowing restaurant owners to manage operations from anywhere. The flexibility to customize menu settings and manage table configurations makes it a great option for restaurants of all sizes.
2. Square
The restaurant POS system Square is explicitly designed for any restaurant business. This comprehensive restaurant automation tool is designed for food service businesses like full-service restaurants, food trucks, and franchise restaurants.
Square provides comprehensive features to streamline operations, including front and back of the house, to improve efficiency and restaurant customer service.
The system allows direct order transmission to the kitchen, floor plan customization, and real-time table status monitoring. Additionally, it includes tools for team management, such as setting roles, tracking labor vs. sales, and managing tips and commissions.
Customer Rating: 4.7/5
Pricing
There are three plans to choose from:
- Free: Starting at $0 per location/month, this plan is ideal for small businesses or those just starting out. It includes Square Restaurant POS software for one countertop device, Monday to Friday phone support from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT, and essential features for daily operations.
- Plus: Starting at $69 per location/month, this plan is recommended for growing businesses with up to five locations. It includes Square Restaurant POS software for one countertop device, Square KDS software at no additional cost, and 24/7 phone support.
- Premium: Starting at $165 per location/month, this plan is perfect for businesses with more than five locations. It includes Square Restaurant POS software, Square KDS software, Square Mobile POS, Square Kiosk software, and 24/7 phone support, providing all the tools needed for large, expanding restaurants.
Square: Our Insights
Its simplicity doesn’t sacrifice functionality, as it seamlessly integrates with payment processing and inventory management. We appreciated how quickly it can be set up and its mobile capabilities, allowing restaurant staff to process orders and payments on the go.
3. Lightspeed Restaurant
Lightspeed is a cloud-based point-of-sale (POS) system designed specifically for the foodservice industry. It is equipped with features to handle the unique demands of restaurants, bars, cafes, and other similar businesses.
The POS system lets you design and manage your floor plan to match your restaurant layout, helping with efficient table turn and restaurant seating arrangements. It also offers robust inventory management, features to manage employees’ roles, shifts, permissions, and performance, and integrates with various payment processors, facilitating smooth and secure transactions.
Customer Rating: 4.4/5
Pricing
There are two plans to choose from:
- Essential: Starting at $189 USD per month, this plan is designed for restaurants looking to exceed guest expectations. It includes customizable POS, menu manager, floor plans, offline mode, and 24/7 support, making it a solid choice for restaurants seeking core functionalities.
- Premium: Starting at $399 USD per month, this plan is perfect for larger or multi-location restaurants. It offers advanced features such as integrated payments (2.6% + 10¢), online ordering, CRM and loyalty tools, multi-location management, advanced inventory management, and contactless ordering. Additional costs apply for the Kitchen Display System (KDS) at $30 per screen per month.
Lightspeed Restaurant: Our Insights
We were impressed with its strong inventory management tools and the ability to handle large volumes of orders efficiently. Its cloud-based nature allows for remote access, which is ideal for multi-location restaurant management, and its integrations with other software make it a versatile choice for modern restaurants.
4. SpotOn
SpotOn offers an all-in-one restaurant management platform that includes robust POS solutions designed to enhance operations and improve customer experiences. The system provides tools for managing orders, payments, inventory, and staff, along with integrated marketing solutions to drive customer engagement.
SpotOn also supports online ordering, reservations, and restaurant loyalty programs, making it ideal for restaurants looking to streamline operations and boost revenue
Customer Rating: 4.3/5
Pricing
The SpotOn pricing is as follows:
- Quick Start: Free plan for small counter-service restaurants, includes a 15” hardware bundle, cloud-based POS, and a powerful dashboard. Processing fees are 2.89% + 25¢.
- Counter-Service: $99/month, designed for growing counter-service restaurants. Includes employee management, commission-free online ordering, and 10” hardware. Processing fees are 1.99% + 25¢.
- Full-Service: $135/month, for full-service restaurants with advanced features like KDS, online ordering, and QR order & pay. Processing fees are 1.99% + 25¢.
- Customize Your Own: Custom pricing for larger, complex restaurants. Choose hardware and features like online ordering, employee scheduling, and more. Processing fees are 1.99% + 25¢.
SpotOn: Our Insights
We found the integration with online ordering systems to be seamless, which is great for restaurants focusing on both in-house and delivery services. Its customer service is responsive, making it a reliable choice for restaurants seeking both powerful features and dependable support.
5. Loyverse
Loyverse is a free POS software aimed at small and medium businesses. The name “Loyverse” is short for “Loyalty Universe.” The system is mobile-based and is available for both iOS and Android devices.
Restaurant owners can track sales growth and manage sales data at any time and from any place. They can instantly visualize trends and determine their best-selling items or categories.
Customer Rating: 4.8/5
Pricing
Loyverse offers a free plan that includes core functionalities like POS software, sales analytics, and customer display. For added features, you can opt for add-ons:
- Unlimited Sales History: $5/month or $50/year per store, allowing you to access and export sales reports for any time period.
- Employee Management: $25/month or $250/year per store, helping manage access rights, timecards, and sales by employee.
- Advanced Inventory: $25/month or $250/year per store, enabling features like purchase orders and inventory valuation reports.
Loyverse : Our Insights
During testing, we found that Loyverse’s reporting system is both detailed and user-friendly, allowing restaurant owners to track performance with ease. The mobile compatibility adds flexibility, allowing staff to take orders and payments anywhere in the restaurant.
6. Lavu
Lavu is one of the more powerful mobile POS systems designed specifically for bars and restaurants of all sizes. It operates on the iPad platform, providing an intuitive, touch-screen interface that simplifies order-taking and payment processing.
This mobile POS system for restaurant businesses can not only process payments but also makes restaurant management simple with features like customizable table layouts, easy split-check functionality, color-coded modifiers for special requests, menu customization, and advanced reporting, and it allows users to manage inventory and track levels in real time.
Customer Rating: 4.2/5
Pricing
Lavu has three pricing options to choose from:
- Starter: Starting at $59/month, this plan includes Lavu POS with 1 terminal, Lavu Pay, a cash discount program, and Lavu Pilot. It also offers gift cards for a limited time (cards sold separately).
- Growth: Starting at $129/month, this plan is designed to drive off-premise sales and includes Lavu POS with 1 terminal, Lavu Pay, a cash discount program, Lavu Pilot, and gift cards (cards sold separately).
- Optimize: Starting at $279/month, this plan includes Lavu POS with 2 terminals, Lavu Pay, a cash discount program, Lavu Pilot, and gift cards (cards sold separately), offering more terminals and advanced features for greater efficiency.
Lavu: Our Insights
Lavu POS provides an excellent mix of ease-of-use and advanced features, making it a strong choice for both small and large restaurants. The system is fast and responsive, helping speed up order processing and payment handling.
We particularly liked the robust customization options for menu setups and employee management. Lavu’s cloud-based system allows for remote management and its reporting tools offer detailed insights into sales, inventory, and performance, making it a great choice for business owners seeking flexibility and control.
7. POSBistro
POSBistro is a comprehensive, point-of-sale (POS) software designed for restaurants, food trucks, bars, coffee shops, and other types of food and beverage businesses. The software helps you keep track of stock levels in real-time, manage your supply chain, staff schedules, tracking working hours, and reviewing employee performance.
POSbistro also allows you to build customer databases, manage loyalty programs, and handle gift cards, and gives you insight into sales trends, product popularity, and other key restaurant metrics, which can support business decision-making.
Customer rating: 4.3/5
Pricing
The starting price for POSBistro is $49.00 per month. For more details, you need to contact them to get a quote.
POSBistro: Our Insights
8. Clover
Clover POS is a flexible, cloud-based system designed for businesses like quick service restaurants, bars, and retail stores. It offers various hardware options, from mobile devices to countertop systems.
Clover simplifies order management, including dine-in, takeout, and delivery, and enhances table and inventory tracking. It also features restaurant CRM tools to track customer preferences and manage loyalty programs.
Customer rating: 3.8/5
Pricing
The starting price for Clover is $14.95 per month. For more details, you need to contact them to get a quote.
Clover: Our Insights
We were impressed by its fast processing speeds and seamless integration with third-party apps. Additionally, Clover offers excellent mobile capabilities, allowing staff to take orders and payments anywhere in the restaurant, which enhances the overall customer experience.
9. Aloha POS by NCR
Aloha POS by NCR is a widely used point-of-sale (POS) system designed for the restaurant industry. It suits various establishments, from fast food and casual dining to upscale restaurants and bars.
Aloha POS supports tableside ordering, which allows servers to take orders directly at the table using mobile devices, reducing errors and improving service speed, inventory tracking and management features, tools for scheduling, payroll management, and tracking employee performance.
Customer rating: 4/5
Pricing
No pricing is available on their website. You need to contact Aloha POS by NCR to get a quote.
Aloha POS by NCR: Our Insights
Aloha POS by NCR is a robust, enterprise-level system that’s perfect for high-volume restaurants. The system’s interface is intuitive, and we appreciated its powerful tools for order processing, inventory management, and reporting.
During testing, we found Aloha POS to be very reliable, with minimal downtime and fast response times. Its integration with third-party apps and customizable features make it a great choice for large-scale restaurants or those with multiple locations needing centralized control.
10. Epos Now
Epos Now is a cloud-based point-of-sale (POS) system that caters to retail and hospitality industries, including restaurants. This versatile system provides POS services, inventory management, and CRM tools, which can be accessed from any device with an internet connection.
The system efficiently facilitates the management of orders, including table-side ordering, split checks, and customer tabs. It also provides users with inventory tracking, scheduling tools, employee performance tracking, and CRM tools that allow businesses to record customer details, track purchasing behavior, and manage loyalty programs.
Customer rating: 3.4/5
Pricing
Epos Now offers two pricing plans:
- Software Only: Starting at $39 per month, this plan is ideal for small, single-location food and beverage businesses that don’t need advanced hardware.
- Full System: Starting at $249 upfront plus $39 per month, this plan is perfect for full-service restaurants needing terminals, card readers, and software.
Epos Now: Our Insights
We particularly liked the flexible reporting features, which allow restaurant owners to analyze sales and operations in real time. With its cloud-based capabilities and mobile compatibility, Epos Now offers flexibility and control, no matter where you are.
How to choose the right restaurant POS software?
Here are key factors and restaurant POS system features to consider when choosing the right restaurant POS software:
- Business Needs: Assess your restaurant’s type and size, and consider specific needs like menu complexity and integration with restaurant management software.
- Features: Look for core features such as order management, inventory tracking, menu customization, and reporting. Advanced features like CRM, employee management, and offline support can enhance your operations.
- Ease of Use: Choose a POS system that’s user-friendly and easy to set up, navigate, and train your staff on.
- Scalability: Ensure the system can scale with your business as you grow your restaurant, accommodating more orders, locations, or additional features.
- Integration: Ensure it integrates smoothly with essential tools like online ordering platforms, delivery services, payment processors, and restaurant management software to streamline operations.
- Free Trial: The POS system should offer a free trial period to allow users to explore its features before making a commitment.
What are the benefits of restaurant POS systems?
Many POS systems for restaurants offer numerous benefits that can significantly impact a dining establishment’s efficiency and profitability. Some key benefits include the following:
- Streamlined Order Management: Reduces manual errors by transmitting orders directly from the table to the kitchen for faster service.
- Improved Efficiency: Most POS systems automate tasks like bill calculation and payment processing, leading to quicker service and improved table turnover.
- Real-time Inventory Management: Tracks stock levels in real-time, preventing overstocking, reducing waste, and optimizing costs.
- Menu Customization: Easily create a menu, manage specials, promotions, and discounts to adjust offerings and cater to customer preferences.
- Table Management and Reservations: Restaurant POS providers enhance seating efficiency, manage reservations, and shorten customer wait times.
