Empower your small business with the right POS system. Our expert review showcases the best options for small businesses with features such as inventory management and customer tracking. Make an informed decision for your business success.
Whats is Pos System?
A POS (Point of Sale) system is a computerized system that businesses use to process sales transactions, manage inventory, and track customer data. It usually includes hardware components such as a computer, a receipt printer, a barcode scanner, and a cash drawer, along with software that integrates these components to facilitate transactions and manage data.
POS systems are commonly used in retail, hospitality, and other industries to streamline sales processes, provide real-time data and analytics, and enhance the customer experience. In addition to processing transactions, many POS systems offer features such as inventory management, customer relationship management, sales reporting, and payment processing.
From contactless payments to online sales, point-of-sale (POS) systems improve the customer experience and help business owners track inventory, sales, and employee performance.
Additionally, POS solutions support omnichannel experiences that seamlessly transition between in-store, phone, and online sales.
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In fact, 44% of its retailers are planning to upgrade or replace its POS, and 32% are prioritizing an omnichannel experience with its existing POS solution.
Choosing the best POS system for your small business can be difficult.
Kuotabisa researched over 20 of its POS solutions and compared them side by side. Kuotabisa judged the system on ease of use, hardware and software options, customer service, features, and pricing packages.
Pos System for Small Business
Kuotabisa ranked a number of competitors based on price, usability, and functionality to provide a ranking of the best POS systems for small businesses in 2024, namely:
1. Lightspeed
Lightspeed Retail is one of the best retail POS systems for its price.
As long as you’re willing to pay a little more, Lightspeed has everything small and medium-sized retailers need to sell and manage their business, with excellent customer support to guide you through it all.
Features
All business owners will appreciate Lightspeed’s customizable loyalty program, centralized inventory matrix capabilities, work order monitoring, and e-commerce capabilities.
Retailers will appreciate Lightspeed’s unique shopping features, including: Online purchases for store pickup, item storage/storage, and online customer return/exchange portal.
You can also sell subscriptions and memberships on Lightspeed Retail.
Price
Lightspeed’s retail pricing starts at $89/month ($69/month billed annually) for the Lean plan, which includes Lightspeed’s core POS software, gift cards, open API, and multi-shop support.
2. Square
Square is one of the best free POS systems as it offers free ecommerce, free employee management, free inventory management, free appointment scheduling, etc.
A free POS that offers as many features as Square no other provider.
Or at least no provider performs these functions as well as Square.
Features
Notable free features include:
- Free e-commerce/online ordering site for retail/restaurant
- Free Square Online Checkout Links For Selling Online Without A Website
- Free appointment schedule via Google, Facebook, Instagram and own website
- Unlimited registrations with free plan
Price
Square POS is free ($0/month) with unlimited registers/devices.
However, you can purchase paid Square add-ons such as:
- Advanced Team Management ($35/month/location)
- Email Marketing ($15+/month), and
- Loyalty ($45+/month/location)
Additionally, Square has dedicated POS systems for specific verticals, including Square Appointments (for salons and other appointment-based businesses), Square for Restaurants, and Square for Retail, all offering free and paid plans. doing.
3. Clover POS
Clover is a mobile, modern and unique POS system specially designed for small businesses.
If you want a plug-and-play POS with powerful features out of the box, Clover is the ideal POS choice.
Features
Retailers and grocery store owners will appreciate the following retail-focused features:
- Buy online, pick up in store/delivery options
- Integration with scales, barcode scanners, and more
- Customizable inventory management and item tracking
- Article return via virtual terminal
Price
Clover pricing starts at $0 per month for a payment-only plan.
However, to get the full Clover POS feature set, most business owners choose one of the following plans:
- Clover Essentials: $14.95/month
- Clover Register: $44.95/month – $54.90/month
- Clover Counter Service Restaurant: $44.95/month – $54.90/month
- Clover Table Service Restaurant: $74.95/month – $94.85/month
Additional devices for each plan are $9.95 per month.
4. Revel
Despite its hefty price tag and long-term commitment, Revel Systems is arguably the most advanced iPad POS system with particularly fast service (although many retailers also use it).
Whether you need digital menu boards, self-ordering kiosks, caller ID integration, or all of the above, Revel has you covered.
Features
All Revel users can take advantage of these unique POS features:
- Offline payment function
- An open API (application programming interface) lets you connect Revel to other third-party software
- Real-time inventory tracking
- Smart report suite (raw materials sold, labor vs. sales, gift card usage, etc.)
- Delivery tracking and optimized driving routes
Price
Monthly rates for Revel Systems POS start at $99/month and are billed annually with a minimum of 2 terminals.
That means you’ll be spending at least $198/month on POS.
There is also a one-time implementation fee of $674.
Add-ons such as online ordering, delivery management, kiosk ordering, managing multiple locations, and software integrations are available for an additional fee.
However, Revel does not disclose pricing for these services.
5. Toast
Toast’s functionality is comparable to virtually every other restaurant POS system and in many cases surpasses other restaurant-focused POS systems.
Toast’s custom restaurant hardware, including the Toast Go 2 mobile POS machine (one of the best mobile POS systems), is a great solution for mid-sized, fast-paced restaurants Fast, need to take orders and payments and send orders to the kitchen, to multiple locations.
Features
Toast’s great additions include:
- Seat reservation/Online order (with delivery management)
- Highly customizable loyalty program
- Third-party deployment integration
- Multi-location management including menu variations per location
- KDS is designed to process in-store, online, and delivery app orders
Price
Toast pricing starts at $0/month on a pay-as-you-go plan.
However, this plan comes with a high payment processing rate (2.99% + $0.15), so most businesses will consider the $69/month Starter POS subscription ($59/month billed annually) or Essentials is needed.
6. Shopify
Shopify is particularly well known for its powerful e-commerce functionality, as the retail system started out as an e-commerce company that makes it easier for retailers to sell online.
Shopify POS provides a bridge between selling online and selling in person, easily synchronizing your inventory across multiple channels.
With all Shopify plans from Basic ($29/month) and up, you can start your Shopify blog and online store.
Advanced omnichannel features, such as BOPIS (Buy Online, Pick up in Store) and BORIS (Buy Online, Return in Store), are included with all Shopify Pro plans.
Features
Shopify’s direct selling solution integrates well with the company’s e-commerce software, making Shopify a great omnichannel selling option.
With Shopify, retailers could:
- Sell on your own website for in-store pickup, door-to-door delivery, curbside pickup, or shipping
- Sell on social media platforms including TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp and Snapchat
- Sell on marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, Etsy and Walmart Marketplace
- Connect with dropshipping apps to start your own dropshipping business
- Synchronize inventory across all sales channels
Price
Shopify plans start at $29/month for Shopify Basic but can go up to $299/month for Shopify Advanced.
There is no charge for adding additional subscription devices to the same location.
Shopify also offers the Shopify Pro add-on for $89/month, which includes employee roles and permissions, and advanced omnichannel features.
Conclusion
A small business point of sale system is software that allows you to accept digital forms of payment when selling in person at a retail store, restaurant, or on the go.
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Your point-of-sale system, combined with point-of-sale hardware like credit card readers and iPads, functions as a registry for taking customer orders.
