5 Best Retail POS Systems for 2023
This article is part of a larger series onPOS Systems.
In today’s competitive landscape, retailers need functionality beyond simply ringing up sales and processing payments. Retailpoint-of-sale (POS) systemsmust also have robust inventory management tools, multichannel sales management, streamlined CRM features, staff management, and reports and insights into which products and employees perform best.
The best retail POS systems should offer all these functions in an affordable and easy-to-use package.
Based on our evaluation, the best retail POS systems are:
- Best overall (and best free):Square for Retail
- Best for online sellers:Shopify POS
- Best for advanced inventory management:Lightspeed Retail(Lightspeed R-Series)
- Best for flexible payment processing:Vend by Lightspeed(Lightspeed X-Series)
- Best for high-risk sales and event management:KORONA
Best Retail POS Systems Compared
Take a look at how the top retail POS systems compare.
Looking for something different?Check out our other POS guides:
Quiz: Determine Your Perfect POS Solution
Square for Retail: Best Overall Retail POS System
Pros
- Forever-free plan
- Plus plan offers incredible value—advanced reporting tools and inventory features
- Scalable; grows with your business
- Works on any internet-enabled device (via app or online account)
Cons
- Free plan has limited inventory functions
- Not available on Android devices
- Limited customer support hours
- No layaway payment methods
What we like:
Overall, Square offers some of the最好的POS系统的小型公共汽车inessesof all types. Square for Retail is no exception. It stands out as a user-friendly system offering unbeatable value and smart tools to grow your business.
The system is cloud-based and runs on iPads or Square Register. Every plan comes with built-in payment processing via Square Payments, a free online store for ecommerce and curbside pickup, digital receipts and customer feedback collection, and customer profiles with marketing insights.
- New retailers with growth plans:Its forever-free plan is practical for retailers just starting, while its advanced plans are perfect for scaling businesses.
- Businesses on a small budget:Square is our top pick for afree POS system.
- Businesses switching over from cash registers:Square’s user-friendly interface and overall simplicity make it a great option for those upgrading from acash register.
- Mobile sellers: Square has thebest POS appon the market and affordable mobile hardware options.
2023 Feature Updates:Square is nowavailable in Spanish, and its POS mobile app nowsupports tap to pay. Square also rolled out abevy of new features, including the first three in our list below.
- New automated marketing campaigns:Order Online CTAs, Google Reviews campaigns, and new Vanity Coupon Codes that give business owners the ability to offer easy-to-share discounts outside of a campaign. You can also include images in your texts!
- New POS dashboard features:Product Store, Subscription Management, Square Banking integration, updated Transactions Reporting, and new Metrics and Performance Chart
- Improved inventory tools:Bundling (in beta, to launch soon), Inventory full counts, Sellable / Non-Sellable, Connected Terminal feature which lets retailers use their Square Terminal as a buyer-facing display, and the Retail Inventory Applet to manage stock and POs.
- Checkout tools:Barcode-based user interface comes with advanced product search, save carts for later, and return and exchange processing. Online orders automatically appear in the POS registers. There are options for mobile, contactless, QR codes, gift cards, and online payments.
- Inventory management:Perform variant tracking and control, set up low stock alerts, create and print barcodes, receive stock from the app in bulk, create and track purchase orders as they come in, manage vendors, and perform stock counts and COGS tracking.
- Sophisticated hardware:In addition to running on iPads, Square for Retail operates on Square Register, a countertop POS terminal with a detachable customer-facing display that includes built-in chip, swipe, and contactless payments.
- Omnichannel features:Every account comes with a free online store, features to sell on Instagram, an innovative website builder, automatic inventory sync, and omnichannel tools, like in-store pickup and local delivery.
- CRM tools:Automatically generate customer profiles based on the payment method, create and segment customer groups, add shopper details, and send digital receipts with feedback surveys.
- Square ecosystem:One of the most significant benefits of using Square is having seamless integration with all of its additional business tools, like payroll, team management, appointments, loyalty, invoicing, and an online store. You can add and remove software at any time to build a solution customized for your business.
- Employee management:Square for Retail Plus includes advanced team management features like shift scheduling and swapping, custom permission settings, activity logs, and advanced reporting.
What Square is missing:
Square has limited customer support hours, unlike Shopify and Vend, which offer customer service agents 24/7. The provider also lacks specialty/custom orders (something that Lightspeed Retail provides) and layaway payment methods—a feature that the Vend POS software provides.
Learn more about Square:
- What is Square?Guide to products and services
- OurSquare Online reviewandguide to setting up an online store using Square
- More details onSquare feesand a monthly cost calculator
Shopify POS: Best for Primarily Online Sellers
Pros
- Best-in-class ecommerce features
- Intuitive mobile app interface
- Customizable mobile checkout
- Advanced POS plan available
Cons
- POS is only available with ecommerce plan
- Limited inventory features in the free plan
- Minimal offline payment options
- Paid subscriptions can be pricey
What we like:
Shopify POS is an add-on to Shopify’sindustry-leading ecommerce platform. It’s only available to Shopify ecommerce sellers, so it’s best for online stores looking to expand to in-person sales or small businesses looking to sell online and upgrade their in-store software program.
What makes this provider shine is its powerful, comprehensive omnichannel selling features that make it the best option for retailers wanting to grow online sales or emphasize curbside pickup—a necessity for retailers today. In our evaluation, Shopify earned perfect marks for ease of use and a near-perfect score for register features.
- Retail businesses that primarily sell online:Shopify is our pick forbest ecommerce platform, and Shopify POS comes free in any of its ecommerce subscription plans.
- Multichannel retailers:Shopify tops our list ofleading multichannel POS systems. It lets you sync online and in-person sales, process curbside and pickup orders, and start sales in-store and finish them online.
- Businesses that already use a Shopify ecommerce store:Every Shopify ecom account comes with Shopify’s basic POS already integrated.
Since our last update:
2023 Updates:Shopify’s mobile app can nowaccept tap to pay. It also introduced a mobile POS terminal calledShopify Goto power on-the-go sales and replaced the Lite plan with theStarter plan. Shopify also raised prices from $29 to $299 to $39 to $399/month for ecommerce subscriptions.
- Omnichannel sales:Customers can browse in-store and have items emailed to them, scan QR codes to open product pages on your website, and get real-time shipping updates. You can offer curbside pickup, accept returns and exchanges for online purchases in-store, and ship in-store purchases to customers’ homes. All data seamlessly syncs between ecommerce and in-store.
- Checkout:Customize the register screen, add shortcuts, sell on mobile, customize receipts, and save carts.
- Products and inventory management:Create collections and item variants, manage multiple locations, track stock levels, manage purchase orders, receive vendor shipments, set up low stock alerts, forecast product demands, and get suggestions for items to discount. These tools, along with the ability to integrate with consignment software, make it our top pick forconsignment store POS systems.
- Reporting:View stats at a glance, see cash flows, review finance reports, and track cash and daily sales.
- Staff management:Assign individual PINs, set custom permissions, and attribute sales to award commissions.
- Customer management:Create customer profiles, segment customers, add notes to profiles and individual orders, set marketing preferences, and build loyalty programs.
- Marketing:Collect product reviews, create email marketing campaigns, integrate social media accounts, and create Google Ad campaigns.
What Shopify is missing:
At the end of the day, Shopify is designed primarily for online retailers—you have to have a Shopify ecommerce account to access the POS system. The cost of the ecom subscription can add up if you also subscribe to POS Pro to access advanced reporting and staff management tools. Consider Square for a more affordable option.
Lightspeed Retail: Best for Advanced Inventory Management
Pros
- Detailed, actionable analytics
- Granular inventory management, including matrices
- Built-in RACS compliance
- Strong integrated ecommerce platform
- Can handle custom products and work orders
Cons
- Complex interface
- No built-in local delivery tool
- Not available on Android devices
- High price point
- Learning curve for management and checkout features
What we like:
零售是一个强劲的零售POS系统th光速at includes more than 40 sales and inventory reports, analytics tools, and detailed inventory management. It also has top-of-the-line ecommerce and loyalty add-ons.
Overall, Lightspeed Retail is one of the best retail POS systems because of its sophisticated inventory and analytics tools. In fact, Lightspeed is our top-recommendedPOS for inventory management.
- Businesses that need an advanced inventory management system:Lightspeed Retail is great for storefronts with high SKU counts with its product tracking and customizable matrix inventory.
- Specialty retailers—bike shops, repair businesses, and electronic shops:Lightspeed’s unique native features for processing custom and work orders make it especially great for specialty shops like bike stores or jewelers that need to process repairs or order individual parts.
Since our last update:
Lightspeed Duo, the dual-screen POS terminal with a customer-facing display, has been discontinued.
- Inventory management:Manage custom orders from shoppers, bundle items for gift baskets, and anticipate inventory needs. This forecasting tool and ability to predict shopping trends are part of what sets Lightspeed apart from the competition.
- Supplier market:Lightspeed POS comes with over 8 million products loaded in the supplier directory, so you can create, manage, and submit purchase orders from within the system and easily import accurate product information. View updates on orders in real time.
- Customer management:Create customer profiles, track transactions, assign VIP status, manage promo codes, and sell and redeem gift cards. Automated loyalty program available with Standard and Advanced plans.
- Reporting and analytics:Lightspeed includes more than 40 built-in reports that cover inventory, sales, employee performance, and more in one analytics dashboard. What sets it apart is it translates data into actionable business tips. For example, Lightspeed can take sales and traffic data and translate that into staffing and inventory reports to help you prepare for peak hours.
- Ecommerce and omnichannel tools:Lightspeed eCom integrates seamlessly with the POS software. Choose from several mobile-responsive and customizable online store templates and manage inventory, product pages, shipping, returns and exchanges, marketing, and reports. Lightspeed eCom is available in multiple languages and currencies, with international shipping options. Boost traffic by connecting your social accounts, utilizing its SEO tools, and sending newsletters and notification emails.
What Lightspeed Retail is missing:
The main drawback of Lightspeed Retail is that all of its robust inventory and analytics tools result in a busy and complex interface. It also comes with a big price tag. If you are looking for a user-friendly and affordable option, consider Square for Retail.
What Lightspeed Retail is missing:The main drawback of Lightspeed Retail is that all of its robust inventory and analytics tools result in a busy and complex interface. It also comes with a big price tag. If you are looking for a user-friendly and affordable option, consider Square for Retail.
Vend by Lightspeed (Lightspeed X-series): Best for Flexible Payments
Pros
- User-friendly interface
- Ability to integrate with third-party payment processors
- Many compatible payment processor options
- Free apps for inventory scanning and customer-facing display
Cons
- Pricey
- Higher price if you use a third-party merchant account
- Many advanced tools reserved for highest plan
What we like:
Vend by Lightspeed (now known asLightspeed X-series) is an intuitive iPad POS system built specifically for retailers, with key features such as built-in loyalty programs, mobile checkout, a free customer-facing display app, and a mobile scanner app for quick inventory counts. It also stands out for its flexible payment options—you can choose your own merchant account and set up custom payment types like layaway, store credit, and on-account sales.
The checkout screen is also one of the easiest to navigate, especially when it comes to ringing returns and exchanges. While many POS systems try to offer every feature for every business, Vend focuses on providing fantastic in-store retail functions and lets third-party apps handle everything else.
- Multilocation retailers:Gift shops, homeware stores, fashion boutiques, and health and supplement retailers will find Vend by Lightspeed a great fit as it offers sophisticated multilocation inventory tracking, including centralized warehouses management.
- High-volume retailers:Vend lets you choose your own payment processor for a small monthly fee, which lets you save if you process enough transactions.
- Retailers with existing merchant accounts:If you are already using a merchant account with favorable rates, Vend is a great option as you can continue using your current merchant and integrate them into your Vend POS.
Since our last update:
Buy Online, Pick-up In-store (BOPIS) Coming Soon:Vend has started to work on offering aBOPIS integration. You can soon start offering aclick-and-collectoption from any of your outlets using Lightspeed eCom. Also, you can get real-time inventory updates between your online stores and retail POS.
- Checkout:Customize the POS app with shortcuts, add notes and line items to transactions and customer receipts, save transactions to complete later, manage gift cards, and set up layaway and on-account payments.
- Payment processing:While Vend by Lightspeed automatically comes integrated with Lightspeed Payments, it can also integrate with CardConnect (First Data), Chase, Elavon, Klarna, PayPal, Square, Worldpay, and others so you can shop around for the lowest rates. Vend also offers lots of flexibility with features like store credit and layaway payments. You should note, however, that your Vend monthly rate will go up if you don’t use Lightspeed Payments, so weigh that cost when you are comparing merchant account options.
- Inventory:跨多个圣跟踪库存ores, create a centralized product catalog, edit products in bulk, automate purchase orders, create variants and composites, and print labels and barcodes. It has a unique scanner mobile app to look up products by barcode, perform inventory counts, update stock counts, and add new products to the catalog.
- Customer management:Create customer profiles, import existing customer lists, sell and redeem gift cards, segment customer groups, export customers to email marketing software, issue store credit, and create a custom loyalty program.
- Add-ons and integrations:MailSync syncs Vend POS data to Mailchimp, Constant Contact, and other email software. Connect with other marketing tools like Yotpo and Perkville, inventory tools like Orderhive and Sku IQ, accounting tools like QuickBooks and Gusto, ecommerce platforms BigCommerce and Shopify, and more.
- Employee management:Create customized user logins and permissions for staff, require employee passwords for each sale to track performance, and get register and shift reports. One unique feature of Vend is setting individual employee and team sales goals and average basket sizes.
- Reporting:Customize reports and adjust filters and variables to view data on customers, inventory, and employees. View real-time stock levels, gift card data, and team performance from anywhere with its mobile-friendly web-based dashboard.
What Vend by Lightspeed is missing:
As with Lightspeed, Vend is expensive. In addition, Vend recommends using a third-party ecommerce platform for multiple stores, and you need a separate employee management tool to manage staff, making it a not-so-ideal solution for businesses on a budget. Consider going with Square for Retail and sign up for its free plan if you need a less expensive option.
What Vend by Lightspeed is missing:As with Lightspeed, Vend is expensive. In addition, Vend recommends using a third-party ecommerce platform for multiple stores, and you need a separate employee management tool to manage staff, making it a not-so-ideal solution for businesses on a budget. Consider going with Square for Retail and sign up for its free plan if you need a less expensive option.
What’s the deal with Vend and Lightspeed?
Lightspeed finalized itsacquisition of Vendin 2022. Since then, Vend has slowly transitioned from Vend to Vend by Lightspeed and now Lightspeed Retail X-Series.
For now, Lightspeed Retail and Vend remain separate software. However, since the acquisition, Lightspeed has added more features to Vend, including native ecommerce tools, native payment processing via Lightspeed Payments, BOPIS functionality, and the ability to sell and manage services.
排队:最适合高风险销售&事件管理nt
Pros
- Option to choose from major payment processors
- Ability to designate age-restricted products
- Shelf-life reports and settings for perishable items
- POS features for wineries, cannabis, vape shops, events/ticketing, and convenience stores
- Self-service kiosk functionality and compatible hardware
Cons
- No in-house payment processor option
- No free POS option
- Hardware pricing is not transparent
- No in-house subscription management
What we like
KORONA is a leading POS system for businesses that process age-restricted or high-risk sales and retailers that need ticketing or event management functionality.
This POS has tools to help retailers keep track of perishable goods, process age-restricted transactions, and ticket management tools. Thus, KORONA is ideal for retailers that host events that serve alcohol or other high-risk goods and businesses that handle both food and beverage as well as non-perishable goods.
Overall, KORONA earned a 4.07 out of 5 in our evaluation, getting top marks for its ease of use and niche management tools for high-risk and event-based retailers but losing points for its lack of a free plan and modifier/variant inventory management tools.
- High-risk retailers:With tools for marking age-restricted products and ID scanning built into checkout, high-risk retailers likevape shops,liquor stores, andc-storeswill be able to process transactions with confidence.
- Retailers that host events:If you run a gift shop, museum, winery, amusement park, or any other similar events-based small business, KORONA’s ticketing tools and events management features, along with basic retail POS tools, are a good fit for you.
- 零售商与易腐和不易腐烂的商品:While not enough to manage a grocery store, KORONA comes equipped with shelf life tools to help you manage perishable inventory. This is alongside normal inventory management tools, like low stock alerts and reporting insights, for your non-perishable goods.
KORONA earned top marks in many of our POS system buyer’s guides, including:
- Integrated state compliance software:When you set up your KORONA account, you will designate your state so that the POS system can integrate state compliance features into your inventory management and checkout procedures for age-restricted products.
- Time-based promotions:Create time-based promotions so that you can host happy hours and other discounted events.
- 门票:Sell tickets to your event in-store and online, offer group discounts, membership pricing, and time-sensitive entry.
- Events management:In addition to ticketing tools, event management allows you to sell goods and services within your event, create recurring events, create event-specific inventory, and allow customers to pay on-site, at pick-up, by a link, or through an invoice.
- Payments:KORONA does not have an in-house payment processor, but it lets you integrate with any merchant account of your choice absolutely free.
What KORONA is missing:While KORONA has shelf-life management, it is not suitable for grocers or retailers handling large volumes of food products. Additionally, the inventory management tools do not support variant/modifier tools, so it is not ideal for retailers with large inventories and high turnover rates. For stronger inventory tools, we recommend Lightspeed POS.
How We Evaluated Retail POS Systems
We prioritizedPOS systemsthat are affordable, reliable, and easy to use. We also considered inventory management tools, online store and multichannel selling features, customer and employee management, payment processing options, reporting and accounting tools, customer support hours and quality, and third-party integrations. Finally, we considered our hands-on experience testing and using the software.
Each system on our list has multiple hardware options, including iPad apps, tools for selling online, and multiple plans so the software can grow with your business. Every system on this list is also cloud-based. Based on our evaluation, Square for Retail is the best overall retail POS system, earning a 4.58 out of 5.
Methodology
Click through the tabs below for our in-depth evaluation criteria:
15% of Overall Score
我们优先systems with a starter plan with monthly fees of less than $75, awarding extra points to systems that offer a free plan. We also considered payment processing fees and whether each system offers negotiable or volume discount rates. Finally, we penalized systems that cap the number of users, products, transactions, or sales you can process without upgrading plans. Square for Retail is the only provider that got a perfect score in this criteria.
20% of Overall Score
Retailers need speedy checkout tools like customizable hotkeys and easy product lookup, return management, and mobility to ring sales curbside or on the sales floor. We also prioritized systems with flexible payment tools like contactless, gift cards, store credit, layaway, and order-ahead options. Finally, we considered whether each system could process custom, work, or service orders, such as repairs. Shopify POS was the runaway winner in this category with its customizable mobile checkout feature.
35% of Overall Score
The most important consideration was inventory management—low-stock alerts, matrix inventory, and purchase orders, plus easy stock counts and shipment receiving. We also looked into CRM tools like directories, loyalty programs, marketing, and customer feedback collection. Additional points were given for employee management features, including logins, scheduling, and commission reporting. Seamless omnichannel management for creating an online store and processing ecommerce orders and detailed reporting for products, sales, customers, and employees were also considered. Lightspeed Retail won this category with its standout inventory and analytics tools.
15% of Overall Score
Easy installation, detailed training materials, and 24/7 customer support were essential considerations. We also prioritized systems that are a hybrid installation or otherwise offer an offline mode, so that you can still operate if the internet goes down. Finally, we awarded points to software that can run on various hardware so retailers can choose their preferred devices. Lightspeed Retail, Shopify POS, and Vend by Lightspeed all got perfect scores in this criteria. Square for Retail’s only minus point was limited customer support hours.
15% of Overall Score
In this section, we evaluated each system by its comprehensive feature set (including any standout tools), the value it offers for the price, popularity and user reviews, whether or not the system experiences a lot of downtime, and the overall experience of navigating the system’s interface. Square for Retail and Shopify POS got our top votes.
Meet the Experts
th POS系统的评估和选择at ended up on this list were performed by two of Fit Small Business’s top retail experts. Get to know them below.
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Brigitte Hodgeis a retail specialist with several years of retail management experience. Before joining Fit Small Business, Brigitte worked on a variety of point-of-sale systems to run a store in downtown Denver. Brigitte has since been writing as a retail expert, evaluating POS systems and working with them firsthand to learn their ins and outs. |
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Meaghan Brophyhas 10-plus years of retail experience, during which she has operated a variety of cash registers and POS systems in different settings and applications. Since working in retail, Meaghan has 7-plus years of experience writing for retailers and 4-plus years of experience evaluating POS systems. |
Looking for an Alternative?
Not finding what you are looking for? Check out these alternative POS system solutions for different types of businesses.
Best For |
Monthly Software Fees |
Full Review |
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$99–$999 |
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Undisclosed |
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$0–$165 |
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Retail POS System Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Click through the questions below to get answers to some of your most asked questions about retail POS systems.
A POS or point-of-sale system is the software and hardware that businesses use to process transactions and track business activities, like inventory, sales data, your staff, and more.
Learn more:What is a POS System
There are several POS system providers that offer completely free accounts. Our top pick for a free POS system is Square POS, as all the basic POS features are free for a single location, and there are affordable plans to support you as you grow.
Learn more:Best Free POS Systems
In our evaluation, Square offers the best POS system not only for retailers, but across the board for all types of small businesses.
Learn more:Best POS Systems for Small Businesses
Square offers the best POS system for retailers, with a free plan, tons of great tools, an included ecommerce site, and integrated payment processing.
Learn more:Square for Retail review
Square is the most common POS system, especially among small businesses and mobile sellers. Square offers a completely free, fully equipped POS system for a single location and a wide array of compatible and affordable hardware options.
There are free POS systems—in fact, quite a few. The top free POS system is Square’s POS system, with industry specific options for retailers, restaurants, and appointment-based businesses.
You should consider a few factors when choosing a POS system for retail, including price, inventory management functionality, CRM tools, reporting capabilities, and ease of use. There are a lot of POS options available to retailers, so weighing how these features compare across them and your business needs will be your best bet.
Bottom Line
A retail POS system is a crucial software tool that serves as the central hub for your retail business. In addition to processing sales, retail POS systems collect and analyze data to help inform purchasing and staffing decisions, manage employees and inventory, and help build your customer base with loyalty and marketing efforts.
Square for Retail is our top pick because it has a free plan to help new businesses (or businesses new to using a point-of-sale) get started, with plans and add-ons to grow with your business. Square also makes it easy and free to set up a basic online store with in-store pickup options, manage customers, and track sales. Visit Square to create a free account.