Updated January 27, 2025 at 9:59 AM
Software Advice offers objective insights based on verified user reviews and independent product and market research. When our advisors match you to a software provider, we may earn a referral fee.
Software Advice lists all providers across its website—not just those that pay us—so that users can make informed purchase decisions. Users can talk to our advisors for free to receive software recommendations matching their needs. Software providers pay us for sponsored profiles to reach users interested in their products.
Software Advice carefully verified over 2 million reviews to bring you authentic software experiences from real users. Our human moderators verify that reviewers are real people and that reviews are authentic. They use leading tech to analyze text quality and to detect plagiarism and generative AI.
Researchers at Software Advice use a mix of verified reviews, independent research, and objective methodologies to bring you selection and ranking information you can trust. While we may earn a referral fee when you visit a provider through our links or talk to an advisor, this has no influence on our research or methodology.
Showing 1 - 25 of 48 products
Sort by
BLAZE is an award winning cannabis software suite for licensed dispensaries and delivery services. The new web-based cannabis POS System offers even more hardware compatibility. This cloud-based solution streamlines operations and automates state complianc...Read more about BLAZE
recommendations
IndicaOnline is a cloud-based cannabis point-of-sale (POS) solution that helps marijuana businesses and dispensaries process transactions and manage daily operations. Key features include patient and physician verification, inventory tracking, customer man...Read more about IndicaOnline
recommendations
LS Central is a unified POS and ERP software solution built on Microsoft Dynamics technology. It brings together several functionalities in one application such as financials (the Microsoft Dynamics ERP), point of sale (POS), store operations, supply chain...Read more about LS Retail
recommendations
CashFootprint is a retail management solution that offers point of sale (POS), inventory management, customer management, loyalty programs and reporting. The solution helps small and midsize businesses organize and automate retail operations. CashFoot...Read more about CashFootprint Point-of-Sale
Onfleet is a cloud-based fleet management solution that offers route optimization, auto-dispatching, delivery analytics and customer communications. iOS and Android apps provide real-time driver tracking, proof of delivery, chat and more features. Onfleet ...Read more about Onfleet
Aravenda is a cloud-based consignment management software that enables resale businesses of all sizes to create, run and manage custom eCommerce stores. The platform includes an inventory management application for Shopify stores and Clover users, which ...Read more about Aravenda Consignment Software
WooPOS is a Windows-based and Hybrid solution that helps small to midsize businesses in the retail industry manage inventory and streamline point-of-sale operations. The centralized platform enables users to record clients' contact information in an in-bui...Read more about WooPOS
Agiliron is an all-in-one Retail Management System which allows you to manage all orders, inventory and CRM records, from all channels, in one place. Agiliron also integrates with many of your existing business tools like Quickbooks, ShipStation, SPS Com...Read more about Agiliron
Tillpoint is a cloud-based business management and electronic point of sale (EPOS) solution for retail stores, restaurants and the hospitality industry. The solution provides modules for inventory management, accounting, table management, reporting and mor...Read more about tillpoint
Stockagile is an all-in-one software that maximizes the profitability of retail businesses by boosting their growth and optimizing their operations. This tool, which connects all your physical and online sales channels, offers five main essential modules f...Read more about Stockagile
Billberry is a centralized Franchise Management System & POS Solution For food businesses. It is a robust solution when it comes to Inventory Management, Production Management, Procurement Management, Reports & Analysis and more. ...Read more about Billberry
Route4Me is a cloud-based fleet management solution designed for small, midsize and large businesses. Primary features include route planning and routing guides. It allows users to type-in or upload customer addresses and plan a route for them. Users can a...Read more about Route4Me
ready2order is the digital POS system for fast ordering, payment and administration. ready2order is an industry-proven digital POS and payment system that ensures fast ordering, checkout and administration. Since 2015, the modern cloud solution already em...Read more about ready2order
Retail Management Hero is a point of sale (POS) solution for small to midsize businesses and single-store operations in industries such as convenience, grocery, apparel, sporting goods, wine and spirits, gift and specialty. Both cloud-based and on-premise ...Read more about RMH Store
Greenline is a cloud-based retail management solution that allows cannabis dispensaries to manage their point of sale activities. Key features include inventory management, POS registers, sales tracking, reporting and compliance auditing. The solution hel...Read more about Greenline
Ordering is a cloud-based delivery solution designed for a variety of industry verticals including food delivery, grocery delivery, catering business, medical stores, cannabis and florists. Key features include automatic order updates and real-time notific...Read more about Ordering
Giving businesses full control of their rental operations, MCS-rm rental software maximizes asset utilization and minimizes operating costs, while increasing workforce productivity/revenue and improving strategic decision making. By storing all asset infor...Read more about MCS Rental Software
RetailbeanLite is a cloud-based retail point of sale (POS) solution that caters to small and midsize businesses across various retail verticals. The solution helps users to manage sales, inventory and customer profiles. The POS module enables users to...Read more about Retailbean Lite
Ovvi is an on-premise POS solution that can be used by restaurants, retail stores, grocery shops, non-profit organizations, convenience stores, liquor stores and more. The solution helps businesses to process order, track ingredients, manage recipes and an...Read more about OVVI POS
RetailMagic is an on-premise retail management solution for small and midsize retail and service businesses, such as pet stores, interior designers, giftware stores and more. It provides an integrated RMS solution with built-in functionalities of an invent...Read more about RetailMagic
Cova Dispensary POS is a point of sale system designed for cannabis dispensaries of all sizes. The application offers a touchscreen interface for tablet devices, inventory management, reporting features and more. Because Cova Dispensary POS can be acc...Read more about Cova Dispensary POS
Bemacash is a cloud-based point of sale (POS) solution that helps users manage day-to-day operations for retail stores, gift shops, boutiques and online stores. The purchase order module allows users to plan and monitor inventory levels. The module tr...Read more about Eleve
Lead Commerce is an integrated order management suite that offers applications like inventory management, merchandise planning, and customer relationship management. The solution helps small and midsize businesses streamline and automate workflow by provid...Read more about Lead Commerce
Are you in search of an industry-leading point-of-sale solution that not only enhances your revenue and scales your business but also boosts customer satisfaction and engagement? Enter Volanté Systems. Volanté Systems specializes in providing a comprehens...Read more about Volanté POS
Pulse Commerce is a cloud-based point of sale (POS) system for small to midsize retailers, including jewelry stores, pharmacies and apparel. Pulse Commerce offers integrated POS, inventory management, customer management (with complete customer order histo...Read more about Pulse Commerce
This detailed guide will help you find and buy the right dispensary software for you and your business.
Last Updated on January 27, 2025Being heavily regulated, the cannabis retail industry poses a number of challenges for the owners of medical or recreational dispensaries.
The sheer number of regulatory compliance related to security, age restrictions, documentation, packaging and staff protocols make it highly likely that a dispensary owner may miss some rule. This will result in hefty fines or even having your dispensary license revoked.
Dispensary software records all the necessary information digitally, so that you can easily manage industry compliance. It will also ensure that you have access to the required documents and reports during a compliance audit.
To help dispensary owners find the right software for their dispensary, we've written this buyer's guide that covers all the necessary information. Read on to find out about the features of this software, its benefits and market trends that owners should know and follow.
In this guide, we'll cover:
Common Features of Dispensary Software
The demands of a cannabis dispensary are significantly different from those of a general retail business. For this reason, a regular retail management solution will not suffice for a cannabis dispensary. As a dispensary owner or manager, you need dedicated dispensary software to manage your operations.
Dispensary software is a retail management and point-of-sale (POS) solution tailored to the needs of a cannabis retail business. This type of software helps dispensary owners do the following:
Manage inventory for single or multilocation store dispensaries.
Record data, such as age of the buyer and the quantity of purchase, to prepare reports at the time of audit checks.
Schedule store employees and manage shift timings.
Manage dispatch and delivery of inventory and products.
Store transaction data to create real-time financial reports such as profits, losses and expenses.
Reporting dashboard in cannabis dispensary POS tool, Cova (Source)
In this section, we've covered the key software features that a dispensary software buyer should be aware of at the time of purchase. Thoroughly understand the usefulness of these features in your business to select the right dispensary software.
Compliance management | Get alerts when transactions don't comply with the rules regarding customer age, purchase limits or transaction time (i.e., whether the transaction was made during work hours or not). |
Reporting | Get business reports on sales volume, profit and loss and general accounting. This feature also generates specific reports on compliance management that are important during compliance audits. |
Inventory management | Track the location and status of your inventory in real time. Get real-time insights on stock levels and set alerts for these, so you can reorder before running out. |
Customer management | Keep a record of your customers and their purchase quantities to avoid selling more than the permitted limit. You can store details, such as name, age and location, and use them to flag the store operator if they exceed the limit at any time. |
Customer loyalty program | Reduce your customer attrition rate with a customer loyalty program. Offer benefits and rewards to encourage repeat purchases. |
Multilocation support | Manage your inventory, staff and customers across multiple dispensary locations. This feature is beneficial for dispensary owners who run both medical and recreational dispensaries. |
When purchasing a dispensary software solution, you need to understand all the necessary compliance requirements so you can be sure to choose a solution that adheres to them. In this section, we're covering three common types of dispensary businesses and the compliance challenges for each type and the software features that address them.
Medical dispensary. The first thing you need to ensure is that all your buyers have a valid medical cannabis card. In addition, many medical marijuana dispensaries are also regulated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Such dispensaries should invest in software that is compliant with HIPAA standards.
Recreational dispensary. These are unlike medical dispensaries, where only medical cannabis cardholders are authorized to purchase products. Recreational dispensaries should conduct the initial eligibility verification process, such as age and quantity of purchase, on their own. For this reason, they need a solution that records customer details such as name and age, quantity of purchase and details of a state-issued ID card, such as a driver's license.
Medical and recreational dispensaries. If you operate both recreational and medical dispensaries, you'll have to manage various compliance rules for different customers. For instance, the legal minimum age for a medical marijuana buyer (in states where purchases are legal) is 18 years old, but for a recreational marijuana buyer it's 21 years old.
The THC content of cannabis products is also different for each type of dispensary. For this reason, dispensary software buyers who operate both medical and recreational dispensaries need a solution with procurement and selling features such as barcode scanning, inventory management and customer management.
The cannabis retail industry is evolving quickly, and so is the dispensary software space. To keep up with all the advancements in this space, you should be aware of the following market trends:
Fraud detection to be integral in dispensary software. Employee-led theft and fraudulent activities have legal and financial consequences for the business. A recent such incident at a Colorado dispensary resulted in a loss of about $10,000 to the business.
As a result, dispensary software vendors are including fraud detection features such as cash drawer management and employee access permissions. Some software vendors also offer theft-detection in their inventory management module, which alerts dispensary owners about discrepancies in stock levels.
Based on our estimates, vendors will continue to develop and enhance their fraud management functionality to be an exclusive offering in their solutions by 2020-2022.
Dispatching to be an important integration. Integrations with dispatching and fleet management systems help dispensaries track the movement of their products from the farm to the warehouse, and warehouse to dispensary. As cannabis retail businesses grow and sales volume increases—increasing the number of shipments—we expect to see an increase in the demand for dispatching functionality by 2020-2025.
Real-time compliance management to see wider adoption. Marijuana Enforcement Tracking Reporting and Compliance (METRC) integration lets dispensaries share their real-time compliance data with the government's regulatory agencies. This integration saves time and effort for managing regulatory compliance. As it gains popularity and investor funding, we believe that it will see increased adoption by 2020.
Marijuana industry to become e-commerce-savvy. With rapid growth in the number of online buyers, e-commerce is becoming increasingly important for a dispensary. We anticipate an increasing demand for e-commerce integration in dispensary software by 2020.