Finding software can be overwhelming. We've helped thousands of restaurateurs choose the right restaurant POS software so they can analyze food sales and navigate a tip-based payroll.
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Epos Now FrontRunners 2020
Epos Now is a retail management system for small to mid-sized businesses. In addition to its Point of Sale module, the solution also offers integrated Inventory Management, Customer Management, and Retail Accounting, including general... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: Cloud
Business Size:
ShopKeep FrontRunners 2020
We recommend ShopKeep POS for restaurant owners. The system is a native iPad application, meaning it fully-utilizes the Apple iOS operating system. The flat monthly fee includes unlimited support and updates from the vendor. Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: Cloud
Business Size:
Toast POS FrontRunners 2020
Toast POS is a flexible system built exclusively for restaurants and the food service industry. Offering tools like online ordering, delivery, takeout, mobile app ordering, contactless payments, and e-gift card purchasing, this solution... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: CloudOn premise
Business Size:
HungerRush is a food delivery solution that enables restaurants of all sizes to streamline operations related to online ordering, loyalty programs, reporting and more. Professionals can utilize the platform to create custom order types... Read more
Platforms: Win
Deployments: CloudOn premise
Business Size:
TouchBistro POS is a reliable and easy-to-use restaurant management platform. Every feature has been built to specifically address the needs of restaurateurs looking to understand and control their costs, while finding opportunities... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: CloudOn premise
Business Size:
Upserve FrontRunners 2020
Upserve is a complete restaurant management solution featuring an Android or iOS-based point-of-sale (POS) system, online ordering, contactless payments, automated inventory management, sales analytics, and more. The platform offers... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: CloudOn premise
Business Size:
Talech Register FrontRunners 2020
Talech RegisterFrontRunners 2020
Talech POS is a cloud-based retail, restaurant & bar and professional services solution that offers point-of-sale (POS), inventory and customer management, appointment scheduling and deep, real-time analytics. The solution stores data... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: Cloud
Business Size:
CAKE POS FrontRunners 2020
CAKE is a cloud-based point of sale (POS) solution for restaurants. Primary features include payment acceptance, guest and waitlist manager, online ordering, gift cards and table-side ordering. It allows users to track real-time sales... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: Cloud
Business Size:
SpotOn Restaurant FrontRunners 2020
SpotOn RestaurantFrontRunners 2020
SpotOn Restaurant is a cloud-based point-of-sale solution that enables businesses to streamline processes related to food ordering, tableside payments, customer retention and more. The online ordering functionality enables businesses... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: Cloud
Business Size:
Revel Systems FrontRunners 2020
Revel SystemsFrontRunners 2020
Revel Systems is a cloud-based Point of Sale system designed for iPad, which is suitable for many industries, including restaurants. This customizable system comes with strong security features and is designed to be PCI compliant. Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: CloudOn premise
Business Size:
BrewPOS is a Windows IOT solution for restaurants designed to intuitively manage the daily functions for your restaurant. Open Tabs with EMV chip cards and close them without the customer present. Never keep a credit card behind the... Read more
Platforms: Win
Deployments: Cloud
Business Size:
Clover POS FrontRunners 2020
Clover POS is an integrated point-of-sale (POS) system with custom hardware designed for several types of retailers. This POS system is available in both web-based and server-based deployment versions and offers countertop hardware... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: CloudOn premise
Business Size:
RMS POS is a secure, fast and reliable point of sale solution for hospitality businesses. From quick service cafes to fine-dining restaurants, RMS POS is designed to provide all-in-one systems for venues of any size and complexity.... Read more
Platforms: Win
Deployments: CloudOn premise
Business Size:
BPA Restaurant Pro is a retail management solution designed to help small to large enterprises manage accounting processes and streamline point-of-sale operations. Key features include time tracking, reporting, inventory management,... Read more
Platforms: Win
Deployments: On premise
Business Size:
LS Retail FrontRunners 2020
LS Retail is a retail management system consisting of point of sale (POS) and enterprise resource planning (ERP). Key features include inventory management, customer management, retail accounting, e-commerce, warehouse management and... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: On premise
Business Size:
Gotmerchant.com is a free point of sale solution for restaurant owners. Users of this system receive software, hardware, support, training and credit card processing for a monthly per-terminal fee. Touchscreen menu-ready. Read more
Platforms: Win
Deployments: CloudOn premise
Business Size:
Appetize is a modern cloud-based Point of Sale, inventory and analytics platform transforming how enterprises manage and process guest transactions. Appetize is trusted by some of the largest and highest volume businesses in the world,... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: Cloud
Business Size:
Bepoz is a cloud-based point-of-sale (POS) solution designed for restaurant, retail and admissions businesses of all sizes. The product caters to both single as well as multi-location retail. It offers stock control, cash control,... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: On premise
Business Size:
TRAY is a cloud-based software platform that enables service on-demand for merchants in the Family Entertainment, Amusement and Restaurant industries. The product suite includes point of sale, self-order kiosks, online ordering, electronic... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: Cloud
Business Size:
PayPal is a digital payment platform that enables businesses and individuals to pay and accept payments through an online portal without revealing any financial details. The solution is suitable for businesses of all sizes. PayPal... Read more
Platforms: MacWinLinux
Deployments: Cloud
Business Size:
Popular Comparisons
As restaurant manager, bouncing back and forth between incoming inventory shipments, taking orders, tracking each order, and making sure each dish on each table is billed appropriately—among many other restaurant tasks—can be challenging.
Doing everything manually is essentially the equivalent of juggling dozens of playing pins at a time; you are bound to drop one, or even several.
Fortunately, there are tools like restaurant POS systems and other related POS software that can help automate restaurant tasks such as inventory management and online ordering for restaurant managers.
To help you understand how restaurant POS systems and software can help, and what features it provides, we have prepared this guide. Here’s what we'll cover:
- What are restaurant POS systems?
- Common features of restaurant POS systems
- What type of buyer are you?
- Pricing and purchasing options
- Market trends to understand
What are restaurant POS systems?
Restaurant POS systems help restaurant owners enhance the customer experience and streamline business operations relating to sales, cash flow, food inventory, and bookkeeping. Additional features include payment gateway, order management, analytics, and table reservations.
Some restaurant POS systems also provide advanced features, such as food costing and a built-in marketing suite to help restaurant owners with budgeting, as well as creating and executing outreach campaigns. Most restaurant POS systems and software can also be used by other food and beverage businesses, such as cafes, food trucks, and bars.
Common features of restaurant POS systems
When comparing restaurant POS systems, it's important to understand the functionality included in each. Here are the most common features of restaurant POS systems:
| Order entry | Ensures that orders, including any special modifiers, are easily, quickly and correctly entered and received by the bar and/or kitchen, while enabling split checks. |
| Inventory management | Helps monitor inventory use and costs while tracking portioned items to determine food costs. Produces management reports to help detect theft and over-portioning while setting thresholds for minimum product counts and assigning automatic reordering. |
| Recipe costing | Helps determine the monetary value of each batch and/or serving of a menu item to determine the actual costs and profitability for each dish. |
| Customer management | Track customer purchase histories and follow up with targeted offers to valuable customers through email and text messages, while allowing for “opt outs” of future offers. Often supports a loyalty rewards program to build lucrative relationships with loyal customers. |
| Tablet/iPad-based system | Provide an enhanced customer experience by reducing the amount of ordering and payment time. Servers have the ability to send an order directly to the kitchen while customers can input tips on the iPad and sign their names on the spot. |
A Restaurant POS reporting and analytics dashboard detailing orders, deliveries and sales (Source)
What type of buyer are you?
Whether you’re a pop-up or food trailer, single location or multiple location restaurant, there’s a type of restaurant POS system for every restaurant business.
- Small restaurant business: If your operation consists of a single location, be it a fixed restaurant, a rotating pop-up, or a mobile food trailer, you'll be best served by a basic restaurant POS system. You'll be fine with limited hardware and fewer advanced features.
- Midsize restaurant business: If you operate a high-volume, growing restaurant with one to five locations, you'll want a restaurant POS system that offers advanced features. These include reporting and analytics, inventory control and maybe even online ordering capabilities.
- Large/enterprise restaurant business: Managers and operators of more than five locations should look for a restaurant POS option with advanced dashboards and analytics and multiple location management.
Pricing and purchasing options
POS systems for restaurants typically cost between $49 - $150 per month per terminal, while hardware costs can be as high as $1,000 for tablets, printers, network infrastructure, and cash drawers.
A big determinant of restaurant POS prices are the deployment options restaurant owners choose. The two primary options are:
- Cloud-based POS software: These types of restaurant POS systems are typically charged on a subscription pricing structure, and priced on a per-terminal, per-month basis. Many vendors offer discounts to businesses that pay annually. Ideal for small or medium restaurants.
- On-premise POS software: This is typically priced by the number of licenses and/or terminals required. Most of these systems require a large upfront fee for the right to use the software in perpetuity (rather than a monthly or annual subscription). This is better suited for restaurant businesses with five or more locations.
Market trends to understand
Increasing touchless payment methods: Several restaurant POS system providers are giving restaurant owners the ability to create a secure and touchless payment environment as a result of COVID-19. Options include using a fully PCI and EMV compliant pay-at-the-table device and/or the scanning of a QR code to launch a payment process that’s encrypted and touchless.
Growing gift cards as a revenue channel: As dining rooms across the U.S. are forced to close or operate at limited capacity, restaurants have had to turn to gift cards as one of their lifelines to generate revenue. The International Card Manufacturers Association predicts that the pandemic could see an increase in digital and contactless gift cards.
Your Guide to Top Restaurant Point of Sale (POS) Software, September 2020
Software Advice uses reviews from real software users to highlight the top-rated Restaurant POS Systems products in North America.
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“Usability” includes user ratings for Functionality and Ease of Use.“Customer Satisfaction” includes user ratings for Customer Support, Likelihood to Recommend and Value for Money.Reviews analysis period: The reviews analysis period spans two years and ends on the 15th of the month prior to publication.