12 best POS systems for restaurants in 2025

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Your point of sale system (POS) is the center of your restaurant business. Cafes, food trucks, and full-service restaurants alike need POS solutions for taking credit cards and managing online orders. But the functionality of these platforms can be far greater than just payment processing.

Many of the best POS systems for restaurants automate communication between your front-of-house (FOH) staff and kitchen, assist with table management, and integrate with FOH systems to take your operation to the next level. Many of the best POS systems will have a kitchen display system (KDS) as well to improve communication between FOH and back-of-house (BOH). So, picking a winner among the ever-growing list of restaurant POS systems is critical in opening a restaurant.

With so many options, the process can be overwhelming for many small business owners. To help you grow your business, we’ve done the research to help restaurant owners like you get started.

Take a look at our recommendations for restaurant POS software to help you decide which one is right for you.

What to look for in a point of sale system

At their core, restaurant POS systems act as your cash register, taking orders in-person or from delivery services and handling payment processing from dine-in and takeout orders.

Credit card processing and setting pricing for your menu items are essential functions of a POS, with a seemingly endless list of add-ons that include inventory management and loyalty programs. Most importantly, however, is how well the POS solution fits your operation and budget.

POS hardware requirements

Different point of sale systems have different hardware options that you may be required to purchase. Card readers, receipt printers, iPads, touchscreen kiosks, QR code scanners, kitchen displays, and cash drawers are a few examples.

Be sure that your top picks have hardware that adds value to your business, such as card readers that take contactless payments. Yelp Guest Manager, for example, now syncs with POS systems on a single, seamless tablet that makes a two-tablet system a thing of the past.

Ease of use

When looking through the list of restaurant POS systems, look for user-friendly features and management tools that streamline operations. Including a mobile POS allows for tableside ordering and saves FOH staff countless trips to a central station. The restaurant POS software itself should be intuitive so staff can quickly learn how to manage dine-in and online orders alike, process payments, and split checks with multiple credit cards.

Be sure to find out whether the POS system operates on iOS, Android, or both. Ideally, your POS system should integrate smoothly with your customer relationship management and restaurant management processes.

Customer support

Restaurateurs are the customers when it comes to POS solutions, and your point of sale provider should be able to adequately assist you with their platform’s management tools. Read online reviews and make sure you are happy with the quality of customer support, no matter which service you pick from our list of restaurant POS systems.

12 of the best restaurant POS systems

Restaurant owners may find themselves overwhelmed with the number of POS options to choose from. While many share common features, we’ve narrowed the list down to our top 11 recommendations based on functionality and pricing.

1. Lightspeed

Best for: Solid all-rounder for quick-service and full-service restaurants or small establishments like bakeries and coffee shops. Excellent inventory management, employee management, and FOH services.

Features

• iPad-based mobile POS
• Tableside ordering, including QR code payments
• A wide variety of integrations
• Bill splitting for customers
• Image-friendly
• Touch-screen kiosk availability
• Inventory management: ingredient tracking, real-time notifications
• Kitchen display system
• Employee management: performance tracking, staff scheduling, custom permissions
• Upselling options for FOH staff
• Customizable loyalty program (optional)

Pricing: $89 per month for one POS terminal, with extra costs for additional features and hardware. Payment processing fee varies by type of transaction.

2. Aloha

Best for: Aloha is perfect for restaurants willing to spend a bit more to maximize time savings.

Features

• Contactless ordering and multiple payment processing methods, including credit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay
• Cloud-based menu-management: real-time changes to pricing and menu items
• Cloud-based or on-premises options as needed, allowing for offline functionality
• Flexibility: compatible with multiple hardware setups and software pairing (including Yelp Guest Manager)
• QR code payments
• Payroll management
• Inventory tracking
• Reporting and analytics, with up to 380 standard reports
• Loyalty programs: gift cards, email marketing

• Digital signage

Pricing: You’ll have to speak with a representative for a quote tailored to your restaurant, but multiple online reviews have stated that Aloha isn’t cheap. The hardware alone can cost $1,000+.

3. Square for Restaurants

Best for: A wide range of restaurant types, from quick-service to full-service establishments. Numerous tools for growth and engagement.

Features

• Multi-store support, operating multiple locations from a single POS
• Multi-channel selling: in-store, online, and mobile
• Online ordering for delivery and takeaway, syncing with third-party delivery services
• Inventory management
• Detailed reporting and data, including real-time sales reporting and menu performance analytics
• Employee management tools
• Conversational ordering: Staff can enter orders naturally, matching how customers speak
• Customer loyalty and marketing tools

Pricing: Square for Restaurants has a free version, with the only cost being Square’s payment processing fee of 2.6% plus 10 cents per transaction. And if you have a Square online store or charge with a card not present, they’ll charge 2.9% and 30 cents for each transaction. Square also offers a “Plus” version of Square for Restaurants with a $60 monthly fee that includes add-ons such as advanced reporting and seat management.

4. TouchBistro

Best for: Ideal for full-service restaurants, TouchBistro empowers restaurateurs to essentially run their entire business from an iPad.

Features

• Detailed reporting and analytics
• Menu management
• Offline mode (though credit card payments require internet connectivity)
• Floor plan and table management
• Employee management tools
• Tableside ordering, including bill splitting and automatic gratuity
• Loyalty programs and gift cards (add-ons)
• Reservation management system (add-on)

Pricing: TouchBistro’s monthly fee starts at $69, with add-ons such as loyalty programs, gift cards, and reservations available.

5. Upserve

Best for: A wide variety of establishments, including quick-service restaurants, fine dining, bars, pubs, and multi-location operations. Restaurants that focus on customer service will appreciate the advanced analytics.

Features

• Real-time sales monitoring via the Upserve mobile app, plus daily, weekly, and yearly trends
• Intuitive interface and fast onboarding
• Easy table map creation
• Offline payments
• Menu intelligence: Identify best-sellers and underperforming items, including overall sales metrics
• Customizations for menu items and pricing
• Server performance data, labor reporting, and specific permissions
• Reputation management: Monitor online reviews from multiple sites
• Wide variety of hardware compatibility, including iPad, Android tablets, and custom hardware

Pricing: Upserve’s monthly fee starts at $59, with hardware priced at $60 per terminal. Their Pro and Enterprise plans have additional features, with monthly payments of $199 and $359, respectively. 

6. Toast

Best for: Restaurants willing to go all-in with Toast’s software ecosystem and its array of advanced features.

Features

• 24/7 customer service
• Exclusive syncing with Toast’s secure in-house payment processing system
• Restaurant-grade mobile POS system with spill-proof hardware
• An advanced kitchen display system that routes orders to the specific kitchen station
• Inventory management
• Update menus from any device
• Online ordering support

Pricing: Toast offers a free plan, and their basic POS package has a monthly fee of $69/month. Custom pricing is available for more features. In either case, you must sign a two-year contract with Toast’s in-house payment processor, which charges 2.49% plus 15 cents per in-person transaction and 3.5–3.89% plus 15 cents per online transaction.

7. Epos Now

Best for: A wide range of restaurants, especially those looking for a POS system that can grow with the establishment while providing detailed reporting and customizable options and integrations.

Features

• Customer profile creation
• Training mode allows for easy employee onboarding
• Custom floor plans
• Payment processing, including bill splitting
• Employee management
• Advanced sales reporting
• Many integrations available with other software and hardware options

Pricing: Epos Now offers a software + hardware bundle starting at $349. Software-only plans start at $39/month with an additional register at $24/month each. 

8. POSitouch

Best for: Full-service restaurants and bars, especially multi-unit operations or those who need advanced features.

Features

• Cloud-based infrastructure allows the system to operate both online and offline
• SkyTab device takes and processes orders directly at the table
• Multiple third-party app integrations
• Inventory management tools: Ingredient-level details, automatic updates, recipe creation
• Customizable table management
• User-friendly interface for easy onboarding
• Kitchen display system that sends orders to stations to optimize prep time
• Labor management: budget-based, forecast-based, and template-based scheduling
• Real-time data analysis

Pricing: POSitouch does not make their starting price public, so you’ll want to get in touch with them for more info.

9. Squirrel Systems

Best for: Restaurants with complex menus that need detailed reporting can benefit from Squirrel’s customizability and integrations. It can be an excellent choice for small but complex restaurants.

Features

• Full integrations with a large number of tools including FOH systems like Yelp Guest Manager
• User-friendly interface designed to be intuitive and reduce training time
• Scalable from single businesses to large multi-unit operations
• Flexibility in choosing payment processors including Apple Pay and Google Pay
• Customizable reporting and analytics
• Employee management including differing user permissions

Pricing: Squirrel Systems starts at $57.50 per month.

10. Omnivore

Best for: Restaurants looking to integrate multiple third-party tech options with their existing POS system. Great for multi-unit establishments needing scalable and flexible tech solutions.

Features

• Centralized menu management: Manage multiple menus for different concepts like menu boards, kiosks, and online ordering
• Real-time data syncing to ensure menu items, discounts, and inventories are synced across all systems
• Universal API integration: Acts as middleware connecting a number of different tools, including support for multiple POS systems and online ordering
• App marketplace connects Omnivore to a restaurant’s favorite tools
• Reliable customer support

Pricing: Not publicly disclosed. Custom plans available depending on restaurant need.

11. Oracle Micros

Best for: Full-service, fine dining, and large-scale restaurant operations that need robust and scalable POS solutions. Great for managing complex menus, multiple locations, or large operations like hotels.

Features

• Scalability and flexibility: suitable for businesses of all sizes, from single-unit to large corporations
• Integrations with a number of other tools like Yelp Guest Manager
• Cloud-based and on-premises options allow business to choose based on their needs
• Centralized menu management updates menus across all locations, including nutrition information and allergens
• Tableside ordering via mobile devices
• Kitchen display systems
• Real-time inventory tracking and integration with suppliers
• Numerous hardware solutions including POS systems suited for different environments
• Multilingual and multi-currency support

Pricing: Oracle Micros starts at $55 per month.

12. Clover

Best for: A good all-rounder for table service restaurants, though potentially pricey for small operations.

Features

• A variety of hardware options including handheld systems, terminals, smartphone attachments, and kitchen display systems
• App marketplace: Multiple integrations with third-party apps for online ordering, delivery, and more
• Pairs with BentoBox websites and the built-in marketing tools that come with them
• Customer engagement tools including the ability to send promotions and coupons
• Real-time sales data, employee performance analytics, inventory analysis
• Online and offline capabilities

Pricing: Starts at $165/month for 36 months or $1,699 + 89.95/month. Transaction fees are 2.3% plus 10 cents for an available card or 3.5% plus 10 cents for card information typed in.

How to make the most out of your restaurant POS system

Choosing the right solution from this list of restaurant POS systems is a smart move, and you’ll certainly want to make the most of your investment. Yelp Guest Manager is a complete FOH system that integrates with most restaurant POS software. Master reservations, waitlist management, takeout and delivery, and much more from one easily managed tablet.

Restaurants that use Yelp Guest Manager and Yelp Connect experience up to 2x the traffic on their Yelp Business Page.* Request a demo and get started today.

*Yelp Internal Data 2021. Based on average results from a sample study of restaurants that purchased Guest Manager for at least 90 days (in Q2-Q3 2021) versus the 90 days prior to making a purchase. Results may vary.