5 Best Free POS for Restaurants in 2024

In this article, we will explore the five best POS systems for restaurants, let’s dive into the details and find the ideal POS system for your establishment. 

Key Takeaways

• Shopify POS: Best for seamless integration with an online store, allowing restaurants to easily manage both their physical and digital sales channels.
• Toast: Best for its comprehensive restaurant management capabilities, including tableside ordering, kitchen display system integration, and menu customization.
• Square: Best for its versatility and scalability, offering a range of features such as inventory management, employee management, and seamless payment processing.
• Loyverse: Best for small restaurants or food trucks, providing a user-friendly interface, inventory tracking, and basic sales analytics, all for free.
• eHopper: Best for its mobility and offline functionality, making it ideal for food trucks or pop-up restaurants that require a portable and reliable POS system.

Top 5 free POS for restaurant 

Shopify POS

Why we picked it 

One fantastic thing about Shopify POS for restaurants is that it syncs inventory between your actual restaurant and eCommerce site. This is particularly true for eateries, as they can utilize Shopify to create an online store and market their goods to a larger customer base. It’s a terrific approach to get direct orders from clients as well.

Pricing

• The price range for Shopify plans starts at $5 for Shopify Starter, goes up to $39 for Shopify Basic, up to $2000 for Shopify Plus.
• Shopify’s basic POS charges merchants 2.7% per in-person credit card transaction with no additional flat fee, making it less expensive for firms that process a large number of small transactions.

Features

• Efficiently manage tables and reservations, assign orders to specific tables, and track dining status for optimal customer service.
• Create and customize menus with ease, including modifiers and special instructions, allowing for seamless customization of orders.
• Easily split bills among customers and provide flexible tipping options to accommodate various payment preferences.
• Accommodate different order types such as dine-in, takeout, and delivery, ensuring accurate tracking and reporting for each type of transaction.

Pros and cons

Who should use it?

Shopify POS is an excellent choice for a range of restaurant businesses, including:

• Cafes, bistros, and coffee shops
• Quick-service restaurants and fast-food chains
• Casual and fine dining establishments
• Food trucks and pop-up restaurants
• Multi-location restaurant chains

Shopify POS is suitable for businesses with various staff sizes, from small teams to larger establishments, as it offers customizable permissions and user roles. Whether you’re a startup or an established restaurant, Shopify POS provides the necessary tools to streamline operations, enhance customer experiences, and grow your business effectively.

Toast

Why we picked it

Toast’s POS system is a cutting-edge solution designed specifically for the restaurant industry. With its outstanding features tailored for restaurants, Toast offers seamless order management, efficient tableside service, and comprehensive reporting and analytics. It streamlines operations, enhances customer experience, and helps businesses thrive in the competitive restaurant landscape.

Pricing

The Starter Kit plan does not charge you any monthly fees. However, the Point of Sale plan has a monthly fee of $69. For businesses that require more features, there is the Restaurant Basics plan, which costs $110 plus an additional $4 per employee. There is the Essentials plan, which has a monthly fee of $165.

The fees are 2.99% of the transaction amount plus an additional 15 cents per transaction. On the other hand, if you choose to pay for the hardware upfront, the fees for card-present transactions are 2.49% of the transaction amount plus an additional 15 cents. The fees amount to 3.50% of the transaction amount plus an additional 15 cents.

Features

• Toast allows for easy and accurate order processing, modifications, and tracking, ensuring efficient kitchen operations and minimizing errors.
• With handheld devices, servers can take orders directly at the table, enhancing speed and accuracy while providing a personalized dining experience.
• Toast provides detailed reports and analytics, allowing restaurant owners to gain insights into sales trends, inventory management, and customer preferences, enabling data-driven decision-making.

Pros and cons

Who should use it?

Toast is ideal for a range of restaurant businesses, including:

• Quick-service restaurants (QSRs) and fast-casual establishments
• Full-service restaurants with tableside ordering and payment
• Bars, cafes, and coffee shops
• Multi-location or chain restaurants

Toast can be customized to fit the unique requirements of small, medium, and large companies regardless of the size of the company. Restaurants with significant transaction volumes, numerous employees, and an emphasis on simplifying operations and providing outstanding customer experiences stand to benefit the most from it.

Square 

Why we picked it

The Square Restaurant POS System is the all-in-one program you need to easily and effectively run your restaurant. Orders, payments, and inventory are simple to manage for restaurant operators, which streamlines operations and boosts client satisfaction.

Pricing

• Square for Restaurants Free – Unlimited Square Registers and iPads. Numerous places.

• Square for Restaurants Plus – Each location that uses Square for Restaurants Plus is subject to a monthly $60 subscription cost. The first device you use at each location to use Square for Restaurants Plus is free; each subsequent device (per location) costs $40 per month.

For card-present transactions, the rate is 2.6% + 10, but only for transactions completed through the Restaurants POS app.

Features

• Easily create and manage menus with item modifiers and pricing, ensuring accurate presentation of options to customers.
• Efficiently track table assignments, statuses, and seating arrangements for optimized table turnover and staff coordination.
• Include specific instructions or preferences provided by customers to ensure accurate communication of dietary requirements or customizations to the kitchen.
• Simplify the process of splitting bills among guests or merging separate checks for group dining, reducing confusion and improving customer satisfaction.

Pros and cons

Who should use it?

• Square’s POS system is suitable for different types and sizes of restaurants, including small cafes, food trucks, and large-scale establishments.
• It caters to entrepreneurs and owners who value efficiency, simplicity, and scalability in their restaurant operations.
• Square provides tools that streamline business processes and enhance customer service for both single-location restaurants and those with multiple branches.

Loyverse 

Why we picked it

Owners and managers of retail food establishments, coffee shops, bars, restaurants, and other eateries benefit greatly from Loyverse POS software. Outstanding features include real-time statistics, effective table and reservation management, thorough menu customization, and order management. Restaurants may use Loyverse to improve customer service, streamline operations, and get insightful data that will help them expand and become more profitable.

Pricing

• Loyverse POS features a free version and a free trial period. 
• Add-ons like personnel management, advanced inventory, and integrations cost between $5 and $25 monthly.

Features

• Seamless order taking, modification, and tracking, ensuring accurate and timely service.
• Can easily manage table assignments, reservations, and waiting lists, optimizing seating arrangements and minimizing customer wait times.
• Allows restaurants to create and customize their menus with ease, including adding modifiers, ingredients, and pricing options.
• Provides detailed reports and analytics on sales, inventory, and customer behavior, empowering restaurants to make data-driven decisions for improved performance.

Pros and cons

Who should use it?

Loyverse is an ideal solution for restaurants of various sizes, including cafes, bars, quick-service restaurants, and small to medium-sized establishments. It caters to businesses with a moderate to high number of staff members and can accommodate different types of cuisines and menu complexities. 

Entrepreneurs and business owners seeking an affordable and comprehensive POS system to enhance operational efficiency and maximize profitability would greatly benefit from implementing Loyverse for their restaurant ventures.

eHopper

Why we picked it

One of the best restaurant POS systems available is eHopper. Because of its free plan, inexpensive pricing, retail and restaurant features, mobile payments, built-in payment processing, software interfaces, and inventory management, eHopper is among the top POS systems when it comes to improved management, cost savings, and delighted customers. One of its two plans can be used by retailers of all sizes, but companies who also want to sell online must utilize the OmniChannel plan.

Pricing

Two licenses, unlimited goods, table management, e-commerce, unlimited transactions, pre-authorization, EBT, menu builder, customer service, QuickBooks integration, low stock alerts, and exchanges are among the capabilities offered by eHopper’s OmniChannel plan, which costs $29.99 per month.

Features

• Offers a user-friendly interface that enables restaurant staff to quickly navigate through menus, place orders, and process payments, ensuring a seamless customer experience.
• Provides real-time tracking of inventory levels, enabling restaurants to efficiently manage stock, prevent shortages, and streamline their supply chain.
• Facilitates smooth order processing, allowing restaurants to handle large volumes of orders while minimizing errors and delays.

Pros and cons

Who should use it?

eHopper is a good fit for a variety of restaurant ventures, including cafes, fast-food restaurants, a la carte eateries, and small to medium-sized eateries. Because it makes order management and coordination more effective, it is especially useful for companies with many employees and big order volumes.

Key Features to Look for in a Free POS System

• Order Management: You can efficiently track and complete orders with the aid of an effective order management system, resulting in efficient operations and happy customers.
• Payment Processing: Choose a POS system that accepts a range of payment options and provides safe and dependable payment processing.
• Inventory Management: Effective inventory management capabilities allow you to keep track of stock levels, manage purchase orders, and avoid stock outs or overstocking.
• Reporting and Analytics: Access to detailed sales reports and analytics enables you to gain valuable insights into your restaurant’s performance and make informed business decisions.
• Customer Management: A POS system with customer management capabilities allows you to build customer profiles, manage loyalty programs, and provide personalized experiences.
• Ease of Use: Choose a user-friendly POS system that is easy to set up, navigate, and train your staff on, minimizing operational disruptions.
• Device Compatibility: Ensure the POS system is compatible with the devices you already use or plan to use in your restaurant, such as tablets, smartphones, and receipt printers.
• Scalability and Customization: Consider whether the POS system can scale with your business’s growth and if it offers customization options to meet your unique requirements.

Potential Limitations of Free POS Systems

Limited Features

Free POS systems may have limited features compared to their paid counterparts. Advanced functionalities, integrations, or specific industry-specific tools may require upgrading to a premium plan.

For example, Shopify’s free POS version may have restrictions on inventory management capabilities, reporting and analytics tools, and integrations with third-party apps. In the case of restaurants using Shopify POS, the free version may lack essential features like table management or advanced order customization options. These limitations can hinder business operations and growth, especially for businesses with more complex needs.

Less Customization

Free POS systems may have limited customization options, such as branding or personalized workflows, which may be available in paid versions.

For restaurants using Shopify POS, the free version may lack the ability to customize the menu layout or create unique order modifiers. This lack of customization can make it challenging for businesses to align their POS system with their brand identity and provide a seamless customer experience.

Scalability Issues

Some free POS systems may have limitations when it comes to scaling your business’s growth. Consider the system’s capacity to handle increased order volumes, multiple locations, or additional features as your restaurant expands.

Small businesses may start with Shopify’s free POS, but it may not scale smoothly. Shopify POS restaurants may have trouble managing several locations or registers. The free version may not have the features, integrations, or support the business needs as it grows, requiring an upgrade to a paying plan.

Customer Support

Free POS systems may offer limited or less comprehensive customer support than paid plans. Consider the level of support available and whether it meets your business’s needs.

For restaurants using Shopify POS, this limited support may pose challenges when troubleshooting issues or seeking assistance promptly. Businesses may need to rely on online resources or forums for self-help, which may not be sufficient for resolving critical issues or technical difficulties.

Hidden Costs

While the POS system itself may be free, there may be additional costs associated with transaction fees, hardware purchases, or premium features. Carefully review the pricing structure and any potential hidden costs before making a decision.

For instance, with Shopify POS, the free version may have transaction fees for in-person card payments, which can impact the overall profitability of a business. Restaurants using Shopify POS may also incur additional costs for add-ons or advanced features not available in the free version.

Our Methodology: Our Approach To Selecting A Restaurant Pos System

Define Evaluation Criteria

• Order management: We evaluated the system’s efficiency in processing and managing orders, encompassing table management, order customization, and integration with kitchen display systems.
• Payment processing: The system’s capability to handle diverse payment methods, including cash, credit cards, and digital wallets, while providing secure and seamless transactions was assessed.
• Inventory management: We evaluated the system’s features for optimizing supply chain operations through effective inventory tracking, ingredient management, and automatic stock alerts.
• Reporting and analytics: The system’s reporting, such as generating comprehensive sales reports, tracking customer data, and conducting trend analysis capabilities, was assessed to facilitate informed business decisions.
• Integration and scalability: We evaluated the system’s compatibility with other software and hardware solutions, as well as its capacity to accommodate future growth and expansion.

Preliminary Research

We conducted preliminary research on various POS systems by reading product descriptions, user evaluations, and case studies. We identified strategies that satisfied the evaluation criteria’s minimum requirements. This research provided a foundational comprehension of each system’s capabilities, features, and customer satisfaction levels.

User Feedback

We collected feedback from staff members who participated in testing different POS systems. Their insights provided valuable information about the systems’ ease of use, efficiency, and any issues encountered during the testing phase. Staff feedback offered a practical perspective on how the systems performed in real-world restaurant operations.

Rank Each POS System

Based on the evaluation criteria and using the weights assigned earlier, we scored each POS system. We calculated a weighted score for each system by multiplying the scores for individual measures with their assigned consequences. This ranking process assessed each system’s suitability for the restaurant’s specific needs and priorities. The system with the highest weighted score was likely the most suitable choice for the restaurant’s POS requirements.

Final Words

Choosing the right free POS system for your restaurant is crucial for efficient operations, improved customer experiences, and effective management of your establishment.