January 2, 2025
Written by: The POS Exchange Team
Clover was once an excellent choice for POS systems in restaurants and bars. However, things can change once they start getting too big, and many businesses are discovering that a Clover alternative better fits their current needs. For example, businesses seeking better restaurant POS integration often find other systems more suitable for managing their unique requirements. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the performance of your Clover system or app, you’re not alone.
Many businesses face similar challenges as they grow. Fortunately, finding a Clover alternative can help you get back on track. In this guide, we’ll help you discover a Clover POS system alternative that enhances your operations, reduces costs, and boosts efficiency, ultimately leading to tremendous business success.
The POS exchange’s POS systems solution can help you achieve your objectives when searching for a Clover alternative. These systems eliminate redundancies in your restaurant operations, improving your business’s performance and bottom line.
Clover POS is a point-of-sale system that offers an all-in-one, cloud-based solution for small retailers, restaurants, and service-oriented businesses. Its POS software comes bundled with an integrated payment processor and proprietary hardware, plus you can integrate additional apps. However, many Clover competitors offer different features, more transparent and flexible payment options, and varying price points that might be better suited to your business needs.
Clover is especially popular among restaurants for its user-friendly interface, various features, and customization options. Clover has built-in features for managing tips, tracking payroll, and generating reports, making it easy to use for processing payments and overall restaurant management. The restaurant POS system also offers flexible table management and ordering features that help streamline operations and improve customer service. There’s even a free app for managing orders from online food delivery services, so you can quickly integrate these sales into your existing Clover workflows.
While Clover has a lot to like, some restaurants find it doesn’t fully meet their needs and explore other options. Potential limitations include:
The biggest turnoff for many Clover users is the cost. What starts as a seemingly affordable monthly fee quickly adds up with all the extra charges and hidden fees. A lot of users find Clover’s monthly payments to be a hassle. Former Clover user Regina said in her GetApp review, “Having to pay a monthly fee is what made me quit using it altogether. I’d rather just pay a fee per card than paying to use it per month.”
Another user on Capterra noted, “You do not get a choice in your credit card processor. For us, we happen to already use this processor and have a great deal set up with them, but others will likely end up paying more than expected when they get their credit card processing bill. There are several charges for having this type of system that they neglect to tell you about, so it ends up much more expensive than you expect.”
You might be in for a wild ride if you’re expecting precise, straightforward info. According to a Forbes review, the quality and responsiveness of Clover’s support team have also gotten mixed reviews. Some say it’s like pulling teeth to get help, while others have had better luck. So, if you’re considering jumping on the Clover train, keep these potential hiccups in mind.
Reviewers appear to be dissatisfied with Clover’s ability to order. A G2 review from a food and beverage industry user mentions, “I dislike the fact that if you have an open order on the system, it does not allow you to clock out. If a customer says they want three items and I add three to the transaction, but they change their mind and only want one, I cannot delete an item without a manager code or clock out until this order is deleted.”
These reviews show that Clover lacks support and functionality in crucial areas that impact restaurant and bar efficiency. Luckily, other POS systems outperform in these specific areas. Clover’s top alternative, Milagro, is a restaurant-focused platform adaptable to all your needs — including transparent pricing, comprehensive reporting, and more.
Toast POS is one of the few providers of an Android POS system, which is more suitable for restaurants due to the flexibility and affordability of the Android infrastructure. Android devices offer more options, faster software updates, and customization options than the iPad. The software caters to quick-service and full-service establishments, with a configurable toolset for US nightclubs, pizzerias, bars, and chains. Users can share or receive best practice tips from the huge Toast community. The vendor offers a comprehensive look at its features.
More than a POS system, Toast POS provides a comprehensive restaurant management system that streamlines front-end and back-office processes. It also integrates CRM to help you nurture customer loyalty. Toast POS can enhance staff efficiency, reduce costs, and improve customer service.
For one, servers can split menu items and bills among customers. The system can also send alerts to the service when an order is ready. Likewise, servers can take orders on the fly. Using a system-enabled Android tablet, servers can process payments, print receipts, or send them via email at tableside.
Customizing the menu is also easy. You can set time-specific menu pricing, for instance, during happy hours, or configure different menu sets for online and offline customers. You can also set up menus for various subgroups.
Other primary functions include customer management, staff performance tracking, product mix reports to identify your best-sellers, and a kiosk system for digital restaurant ordering.
TouchBistro is one of the most used and popular iPad-based POS systems, which caters to both quick-service and full-service establishments of any size. It fits the processes and dynamics of restaurants, cafes, nightclubs, food trucks, bakeries, and fast-casuals. The tableside POS enables staff to serve customers efficiently, from showcasing the menu to ordering to checkout and payment. The vendor offers a great free trial plan for those who’d like to try out the product's key features first.
After testing dozens of POS systems, we found TouchBistro to be a top-of-the-line EMV-compliant system that integrates an end-to-end restaurant management system. Aside from tableside service efficiency, the system helps you with staff management and scheduling, menu management, and inventory management using iPad-accessible tools.
Its POS features help you transact faster, reducing manual error and increasing dining-counter-kitchen coordination with in-app communications. Generating transactional reports like payment and refund totals, detailed credit card refunds, and reporting is also quick. The system also accommodates gift cards and loyalty deals.
Furthermore, TouchBistro provides versatile admin controls and customization tools. Menu items can be assigned to multiple ticket printers. You can also hide menu categories for breakfast, lunch, and dinner or remove instantly unavailable items. Similarly, you have full security control of the system. Also, TouchBistro is one of the best on-premise POS systems in the market today.
Aside from POS features, TouchBistro has robust reporting and remote management. Features include sales snapshots, employee void reports, detailed credit card payment reports, and shift reports. The system is also integrated with accounting functions, such as CFDI support, tax reports, and Bevintel reports.
Lightspeed Restaurant is another reliable POS system streamlining the hospitality experience for venue managers and their clients. The cloud-based POS solution helps manage your stuff, accurately and timely serve customers, and monitor performance to depict trends and opportunities.
First, Lightspeed Restaurant will simplify the menu creation process, as you can upload any image you want and customize and organize products to your needs. Your staff will find the product very intuitive and easy to use so that you can implement the POS from day one. All data will be gathered and organized in a centralized hub so you can access it anytime and from any device. Lightspeed Restaurant is also equipped with order and payment management features and offers 24/7 premium support and access to training materials.
The company has also developed a dedicated accounting, retail, on-site POS, and ecommerce solution as parts of its end-to-end productivity suite.
Upserve (formerly Upserve Breadcrumb POS) is a restaurant-grade POS designed for modern restaurants, cafes, nightclubs, and bars looking to improve operational efficiency. Featuring an easy-to-use interface and sleek terminals, the solution enables restaurant staff to deliver exceptional services that grow repeat business. Its menu intelligence leverages POS data and cloud technology to help you optimize menu and inventory management.
Additionally, Upserve facilitates a digital ordering experience thanks to its online order features. With online ordering, guests can order in real time, and the orders go straight to your kitchen once they are accepted on Upserve. This offers a smooth experience to your customers and makes life easier for staff.
Furthermore, Upserve integrates with Upserve Payments and Upserve HQ to deliver a comprehensive POS system that helps you streamline the entire restaurant management process. Other notable features include server performance, tableside ordering, split checks, reporting, signature on-screen, item notes, shift notes, EMV, and table maps.
CAKE is a cost-efficient end-to-end POS, guest management, and online ordering system from Sysco. Firstly, CAKE caters to full-service and quick-service restaurants, pubs, bars, and other food businesses. It helps users boost the management of dining experiences by centralizing everything under one roof.
The solution offers table management features that facilitate kitchen and restaurant floor coordination. Taking orders is made more efficient and convenient at the same time. Furthermore, you can use CAKE to handle waitlists, reservations, and even payment processing. Also, it has an offline payment processing feature that you can bank on whenever your internet connection goes down.
CAKE is a cloud-based system that integrates well with CAKE Guest Manager. This way, you can use rich data from previous transactions to inform future business decisions. Many love this feature as it lets customers make reservations or add themselves to a waitlist directly from Google. Plus, it comes with analytics and reporting tools to help you understand what your data can mean. These include insights into sales trends, foot traffic, customer behavior, etc.
The software integrates well with other systems from Sysco, such as CAKE OrderPad and CAKE Online Ordering. It also smoothly interfaces with accounting programs such as Xero and QuickBooks. Other integrations include 7shifts, Orca, Swipe, and Cards. As of now, CAKE is only available in the US.
Revel Systems POS is a scalable POS system enabling you to right-size the tools you need. It covers quick service, full service, and retail for their front-end and back-office processes. Notably, its POS system is integrated with finance and accounting tools. It targets restaurants, bars, breweries, cinemas, salons, and grocery stores.
Revel Systems POS is a full-scale restaurant management system. The POS features include cash management, table management, and delivery management. It’s built on a hybrid architecture featuring an offline mode that keeps the POS running during an internet outage.
Likewise, Revel Systems POS gives staff mobility for a more efficient table service; servers can take orders and process payments off-counter. The system can also set up self-checkout channels to keep queues short.
Beyond POS, the software features a Customer Display System, which can be utilized for promotions or showcase menu items in multiple places within your premises. Similarly, the system offers delivery monitoring to manage numerous deliveries simultaneously and furnishes field status updates and smart delivery time calculations. Revel Systems POS also features a rewards system placement.
With Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS support, Square POS handles and manages payments, issues digital receipts, and provides inventory status update reports—all essential and outstanding POS capabilities in an easy-to-use interface accessible through multiple devices. You can try its features even if you’re not ready to commit to a plan.
Upon receiving a Square Chip Card Reader free of charge, customers are charged flat rates. Customers pay a 3.5% transaction cost plus $0.15 for keyed-in transactions. Customers who use their cards to dip, tap, and swipe pay slightly lower transaction fees (2.75%). Over-the-phone and online transactions are charged higher because of the higher risk of fraud.
Square POS features printable sales reports, receipt printer support, barcode scanner support, digital receipts via SMS or email, adjustable taxes, tipping by percentage or custom amount, full and partial refunds, and customer signature capture.
Square POS also sells Square Stand, an iPad contactless and chip stand that allows contactless payments and chip cards, NFC, and magstripe. Vendors can update the system over the air to ensure it stays current with the latest version of Apple Pay or Google Pay for hassle-free payments.
Lavu is a popular mobile point-of-sale system designed to cater to bars and restaurants. This solution runs on iPad devices and eliminates issues associated with vague sales data, order confusion, and lagging service.
Lavu allows restaurant owners complete control over their operations and enables staff to maintain top-notch customer support standards. The platform makes this possible with its simple-to-use interface, central data hubs, and the ability to streamline processes.
Lavu offers several features that allow customization of menu layouts, easier staff training, and quicker order taking. Apart from benefitting restaurant operations, the software enables various HR functions, including optimizing onboarding processes and employee training.
Zomato Base is the cloud POS system of the popular restaurant review platform, Zomato. It is compatible with KOT printers, cash drawers, and kitchen displays, and its functionalities can be expanded via an integrated app marketplace. The system also offers restaurant management tools to help you run the main aspects of your operations from a single platform. Food establishments of any type and size will find Zomato Base a big help to organize and centralize their daily activities and process flows.
Aside from the POS system, it features customizable menu management. It also allows you to monitor inventory and get alerts for resupply. Likewise, it accounts for using raw materials based on sales to help you cut losses.
Meanwhile, Smart Table Management gives you the real-time status of your tables to keep a close tab on orders and payments. For customer convenience, you can send receipts via email and SMS and offer them online payments via a payment gateway integration.
Zomato Base also provides CRM to help you tailor service based on customer preferences, order history, or birthdays. It also features real-time analytics for sales tracking and other key performance indicators with actionable insights.
Harbortouch banners are simple in their approach. This is evident from its module-based view, wherein you only see the features you need while the others are hidden. The available modules are a cash register interface, a basic calculator, and a complete Point of Sale solution. It boasts an intuitive interface that eases operation while trivializing training sessions for newbies. There’s an option for remote management of the POS, too.
It sports state-of-the-art devices like the large but sleek screen that can easily rotate 180 degrees so customers can sign on the screen. Several peripheral hardware, such as a barcode scanner, remote printer, and digital scale, are also available. The best part is that a lifetime warranty covers each of these.
Another prominent feature of Harbortouch is its advanced reporting capabilities. It provides a lot of information grouped into a wide variety of types. There’s the financial overview, item sales summary, discount summary, employee directory, labor by employee, and more. They can even be viewed remotely as well.
KORONA is a cloud-based POS system created for businesses of all sizes in different industries. Ideal for retail, quick service, and food service companies, this solution is equipped to process transactions and accept various payment modes for a smooth customer experience. It even comes with loyalty and CRM features that allow businesses to provide promotions and highly personalized services to their target audience and existing clients.
KORONA is even better because it doesn’t stop at helping you improve customer-facing processes. It optimizes your back-office responsibilities through a built-in inventory management system, which can automate restocking and an employee management module, tracking work hours and monitoring commissions. Ultimately, the platform is entirely cloud-based; it can sync data from multiple stores for more straightforward data retrieval, making it ideal for businesses with different locations.
First things first. Identify your need to switch to a new restaurant POS system. What does Clover POS lack that your business needs? For instance, do you want better inventory management, more payment options, or enhanced reporting? Understanding your unique requirements and desired features will help you transition smoothly to a Clover alternative.
Now, it’s time to choose a new POS system. Start by exploring different Clover alternatives and pick one that matches your needs. Compare features and costs, read user reviews, and watch out for red flags. Narrow your options to a few top contenders, then demo each before making your final decision.
Before setting up your new system, export your data from Clover. This includes customer info (like customer engagement and behavior data), inventory data, and sales records. Look for an export function in your Clover dashboard and download your files, typically in CSV format.
Once you’ve exported your data, you can set up your new POS system. Start by installing your new Clover alternative and follow the setup instructions provided. This may involve configuring new hardware and software.
After you’ve set up your new POS system, you can import your old data into the new system. Most POS systems offer straightforward import processes—just follow their instructions.
Next, connect the new POS with any other tools you use, like accounting software or your online store. Ensure everything syncs appropriately.
Now it’s time to train your staff to use the new system. Make sure they’re comfortable with the new setup before going live.
Before switching over to the new POS system, run tests to ensure the payments process is correct, inventory updates, and reports look right. Spot any glitches before going live.
Now, it’s time to switch over to the new POS system. Keep an eye on things to address any issues that come up quickly.
With over 20 years of restaurant experience, The POS Exchange processes billions annually for over 200,000 merchants. Our tailored POS system solutions help restaurants speed up checkouts by 30%, implement dynamic pricing, and manage customer reviews while reducing overhead. Perfect for full-service restaurants, pizza shops, coffee houses, and multi-location enterprises, The POS Exchange offers end-to-end service, from brilliant consultation and interactive demos to local installation and 24/7 support.
Our mobile iPad POS systems streamline operations with features like order management, bill splitting, and inventory control. With integrations for business management tools and advanced security measures, we ensure your POS system grows with your business. Trust our expertise to help you avoid the common pitfall that affects 38% of new business owners who choose the wrong POS system.
Whether managing a busy restaurant, a local café, or operating a multi-location business, The POS Exchange delivers customized POS system solutions that tell your unique business story. Book a free demo with POS Exchange to learn about our customized POS system solutions today.
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