December 22, 2024
Written by: The POS Exchange Team
.jpg)
Square is a popular choice for many restaurant owners looking for a quick and easy way to manage payments and operations. But there are many other options, no matter your reason for looking for a Square alternative. Some will help you tackle specific challenges to improve your bottom line.
Others will enhance integration capabilities with your existing systems. And some will offer a better overall experience for you, your staff, and your customers. This guide will help you find the perfect POS system to streamline restaurant operations, enhance customer experiences, and drive business growth effortlessly.
The POS Exchange can help you find the right solution to meet your needs, no matter how unique. Their extensive database of restaurant POS integration can help you achieve your business goals quickly and easily.
.jpeg)
Square is an all-in-one point-of-sale system that can service a variety of restaurants, including quick service, full service, fast casual, bars, and breweries. It can also support your needs if you run a ghost kitchen.
Perhaps Square’s most significant selling point is its freemium pricing model. For your basic needs, Square offers free service. Free basics include accepting online orders and in-person payments through unlimited POS devices. If you have more than one restaurant or need more than one POS at your restaurant, you won’t be charged extra.
This free service will appeal to many restaurants, especially those new. Since you don’t need to invest a lot of money upfront, and you won’t need to pay for access to essential services, you can reduce your operational costs dramatically.
Basic users can open checks, manage orders, apply discounts, manage menus and tables, and auto 86 items.
Free users can also receive limited customer service from 6 AM to 6 PM PT between Monday through Friday.
If your restaurant requires more features, you can upgrade to the Plus plan for $60 monthly. This plan includes everything you’ll find in the free plan. Still, it adds additional features, such as the choice to reopen closed costs, the option to customize your floor plan, seat management, and the ability to pace courses so that you can tailor your customer experience.
Users enjoy 24/7 support, so you always have help if needed.
The Plus plan also includes Square KDS, a kitchen display system that can be run on your iPad and allows you to see, fulfill, and track orders digitally in the back of the house.
You can also access the Square KDS when using the Free plan, but you will be charged $20 per month for each KDS device. With the Premium plan, you get unlimited KDS included.
A significant benefit of upgrading to the Square Plus plan is increased reporting access. All Square plans include basic reports, but the Plus and Premium plans allow you to create reports for shifts, close of day, live sales, sales trends, and discounts. You can use these reports to make informed management decisions at the moment, which can increase revenue and eliminate redundancy.
For potential users, Square offers a customizable Premium plan. This plan gives you access to everything included in Basic but with the additional (optional) add-ons of Square Payroll, Square Loyalty, and Square Marketing.
Square is transparent when it comes to fees. The company promises no hidden costs. You can expect to pay a processing rate of 2.6% + 10¢ for every in-person payment, regardless of your plan (Basic Plus or Premium).
In addition to its affordable pricing, Square offers attractive features that can help new restaurants get up and running. Here are a few ways that Square excels:
Square’s monthly cost of $0 for the basic plan cannot be beaten. This is the number one reason for choosing Square over other alternatives. Square also offers transparent pricing. There are no monthly fees, and you don’t have to enter into a contract. Instead, you pay a flat fee of 2.6% + 10¢ per in-person transaction. That fee jumps to 2.9% + 30¢ for online payments for cards. If you manually enter a customer’s card information, the cost is 3.5% + 15¢.
The square is perfect for smaller and newer restaurants. Owners and managers will find it easy to sign up and start collecting payments through the Square interface. It’s also easy to add menus and customize your floor plan (if using the Premium plan).
Some POS, specifically legacy systems, require restaurants to purchase proprietary hardware. However, Square can run on your Internet-connected smartphone or tablet. Not only is a cloud-based POS more affordable to start up and run, but this type of system is easier to use. No one needs to come in and train you and your staff on how to use the Square software. And you don’t need to reserve an entire closet in your back office to store all your hardware components. Everything you need to manage your restaurant can be accessed from an app.
While it’s hard to argue with free, remember that a low price doesn’t always mean top quality. If you are looking for a more robust solution to manage your restaurant fully, Square may be too essential for your needs.
Here are a few reasons why you may want to keep shopping:
For starters (pun intended), there’s a risk of fund holds. This happens because Square’s no-frills approach skips the traditional underwriting procedures. This policy has seen Square suddenly holding and canceling accounts as a fraud prevention measure.
These days, every restaurant should be able to take online orders from their customers. Not only do your customers expect immediate access to your menu online, but they also want the option to order online for delivery or pickup. If you use Square, one workaround is to offer online ordering through a third-party provider, like Uber Eats, but that’s not ideal for many reasons. First, you can’t control your customer’s experience when they’re using a third-party website. Second, your competitors may have higher visibility on the third-party site and lure away customers who had initially attended to order from you. This is why it’s necessary to offer online ordering through your platform.
While Square does offer a kitchen display system in its Premium plan, Basic users must pay extra for this feature. Not having a KDS built into your POS system can severely limit your back-of-house order efficiency. For most restaurants, KDS is not optional because it allows you to automatically send orders to your kitchen staff and track orders in real time. This feature alone will require most restaurants to upgrade to the Premium plan, but by doing so, you’ll lose the affordability that makes Square such a hot contender.
Another con is that although Square POS software is free, the hardware and transaction charges add up. Solo traders and small restaurants may find Square POS affordable, but larger restaurants with more foot traffic may find costs mounting quickly.
Toast is a good Squareup alternative if you own a restaurant, as they specialize in the hospitality industry. Square takes the upper hand for retailers. Some of Toast's features ahead of Square include food delivery management and a dedicated takeout and delivery app [2]. These optional add-ons are part of Toast’s Essentials package, which starts at a punchy monthly fee of USD 165. Since Square offers POS systems for various businesses, including retail businesses, some features are more versatile.
For example, Square can process refunds by the item, refunds by specific amounts, and send digital/email receipts, which Toast does not currently offer. Connectivity-wise, Toast and Square are neck and neck. Both systems provide offline mode, which lets merchants accept payments without an internet connection. They are both cloud-based POS systems, meaning data is securely saved online, and business owners can check in on their business remotely.
Tevalis targets businesses focused on expanding and generating significant profits, and Square is more suitable for small and mid-sized companies. Tevalis are market leaders within the enterprise and large-scale business POS technology for hospitality. We’ll compare Tevalis’ Restaurant POS to Square’s Restaurant POS for a fair comparison. Tevalis’ features are firmly focused on growth.
Their reporting is synced with their business suite add-on for an additional price. Here, managers can read reports on daily profit vs. revenue, revenue vs. visits, best sellers by quantity, and even top sites by revenue since there is a focus on omnichannel selling. Square software is customer-centric, which many businesses will prefer. Tevalis offers incredibly advanced services that are useful for companies aiming for large-scale growth.
Clover is a good choice if your business needs affordable hardware. However, Square takes the lead for better device flexibility. People often look to Clover for a cheaper Square register alternative. They both offer terminals with a prominent touchscreen and a user-facing screen. They have similar designs and have unique features for optimal user experience. Square also provides a Square reader, stand, terminal, and register. Clover and Square offer payment terminals for credit card processing, as well as Apple Pay and Google Pay. Square also supports Samsung Pay, which Clover does not. Square also sells magstripe readers that connect to Apple devices and Square terminals, which is different from all others on the market.
The pricing plan is relevant to your selected hardware since Clover software is only compatible with Clover devices. The Register Lite and Register Plans cost UDS $9.95/month and USD 39.95/month. Alternatively, there’s the Table Service Restaurant for USD 69.95/month for restaurants. So, pricing is similar to Square, and you have the same option of choosing between retail or restaurant-specific software.
A significant advantage of Clover is that it offers employee-focused features, such as customizable tip screens and performance-measuring tools. Clover also allows managers to set varying permissions and access levels for different employees, which is extremely useful for a small business or a business with high employee turnover.
Lightspeed is favorable due to its advanced CRM features. However, Square offers a much better hardware line. Interestingly, and to Square’s advantage, Lightspeed doesn’t offer its till. Instead, they integrate with Apple products like the Apple Mac PC or iPad. Their website notes that you can mix and match different hardware brands if compatible with their EPOS software [3], so using your existing devices is possible instead of paying for nominated hardware.
A nice feature that Lightspeed offers is the ability to customize the color palette of your POS to show off your business’ branding. Lightspeed’s customer relationship management (CRM) services are awe-inspiring. With Lightspeed POS, you can receive an estimate of a customer’s lifetime value based on purchase history and make relevant purchasing recommendations based on customer shopping behavior.
Epos Now is an excellent alternative to Square because it offers better pricing and integration versatility. Functionality Like Square, Epos Now splits its software into two main categories. Square caters its POS software to the retail and restaurant industries, while Epos Now caters to retail and the wider hospitality sector. Epos Now is one of the more prevalent alternatives to Square because of the sector-specific offerings. Epos Now has dedicated software modules for restaurants, pubs, bars, takeaways, and hotels. The same goes for retail POS, with separate technology available for clothing, electronics, and convenience stores.
Square and Epos Now are hailed for their simple payment processing fees and versatility in accepting various payment types. Both brands accept chip-and-pin and contactless mobile payments, remote transactions, and online payments. One great feature that both platforms offer is fixed rates on credit and debit card payments. Epos Now allows third-party processing alongside its merchant services (Epos Now Payments), whereas Square only allows its payment processor (Square Payments). Hardware-wise, Square POS software is available on Square devices, such as Android and Apple. Epos Now software is available on devices like Apple, Android, Windows, and PC.
A clear advantage of Epos Now is that their hardware isn’t locked to their software, meaning if you want to take your Epos Now terminal or Pro+ and switch to a different POS provider, you can. Epos Now and Square offer bundles on their hardware and software, with Square including some POS features for free on hardware-only purchases. However, since Square hardware is only compatible with Square software, purchasing their software is a prerequisite.
Like Square, Truffle POS is affordable, user-friendly, and cloud-based. But Truffle POS also includes features like online ordering, delivery management, and contactless food locker pickup that Square doesn't. Because Truffle POS is a cloud-based point-of-sale system, it can run on any Internet-connected hardware device, including Android, iOS, and Windows.
You can use this system on a tablet or smartphone device, which increases flexibility and eliminates the need to purchase experience hardware just to get started with your point-of-sale system. Truffle POS doesn’t just allow you to take and process customer payments. You can also use this system to manage all aspects of your restaurant — from inventory to staffing to marketing. Truffle POS is the only restaurant management tool you’ll need.
That makes this option convenient because you won’t need to switch from one app to another to manage your restaurant. You can do everything from one tool.
Revel makes opening and closing each day simple and, once implemented, lends itself well to managing a small-sized restaurant business.
The majority of Revel’s customers are small restaurants, and it’s best suited to those with some knowledge of POS setup so they can use the tools efficiently. Revel is an all-in-one POS system that offers a little more than the average restaurant POS system.
Their POS software offers table-side ordering, floorplan, and table management, while the POS hardware offers iPad stands and Portable ordering device enclosures. Revel also has restaurant POS services that allow you to manage and schedule employees. Where cost is concerned, Revel has a flat monthly installation fee. Support, however, is only available online and not on-site or on the phone, which may be a problem for some customers.
TouchBistro allows you to integrate with several other software products that you may use to run your restaurant. These include Xero, Quickbooks, Sage, etc.
All restaurant sizes are best for those who want to integrate with other systems easily. TouchBistros features include table and reservation management, easy bill splitting, table-side ordering, multiple menu options, and scheduled menu availability. Its pricing structure is designed to allow restaurants at any stage of business to use its product.
A selection of licenses is available. Although pricier than Square, you do get more bang for your buck. Features such as numerous integrations that make accounting easier, staff management, and tableside ordering are all features that justify the slightly higher price point.
Posist has a 360 approach to POS systems, segmenting its products for several restaurants and catering (again, pun intended) to each.
large-sized restaurants that appreciate features that support growth.
Posist’s POS system offers 24-hour support with a 99% adherence to SLAs, a multi-lingual and intuitive interface, over 150 integrations, and secure data backups. With large restaurants in mind, they’ve designed their POS software to scale with 99.9% uptime. Regarding price, they’re not as upfront as Square, offering a demo to their prospective customers.
SpotOn is a leading cloud-based restaurant POS system that competes with modern platforms like Toast, TouchBistro, Lightspeed, and Square. These new digital systems replace outdated legacy POS solutions from vendors like NCR and Oracle. Ideal for various restaurant types, including fine dining, casual dining, quick service, bars, and food trucks, SpotOn offers all the core POS features and hardware you’d expect.
Despite being a relatively new player founded in 2017, SpotOn provides many advanced functions and add-ons comparable to longer-standing rivals. Based in San Francisco, SpotOn initially focused on restaurants, sports, entertainment, and retail. However, the restaurant industry is now its primary market. SpotOn and top competitors like Toast and Lightspeed should be considered for any restaurant looking to upgrade to a contemporary cloud-based POS.
SpotOn offers many modern and specific restaurant features, including online ordering, digital waitlisting, reservations, labor management, and reporting. Its offering of low credit card processing fees, no long-term contract requirement, and a variety of hardware options has made it a popular choice in the hospitality industry.
SpotOn has an order feature that allows staff to take customer orders via various methods, such as at the table, counter, or online ordering, and then send these orders directly to the kitchen or bar. It supports any customizations or special requests, providing flexible menu management.
This POS system allows for custom menu builds and table layouts, adapting to the restaurant's needs. Its flexible system can be tailored according to restaurant operations, making it easier for staff to use – something in which Square is often limited.
SpotOn’s unique approach aims to work fluently with other software and systems, providing an integrated and smooth experience. Although its offline functionality isn’t as robust as some of its competitors, it offers handheld devices that enhance overall efficiency.
SpotOn stands out with its ability to connect and work smoothly with other software and systems, as well as a suite of digital marketing tools alongside a reservation system and a loyalty rewards program. It also integrates with Google Orders. This provides restaurants with the ability to work efficiently with existing technology.
GoTab is a versatile and innovative restaurant POS and commerce platform founded in 2016 with a mission to improve the operation and service of the hospitality industry through technology. Offering a range of features, GoTab focuses on contactless service, mobile ordering, payment, and efficient communication. Its user-friendly interface, integration with various systems, and real-time analytics provide restaurant owners the tools they need to modernize their operations, increase efficiency, and drive growth. GoTab works on virtually any web-enabled mobile device, meaning you can use your existing hardware and save costs.
GoTab provides multiple sophisticated features such as contactless ordering, flexible menu & pricing setups, and auto-batching & tipping that Square might lack. Its marketing features include tools for customer segmentation, dynamic pricing, auto-gratuity, and promotions management, providing increased functionality.
With its advanced Menu Management features, GoTab lets operators update menus instantly across all their outlets. This includes the ability to handle complex and constantly changing menus, proving more time-consuming with Square.
GoTab’s hospitality-focused platform offers a high level of customization. This includes tailored workflows and customer communication, enabling operators to mold the system to their unique needs and surpassing what Square offers to this extent.
GoTab’s dedicated support and multiple happy customer testimonials suggest that it’s a reliable solution.
SumUp's card reader rivals Square's because it can accept payments of a wide variety and has excellent low-volume business features. SumUp is a UK-based payment processor that works in numerous territories, including the United States. It is an excellent Square alternative with many similar features.
The choice between mobile credit card readers or countertop terminals, high-end virtual terminal support for international payments, and mobile invoicing: The pricing structure for SumUp is fundamental. The company, like Square, uses a flat-rate pricing system for transaction fees. You won't have to pay any application or setup fees, making SumUp one of the least expensive systems to get up and running.
SumUp isn't as robust as Square in terms of features, though if you only need a basic mobile POS system, paying for the extra bells and whistles found in Square or on other POS systems might not be necessary. The credit card reader with SumUp can accept payments of all types, including chip, swiped, PIN payments, and contactless payments, such as Apple Pay or Samsung Pay. However, it's important to note that SumUp is a payment service provider, meaning you won't get the stability you might expect from larger POS system providers.
Payment processing is lower for low-volume businesses, international payments are accepted, and top-notch customer support is provided. Helcim is a provider that offers proper month-to-month billing without any monthly fees. This provider is available in Canada and the United States and is one of the most affordable options for small business owners who need stability with their merchant accounts. Some of the best features in the Helcim ecosystem include full-service merchant account options that support credit card and mobile payments and are compatible with a wide range of systems (Mac, iOS, Windows, and Android).
All users can take advantage of interchange plus pricing. Like SumUp, the pricing model for Helcim is very intuitive and affordable for small business owners. We love that the company is also very transparent about its payment processing fees and pricing structure, as not all POS providers are. Square does not have a monthly fee and has the same predictable pricing structure as Helcim, which makes Helcim such a great Square alternative, especially for small businesses.
Beyond your typical credit card payments, Helcim can provide online payment processing for online sales from your online store or contactless mobile payments, such as Apple Pay and Samsung Pay. This merchant account offers total stability at a rock-bottom price you'd have difficulty finding anywhere else. Plus, with interchange-plus pricing, you can save on credit card payment processing costs compared to Square.
.jpeg)
Picking the right POS system for your restaurant can feel like a big decision, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. The key is to focus on what makes your day-to-day easier and keeps your customers happy—whether managing tables, tracking inventory, or speeding up service. Here’s what to look for and a few examples to guide you.
If you run a sit-down restaurant, you’ll need tools to assign tables, keep track of seating and manage reservations. Toast and TouchBistro are great here—they let you see which tables are open, track orders, and even split checks without any stress.
Someone wants a “no onion, extra cheese” pizza. Your POS should make it easy to customize orders without confusing the kitchen. Systems such as TouchBistro handle modifiers beautifully—perfect for pizzerias or restaurants with many special requests.
Running out of ingredients during a dinner rush? Nightmare. Systems such as Lightspeed can track your inventory in real-time, monitor food costs, and even warn you before you’re out of stock. It’s a lifesaver for restaurants that need tight control over supplies.
Customers love convenience these days. With systems such as Toast, diners can scan a QR code at their table, order from their phones, and pay without waiting for the check. It’s a game-changer for speed and customer satisfaction.
Instead of juggling paper tickets, a KDS sends orders straight to a digital display in the kitchen. It’s faster, cleaner, and more accurate. Systems such as Lightspeed offer reliable KDS options that help kitchens stay organized.
Want to reward your best customers? Look for built-in loyalty tools such as the ones Clover POS offers. It’s an easy way to keep people returning—and they’ll love earning free food or discounts.
When it comes to features that stand out, Lightspeed and Toast deliver. Lightspeed is a pro at inventory tracking, and Toast’s offline tools are perfect for fine dining spots that can’t afford to miss a beat when the Wi-Fi goes down.
When choosing a POS system, value isn’t about finding the cheapest option—it’s about finding a system that pays off in the long run.
What am I getting for my money? A slightly higher investment might save time, reduce stress, and increase profits. You'll want an affordable system without skimping on features if you’re running a small café or food truck. Square POS shines here. Square gives you a free plan with mobile card readers to get you started. For restaurants ready to invest a bit more, Toast and Lightspeed deliver exceptional value.
Toast, for example, offers tools such as tableside ordering and offline functionality that can make a huge difference in a busy, full-service restaurant. Lightspeed’s inventory management tools help you track every ingredient, saving you money on wasted supplies over time.
No matter how many features a POS system has, it’s useless if your staff can’t figure out how to use it. Restaurants move fast—especially during lunch rushes—so you need a POS system that’s intuitive, easy to train on, and ready to go right out of the box. Square POS is one of the most straightforward systems to use. Setup takes minutes, and your team can start taking orders with minimal training. For full-service restaurants that need more features, TouchBistro is a great example. Its interface is easy for servers to navigate, and tools such as table management and order customization are built right in, so staff don’t have to dig through complicated menus.
The type of hardware you need depends on your restaurant’s style. Are you running a food truck where space is limited? Or a full-service restaurant with dozens of tables? The right POS system should offer hardware that fits smoothly into your operations. Lightweight hardware such as handheld devices and mobile card readers are necessary for quick-service restaurants.
Square POS and Clover are perfect here—they offer handheld tools that let you take orders and payments on the go. If you’re in full-service dining, you’ll need countertop terminals for central order management, kitchen display systems (KDS) to keep the back-of-house running smoothly, and tableside ordering devices to speed up service. Systems such as Toast offer a full range of hardware options, including self-service kiosks and handheld tools.
Let’s face it—Wi-Fi isn’t always reliable, and you can’t afford downtime during a busy dinner rush. That’s where offline functionality comes in. A sound POS system will keep your restaurant running smoothly, even if your internet connection drops. Toast is one of the best systems for offline capabilities. You can keep taking orders, process payments, and print tickets without skipping a beat. Once the internet is back up, everything syncs automatically. TouchBistro also handles offline mode well, making it a smart choice for restaurants in areas with spotty internet. Off-line functionality can be a lifesaver for fine dining spots or restaurants with complex operations.
When something goes wrong (and it will), having reliable customer support can make all the difference. During peak hours, you don’t have time to troubleshoot a POS issue alone—you need help, and it is fast. Seek out providers with 24/7 assistance, dedicated onboarding, and resources to make sure you’re set up for success.
Support teams should have your back whether you need to resolve a technical issue or customize your system. Good customer support isn’t just about fixing problems. It’s also about helping you get the most out of your POS system. Look for providers that offer onboarding, training tools, and easy access to support whenever you need it.
The POS Exchange brings over 20 years of restaurant expertise, serving 200,000+ merchants and processing billions annually. Our tailored POS system solutions help businesses 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.
We offer end-to-end service, from competent 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.
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
