POS systems help merchants take in-person payments while connecting products, inventory, customers, staff, orders, returns, hardware, and reporting across retail locations and online channels.
Relevant software
| Software | Best for | Free trial | Free plan | Pricing note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square Point of Sale Point-of-sale software and hardware ecosystem for in-person payments, catalog and inventory, orders, customers, and connected online sales. | Small and growing sellers that want an approachable POS, integrated payment processing, flexible hardware, and a free software entry point. | Yes | Yes | Square offers a Free software plan plus paid plans. Payment processing, hardware, add-ons, and some advanced capabilities cost extra; confirm current rates and plan availability for your location and business type. |
| Shopify POS Point-of-sale system connected to Shopify's online store, inventory, customers, orders, payments, hardware, and app ecosystem. | Shopify merchants that want online and in-person sales connected through one commerce back office. | Yes | No | Shopify POS requires a Shopify subscription. Core in-person features are included with Shopify plans, while POS Pro is an added per-location subscription; hardware, processing, and apps add to total cost. |
| Lightspeed Retail Retail-focused POS and payments platform with inventory, purchasing, supplier, ecommerce, reporting, and multi-location tools. | Inventory-heavy or multi-location retailers that need deeper purchasing, supplier, and product controls than a basic POS provides. | Yes | No | Lightspeed Retail uses paid subscription tiers. Total cost can change with plan, billing term, locations, registers, payments, hardware, and services; confirm current regional pricing and requirements. |
Point-of-sale software and hardware ecosystem for in-person payments, catalog and inventory, orders, customers, and connected online sales.
Best for: Small and growing sellers that want an approachable POS, integrated payment processing, flexible hardware, and a free software entry point.
View profilePoint-of-sale system connected to Shopify's online store, inventory, customers, orders, payments, hardware, and app ecosystem.
Best for: Shopify merchants that want online and in-person sales connected through one commerce back office.
View profileRetail-focused POS and payments platform with inventory, purchasing, supplier, ecommerce, reporting, and multi-location tools.
Best for: Inventory-heavy or multi-location retailers that need deeper purchasing, supplier, and product controls than a basic POS provides.
View profileStart with the selling environment: registers, mobile checkout, receipt and label printing, barcode scanning, offline expectations, and the hardware your staff must use every day.
Compare inventory depth, multi-location controls, purchasing, returns, exchanges, staff permissions, customer profiles, and how accurately online and in-store data stays synchronized.
Calculate total cost across software plans, payment processing, hardware, additional locations or registers, onboarding, integrations, and required add-ons before choosing a system.
Prioritize reliable checkout, accurate inventory synchronization, unified customer and order history, flexible returns, suitable hardware, clear payment fees, and the ability to support every store location and sales channel.
It can for simpler retailers, but merchants with complex purchasing, forecasting, bundles, warehouses, manufacturing, or lot and serial tracking may still need a dedicated inventory or ERP system.
Build the rest of your stack
Merchants evaluating POS Systems often need to coordinate these adjacent parts of the commerce stack.
Storefront and commerce engines for selling online.
Stock control, forecasting, purchasing, and warehouse visibility.
Online checkout, payment methods, payouts, disputes, and transaction processing.
Bookkeeping, reconciliation, tax, and financial reporting tools.