Navigating the maze of free POS software options can be tricky. This article will guide you through the process of finding the right free POS software for your business, including companies that offer excellent free versions, as well as those that pay out commissions.
We have specially prepared this review of free POS softwares to get you going.
Erply
Best for Startup retailers. It works best for retailers who want to accommodate unlimited inventory items.
Price: Erply offers free cloud POS software for any browser, Windows, iPad, and Android. It also has paid plans starting from $39 per month.
Erply is a free cloud POS system for small and medium-sized businesses. It provides the POS system for retail businesses with features of Inventory management, CRM, Multi-store Management, Reporting, and API. This Cloud-based POS comes with key features of Multi-currency, Multi-register, credit & gift cards processing, and time-clock & Reports.
Features:
- It can provide real-time updates.
- It has offline working capabilities.
- Inventory management
- It provides security in the cloud with data encryption.
Verdict: Erply is a scalable solution which has robust servers to manage billions of transactions. It offers a solution to a variety of business types, from Enterprise Retail and Retail Franchise to Toy Store POS and Wholesale POS.
Website: Erply
Square
Best for small & startup retailers and multi-channel sellers. It is best as an all-in-one solution.
Price: Square POS is free. It will not cost you setup fees or monthly fees. It allows you to add any number of POS. You will have to pay on taking the transaction. Square Appointments is also free for individuals.
Square POS is the free POS software with features like easy setup, customization, credit card acceptance, and ease of use.
Features:
- Real-time analytics and reporting on sales.
- Square Dashboard
- Inventory management
- CRM
- Payment Processing
Verdict: Square POS offers free tools for online selling. There will be predictable flat-rate pricing and no monthly fees.
Website: Square POS
Loyverse
Loyverse, which stands for “Loyalty Universe,” is a good free mobile POS software. With it, you can manage multiple store locations, send digital receipts, issue discounts, work offline, and accept credit card payments through an integration with credit card processor Vantiv (processing rates vary depending on your business). Loyverse also offers inventory, employee, and customer management, sales analytics, plus the option to institute a customer loyalty program.
The main drawback to Loyverse is that, aside from Vantiv, it does not integrate with other software at this time. There are also advanced employee management and inventory features that will cost you extra. Users can try Loyverse risk-free for 14 days.
Linga
Another feature-rich free POS software is Linga, which is designed specifically for food-service businesses. This cloud-based software is for a single user on one register and can manage up to 25 products.
Among Linga’s features are the ability to process credit cards, manage employees, perform sales analyses, send digital receipts, and operate offline. It can also accept payment in 30 different currencies and can be translated into over 30 different languages. Linga offers other capabilities useful for restauranteurs, such as the ability to split pay, transfer tables, add gratuity, apply discounts, accept coupons, and perform refunds.
Linga is another “freemium” product, with three higher tiered plans ranging in price from $19.99 annually per register to $89.99 annually per register.[2]
eHopper
The main selling point of eHopper POS software is that it can operate on multiple different devices and integrate with a variety of POS hardware, which is perfect if you are migrating over from another POS system. Other features include the ability to work offline, deliver digital receipts, connect with accounting software, implement discounts and loyalty programs, and perform some customer and inventory management functions.
However, eHopper can only operate on a single register, and you’ll have to pay a monthly fee for merchant services, ecommerce integration, and employee management functions.
Vend
Vend is a good option for very small businesses, as it can support one register, 10 products, and up to 1,000 customers each month. The Vend POS software is cloud-based and offers the following features: customer, employee and inventory management, sales analyses, digital receipt delivery, and the ability to integrate with Shopify, Square, and PayPal for merchant services, as well as Xero for bookkeeping.
Vend’s free POS software is good for small business owners who may only sell on occasion, such as a weekly farmer’s market. Vend also offers risk-free 30-day trials so you can see how the software works for your business. Vend’s paid POS software starts at $69 per month.
uniCenta
UniCenta was created in 2010 as a hobby project but has grown to become of the most widely used open-source POS software available, with 100 million downloads in 150 countries. Among the long list of features uniCenta offers include inventory, employee, and customer management, detailed sales analyses, and barcode scanning. UniCenta also provides customized interfaces for restaurants and retailers and the ability to operate in multiple languages and accept different currencies.
Because uniCenta is open sourced, new features are added all the time. It also works with most POS hardware. If you fall in love with uniCenta, there are paid plans that offer even more functionality.
Imonggo
Best for small to medium-sized businesses.
Price: Imonggo is free forever for one branch, one user, that too with the limit of 1000 product limit. It’s premium plan will cost you $30 per month per branch.
Imonggo provides free POS software for retailers worldwide. It has features for inventory tracking, sales reporting, credit card processing, and customer loyalty.
Features:
- Stockroom will come with the features of tracking of sales data, intuitive search, mass uploading of items, purchase order, etc.
- It provides the features of effortless selling, Smart tax management, working offline, email receipts, etc.
- It also provides features like analyzing sales data, tracking sales by salesman, and sorting of data.
Verdict: Imonggo offers a rich-in features solution for small and medium-sized businesses. It is a scalable platform that will allow you to scale up to multiple users and unlimited products. It can be used on laptops, PC, mobile phone, or tablet.
Website: Imonggo
Floreant
Best as Enterprise-grade restaurant POS.
Price: Free and open source.
Floreant offers a free and open source POS system. It is a Restaurant POS system which will help you to manage huge orders, tables, kitchen, and customers. It has features to automate Kitchen and for order management.
Features:
- Kitchen Printers and Kitchen Display Unit.
- It has functionalities for Manager like payout employee tips, cash drawer, split tickets, etc.
- It has functionalities for Table Service and Advanced Reports.
Verdict: Floreant is an open source restaurant POS system. It can be used on Windows, Mac, and Linux OS and Java supported tablets. It supports a wide range of business types like Food Trucks, Pizza shops, Ice Cream, Restaurants, Coffee Shops, etc.
Website: Floreant
Lightspeed Retail
Lightspeed Retail is a cloud-based POS platform that provides features and functionalities to make running your business easy. The solution is designed for the needs of different types of retailers, allowing centralized purchasing to save time by ordering from integrated catalogs. It also lets you manage multiple variations by selling bundled, serialized, or unique items as well as track unit costs and inventory data. Its scalability enables you to meet your POS requirements regardless of the size or nature of your products.
Lightspeed Retail boasts of inventory management, quoting, ordering and invoicing tools, powerful reporting functionalities, and jobs and timesheet features. It allows you to manage inventory and customers, handle transactions more efficiently, and understand your operation via the software’s analytics tool. In other words, it is a POS system with full e-commerce functionality that lets you manage on-site and online inventory while getting a singular view of customers and being able to conduct multi-channel data analysis.
Try out Lightspeed Retail with their free trialVISIT WEBSITEFREE TRIAL
What is unique about Lightspeed Retail?
- More than just a POS. Its wide array of capabilities that include quoting, invoicing, and ordering, among others, makes the solution a complete retail management system, complemented further by robust reporting features, timesheet, and job functionalities.
- Sell in-store and online. You get to hit two birds with one stone by combining retail POS with ecommerce functionality, so you never miss a sale. It allows you to centralize your inventory, sales, and reports on a single SEO-optimized back-end with built-in mobile capability.
- Track inventory across locations. You can track your entire inventory across different locations as the platform has a multi-store capability. You check inventory or sell from anywhere in your store with the use of an iPad.
- SEO and online store building. To help boost your search ranking, the software includes native SEO tools that you can use to add metadata to your products, along with page headings, product tags, and descriptions, and meta descriptions. You can also build visually stunning online stores with highly-customizable themes.
- Quick and easy set up. The platform is simple to set up, only requiring you to link your account to your Google user account, with personalized onboarding offered for free. Additional hardware is available, including barcode scanners, cash drawers, and receipt printers.
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KORONA
KORONA is a versatile, web-based POS software that can meet the needs of both small- and medium-size businesses and large companies. With your subscription, you’ll receive a complete POS with powerful features, such as inventory management, sales reports, employee permissions, customer loyalty, promotions, and a lot more.
Moreover, KORONA lets you manage your business operations more efficiently with features like automated ordering, retail loss prevention, reporting and metrics, and loyalty and CRM. It also integrates with most payment processing systems, so it’s cost-effective and you can easily set it up and start using it immediately for your business.
Try out KORONA with their free trialVISIT WEBSITEFREE TRIAL
What is unique about KORONA?
- Employee management. KORONA lets you assign roles and permissions to employees; thus, helping prevent business issues like retail loss/theft, comping, receipt cancellation, receipt voids, etc.
- Free 24/7 support. Whether it’s through chat, phone, or email, you will have access to expert technical support for your peace of mind.
- Franchise and multi-location. Transfer and sync your business data such as inventory reports to new locations as soon as they open. You can conveniently manage royalty payments from franchisees and run store-wide promotions or choose specific locations.
- Reporting and metrics. KORONA gives you insights into your business with in-depth sales metrics reporting. You can keep track of conversion rates, return rates, sell-through rates and more. Also, you can compare your sales between specific time periods to see where you can improve.
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Vend
Vend is a cloud-based point-of-sale and retail management platform that lets you effortlessly sell, manage, report, and grow your retail business. It offers a POS, multi-outlet retail capability, and an inventory management system, allowing you to run your business, whether online, in-store or on the go.
Vend is designed to work on the iPad for added flexibility aside from Mac and PC and supports mouse, keyboard, and touchscreen systems. With core functionalities built around inventory management, ecommerce, analytics, and customer loyalty, it helps you boost product management as well as track and organize customer data.
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Suitable for using a wide range of business types like electronics, health, and beauty, food and drink, toys and hobbies, jewelry, and others, the solution provides high customization that lets you modify the system for your specific operation. It can work with existing business systems, equipment, and hardware, including barcode scanners, receipt printers, and cash drawers. It is easy-to-use and straightforward, primarily requiring only a web browser on any device.
What is unique about Vend?
- Multi-device compatibility. Web-based or iPad POS can connect and work on iPad, Mac, or PC and syncs in the cloud so you can use one platform or all three.
- Works offline. Internet disconnection is no problem as you can continue with your selling operation with the system automatically resyncing your sales when you get back online.
- Built-in online store. Create a fully customizable online store in minutes and have your products online with just one click. No technical or web expertise is needed.
- Multi-task management. You can use an array of tools to manage cash, inventory, orders, central product catalog, pricing and promotions, reports and dashboards, and customer information.
- Customer management. It lets you store customer data in a single location, access customer history, import customer lists, and provide discounts. A single customer list can also be used for all branch locations, making sure that all information is constantly synced.
POS Nation
POS Nation is an all-in-one Point of Sale (POS) system built to the specific needs of restaurants, retailers, and specialty stores like pizzerias, tobacco shops, liquor stores, and specialty groceries. This POS software is acclaimed as an easy to use, powerful, and intuitive platform that enables small and midsized businesses to manage single or multi-location stores with total ease.
The solution provides capabilities for a complete sales lifecycle and tools for productive employee and inventory management. POS Nation offers robust customer loyalty tools to empower retailers to make the most out of their loyal and returning customers. Better still, the software enables store owners to print barcodes that ensure products are rung up more accurately and efficiently.
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Besides, POS Nation enables retailers to start making data-backed decisions, thanks to its powerful reporting and analytics module. POS Nation features work in unison to simplify sales, boost customer loyalty, and accelerate the checkout process to the delight of every customer. That’s not all; POS Nation’s hands-on approach allows you to blend, a POS software, hardware, and services to build a turnkey POS solution to manage every sales facet and support your business’ growth.
What is unique about POS Nation?
- Customizable system. The best thing about POS Nation is that it is customizable and can easily be configured to the specific needs of your store. The vendor provides the software, peripherals, and hardware, and allows you to tailor them to the needs of your business to maximize productivity and profitability.
- Streamlined sales process. Also, POS Nation provides all the tools you need to streamline the sales process lifecycle. From inventory management, custom barcode printing, and purchase order creation, the platform has all the features you need to handle the sales process and implement fast checkouts.
- In-depth analytics. More importantly, POS Nation comes with a robust reporting and analytics module. The module provides reports that save you time and enable you to gain the insights you need to make data-driven business decisions.
Revel Systems POS
Revel Systems POS is an iPad POS platform for restaurants and retail companies that promises to streamline both your stockroom and storefront. It is a comprehensive tool equipped with features ranging from order management and payment processing to CRM and loyalty program management. With this, you not only ensure that your administrative tasks are running smoothly but also gain the insights you need to get to know your customers better.
Another thing that makes Revel Systems POS unique from its competitors is that it’s built for accessibility and flexibility. For starters, it has an “always-on mode” that keeps it up and running even when your internet connection slows down or becomes unavailable. Also, it has an on-the-go option so you can check on your sales operations while you’re away. Last but not least, it can support a wide variety of third-party applications so you can connect it to your existing software ecosystem.
What is unique about Revel Systems POS?
- Completely digital solution. Go paperless while offering great customer experience and driving business productivity. The platform features superb customization capability, which makes it easy to tailor it to your business requirements.
- Touch function. This enables you to quickly and efficiently perform all the restaurant billing operations, giving you a quick glance dashboard, flexible and straightforward screen user interface, and image options for easily processing bills.
- Built-in customer experience management. Its CRM and loyalty module facilitates releasing vouchers, coupons, promotional SMS, and personalized offers to ensure your customers keep coming back.
- Always-On Mode. Revel Systems POS is built to remain operational despite internet connectivity problems. This way, you can process transactions seamlessly, even when there’s no WiFi. It will simply sync to the cloud once your internet is back on.
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Cybersys POS
Cybersys POS is a top solution for business owners looking for a system that works on any device. It is used by various types of retail businesses selling different products like mobile devices, clothing, beauty, cosmetics, books, sports apparel, and even groceries. You have the option to manage your data in the cloud or locally. It’s also complete with features such as financial data analysis, inventory management, customer loyalty programs, payment gateways, delivery management, and currency exchange.
This software is popular among small retail businesses because of its clear, unlimited, and no-hidden charges plans. Subscriptions have no limits over items, employees, and registers with options on using the system for 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year. Instead, you will only have to pay more when you expand with a new physical store.
Detailed Cybersys POS Review
What is unique about Cybersys POS?
- Clean user interface. The software’s user interface is designed with ease of use in mind. The Reports Interface, Items, and Item Kits are intuitive and easy-to-understand.
- Promotional Sales. Easily run promos by putting some items on sale and labeling them with messages like “Buy One Take One” or Get 50% Off on Selected Items.” These promos can help you boost sales and improve your inventory by letting go of some of your stocks.
- Multi-language support. To have a global solution, this tool supports up to 11 major languages, including Arabic, so customers from different parts of the world can easily shop in your store.
- Streamlined import and export. The software’s Import/Export tool simplifies and accelerates the process of transferring data like customers, suppliers, items, and gift cards to and from your system.
- Inventory management. To stay on top of your numerous products, the software is equipped with a robust inventory management tool that enables you to do whole or partial inventory counts and be updated with “Email Inventory” alerts.
AB POS
AB POS is one of the top retail POS solutions that offer robust POS terminals, ecommerce gateways, and software apps. This tool is built with scalability in mind to provide support as your business grows. You can make sure to stay connected with your business even when on the go, for free. A graphical dashboard interface and business intelligence are included at no cost in your monthly subscription plan.
While AB POS is known for its restaurant-based POS, it is just as reliable for retail businesses because it’s highly flexible for any business type and service-oriented process. Retail plans come in three options to suit your needs: a handheld solution, an SMB plan, and a full enterprise package.
The tool suits users who want to maximize rich analytics. It provides intelligent dashboards, store and cloud-based reporting, and data warehousing. The Cloud Portal offers rich business insights to help you run your retail business on your computer, laptop, tablet, and smartphone.
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What is unique about AB POS?
- Offsite data backup. In cases of disaster recovery, you won’t lose your data with its offsite database backup and storage solution.
- Remote setup. Cloud technology enables you to set up the system and store operational data remotely. You can manage and monitor your data from any location, even when you’re not in the store.
- Data warehouse archive. It has an analytics and business intelligence archive for your store’s data. It’s important to ensure your historical data is stored securely for retrieval.
- Scalable pricing. AB POS’ plans are specific to your needs and business size. It also has a custom pricing to tailor a plan that meets your requirements.
- Rich analytics. It generates insightful reports on transaction trends and sales to help you understand your business better. You can use these data to improve your workflows and eliminate bottlenecks.
Square
Square is a POS system that allows you to take payments using your iOS or Android devices and can be used on the counter or on-the-go. The system comes with free downloadable software plus a Square magstripe reader, enabling payments via debit and credit cards. It is also equipped with a real-time sales and inventory tracker, and item management platform. This simple to use POS helps your business get up and running quickly, letting you drag and drop items and categories, customize your items grid, and bring popular items front and center.
Two robust sets of tools are offered – a free Square POS for credit card processing and tracking sales, and the Square for Retail with intelligent and integrated tools purpose-built for more complex retail businesses. Square offers the capability to manage inventory, such as changing item details like price, name, or quantity in real-time. It also manages employee access to data with employee passcodes and keeps a tab on who sold and refunded what. Also, the system lets your employees clock in and out right at your point of sale and even links every transaction to the relevant employee.
Detailed Square Review
What is unique about Square?
- Multiple locations from one account. You get the multi-store capability that lets you edit your menu, employee timecards, and prices for different locations from anywhere, all through your Square Dashboard.
- Transaction-based pricing. Square charges a minimal percentage for every tap, dip, or swipe (representing your customer’s payment via credit card or mobile device) in your POS device (tablet or smartphone with Square magstripe reader or POS terminal with Square contactless reader).
- Extensive integration. The system can extend its functionality by seamlessly integrating with dozens of apps for accounting and tax, ecommerce, other POS systems, inventory, invoices, employee management, booking, and scheduling, among others. You can also create your own custom apps with the Square Connect API.
- Manage inventory anywhere. Simply sign in to your free Square Dashboard from any computer and manage your inventory from anywhere. It allows you to download current inventory reports, update bulk inventories, receive daily stock alert emails, and import thousands of products with CSV spreadsheets.
- Intelligent reports. Square provides feedback through intelligent reports and analytics, giving you insights on your operations and a real-time situation on your sales, customers, and more.
Miva Merchant
Miva Merchant is an example of an ecommerce tool that comes with a robust POS system for your retail business. This tool gives you all the features you need to showcase, promote and sell your products. It also has top-notch marketing integration to help you collect more visitors and convert them into customers.
Miva Merchant takes pride in its personalized buying experience. It empowers businesses to lower shopping cart abandonment rates, appeals to unique buyer needs, and utilize strategies for driving revenue and traffic. It also has features like intelligent product recommendations, curated shopping experience, check-out offers, cart abandonment tools, and scheduled promotions.
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What is unique about Miva Merchant?
- Convert and retain customers. It has tools like customer referral, loyalty solutions, subscriptions, and automatic reordering to help you convert visitors into customers and retain them.
- Promotions. Build customer loyalty by offering online coupons, scheduled promos, and conditional discounts.
- Customer engagement. It has user-generated content, cart abandonment tools, and interactive product visualizers to keep your customers engaged with your brand.
- Upsell and cross-sell. You can boost your customer purchases with its intelligent product recommendations, curated shopping experience, and in-context checkout offers.
- Integrations. It has numerous SEO and marketing platform integrations so you can easily market your business and attract new customers.
Clover
Clover is one of the most flexible retail POS systems around. It has various POS solutions tailored to how your business operates: Station for speed, Mini for a full POS that comes in a small size, Flex for processing payments beyond the counter and settle for an on-the-go swiping and tapping of payments using a mobile device. Meanwhile, users can opt for the Station + Mini to provide a POS solution on each side of the counter – for the customer and the salesperson.
Retail businesses can use the system for both stationary and mobile devices. Furthermore, the tool helps you manage everything – your employees, inventory, and payments. Basic features are already built-in so you can immediately set up and start your business. The customizable and fully-featured software is accessible anywhere since it syncs in the cloud.
Detailed Clover Review
What is unique about Clover?
- Built-in payments. You can accept payments directly by swiping and inserting the customer’s cards, scanning checks, and accepting gift cards right on your POS system.
- Gift cards. Increase customer loyalty and engagement by giving physical or digital gift cards. Customers can store and retrieve gift cards on their phones.
- Customer engagement. It has a customer database where you can manage customer loyalty programs. This feature also streamlines marketing by having quick access to promotions and customer feedback.
- Highly customizable system. You can mix and match the software and hardware you need based on your operations. Include the right features you need for your stationary and portable devices.
- Team management. Stay on top of your team by managing schedules, shifts, team structures, and responsibilities. You can also view your employees’ transactions, sales, refunds, and tips.
Conclusion
The restaurant industry is highly competitive, and the profit margins are fairly thin. And with stiff competition, restaurants are forced to do everything they can to cut costs and make money. One of the biggest costs for restaurants is staff pay, which can raise overhead expenses by thousands.