The List and Comparison of the Best POS Systems for Restaurant:
A Restaurant POS system is an application that is used to track sales, cash flow, and food inventory. It helps restaurant owners in managing their business by simplifying the process of bookkeeping.
The use of POS Systems will not reduce the number of waiters or staff members, but it will remove the complications from the process of handling a large number of orders or a fast-dwindling inventory.
Some systems can keep track of the repeated visits by the customers to multiple branches. The systems have features like a customizable menu, customer management, staff performance tracking, and reports.
The below image will show you the details of the research on the features of the requirement for the Restaurant POS system.
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This research says that Inventory Management is the top feature and is required by 48% of restaurant owners.
Web-based Restaurant POS will cost around $50 to $200 per month. Traditionally, POS Systems are installed locally and hardware is required for that. This hardware will cost in the range of $2000 to $4000. A hardware bundle for web-based systems will be priced in the range of $450 to $1500.
Table of Contents:
List of Top Restaurant POS Systems
Enlisted below are the Top Restaurant POS Systems that are available in the market.
Comparing the BEST Restaurant POS Software
POS systems | Best for | Platform | Solutions for | Price |
---|---|---|---|---|
CAKE POS | Small to large businesses | Web and Mobile | Restaurants, eateries, and retail stores | Starts at $69/month |
TouchBistro | Small businesses. | Windows, Mac, Linux. | Restaurant, Quick Service, Pub & Nightclub, Food Truck, & Brewery. | Solo: $64 per month, Group: $58.78 per month, Team: $52.25 per month. |
Lightspeed | Small, Medium, & Large businesses | Windows, Mac, Linux | Quick Service, Cafe/Bakery, Bar/Nightclub, Hotel restaurant. | Starts at $103.18 per month. |
Toast POS | Small, Medium, & Large businesses | Windows, Mac, Linux | Fine Dining, Bar & Nightclub, Cafe & Bakery, Casual Dining, Fast Casual, & Enterprises. | Software: $79/ terminal Installation: Starts at $499. Payments: Simple flat rate. Hardware: 0% financing. |
Shopify POS | Small to mid-sized businesses | Web, iOS and Android | Small businesses, retail, multi-store operations | Starts at $5/month |
Nobly | Small businesses. | Windows & Mac | Cafe, Bar, Restaurant, Barbershop, QSR, & Retail. | $51 per month for first register plus $32.7 per month for additional registers. |
#1) CAKE POS
Price: CAKE POS offers the following plans. Its essentials plan will cost you $69/month. The Plus and Pro plans will cost you $125/month and $295/month respectively.
With CAKE POS, you get an easy-to-use point-of-sale system that simplifies how you take orders and payments. The software makes online ordering as seamless as possible by facilitating contactless curbside pickup and delivery. The software provides you with real-time reports, which can be accessed from your desktop or mobile.
Features:
- Tableside Ordering
- QR Code Payments
- Real-time reporting
- Integrated marketing tools
Verdict: With CAKE, you get a complete POS solution, which consists of cloud-based software, hardware, payment machines, and printers. The system can cater to restaurants of all sizes and enhance various aspects of a restaurant business.
#2) TouchBistro
Price: It has four pricing plans i.e. Solo ($64 per month), Group ($58.78 per month), Team ($52.25 per month), and Unlimited (Get a quote).
TouchBistro is the smart solution for Restaurant POS system. It supports contactless payment with integrated payment processors. You can store ingredient lists, allergy information, and images for each menu. With this EPOS system, your staff can answer any menu questions.
Features:
- It has features for tableside ordering and restaurant table management.
- It has payment processing solutions.
- It has features for restaurant inventory management.
- It has functionalities for Menu management and CRM.
Verdict: TouchBistro is an iPad EPOS system. The solution is offered as a single-iPad or multi-iPad configuration. TouchBistro Reports will help you with decisions like bringing in more staff and providing insights about which items are making more money.
#3) Lightspeed
Price: Lightspeed offers a free trial. You can contact them to get a quote. The most popular plan of Lightspeed starts at $103.18 per month.
Lightspeed is the ePOS system for full service, quick service, cafes, and hotel restaurants. It can provide 24/7 unlimited support, one-on-one Onboarding, or webinars, demos, and videos. It has features for Inventory management, Tableside ordering, staff management, Multi-store management, and Reporting.
Features:
- It works in offline mode with fully featured and automatic syncs and backups.
- It provides the features for on-the-spot service.
- It supports all swipes and transfers.
- It can handle taps and tips. It will also allow you to set tip redistribution for the team.
- All the data and reports are available on iPad, mobiles, and desktops.
Verdict: Lightspeed is a scalable solution that can manage everything from one place. Lightspeed provides an uninterrupted service by working with and without the Internet.
Visit Lightspeed Restaurant POS Website >>
#4) Toast POS
Price: Toast POS software will cost you $79 per terminal. Hardware starter bundle is available at 0% financing. The installation prices start at $499.
Toast POS is a restaurant Point of Sale and management system. It can be customized as per your needs for Fine Dining, Bar & Nightclub, Cafe & Bakery, Casual Dining, Fast Casual, & Enterprises.
Features:
- It is scalable and easy to use.
- It has features for Tableside ordering.
- It provides cloud-based reports.
- It works in offline mode.
- For any transaction, there will be simple, flat-rate payment processing.
Verdict: Toast POS system is easy to use. It has a Quick Order feature for a speedy transaction and can be used for all types of food service businesses.
#5) Shopify POS
Price: Shopify POS offers the below subscription plans:
Sell In Person:
- Starter: $5/month
- Retail: $89/month
Sell Everywhere:
- Basic: $39/month
- Small Teams: $105/month
- Entrepreneurs: $399/month
Shopify POS offers an excellent omnichannel point-of-sale system with integrated hardware and exceptional software. Together, you get a POS system that makes the prospect of selling online and in person very simple. Whether it is managing inventory, handling sales, or processing payments, Shopify POS streamlines it all.
Features:
- Omnichannel Sales Management
- Detailed Reporting and Analytics
- Customer Data Management
- Inventory Management
- Staff Management
Verdict: Shopify POS benefits from the goodwill that Shopify has managed to muster in its lifetime as one of the best e-commerce platforms out there. Although excellent for all types of businesses, this POS system works best when integrated with a Shopify-run online store. We would suggest you go for this software for its simplicity and excellent set of features.
#6) Nobly
Price: A Free 15-minute demo is available. Nobly will cost you $51 per month for the first register and $32.7 per month for additional registers. These packages include 24/7 support and they work with the existing payment systems.
Nobly Restaurant POS system is easy to use. It provides security features through dedicated accounts and secure passcodes. It will allow you to set the permissions for staff members. It makes communication faster through automated messages from the front-of-house to the kitchen. It can be integrated with the card reader.
Features:
- Table management
- Real-time ingredients tracking.
- Kitchen Display Unit
- Reports for Sales and Inventory.
Verdict: Nobly restaurant POS provides an overview of your restaurant at a glance or you can view each customer’s order separately. It has features like Mobile Reports, Kitchen Display Unit, and integrations with Zero, Deputy, & QB.
#7) Simphony Cloud Restaurant POS
Price: The product tour is available. You can contact the company for its pricing details. As per the online reviews, it will cost you around $5000 as a one-time fee.
Simphony is the Hospitality Management platform by Oracle. This cloud and mobile platform have back-office functionality. It can be used for a wide range of food and beverage operations. It has capabilities for enforcing brand, menu, employee management standards globally. It will also allow for localization.
Features:
- Inventory Management
- Table reservations
- Reports.
- Gift and loyalty
Further Reading => Most Popular Reservation System Software
Verdict: Simphony is a cloud-based POS system for modern hospitality. It has real-time reporting and financial analysis capabilities. With this platform, you can keep the menu and prices globally consistent.
#8) Kitchen CUT
Price: Kitchen CUT offers a free trial for 14 days. It has four pricing plans i.e. Basic, Regular, Premium, and Ultimate.
Kitchen CUT food & beverage management system is an online platform for restaurant management. It provides software for Chef, Recipe, Food Costing, Menu Planning, Restaurant Management, Kitchen Management, and Restaurant POS.
Features:
- It will allow you to add new properties as per your requirements.
- It will provide instant insights and analytics.
- It tracks sales and GPs.
- You will be able to see the group performance at a glance.
Verdict: Kitchen CUT restaurant POS is a cloud-based solution with features like billing & invoicing, inventory management, kitchen management, menu management, and Reports.
Conclusion
Restaurant POS system includes payment terminals, touch screens, and some other hardware & software. As we have seen the top restaurant POS, Nobly and TouchBistro are best for small businesses.
Toast POS and Lightspeed are best for any type of business. Simphony is a cloud-based system for modern hospitality by Oracle. Kitchen CUT is an online platform for food and beverage management.
Hope this article will help you in choosing the right restaurant POS system.