US POS systems compared
The best POS system for small business, by type of store.
Every POS vendor claims to be the best. The honest answer depends on whether you sell online, how many registers you run, who processes your cards and how much inventory you carry. Here is how eight retail POS systems compare, including ours, with a pointer for restaurants.
In short
The best POS system for a small business depends on how the store sells. Square suits new businesses that want a free plan and built-in payments. Shopify POS suits stores that also sell online. Lightspeed and KORONA POS suit larger or multi-location retailers. Clover suits buyers who want proprietary hardware. POS2026 suits independent stores that want inventory, vendors, house accounts and profit in one browser app.
This guide is written by POS2026, one of the systems it covers, so it is not an independent review, and we have not put POS2026 first. Each system gets a "best for" line and the main thing to check, based on the vendor's own website wherever we could.
Facts were checked on 5 November 2026, in US dollars. Where a vendor's page would not load and a figure came from a search listing, a press release or the vendor's blog, we say so. Prices change often, so confirm them with the vendor before you sign.
Summary table
Eight retail POS systems at a glance.
Listed in no particular order. Software prices are per month.
| System | Best for | Software cost | Payment processing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square | New stores that want a free plan and built-in payments | Free; Plus $49 and Premium $149 per location | Square only; 2.6% + 15¢ in person on Free |
| Clover | Stores that want proprietary hardware | Starter $0 to Retail Growth $84.95–$104.90 | Clover only; 2.6% + 10¢ or 2.3% + 10¢ |
| Shopify POS | Stores that also sell online | Shopify Basic $39; POS Pro $89 per location | From 2.6% + 10¢; 0.2% to 2% extra with other providers |
| Lightspeed Retail | Growing multi-location retailers | From $89 | Lightspeed Payments reported as required |
| KORONA POS | Multi-register and franchise retailers | $59, $79 or $99 per terminal | Any processor; no percentage of sales |
| Loyverse | Tight budgets and unreliable internet | Free core; add-ons from $5 | Partner processors |
| Hike POS | Retailers choosing their own processor | Essential $59–$69; Plus $99–$119 | Any supported provider; HikePay optional |
| POS2026 | Inventory, vendors and profit alongside the register | Subscription after a free trial; see plan prices in the app | Not a processor; use any provider |
Checked on 5 November 2026. Square figures are from its 6 October 2025 press release and ace.squareup.com; Clover and Lightspeed from their US pricing pages as shown in search results, because the pages did not load for us; Shopify from its blog (23 April 2026); KORONA POS, Loyverse and Hike from their pricing pages. Hike prices vary with annual or monthly billing. Every product name here is a trademark of its owner, and POS2026 has no affiliation with any of these companies.
Square: best for getting started
Best for: new stores that want to take cards with no monthly fee.
Square moved US sellers to Free, Plus ($49 a month per location) and Premium ($149) plans in October 2025, with in-person rates of 2.6% + 15¢, 2.5% + 15¢ and 2.4% + 15¢. There are no setup fees or contracts, and Square sells its own hardware. Check: stock intake and purchase orders sit in the paid retail tiers. More in our Square comparison.
Clover: best for proprietary hardware
Best for: stores that want Clover's purpose-built devices, often bought through their bank.
Clover's retail plans run from Starter at $0 to Retail Growth at $84.95–$104.90 a month, and hardware such as Compact is $349 or $16 a month over 36 months, as listed in search results. Clover processing is required. Check: contract terms are set by whoever sells it to you. See our Clover comparison.
Shopify POS: best for stores that sell online
Best for: retailers who run a Shopify online store and want one inventory for both channels.
According to Shopify's blog, Basic costs $39 a month and POS Pro $89 a month per location, with in-person rates from 2.6% + 10¢ on Basic. Check: a payment provider other than Shopify Payments adds a fee of 0.2% to 2%. See our Shopify POS comparison.
Lightspeed Retail: best for scaling up
Best for: retailers adding locations, with a large range and an online store.
Lightspeed Retail is built for retailers who are scaling up, with advanced inventory across locations and ecommerce in the same system. Its US pricing page listed plans from $89 a month in search results. Check: new customers are reported to need Lightspeed Payments, and each account sells in one currency. See our Lightspeed comparison.
KORONA POS: best for many registers
Best for: retailers with several registers or stores, franchises, and businesses that also sell tickets.
KORONA POS works with any processor and says it never takes a percentage of sales. Plans are $59, $79 or $99 per terminal a month, month-to-month with no setup fees, with an unlimited free trial and a 60-day money-back guarantee on software. Check: per-terminal pricing adds up in a store with many registers.
Loyverse: best on a tight budget
Best for: very small stores, cafés and stalls that want a free POS that works offline.
You pay nothing for the core app. Full sales history is $9 a month per store, Advanced Inventory $25 per store and Employee Management $5 per employee. It works offline on iOS and Android devices. Check: integrated card payments are limited to partner processors. See our Loyverse comparison.
Hike POS: best for processor choice
Best for: retailers who want retail tools and ecommerce with a payment provider of their choice.
Hike adds 0% transaction fees of its own. Essential is $59–$69 a month and Plus $99–$119, depending on billing, with a 14-day free trial and cancel-anytime terms; HikePay is optional. Check: there is no free plan, and accounting integrations are an add-on on higher plans.
POS2026: best for running the back office
Best for: independent stores that want inventory, vendors, house accounts, expenses and profit in the same app as the register.
POS2026 is a subscription that runs in any web browser, so you can open the same records on a back-office laptop or a counter tablet. Each sale updates inventory and income, vendor deliveries update stock, and house-account sales stay on the Due List until paid. It is not a processor, so you keep your own, and there is a free trial. Check: there is no offline mode, online store or integrations.
For restaurants: Toast and others
This guide covers retail. If you run a restaurant, look at a POS built for restaurants, such as Toast, or the restaurant products from Square and Clover. POS2026 is not designed for table service or kitchens.
How to choose a POS for your small business
- Choose Square if you are just starting and want a free plan with payments built in.
- Choose Shopify POS if your online store is a big part of the business.
- Choose Clover if you want its hardware and are happy with Clover processing.
- Choose Lightspeed if you are growing across locations and want ecommerce in the same platform.
- Choose KORONA POS if you run many registers or a franchise and want to keep your processor.
- Choose Hike if you want retail tools and an online store with your own payment provider.
- Choose Loyverse if cost decides it or your internet drops often.
- Choose POS2026 if you want inventory, vendors, house accounts and profit in one browser app with your own processor.
Tip. Ask every vendor the same three questions: what will a year cost at my card volume, can I use my own processor, and what happens if I want to leave?
Sources
Questions
Common questions.
Straight answers for shop owners, based on what POS2026 actually does.
What is the best POS system for a small retail business?
The one that handles your inventory and checkout without locking you into costs you do not need. Stores that mainly take cards often start with Square. Stores with a lot of inventory, vendors and house accounts should look at retail-focused systems such as KORONA POS, Hike, Lightspeed or POS2026.
Which POS systems have no processing fees?
Every card payment carries a processing fee from someone; the question is whether the POS company takes it. KORONA POS, Hike, Loyverse and POS2026 do not make you use their own processing, so you can shop around. Square and Clover use their own, Lightspeed is reported to require its own, and Shopify adds a fee for outside providers.
How much does a POS system cost per month?
Software runs from $0 on free plans, such as Square Free, Clover Starter and Loyverse's core, to $149 a month or more on advanced plans, and some systems charge per register or per location. Add card processing, usually a percentage plus a few cents per sale, and any hardware.
Do I need a POS system with a contract?
No. Square, KORONA POS and Hike advertise no contracts or cancel-anytime terms, and POS2026 can be cancelled at any time from your subscription settings. Clover terms depend on the bank or reseller, so read the agreement before you sign.
Can POS2026 replace a cash register?
It can for many small stores. POS2026 runs in a browser on a computer or tablet, records every sale and how the customer paid, and prints the invoice where a printer is set up. You will still need a card terminal from your processor, and a barcode scanner if you want to scan.
Is this guide independent?
No. It is written by POS2026, which is one of the systems compared. The sources section lists where every figure came from, so you can check them against the vendors' own sites.
Running a retail store? Try POS2026.
Start a free trial in your browser, add your inventory and see how vendors, house accounts and profit fit together.
