Updated October 2026 · 10 compared
10 POS systems compared across 40 head-to-heads.
Every matchup is scored round by round on what matters most: what the software costs, what customers say on trustpilot, who picks up when the till is down, how long you are locked in.
Ranked by overall score
Pick Toast if you want Toast's edge on who picks up when the till is down and what it costs to get a card reader.
Pick Square if you want Square's edge on how long you are locked in and what customers say on trustpilot.
Pick PayPal Zettle if you want PayPal Zettle's edge on what each card sale costs and who picks up when the till is down.
Pick SumUp if you want SumUp's edge on who picks up when the till is down and what customers say on trustpilot.
Pick TouchBistro if you want TouchBistro's edge on who picks up when the till is down and what the top plan costs.
Pick Lightspeed if you want Lightspeed's edge on who picks up when the till is down.
Pick Clover if you want Clover's edge on who picks up when the till is down and trying it before you pay.
Pick Epos Now if you want Epos Now's edge on what customers say on trustpilot.
Pick Shopify POS if you want Shopify POS's edge on who picks up when the till is down and what it costs to get a card reader.
Pick Shift4 if you want Shift4's edge on what it costs to get a card reader and who picks up when the till is down.
Sort any column, tick products to go head-to-head · hover the edges or drag to see more
| 1ToastScore 7.2 | Starter Kit from $0/mo | 2.7 out of 5 | 24/7 support | 2 to 3 years | $0 upfront for first device | Point of Sale from $69/mo | — | Offline mode takes cards | 9–0 | 100 % | 58 % | |
| 2SquareScore 6.8 | $0/mo (Square Free) | 3.7 out of 5 | weekday hours on the free plan | No contract | Reader from $59 | Premium $149/mo | 2.6% + 15¢ | Offline payments on every plan | 6–3 | 67 % | 53 % | |
| 3PayPal ZettleScore 6.7 | $0 | 1.4 out of 5 | 9:00 am - 5:00 pm on weekdays (no timezone) | No contract | $29 | — | 2.29% + 9¢ | Only via third-party SDK apps | 4–2 | 67 % | 49 % | |
| 4SumUpScore 6.6 | $199 | 4.2 out of 5 | phone daily 9am to 9pm ET | 12 months | SumUp Plus reader $54 | SumUp POS from $99/mo | 2.6% + 10¢ | Offline mode (Solo reader) | 2–2–5 | 50 % | 39 % | |
| 5TouchBistroScore 6.6 | $69 | 1.5 out of 5 | 24/7 support | variable Initial Term per Sales Quote, auto-renews for an equivalent period | — | Essentials Bundle from $119/mo | — | Offline payments | 2–3–2 | 40 % | 33 % | |
| 6LightspeedScore 6.6 | $89 | 3.7 out of 5 | 24/7 phone and chat support | — | — | Plus $289/mo, billed annually | 2.6% + 10¢ | Offline selling mode | 3–4–2 | 43 % | 37 % | |
| 7CloverScore 6.6 | $29.95/mo | 1.9 out of 5 | 24/7 phone support | 36 months | $199 | Services Growth $84.95/mo | 2.6% + 10¢ in person (Starter) | Offline payments up to 7 days | 4–4–1 | 50 % | 41 % | |
| 8Epos NowScore 6.5 | $39 | 4.3 out of 5 | 9am-6pm; 24/7 is paid package | 1 to 5 years | $399 | — | 2.6% + 10¢ per card | Offline mode | 2–3–1 | 40 % | 32 % | |
| 9Shopify POSScore 6.2 | Basic $39/mo | 1.3 out of 5 | 24/7 customer support | Cancel anytime | $49 | Advanced $399/mo | 2.6% + 10¢ in person | Offline card payments | 1–8 | 11 % | 28 % | |
| 10Shift4Score 6.1 | $29.99/month | 1.4 out of 5 | 24/7/365 support | Not stated | $0 upfront (reader in bundle) | — | 2.75% + 15¢ standard rate | Takes cards offline | 1–5–1 | 17 % | 21 % |
40 round-by-round comparisons — here are the top-ranked match-ups
vsSquare vs Toast→vsToast vs PayPal Zettle→vsToast vs SumUp→vsSquare vs PayPal Zettle→vsSquare vs SumUp→vsToast vs TouchBistro→vsToast vs Lightspeed→vsSquare vs TouchBistro→vsSumUp vs PayPal Zettle→How these are scored: our ranking method. We may earn a commission from links on this page — disclosure.