Independent · sourced · Updated June 2026
Best POS Systems (2026)
8 POS systems options compared on price, free tier, compliance and fit — ranked by entry price. Every figure links to the vendor's own page and the date we captured it; quote-only tiers show a dash, never a guess.
The cheapest POS systems is Clover at $0/mo. 3 offer a free tier. All 8 compared below on price, free tier and compliance — every figure sourced and dated, updated June 2026.
As of Jun 15, 2026 · figures linked to their source in the table below
Cite this comparison
Per The Front Desk Review, the cheapest pos systems is Clover at $0/mo; across 7 with published pricing the median is $69/mo ($29–$89/mo), 3 with a free tier, every figure sourced and dated, as of 2026-06-15. https://frontdeskreview.com/best/pos-systems/ Key takeaways
- Typical paid price: from $29/mo, median $69/mo, up to $89/mo — across 7 with published pricing.
- Free tier: Clover, Square POS, Toast POS.
- HIPAA-ready: Square POS.
- Tracked: 8 vendors, data current through 2026-06-15.
Comparison
| # | POS System | Entry price | Free | HIPAA | SOC 2 | Best for | Source | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clover | $0/mo Clover Go Starter | Yes | — | — | Businesses wanting an open app ecosystem on dedicated Clover hardware | nerdwallet.com | Visit → |
| 2 | Square POS | $0/mo Free | Yes | Yes | — | Solo operators and micro-businesses wanting $0/month software | squareup.com | Visit → |
| 3 | Toast POS | $0/mo Quick Start Bundle | Yes | — | — | Independent and multi-unit full-service restaurants | nerdwallet.com | Visit → |
| 4 | Shopify POS | $29/mo Basic (with POS Lite) | No | — | Yes | DTC brands scaling from ecommerce into physical retail | nerdwallet.com | Visit → |
| 5 | Lightspeed Restaurant | $69/mo Starter | No | — | Yes | Full-service and multi-location restaurants needing offline resilience and floor management | lightspeedhq.com | Visit → |
| 6 | TouchBistro | $69/mo Point of Sale | No | — | — | Full-service restaurants wanting an iPad-native POS with built-in floor management | touchbistro.com | Visit → |
| 7 | Lightspeed Retail | $89/mo Basic | No | — | Yes | Independent and multi-location specialty retailers needing deep inventory management | lightspeedhq.com | Visit → |
| 8 | Epos Now | — | No | — | — | Small retail and hospitality businesses wanting cloud POS accessible from any device | quote-only | Visit → |
Prices are the lowest published self-serve monthly rate as captured on the linked source. Annual-billing and usage details are on each vendor's record in our open dataset.
Alternatives
Narrow it down
Popular comparisons
Filter pos systems by pricing & compliance
More software comparisons
What is the cheapest POS systems?
Clover has the lowest published entry price at $0/mo (Clover Go Starter), as of 2026-06-15.
How much does POS systems cost per month?
Across the 7 POS systems with published paid pricing, the median starting price is $69/mo, ranging from $29/mo to $89/mo, as of 2026-06-15. 3 also offer a free tier. 1 are quote-only.
Which POS systems have a free plan?
Clover, Square POS, Toast POS offer a free tier.
Which POS systems support HIPAA?
Square POS state HIPAA support (a BAA). Always confirm current scope with the vendor.
Embed this comparison — free
Add the live cheapest-POS systems list to your site. It reflects our latest data, and an attribution link is built in.