Written by Tatiana Lebreton Reviewed by Oliver Simpson Updated on 18 June 2024 On this page The 5 Best POS Systems for Small Businesses: Comparison 1. SpotOn: Best for Simplifying Staff Scheduling and Communication 2. Square for Retail: Best All-around Retail POS System 3. Toast: Best for Established Restaurants with Complex Operations 4. Clover: Best for Professional Hardware 5. Epos Now: Best for New and Small Retail Businesses How to Choose a POS System for Your Small Business Verdict How We Test POS Systems for Small Businesses FAQs Expand Our site is reader-supported – by clicking our links, we can match you with a potential supplier, and we may earn a small commission for this referral. When choosing a POS system suitable for a small business, it’s important to find a balance between price and functionality. Bearing this in mind, we tested several POS systems, and awarded SpotOn the top spot in our ranking of the best POS systems for small businesses in Canada. A relative newcomer – it’s only been around for eight years – it’s creating stirs in the industry with its free plan that includes both hardware and software.This makes it the most affordable POS solution for small businesses, bumping Square – which has a free software plan but still charges for hardware – down to second place.In 2024, POS systems are for far more than just taking payments. At their core, they help businesses run smoothly by tracking orders and inventory, and even by facilitating marketing through loyalty programs. They’re an essential part of any small business’s tool kit, from restaurants and coffee shops to convenience and apparel stores. So, along with SpotOn, here are four of the best: What are the best POS systems for Canadian small businesses? SpotOn – Best for simplifying staff scheduling and communicationSquare for Retail – Best all-around retail POS systemToast – Best for established restaurants with complex operationsClover – Best for professional hardwareEpos Now – Best for new and small retail businessesIf you’re short on time, you can get quotes from trusted POS providers directly through our free quote comparison tool. Simply answer a few questions, and we’ll match you with the most suitable provider. Why you can trust Expert Market for POS recommendations At Expert Market, we’ve conducted extensive research into the POS industry, getting hands-on with the top products to see if they really are as useful as they claim to be. In total, we’ve tested 16 different POS systems. In this article, we’ve included the five we think are best suited to small businesses.We devised an in-house scoring system to impartially evaluate POS systems across several categories, from hardware and software, to ease-of-use, value for money, and help and support options. Find out exactly how we test POS systems further on down in this article. The Best POS Systems for Small Businesses in Canada: Side-by-side ComparisonHere’s a quick summary of what you’ll get for your money with each POS system: Swipe right to see more 0 out of 0 backward forward SpotOn Square Toast Clover Epos Now Price Quickstart – $0/monthCounter-service – $99/month +$3 per employee/monthFull-service – $135/month +$3 per employee/month Price From $0/month Price From $120/month Price Custom Price From $949 (one-off fee) then $107/month Key features Free plan that includes hardwareCloud-based platformOffline functionality$1,000 setup + training feeApp for managing shifts, tips, and payroll Key features Free software plan (software only)Tablet-based appRetail specific packageSells wide range of hardwareFree online store builder Key features Dedicated restaurant POSAvailable through hardware and an Android appExtensive cost management featuresOnline and mobile ordering (paid add-on) Key features Cloud-based systemCustom POS hardware and software packagesLow transaction feesFingertip loginWide range of hardware Key features Available on hardware, IOS, Android, PC, and MacNo monthly feesWide range of hardware and accessoriesGreat profit management tools Ease of Use 4.0 Ease of Use 4.8 Ease of Use 4.4 Ease of Use 4.0 Ease of Use 2.4 1. SpotOn: Best for Simplifying Staff Scheduling and CommunicationPrice from: $0 per month software and hardware, $99-$135 per month (premium software only) SpotOn 4.9 Who’s it for? Variety of food and beverage establishments (bars, sit-down restaurants, takeouts) with multiple staff members. Read more + Read less - Suitable for Owners seeking a low-risk option (zero-contracts) Owner/managers who need seamless staff management Small to mid-sized restaurants with 1-3 locations Not suitable for Retail store owners Those who want to purchase additional accessories Owners who want a tablet-based system Pricing See more See less Plan costsHardware costsTransaction fees Quickstart plan (hardware + software) $0/month (pay in transaction fees) 10 inch SpotOn Counter, stand (with cash drawer and receipt printer) $850 one-off fee On Quickstart plan 2.89% + 25¢ Counter-service plan (software only) $99/mo +$3 per employee/month 15 inch SpotOn Station, stand (with cash drawer and receipt printer) $750 one-off fee On all other plans 1.99% + 25¢ Full-service plan (software only) $135/mo +$3 per employee/month KDS $600 one-off fee Gallery See more See less Click to expand Photo: We had no trouble finding where to set up a discount, thanks to SpotOn's menu search bar. Source: Expert Market Photo: We wished SpotOn had a drag and drop editor for its table plan. Instead, we had to click a + button to add tables. Source: Expert Market Photo: With SpotOn, we were able to assign items to different guests and group them either in one check (as seen here), or different checks. Source: Expert Market Key featuresFree plan that includes hardware (pay through transaction fees)Cloud-based platform (view data from anywhere)Automatic offline functionality$1,000 one-off setup and onsite training feeApp for managing shifts, tips, and payrollSpotOn is the best POS system for staff scheduling, thanks to its proprietary “Teamwork” app. It integrates seamlessly with the POS system, and acts as a unified platform for shift and tip management, payroll administration, labor costs projection, and employee communication.This can help you better manage employees, leading to increased retention and reduced turnover, a key problem plaguing many small hospitality businesses.You’ll get access to the Teamwork app on the $99 per month Counter-service and $135 per month Full-service plans, but you’ll need to pay for it as an add-on on the free Quickstart plan.This doesn’t mean you’re getting a sore deal with the Quickstart plan. It’s a free POS solution that offers both software and hardware, payed for in slightly high transaction fees. We haven’t found anything like it in the industry. Not even Square includes hardware in its free software plan.SpotOn’s also has some nifty features. There’s a drag-and-drop function for bill splitting, making it easy to assign items to specific customers, and the system can generate reports in charts and graphs form, for clear visualization. Not all POS systems do this, with this feature missing from Epos Now for example.With SpotOn, we were able to assign items to different guests and group them either in one check (as seen here), or different checks. Source: Expert Market SpotOn: Testing summary SpotOn falls somewhere in the middle when it comes to ease-of-use. Most tasks weren’t challenging, but it wasn’t as much of a breeze to use as Clover. Some tasks we struggle with a little were creating a floor plan, because the editor wasn’t drag and drop like Clover or Square, and finding menu items when creating an order. As one tester noted, there’s no search function, so they had to scroll through a “massive long list of items” to find the ones they needed.However, it doesn’t have the most extensive hardware selection, which is limited to two countertop terminals and a handheld POS device. KDSs are available through SpotOn’s partnership with Fresh KDS, but that’s it. And, while SpotOn offers onsite training for both you and your employees, this and the setup costs will set you back around $1,000.For a provider with a wide range of hardware and accessories, we recommend Square or Clover. SpotOn hardware prices seem a little steep? SpotOn has financing options for its countertop stand, terminal station, and KDS, so you can break setup costs down into smaller payments. 2. Square for Retail: Best All-around Retail POS SystemPrice from: $0-$79 per month for software only, plus custom plan Square for Retail 4.8 Square POS Review Who’s it for? Retail stores with one to three locations that also sell online. Read more + Read less - Suitable for Owners seeking a low-risk option (zero-contracts) Businesses that want to integrate an online store Small to mid-sized, multi-location stores Not suitable for Owners who need cost & profit management tools Businesses that need a training mode for employees Users who want low processing fees Pricing See more See less Software costsHardware Transaction fees Free $0 Card reader $69 one-off fee On Free plan 2.65% Plus $79/month Square Register (includes customer facing screen) $899 one-off fee On Plus plan 2.6% Square Terminal (card machine with receipt printer) $399 one-off fee Square Stand (iPad stand with built-in card reader) $249 one-off fee Gallery See more See less Click to expand Photo: We didn't have any trouble setting up a discount with Square. We just chose the item and specified the discount percentage. Source: Expert Market Photo: Listing an item in Square is pretty straightforward. You enter a type, name, and description, and select at what location its sold. Source: Expert Market Photo: Square's clearly signposted dashboard is part of what makes it easy to use. We weren't left wondering where different functions were. Source: Expert Market Key featuresFree software plan (does not include hardware costs)Tablet-based software appRetail specific packageWide range of hardware (from terminals to barcode scanners)Free online store builderSquare for Retail is the best POS system for small retail businesses. It’s managed to stay on our list for several years thanks to its integrated free retail POS software and free online store builder.Free doesn’t mean substandard with Square. Its free POS software plan comes with premium features such as multi-site stock tracking, employee management for up to five members (shift tracking and scheduling), and customizable gift card creation. And if you sell online via a Square online store, you’ll be able to seamlessly track orders and sales across platforms.You’ll still have to pay for equipment, since hardware isn’t included in the free plan, unlike with SpotOn. However, since Square is a tablet-based POS system, if you already own an iPad, you could limit your purchases to the $69 Square reader, or the $249 iPad stand with a built-in reader.We found Square very easy to use overall, thanks to the platforms clear sign posting, exemplified here in the menu sidebar. Source: Expert Market Square: Testing summary We found Square generally very easy to use. The backend was quite intuitive, and we had no trouble listing items. We did struggle a little with more complex tasks like applying discounts to an order, with one tester noting that they “couldn’t find a way to add [a discount] to all the [items in a basket]” at once, and so had to do it individually.Square is also a scalable option. As your business grows, you can upgrade to the $79 per month Plus plan, or even the custom plan, and get access to advanced inventory management and reporting features, such as stock forecasting (recommendations on what to reorder), supplier management, and profit forecasting.There is a limit to Square’s scalability. The reporting tools on the Plus might not be able to manage more than three locations, so you’d be quickly forced into unknown pricing territory with the custom plan. For a cheaper alternative, we recommend Epos Now. It’s got great reporting tools, which include cost vs profit management, and it bundles the price of its hardware and software into a one-off fee.Square’s transaction fees are also quite high, at 2.6% even on the paid Plus plan, which could eat into your profits. For low transaction fees, Clover is your best bet, offering custom rates. Can't save up for Square's hardware? Square give you the option of paying in installments, over 12 months, for most of its terminals. ▶ Read more: Best iPad POS Systems 3. Toast: Best for Established Restaurants with Complex OperationsPrice from: $120-$220 per month for software and hardware, plus custom plan Toast 4.7 Who’s it for? Restaurants with a large menu or multiple locations Read more + Read less - Suitable for Medium to large establishments Restaurants with complex and large inventories Businesses looking to build a customer community Not suitable for Businesses that have iPads and require an iOS solution Small cafes or restaurants with simple inventories Owners who want a knowledge center for support Pricing See more See less Starter plan (software and terminal) Essentials plan (software, terminal, handheld POS, KDS) Transaction fees From $120/month From $220/month Custom Gallery See more See less Click to expand Photo: We really like Toast's drag and drop editor, which made creating a floor plan very easy. Source: Expert Market Photo: Toast's CounterTop POS system could be the most affordable option for businesses struggling to spend money upfront - Source: Toast Photo: When you arrive on the home screen in Toast's backend, you'll see an overview of the day's sales and order history. Source: Expert Market Key featuresDedicated restaurant POS systemAvailable through hardware and an Android appExtensive cost management featuresOnline and mobile ordering (paid add-on)Toast is the best POS system for restaurants with complex operations because it has a large array of inventory and profit management tools. These include food and recipe cost management, low stock alerts, and kitchen productivity reporting (only available on the Essentials plan). That last one is missing from Epos Now and SpotOn’s tool kit.These features are essential for minimizing waste and increasing profit lines, especially for restaurants that juggle a large menu.The $120 per month Starter plan is better value for money than the $220 per month Essentials plan, since both plans have almost exactly the same features. The main difference between the two is that the Essentials plan comes with a handheld POS device and a KDS, as opposed to just a POS terminal.Whichever hardware kit you choose, you should rest easy knowing that, since Toast is engineered for restaurants, all its hardware is built to withstand heat, grease, and spills. We were impressed by the Toast terminal when we tested it, finding it responsive, bright, and the perfect height for typing, unlike Epos Now’s, which was mounted a little too high for comfort.On top of being heat and spill resistant, Toast's POS terminal comes with flexible screens. This can improve visibility for employees and customers alike. Source: Expert Market Toast: Testing summary Toast was “very very simple to use”, according to ones of our testers, especially when completing basic tasks such as creating floorplans and menus. We even had little trouble with more complex tasks like splitting bills and applying discounts. The main action we found difficult was setting up tip sharing policies for employees.You can also take your restaurant online with online and mobile ordering, using Toast’s delivery services and takeout app, a recent addition to its Canadian suite. However, this is an add-on, so it costs extra, and Toast isn’t transparent about how much add-ons cost. Other useful add-ons whose price isn’t disclosed include employee scheduling, gift card creation, and built-in integrations.If you want a provider that’s fully transparent with its costs, we recommend Square’s restaurant POS systems. It’s the provider with the clearest pricing.An, given its high starting price and the fact that you might need to pay extra for features like marketing or scheduling, Toast is on the expensive side when it comes to restaurant POS systems. So, if you’ve got a simple menu, you’ll do better with SpotOn. 4. Clover: Best for Professional HardwarePricing: Custom (monthly plans for hardware and software, or upfront hardware purchases) Clover 4.4 Pricing Custom Clover Review Who’s it for? Both food and beverage establishments and retail stores, with at least one fixed physical location. Read more + Read less - Suitable for Busy establishments experiencing rapid growth Businesses who want to deep dive into their analytics Owners who want cheap processing fees Not suitable for Small pop ups or establishments with small inventories Owners who want transparent pricing Users who want automated tip sharing tools Pricing See more See less Hardware and softwareTransaction fees Custom packages Custom (example rate: 1.0% + 10¢) Gallery See more See less Click to expand Photo: We could customize all aspects of Clover's floorplan, besides table color, which is a bit of a shame. Source: Expert Market Photo: We like the Clover Flex a lot. It wasn't too heavy to hold, and we could access the full software dashboard directly from it. Source: Expert Market Photo: We appreciated that we were able to see reports on Clover in graphs and chart form, since it made interpreting data easy. Source: Expert Market Key featuresCloud-based (access data from anywhere)Custom POS hardware and software packagesLow transaction feesFingertip loginWide range of hardware (from terminals to barcode scanners)Clover is the best EPOS system for small businesses seeking professional hardware that can handle any environment, from retail stores to coffee shops and restaurants.We tested its most popular piece of kit is the Clover Station Duo, which is a countertop POS terminal that comes with an employee and customer-facing screen, a card machine, and a cash drawer. It impressed us with its sleek design and responsive touch-screen, and fingerprint login, which allows staff to quickly enter in orders. You can also customize the customer display and use it to show off promotional items.Another popular item is the Clover Flex, a small handheld POS device that can be used on its own, or paired with larger Clover terminals. We found it to be very light, despite its size, making it especially great for serving customers on the shop or restaurant floor.Clover’s unified cloud-based system can be used to track inventory, profits, and employee performance across multiple locations. We also found it quite easy to use, despite its advanced features such as stock alerts and profit tracking.The system is, however, missing a key tool for restaurants. It has no automated tip sharing, a feature you can get with Toast. Additionally, Clover’s opaque pricing can understandably put some small business owners off.Clover used to advertise its pricing for Canada, but now only does so for the US market. Based on the US prices, we’d say it’s in the same range as Toast, so, on the expensive side. To offset this, Clover has cheap processing fees, around 1.0% + 10¢ per transaction, far less than SpotOn or Square’s fees. Clover: Testing summary We had no trouble assigning orders to guests and splitting bills with Clover, unlike on platforms like Square. The only thing that was slightly more challenging was printing receipt for a split bill. One tester noted that they “didn’t realize [they] had to select the guests one by one” in order to print a split bill receipt. Instead they hit “Select all” and ended up with a singular receipt.We were very impressed by how sleek Clover's touchscreen hardware is. The Station Pro Terminal (pictured here), almost looks like an Apple product. Source: Expert Market ▶ Read more: Best POS Systems for Coffee Shops 5. Epos Now: Best for New and Small Retail BusinessesPrice from: $799 Epos Now 4.1 Pricing From $799 Who’s it for? Variety of small single to double location retail stores, from apparel to convenience stores Read more + Read less - Suitable for Small to medium-sized retail stores Owners who are looking to set up a second store Businesses that want to minimize monthly overheads Not suitable for Users who want built-in email marketing tools Novice POS users Pricing See more See less POS kit (terminal, receipt printer, card machine)Barcode scannersPrintersCash drawer $799 one-off fee From $99 one-off fee From $335 one-off fee From $99 one-off fee $107/month subscription Gallery See more See less Click to expand Photo: We were able to generate a wide variety of reports with Epos Now, including by time of day employee, and even drinks vs food sales. Source: Expert Market Photo: Here's what Epos Now's standard terminal looks like from the customer's perspective. There's a customer screen where they can view their transaction. Source: Expert Market Photo: Epos Now's table plan wasn't the most attractive one we've seen, but tables could be customized to fit our needs. Source: Expert Market Key featuresAvailable through hardware and IOS, Android, PC, and MacNo monthly costs, one upfront paymentExtensive range of hardware and accessoriesCost & profit management toolsAccessible back office from the POS terminalEpos Now is a great POS system for new or small, single-location retail stores, since you can get access to its hardware and software for one upfront fee, and potentially no monthly fees, if you pay the $1,499 price tag on Epos Now’s POS kit.This might be too much for some, so there’s also an option to pay for the kit at a discounted rate of $799, if you pay a 12-month subscription fee that starts at $107.Epos Now’s terminal is a 15.6-inch HD touchscreen, with a large customer display, so everything is clearly visible. However, we found its touchscreen a little sticky, and not as responsive as Clover’s or Square’s.Going in Epos Now’s favor, however, is its host of accessories, such as barcode scanners, card machines, and receipt printers, making it a one-stop shop for small businesses just setting up. It’s got a similar range of hardware as Clover and Square, and far more than SpotOn and Toast, which have virtually no acessories.Epos Now's POS terminal is on the bulky side, so its not a good option for businesses with limited counterspace, or who want to keep things minimalistic. Source: Expert Market Epos Now: Testing summary Epos Now wasn’t the easiest system we tested, mainly because there was a lack of signposting, and system lags. One tester also noted that “there were a couple of extra clicks [when completing simple tasks] that just weren’t necessary.” We also found it difficult to work with the physical terminal, due to a combination of the screen size and the fact that it was vertical and that the keyboard was on the touchscreen. Clover also has a physical touchscreen terminal like Epos Now, but it’s easier to use because it’s slanted, and the screen isn’t as big.However, in our testing, we found that Epos Now was slightly more difficult to use than its competitors, so it might not be the best option for businesses with zero previous POS experience. To circumvent this, Epos Now does offer personalized unlimited training, at no extra cost, unlike SpotOn.The system also doesn’t come with built-in marketing tools, unlike Square, although it does integrate with apps like MailChimp and Loyalzoo. On the flip side, you can get access to advanced inventory management tools, such as detailed product categorization and barcode scanner management at no extra cost, with Epos Now, whereas with Square, these features are only available on the $79 per month Plus plan. ▶ Read more: Best POS Systems for Convenience Stores How to Choose a POS System for Your Small BusinessHere’s what you should consider:Price and budget: work out how much you’re willing to and can spend, and whether you want to go with a system that has monthly fees, or want to spend more on one upfront purchase. Some POS providers also handle payments, so take a lot at their transaction fees, as these can eat into profits overtime.Core software functions: consider what tasks you want your POS system to perform for you, whether you’re willing to pay more for certain features, and what ones you can do without.Hardware: if you have existing hardware that you’d like to keep, make sure your new POS system is compatible with it. Additionally, check the provider’s hardware offering, and make sure it can supply you with almost everything you needEase-of-use: how easy a system is to use id quite subjective, and highly depends on you and your team’s experience. If you’re inexperienced, it’s more important to pick a POS system that has a reputation for being simple to operate Verdict SpotOn is the best POS system for small businesses, thanks to its unmatched free software and hardware plan, and its integrated scheduling and payroll app, which you can get access to for $99 per month.We mainly recommend SpotOn for businesses in the food and beverage industry, but if you’re in retail, don’t fret. Close second Square also has a free plan, specifically designed for retail stores, and its paid plan starts at $79 per month, $20 less than SpotOn’s.SpotOn and Square are generally the cheapest options, but if you’ve got complex needs and are willing to spend a little more, old-timers like Toast and Clover are your best bets.If you don’t like the idea of recurring monthly payments, then we’d recommend saving up and buying one of Epos Now’s POS kits.And remember, we can put you in touch with trusted POS companies quickly and easily. Simply use our free comparison tool and tell us what you need, then we’ll match you up with suitable companies who’ll offer more information and no-obligation quotes. Our service couldn’t be easier. How We Test POS Systems for Small BusinessesThe Expert Market team tested and assessed 20 different POS systems to bring you this list. We spend around 160 hours researching POS platforms, and over 20 hours testing them. During that time, we used our learnings to evaluate how each POS system fared in six categories that are important to businesses, broken down into up to 12 subcategories, in order to get an impartial ranking.Here’s what we looked at:POS software: The breadth of features included in the POS software, and how valuable they are to the average business, including inventory management, menu/product creation, customer engagement tools, and table management.Hardware/equipment: The variety of equipment available to purchase or rent, with special importance given to key items, such as physical terminals, customer displays, and accessories.Ease-of-use: How easy each system is to use, based on feedback from several average users who were assigned basic tasks to complete on each system, such as menu/item creation, accessing reports, or applying a discount.Help and support: How effective and reachable the customer support teams are, with bonus points given to POS systems with help centers and training modes.Costs: The price of the system, how it compares to competitors, and whether it's good value for money.User experience: Whether everyday users know and like the system, whether they’d recommend it, and what they say about it in online reviews.The score of each of these areas was combined to create an overall score for each of the different types of POS systems.This axis graph shows the number of features vs usability of restaurant EPOS systems we tested. It's visual representation of the results of our research process. Source: Expert Market FAQs How much does a POS system cost on average? The average cost of a POS system for a small business is $100 per month for software and hardware use, or $800 for a one-off purchase. How is a POS system different from a card machine systems? POS systems often double up as a way to take payments, which is why they’re often confused with card machine systems. However, their main purpose isn’t taking payments, its facilitating order and inventory management.POS systems can help you track stock if you’re a store, or assign orders to tables if you’re a restaurant. Card machine systems can’t do this. Their primary function is simply to accept card payments, although they can sometimes have similar reporting functions as POS systems. Written by: Tatiana Lebreton Senior Grow Online & Business Software Expert Tatiana is Expert Market's resident payments and online growth expert, specialising in (E)POS and merchant accounts, as well as website builders. Reviewed by: Oliver Simpson Senior Research Executive After three years in operational B2B data analysis, Oliver became a business insight specialist in 2022 and now focuses full-time on understanding small business preferences and needs. He blends his quantitative skills, forged by his experience working as a law enforcement researcher, with qualitative exploration, to ensure robust and nuanced results.