The Best POS Systems in Canada

Montreal-based Lightspeed is the best POS system in Canada because it offers industry-specific packages.

The first is Lightspeed Retail, enabling you to manage multiple retail stores from a single interface, making it our top POS system for retail, too. It also seamlessly integrates with Lightspeed eCommerce, which is ideal for retail businesses with an online store. Lightspeed’s restaurant-specific POS software is equally impressive, suitable for both pop-up stores and fine dining restaurants.

Some of its restaurant-specific features include the ability to access online ordering and delivery apps on the POS system, diversifying your revenue and expanding your businesses reach. Another great feature is Direct Order Mode, suitable for takeaways, food trucks or even just rush hour at your restaurant, enabling you to take orders much quicker.

Lightspeed’s scalability is one of its big selling points, as you can start out with a system that’s affordable for your business but as your business grows and expands, you can build your POS alongside it. This means you don’t need to pay for features you don’t want or need. Lightspeed offers a number of add-ons and integrations making is flexible and customizable however this does mean it can take a while to set up and get used to, especially for those who don’t have a lot of tech experience. Add-on features do come at a cost, which can get pricey so keep this in mind although ideally you would opt for these features when its feasible for your business to do so.

Lightspeed’s POS app is accessed via an iPad making it convenient, flexible and efficient. The system does not run on Windows or Android however which can be a drawback if you only own devices that run on these systems or you prefer them over Apple. Another drawback of this iPad-exclusive system is that for restaurants and eateries, you might prefer restaurant-grade hardware, as these tend to be made to endure the heat and mess of restaurants.

Pricing for Lightspeed starts from around $99 per month for a single register system.

TouchBistro is the best-selling iPad-based restaurant POS solution in over 37 countries, offering hundreds of customization options backed by robust reporting features that help make service a breeze.

Using an iPad POS gives you the flexibility to run your business from anywhere, you can hide menu items based on the time of day or your inventory levels, so your breakfast customers don’t order from the dinner menu, or order an item that’s just sold out. This makes it one of the best POS systems for coffee shops and busy restaurants.

Our expert research has revealed that TouchBistro provides customer support, which is so important when running into any snags or issues. Having them dealt with as soon as possible makes running your restaurant that much smoother. Other great features include table management tools, where you can monitor tables by spend or time seated.

The system is fairly fast and cope with a high volume of orders which is important to know as running into tech issues in the middle of a busy hour can cause a complete meltdown in your operations and your customers experience. Some users have reported that the card machine is a tad small, making it difficult for customers to use efficiently. You can opt for a third-party card readers, however these don’t tend to integrate well with the system.

There is no free trial with TouchBistro which can make it hard to make a decision combined with the fact that it can tricky to get out of a contract with TouchBistro once you’re in. You must write to TouchBistro with written notice 30 days prior to the end of your contract, failure to do so means you get locked into another contractual period.

Revel provides leading cloud-based and iPad POS software. It’s won numerous awards including ‘Best iPad Business App of the Year’, and has over 25,000 POS terminals in operation with customers around the globe.

When speed matters, Revel excels. That’s why its products are mainly used in restaurants and retail outlets, where high volumes of transactions are taking place, and quickly. This makes it one of the top mobile POS systems for food trucks and other busy retailers. Revel provides great inventory tools so you can always stay on top of your ordering and avoid running into any stock issues.

Revel is suitable for lots of different types of businesses as it’s customizable. This customizability means you can develop a system that’s just right for your business needs. Revel offers customer kiosks so customers can self-checkout. These kiosks are customizable to your businesses branding and messaging, offering your customers a cohesive and efficient experience.

Some users have reported that they have trouble getting in contact with customer service to solve their tech issues, this can be a huge drawback especially if you have an issue that needs to be fixed quickly to carry out business as usual.

The software has a single dashboard to help you manage operations and transactions, and it’s supported by integrated social media management. Packages start at around $100 per month, per terminal.

Quetzal has an interesting niche, focusing on small clothing and accessory retailers.

There are no contracts or setup fees, with the company providing free demonstrations and a free trial period. Its software is suitable for small to medium-sized retail companies, so if you run over 10 locations then you should consider a different POS system.

The POS system is accessible an iPad any web browser, as it’s cloud-based updates occur on all devices. This makes it easier to communicate across multiple locations, carry out cohesive business practices and provide customers with the same experience, whatever the location.

The POS systems payment terminal allows for offline access, so you can take payments even if there is an issue with the internet connection. The system is designed to be easy-to-use, sleek and simple, which it is. However, it does not have a free trial, making it tougher to make an accurate and informed decision and it lacks integrations. This is to be expected from a smaller POS system compared to some of the bigger giants in the industry but the lack of integrations does mean you may struggle as your business grows or needs change.

Quetzal software is intended for iPads, but it’s compatible with Chrome, Safari or Firefox. Pricing starts from $75 per month.

Clover POS is a cloud-based system that includes specialized software for retail and restaurants. Inventory, sales, and and performance can all be monitored with ease. Clovers POS system includes finance, payment and inventory solutions, making it an all-in-solution without having to use third-party providers for these services. Clover offers in-depth reporting, such as showcasing sales-by-the-hour so you can plan accordingly.

Users have reported that the POS system is incredibly easy to use, which is handy as there’s no steep learning curve and staff can provide smoother, more efficient service even during busy periods.

A unique offering is Clover Flex, a handheld POS system that allows you to take payments on the go. This is handy if you have a mobile element to your retail business or want to offer customers a convenient way to pay. Clovers ‘Scan to Order’ feature gives your customers the choice to order and dine completely contactless with QR code menus. Customers can then browse the menu, order, and pay from their mobile phones. This feature is easy to setup and comes with no extra fees.

Clover is not as comprehensive as some other POS systems on the market, for this reason they rely heavily on third-party apps to provide the features they don’t have. This means your costs can rack up and Clover is not responsible if anything goes wrong with the integrated apps, so you’ll need to contact the original provider themselves and attempt to solve any issues.

Clover’s lack of features is not always a drawback as some retailers with less complex needs may find that it includes the right amount of features. As a business grows and expand, third-party apps can be purchased to scale the POS system as necessary.

Clover software can only be used on Clover hardware, which is incredibly sleek and modern however this does mean you’ll need to purchase the hardware in order to use the software. This does make it costlier than an iPad POS system for example but the hardware cost is a one-off fee, so if you like the features Clover has to offer, this may be the POS system for your business.

Epos Now is the best POS system for small businesses because it’s simple to use and excellent value. Its top features include integrated inventory management, customer management, and retail accounting, with software prices starting at just $50 per month.

Epos Now offers features specific for restaurant and retail environments, making it a great choice for these types of businesses. It also offers hardware options that are robust and a great choice if you’re looking for a system that offers hardware as part of its POS system.

Epos Now’s software offers great feature such as great inventory management tools, a customizable dashboard, in-depth live reporting and authorization levels so your staff only have access to what they need. There are extra costs for add-on features, so things can add up. The pricing for this isn’t very transparent so it can be hard to gauge how much this could end up costing you.

Epos Now POS software is cloud-based and compatible on Windows machines and iPad or Apple devices. It also offers an option to migrate your customer data, products, and stock information to your new Epos Now system as part of the implementation process.