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Square

Overall Rating

4.4

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Top Square Alternatives & Competitors in 2026

The best Square POS alternatives are Toast POS, Lightspeed, and POS Nation, each offering a retail Show more

The best Square POS alternatives are Toast POS, Lightspeed, and POS Nation, each offering a retail store, with pricing from free.

Square
4.4(4)
Visit Site

Starting from: $0/month

Free

$0/mo

+ processing fees

Expert - Pros
  • No monthly payment
  • Next-business-day transfers
  • Inexpensive long-term option
  • Comprehensive inventory management
Expert - Cons
  • Not great for all industries
  • Some performance issues
LightspeedLogo_Charcoal (1)
4.8(61)
Visit SiteRead More

Starting from: $89/month

Basic

$89/mo
Expert - Pros
  • Payments, POS and e-commerce all in one place
  • Wide hardware compatibility makes customization easy
  • Interface is intuitive and simple to use
  • Lots of support options and helpful tutorials
Expert - Cons
  • Some desirable features only included in the top tier plans
  • Add-ons can ramp up the cost
  • You are tied in to an annual contract
Toast
4.3(7)
Visit SiteRead More

Starting from: $0/month

Starter Kit

$0/mo

Starting at $0/month

Expert - Pros
  • Streamlined back office operations
  • Excellent integration between kitchen and service staff
  • Multi-location menu management
  • Fairly priced
Expert - Cons
  • Only available on Android
  • Early termination fee
  • Not suitable for large restaurants or chains

Square is a POS known for no monthly payment and next-business-day transfers. However, businesses often look for alternatives when they need Not great for all industries, more competitive pricing than free, or features Square doesn't offer such as on-place installation. Below we compare the 6 best POS alternatives — ranked by overall rating, feature coverage, and value, so you can find the right fit for your business.

Toast logo
Toast
Starting from$0 /mo
Free plan / Free trialAvailable
Overall score
4.3
Ease of use5.0
Performance5.0
Help & Support5.0
Features4.0
Price4.0
User reviews3.9

Toast POS is a cloud-based POS system tailored to restaurants. It offers special features for restaurant management and a diverse array of features for restaurant management and revenue maximization.

Learn more in our full Toast review.

Pros & Cons
Pros
  • Streamlined back office operations
  • Excellent integration between kitchen and service staff
  • Multi-location menu management
  • Fairly priced
Cons
  • Only available on Android
  • Early termination fee
  • Not suitable for large restaurants or chains
Features
  • Inventory Management
  • Loyalty Program
  • Mobile Compatibility
  • Online Ordering
  • Reporting
  • Split Checks
  • Manage Tips
  • Staff Scheduling
  • Offline Payments
  • Customer Profiles
  • Multidevice Payments
  • Gift Card Support
  • Accounting Integration
  • Tableside Ordering
  • Floor Plan Management
  • Customer-Facing Display
  • Self-Service Kiosk
  • Coffee Shop
  • Quick Service
  • Bars
  • Restaurants
  • Food Truck
  • iOS
  • Android
  • Cloud-Based
  • On-place Installation
  • Windows
  • Mac
  • Free Trial
  • Monthly subscription
  • Annual subscription
  • One-Time License
Pricing
Starter Kit

$0

mo/

month

Point of Sale

$69

mo/

month

Restaurants

$69

mo/

month

Lightspeed Retail logo
Lightspeed Retail
Starting from$89 /mo
Free plan / Free trialAvailable 14-Days
Overall score
4.8
Ease of use5.0
Performance5.0
Help & Support5.0
Features4.5
Price4.0
User reviews4.9
Lightspeed Retail POS is a powerful cloud-based POS system built to help retailers manage inventory, process sales, and grow their business with ease. With multi-location management, businesses can Read more

Lightspeed Retail POS is a powerful cloud-based POS system built to help retailers manage inventory, process sales, and grow their business with ease. With multi-location management, businesses can track stock in real time, ensuring seamless operations across all stores. The system’s e-commerce integration allows retailers to sync online and in-store sales effortlessly, while sales analytics provide valuable insights for smarter decision-making. Integrated payment solutions support various methods, creating a frictionless checkout experience. Whether running a boutique or a multi-store operation, Lightspeed Retail POS offers the flexibility and efficiency retailers need. In this Lightspeed Retail POS review, I'll cover features, performance, customer service, and pricing.

Learn more in our full Lightspeed Retail review.

Pros & Cons
Pros
  • Payments, POS and eCommerce all in one place
  • Wide hardware compatibility makes customization easy
  • Interface is intuitive and simple to use
  • Lots of support options and helpful tutorials
Cons
  • Some desirable features only included in the top tier plans
  • Add-ons can ramp up the cost
  • You are tied in to an annual contract
Features
  • Inventory Management
  • Loyalty Program
  • Mobile Compatibility
  • Online Ordering
  • Reporting
  • Split Checks
  • Manage Tips
  • Offline Payments
  • Customer Profiles
  • Multidevice Payments
  • Gift Card Support
  • Accounting Integration
  • Tableside Ordering
  • Floor Plan Management
  • Customer-Facing Display
  • Retail Store
  • Coffee Shop
  • Quick Service
  • Bars
  • Restaurants
  • iOS
  • Cloud-Based
  • Windows
  • Mac
  • Free Trial
  • Monthly subscription
  • Annual subscription
Pricing
Basic

$89

mo/

month

Core

$149

mo/

month

Plus

$289

mo/

month

POS Nation logo
POS Nation
Starting from$49 /mo
Free plan / Free trialAvailable
Overall score
4.6
Ease of use4.0
Performance4.5
Help & Support4.0
Features4.5
Price4.0
User reviews5.0
POS Nation offers retail businesses a comprehensive point-of-sale solution that combines flexibility and advanced features to streamline operations. Notably, it provides an on-premise system with the Read more

POS Nation offers retail businesses a comprehensive point-of-sale solution that combines flexibility and advanced features to streamline operations. Notably, it provides an on-premise system with the option for a single, one-time payment, catering to businesses that prefer ownership over subscription models. Key features include inventory management, customizable reporting, and support for contactless payments, all designed to enhance efficiency and customer satisfaction. The user-friendly interface ensures quick staff adaptation, while 24/7 customer support minimizes downtime. In this POS Nation review, I'll discuss features, performance, customer service, and POS Nation pricing.

Learn more in our full POS Nation review.

Pros & Cons
Pros
  • All contracts are monthly, and easily cancelled
  • Excellent customer support
  • Strong back-office features for warehouse management
  • A good standard hardware bundle
Cons
  • The up-front payment option comes with limited support
  • Short list of possible software integrations
  • Reports only available on site
Features
  • Retail Store
  • Inventory Management
  • Loyalty Program
  • Mobile Compatibility
  • Reporting
  • Staff Scheduling
  • Offline Payments
  • Customer Profiles
  • Multidevice Payments
  • Gift Card Support
  • Accounting Integration
  • Customer-Facing Display
  • On-place Installation
  • Windows
  • Monthly subscription
  • One-Time License
Pricing
Starter

$49

mo/

month

Lavu logo
Lavu
Starting from$59 /mo
Free plan / Free trialNot Available
Overall score
4.6
Ease of use4.5
Performance3.0
Help & Support4.5
Features4.5
Price4.0
User reviews5.0
Lavu’s Point of Sale (POS) software is an innovative and versatile solution designed for the food and beverage industry. Serving businesses like full-service and quick-service restaurants, bars, Read more

Lavu’s Point of Sale (POS) software is an innovative and versatile solution designed for the food and beverage industry. Serving businesses like full-service and quick-service restaurants, bars, nightclubs, food trucks, ice cream shops, cafes, and wineries, Lavu simplifies key operational tasks. With its intuitive interface, it streamlines POS systems, kiosks, online ordering, cash discounts, invoice management, and payment processing. Lavu's POS tool stands out for its robust features, including mobile POS, inventory tracking, integrated payment solutions, and customer relationship management (CRM). It ensures efficient sales analytics, seamless e-commerce integration, and comprehensive multi-location management, making it a powerful choice for businesses looking to scale. In this Lavu POS review, I’ll discuss features, performance, Lavu POS pricing, and more.

Learn more in our full Lavu review.

Pros & Cons
Pros
  • Supports local server use
  • Supports kitchen display system
  • Ideal for all restaurant types
  • Wide range of third-party integration
Cons
  • Limiting software requirement
Features
  • Coffee Shop
  • Nightclub
  • Quick Service
  • Bars
  • Restaurants
  • Food Truck
  • Inventory Management
  • Loyalty Program
  • Mobile Compatibility
  • Online Ordering
  • Reporting
  • Split Checks
  • Manage Tips
  • Staff Scheduling
  • Offline Payments
  • Customer Profiles
  • Multidevice Payments
  • Gift Card Support
  • Accounting Integration
  • Tableside Ordering
  • Floor Plan Management
  • Customer-Facing Display
  • Self-Service Kiosk
  • iOS
  • Cloud-Based
  • Mac
  • Monthly subscription
Pricing
Starter

$59

mo/

month

Growth

$129

mo/

month

Optimize

$279

mo/

month

Epos Now logo
Epos Now
Starting from$39 /mo
Free plan / Free trialNot Available
Overall score
4.6
Ease of use4.5
Performance5.0
Help & Support4.0
Features5.0
Price4.5
Epos Now is a young and innovative point of sale system. Unlike its alternatives, it offers features and a level of usability appropriate for several niche businesses. The company has been focusing Read more

Epos Now is a young and innovative point of sale system. Unlike its alternatives, it offers features and a level of usability appropriate for several niche businesses. The company has been focusing on its usability, and the result is a versatile system.

Learn more in our full Epos Now review.

Pros & Cons
Pros
  • A diverse range of useful features
  • Great and inexpensive hardware selection
  • Good fit for all sizes of businesses
  • Strong selection of integrations
Cons
  • You must pay if you want personal support
  • Not especially tailored to any industry
  • Slow customer support
Features
  • Inventory Management
  • Loyalty Program
  • Mobile Compatibility
  • Online Ordering
  • Reporting
  • Split Checks
  • Manage Tips
  • Staff Scheduling
  • Offline Payments
  • Customer Profiles
  • Multidevice Payments
  • Gift Card Support
  • Accounting Integration
  • Tableside Ordering
  • Floor Plan Management
  • Customer-Facing Display
  • Retail Store
  • Coffee Shop
  • Nightclub
  • Quick Service
  • Bars
  • Restaurants
  • Food Truck
  • iOS
  • Android
  • Cloud-Based
  • On-place Installation
  • Windows
  • Mac
  • Monthly subscription
  • Annual subscription
Pricing
POS software

$39

mo/

month

Tablet stands

$99

mo/

month

Cash Registers

$100

/month/

/month

TouchBistro logo
TouchBistro
Starting from$69 /mo
Free plan / Free trialNot Available
Overall score
4.5
Ease of use4.5
Performance4.5
Help & Support4.0
Features4.5
Price4.0
User reviews4.7
TouchBistro POS is a restaurant-focused point-of-sale and management system built for full-service, quick-service, bars, food trucks and cafés. It runs on iPads (primarily) and offers robust Read more

TouchBistro POS is a restaurant-focused point-of-sale and management system built for full-service, quick-service, bars, food trucks and cafés. It runs on iPads (primarily) and offers robust front-of-house and back-of-house tools (tableside ordering, floor-plan management, menu management, kitchen display etc) tailored for hospitality.

Learn more in our full TouchBistro review.

Pros & Cons
Pros
  • Intuitive system build specifically for restaurants
  • Easily manage online ordering and table reservations
  • 24/7 support available
  • A wide choice of add-ons
Cons
  • Some additional features cost extra
  • Only supports iPads
  • Pricing for multiple users could be more transparent
Features
  • Inventory Management
  • Loyalty Program
  • Mobile Compatibility
  • Online Ordering
  • Reporting
  • Split Checks
  • Manage Tips
  • Staff Scheduling
  • Offline Payments
  • Customer Profiles
  • Multidevice Payments
  • Gift Card Support
  • Accounting Integration
  • Tableside Ordering
  • Floor Plan Management
  • Customer-Facing Display
  • Coffee Shop
  • Nightclub
  • Quick Service
  • Bars
  • Restaurants
  • Food Truck
  • iOS
  • Cloud-Based
  • On-place Installation
  • Mac
  • Free Trial
  • Monthly subscription
  • Annual subscription
Pricing
POS License

$69

mo/

month

What is the best alternative to Square?

The best alternative to Square depends on your needs. For overall value, CAKE POS is the highest-rated option with a 4.8-star average. For budget-conscious buyers, Square starts at free.