The Best POS Systems for Restaurants Reviewed & Rated

The best restaurant point-of-sale (POS) systems can be utilized effectively in a variety of restaurant types, providing functionality for your staff while offering great customer experiences for your guests.

I compared dozens of popular restaurant POS systems to find the eight best products on the market. My latest guide covers pricing, features, ease of use, and best use cases for each. Our readers often request user-friendly suggestions, so that took precedence when I weighed the top systems for restaurants.

• Toast: Best overall restaurant POS system
• Lavu: Best for switching from cash-only operations
• Lightspeed Restaurant: Best for reporting and analytics
• SpotOn: Best for multi-location restaurants
• Square for Restaurants: Best fee restaurant POS
• TouchBistro: Best for ease of use

Best restaurant POS systems compared

	My score	Starting price per month	Payment processing fees	Contract length
Toast	4.64/5	$0	From 2.49% + 15 cents	2 years
	Visit Toast
Lavu	4.54/5	$9.99	Custom	1 year
	Visit Lavu
Lightspeed	4.15/5	$189	2.6% + 10 cents	1 year
	Visit Lightspeed Restaurant
SpotOn	3.98/5	$0	From 1.99% + 25 cents	Month-to-month
	Visit SpotOn
Square for Restaurants	3.83/5	$0	2.6% + 10 cents	Month-to-month
	Visit Square for Restaurants
TouchBistro	3.81/5	$69	Custom	1 year
	Visit TouchBistro

Lavu: Best for switching from cash-only operations

Lightspeed Restaurant: Best for reporting & analytics

SpotOn: Best for multi-location restaurants

Square for Restaurants: Best free restaurant POS

TouchBistro: Best for ease of use

Emerging trends & innovations in restaurant POS technology

The benefit of having a POS restaurant system is that it continually evolves to meet the changing needs of restaurant operators. Numerous trends and innovations are becoming increasingly commonplace within these systems. 

Below are some of the key technology innovations to watch for in the next few years in the restaurant POS system space.

AI-powered sales forecasting

One unique feature many POS systems are integrating is the use of AI to predict sales forecasting. These tools essentially utilize existing sales data to enhance the accuracy of your business’s forecast. This helps restaurants predict their ordering, employee scheduling, and other operational tasks with extremely accurate information, thanks to the AI-powered tools.

Integrated online ordering and multichannel syncing

POS systems know that customers expect restaurants to offer their services across a variety of sales channels. One of these is online ordering, and the suite of tools for delivering online ordering to customers is constantly expanding. 

Furthermore, the ability to sync sales data and execution from different sales channels has been a game-changer for restaurants using advanced POS systems.

Cloud and mobile POS systems

Remote access, cloud access, and mobile access to POS systems are increasing, as the software is designed to be functional wherever the operator is using it. 

This technology also enables restaurants to eliminate in-house servers, instead relying on flexible cloud servers to store their data. The nature of mobile also allows sales to be executed and paid for on tablets and other mobile devices. 

Smart checkout

Smart checkout utilizes tools like Apple Pay and Google Wallet to expedite the customer checkout experience. These payments sync with facial recognition or biometric access, allowing customers to make payments through their thumbprint or via quick facial recognition on their cell phone.

AI-powered kitchen tools

Kitchen display screens are also experiencing technological advancement, connecting the kitchen ecosystem like never before. These tools connect to smart printers and other devices, syncing in real time for accurate operation. This helps restaurants better master order tracking, errors, and analytical assessment, allowing them to remove bottlenecks in service and operate more efficiently. 

How to choose the right POS system

There’s definitely a method to choosing the best POS system for your restaurant. Below is the path I would consider taking when determining the best POS system for your restaurant.

1. Assess your needs

Knowing what you’re actually purchasing a POS system for is the first crucial step in determining which is right for you. For example, having set features that are “must-haves” and knowing the volume of business you expect the proposed POS system to have are both critical when making this decision. 

I would determine what the perfect POS system would be for my business and start looking for those key “must-haves” during my POS search. 

2. Set a budget

Restaurants operate on tight margins and precise budgets. Being realistic about what you can afford is crucial when starting your search for a POS system. I would not approach this looking for the cheapest option, but rather the option that fits within your budget while being as robust and useful to your business as possible. 

Budget with the intention of not getting a bargain deal, but rather getting a proficient and useful tool that will save you hours of work and elevate your restaurant management ability.

3. Schedule POS demos

Before committing to any POS system, I highly recommend considering a demo. Most POS software will have demos available, and you should take advantage of them. 

The process of getting a demo is usually as simple as reaching out to the POS company’s team and having them walk you through the ins and outs of the service you are potentially subscribing to.

4. Compare estimates

During your search, different POS companies will send you estimates. This can work in your favor, especially for custom-quoted software. Be aware of the costs of the base plan, as well as any necessary add-ons you may need. When you have pricing, you can negotiate with some POS software companies to land on a price that is best for your business. 

5. Finalize your decision

Once you complete your POS search, select the one that best suits your restaurant. Finalize your decision, and begin onboarding your POS software. Utilize any training or onboarding tools that come your way, as these will be essential for getting started and maximizing the benefits of your POS system.

Free restaurant POS checklist

Download a copy of this restaurant POS checklist as a PDF, Google Doc, or Word Doc to help guide you through your restaurant POS search.

Methodology: How I evaluated restaurant POS systems

Evaluating a restaurant POS system relies on both the pricing for the system and the general POS features that can be used in a restaurant. 

I evaluated these major selling points, paired with any advanced POS systems made for restaurants specifically. I also took into account general support and gave my expert score on each system. Below is a breakdown of each criterion I used for this guide.

Pricing: 25%

Pricing was a crucial factor in this guide, given the range of restaurant types each POS could support. I accounted for free plans, the cost of a monthly subscription, the contract length of a plan, and whether any payment processing flexibility was offered. 

Furthermore, I examined the hardware offerings and the maximum number of users each terminal could support.

General POS features: 25%

The general features each restaurant POS should have are order management, inventory management, integrated payments, and kitchen display integrations. I also scored menu item management, reporting analytics, third-party integrations, and workforce management features in this section. 

Advanced POS features: 15%

This deeper dive into each POS looked at functions that are specific to restaurants. Kitchen features, loyalty programs, and marketing tools, as well as bar features, were taken into account. Cash management, tipping management, and online ordering and delivery were also taken into consideration.

Support: 20%

I considered customer service hours and live customer support options in this section. Additionally, the inclusion of an onboarding or installation manager for a user’s account was considered a valuable addition for users. Finally, online knowledge bases or training resources for each POS will help bring this score up.

Expert score: 15%

My final section was the expert score. This score reflects the overall product offering and the value you get for the money you pay each month. The popularity and general sentiment regarding the ease of use of these systems in the industry were also important for working within this scoring section.

Restaurant POS FAQs

Choosing a restaurant POS system takes time and a lot of consideration. Landing on the right one can literally transform your food business. Below are the most commonly asked questions regarding restaurant POS systems.

The last bite

When it comes to the all-around best POS system for restaurants, Toast is my top choice. Toast caters to the widest variety of food business types and appears to have a solution for every restaurant’s needs. 

It’s as if chefs built Toast, as each tool is very well thought-out and complementary to the overall restaurant experience. Their new AI integrations are industry-leading, and it’s an exciting time to be a Toast user. 

Thanks to a free starter subscription, pay-as-you-go options, and great hardware, Toast can help restaurants of all sizes succeed and grow within their point-of-sale technology.