Disclosure: we earn a referral fee from some of the tools on this page if you sign up through our links. It doesn’t change the price you pay, and every figure links to its source so you can check our picks.
How we make moneyRestaurant POS
The best restaurant POS systems, compared honestly.
A POS is a multi-year decision: software, hardware, card rates and the contract all add up. We read five vendors’ own pricing pages so you can compare the whole bill.
Updated September 2026Prices checked on each vendor’s own site
The short answer
Our top pick
Toast
Full-service and quick-service restaurants that want one platform
Starter Kit from $0/month for new, single-location customers (includes the first terminal). Point of Sale from $69/month with your choice of hardware. Card rates by quote.
Get a Toast quoteSide by side
What each one really costs
Starting prices, staff fees, card rates and the fine print, from each vendor’s own pricing page.
Toast
Top pick- Starting price
- $0/mo Starter Kit (new, single-location); $69/mo POS plan
- In-person card rate
- Not published
- Keyed / online rate
- Not published
- Hardware
- First terminal included in Starter Kit; POS plan is bring-your-own
- Contract
- Not stated on pricing page
Square for Restaurants
- Starting price
- $0/mo; Plus $49, Premium $149 per location
- In-person card rate
- 2.6% + 15¢ (Free) to 2.4% + 15¢ (Premium)
- Keyed / online rate
- Online 3.3% + 30¢ (Free) or 2.9% + 30¢; keyed 3.5% + 15¢
- Hardware
- Not required; from $59
- Contract
- Cancel or switch plans anytime
Clover
- Starting price
- $179/mo for 36 months, or $1,799 + $89.95/mo
- In-person card rate
- 2.3% + 10¢
- Keyed / online rate
- 3.5% + 10¢ typed in
- Hardware
- Included in the 36-month subscription, or $1,799 up front
- Contract
- Subscriptions are non-cancelable
SpotOn
- Starting price
- $0/station (All-In); $55/station (Essentials)
- In-person card rate
- 2.79% + $0.20 (All-In); 2.45% + $0.15 (Essentials)
- Keyed / online rate
- 3.79% + $0.20 (All-In); 3.45% + $0.15 (Essentials)
- Hardware
- Included on All-In; Station 15 $750, Handheld $297 on Essentials
- Contract
- All-In: 2-year minimum and processing minimums
Lightspeed Restaurant
- Starting price
- From $69/mo
- In-person card rate
- Not stated
- Keyed / online rate
- Not stated
- Hardware
- Kitchen display $30/screen per month
- Contract
- Not stated
The picks
Pros, cons and our verdict
In the order we’d recommend them. Every figure links to its source.
01Full-service and quick-service restaurants that want one platformTop pick
Toast
Starter Kit from $0/month for new, single-location customers (includes the first terminal). Point of Sale from $69/month with your choice of hardware. Card rates by quote.
What it does well
- Built around restaurants: table and order management, digital menus, offline mode and mobile payments
- Guest CRM, insights and feedback in its restaurant feature list
- Online ordering, marketing, payroll and invoice tools can be added as you grow
- Installation and network configuration included
- A POS + payroll bundle for new restaurants from $69/month + $9 per employee
Watch out for
- Card-processing rates aren’t published — you get them in a quote
- The $0 and $69 prices are “starting at” prices; extra terminals cost more
- Online ordering, marketing and payroll are paid add-on suites
Verdict. The most complete restaurant platform here. Get the card rate and the contract length in writing before you compare it with Square or Clover.
02Cafés, counters and new restaurants that want no contract
Square for Restaurants
Free $0/mo, Plus $49/mo and Premium $149/mo per location. In person 2.6% + 15¢ (Free), 2.5% + 15¢ (Plus), 2.4% + 15¢ (Premium).
What it does well
- A real $0 plan, and hardware isn’t required to start
- Every card rate is published, and every plan can be cancelled or switched anytime
- 30-day free trial on Plus and Premium
- Premium adds coursing, seat management and 24/7 phone support
Watch out for
- Kitchen display ($20–$30 per device) and kiosk ($30–$50 per device) apps cost extra and aren’t on Free
- Phone support on Free is weekdays only, and only for the first 90 days
- Keyed and card-on-file payments cost 3.5% + 15¢
Verdict. The lowest-risk way to start: no monthly fee, no contract, published rates. Full-service restaurants will want Plus or Premium.
03Restaurants that want the lowest published card rate
Clover
Full-service Starter: $179/mo for 36 months, or $1,799 up front + $89.95/mo. In person 2.3% + 10¢; typed in 3.5% + 10¢.
What it does well
- The lowest published in-person rate here: 2.3% + 10¢
- Buy the hardware outright or spread it over a 36-month subscription
- 24/7/365 support
Watch out for
- Clover’s FAQ says subscriptions are non-cancelable and ineligible for refunds
- Contract terms and termination fees vary by who sells it to you (Clover direct, a bank or another partner)
- A higher up-front cost than the $0 options
Verdict. Good value on card fees if you’re sure about a three-year commitment. Buy direct and read the agreement before you sign.
04Restaurants that want $0 up front
SpotOn
All-In $0/station per month with hardware included, at 2.79% + $0.20 in person. POS Essentials $55/station per month at 2.45% + $0.15, with Station 15 terminals at $750 each.
What it does well
- All-In needs no money up front for software or hardware
- Essentials has a low published rate: 2.45% + $0.15 (Amex 3.19% + $0.15)
- 24/7 support
Watch out for
- All-In has a 2-year minimum term and monthly processing minimums
- All-In’s rates are higher, which is how it pays for the hardware
- Essentials adds hardware and implementation costs
Verdict. All-In is a fair trade if cash is tight at opening, but compare two years of its higher card fees with buying hardware on Essentials.
05Groups running several locations
Lightspeed Restaurant
Starter from $69/mo, Essential $189/mo, Premium $399/mo; Enterprise by quote.
What it does well
- Online ordering, floor plans, pre-auth bar mode and order-and-pay-at-table listed
- Multi-location management and advanced inventory in the feature list
- Enterprise includes a dedicated support team and customer success manager
Watch out for
- The pricing page doesn’t say whether prices are billed monthly or yearly, or what card rates are
- Kitchen display screens cost $30/screen per month
- Lightspeed notes prices may vary by business and industry
Verdict. Worth a demo for multi-location groups. Get the billing term and card rate in writing.
How we chose
- 01We read every price on the vendor’s own pricing page on 30 September 2026.
- 02We compared the whole bill: software, hardware, card rates for in-person and keyed payments, and the contract.
- 03Where a vendor doesn’t publish a number, we say so instead of guessing.
- 04Toast may pay us a referral fee if you sign up through our link. That never changes the facts above, and every number links to its source.
- 05Prices change often. Check the vendor’s page before you sign anything.
Questions owners ask
What’s the cheapest restaurant POS?
Square Free is $0/mo with no contract. Toast’s Starter Kit is from $0/mo for new single-location customers, and SpotOn’s All-In plan is $0 per station — but All-In has a 2-year minimum and higher card rates.
Which POS has the lowest card fees?
Of the published rates, Clover’s 2.3% + 10¢ in person is the lowest, followed by Square Premium (2.4% + 15¢) and SpotOn Essentials (2.45% + $0.15). Toast and Lightspeed don’t publish theirs.
Toast or Square?
Toast is built around restaurants and adds online ordering, payroll and marketing suites as you grow; you get card rates in a quote. Square publishes every rate, has a $0 plan and no contract. If published rates and no commitment matter most, start with Square; if you want a restaurant platform to grow into, get a Toast quote and compare.
Can I cancel a POS contract?
Square lets you cancel or switch anytime. Clover’s FAQ says subscriptions are non-cancelable. SpotOn’s All-In plan has a 2-year minimum. Toast doesn’t state a term on its pricing page, so ask.
Your next step
Pick your POS. Then stop missing the questions.
Whatever POS you choose, the AI Front Desk answers website chats 24/7 — hours, menu, reservations — so your staff can stay on the floor.