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8 Best Cloud POS Systems

Cloud POS systems offer small-business owners low-cost, scalable POS solutions that can be customized across industries.
By Olivia Chen, Hillary Crawford
Last updated on May 23, 2024
Edited byChristine Aebischer
Fact checked and reviewed

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A cloud point-of-sale (POS) system uses wireless internet rather than local servers to function, meaning businesses can access it from anywhere with Wi-Fi. Today, most popular POS systems store data in the cloud, making them more cost-effective, customizable and easier to scale than on-premise, or legacy, systems that require additional hardware and maintenance.
Here are our top picks for the best cloud POS systems.

Best Cloud POS Systems

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Estimates assume an average interchange fee of 1.81% + $0.10, based on our latest available data. Estimates provided reflect online and in-person transactions, but exclude any keyed transactions. Estimates are based on the lowest monthly plan and processing fees for each provider.

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Square POS

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on Square POS's secure website

Get an estimated monthly cost for your business.
5.0/5

Best for Overall cloud POS system

In-person: 2.6% + $0.10

Online: 2.9% + $0.30

$0.00

and up.

Get an estimated monthly cost for your business.
Learn more

on Square POS's secure website

Helcim

Learn more

on Helcim's secure website

5.0/5

Best for Businesses with high sales volume

In-person: 0.4% + $0.08

Online: 0.5% + $0.25

Plus interchange

$0.00

Learn more

on Helcim's secure website

Clover POS

Learn more

on Clover POS's secure website

4.0/5

Best for Hardware

In-person: 2.3% + $0.10

Online: 3.5% + $0.10

$0.00

and up.

Learn more

on Clover POS's secure website

Shopify Retail POS

Learn more

on Shopify POS's secure website

4.5/5

Best for Shopify e-commerce users

In-person: 2.6% + $0.10

Online: 2.9% + $0.30

$39.00

and up for e-commerce plans with POS Lite; Can upgrade to POS Pro for an extra $89.

Learn more

on Shopify POS's secure website

Lightspeed Retail POS

Learn more

on Lightspeed Retail POS's secure website

3.5/5

Best for Inventory management

In-person: 2.6% + $0.10

Online: 2.9% + $0.30

$109.00

for Basic plan, $179 for Core plan, $289 for Plus plan.

Learn more

on Lightspeed Retail POS's secure website

Toast POS

Learn more

on Toast POS's secure website

4.0/5

Best for Full-service restaurants

2.49% + $0.15

if you buy hardware upfront; 3.09% + $0.15 for pay-as-you-go option.

$0.00

Starter Kit; $69 Point of Sale plan; custom Build Your Own plan.

Learn more

on Toast POS's secure website

SpotOn Restaurant

Learn more

on SpotOn Restaurant's secure website

4.0/5

Best for Quick-service restaurants

1.99% + $0.25

For most cards in paid plans.

$0.00

and up.

Learn more

on SpotOn Restaurant's secure website

PayPal Zettle

4.0/5

Best for Mobile transactions

In-person: 2.29% + $0.09

Online: 3.49% + $0.09

$0.00

Our pick for

Overall cloud POS system

Square POS

Learn more

on Square POS's secure website

Monthly fee
$0.00

and up.

Our pick for

Businesses with high sales volume

Learn more

on Helcim's secure website

Monthly fee
$0.00

Our pick for

Hardware

Clover POS

Learn more

on Clover POS's secure website

Monthly fee
$0.00

and up.

Our pick for

Shopify e-commerce users

Shopify Retail POS

Learn more

on Shopify POS's secure website

Monthly fee
$39.00

and up for e-commerce plans with POS Lite; Can upgrade to POS Pro for an extra $89.

Our pick for

Inventory management

Lightspeed Retail POS

Learn more

on Lightspeed Retail POS's secure website

Monthly fee
$109.00

for Basic plan, $179 for Core plan, $289 for Plus plan.

Our pick for

Full-service restaurants

Toast POS

Learn more

on Toast POS's secure website

Payment processing fees
2.49% + $0.15

if you buy hardware upfront; 3.09% + $0.15 for pay-as-you-go option.

Monthly fee
$0.00

Starter Kit; $69 Point of Sale plan; custom Build Your Own plan.

Our pick for

Quick-service restaurants

SpotOn Restaurant

4.0
NerdWallet rating 
Learn more

on SpotOn Restaurant's secure website

Payment processing fees
1.99% + $0.25

For most cards in paid plans.

Monthly fee
$0.00

and up.

Our pick for

Mobile transactions

PayPal Zettle

Monthly fee
$0.00

Our picks for the best cloud POS systems

Square

Best overall cloud POS system
Why we like it: Square offers one of the best overall POS systems because of its affordability and flexibility. Most of Square’s best features are offered with its free version, including inventory management, offline mode, a customer directory to store customer contact information and more. Square is also compatible with several third-party applications, and offers add-ons like team management, email marketing, loyalty features and payroll management. Read our full Square POS review.

Helcim

Best for businesses with high sales volume
Why we like it: Helcim stands out because of its overall transparency and free monthly subscription. With its service, you only pay for payment processing, and it offers volume discounts that are tiered by the credit card transactions your business processes each month. This makes Helcim ideal for businesses that are high in sales volume or are looking to scale. Its POS software is built for both desktop and mobile and is free to set up. Read our full Helcim review.

Toast

Best for full-service restaurants
Why we like it: Toast has in-depth, restaurant-specific features to accommodate a variety of food-related businesses, but full-service restaurants will likely get the most value from them. For example, employees can use the Toast Go 2 handheld terminal to take orders tableside and cash customers out from wherever they are in the restaurant. You can also use its POS system to collect guests’ feedback, offer online ordering and delivery options and manage menus. Read our full Toast POS review.

Shopify

Best for Shopify e-commerce users
Why we like it: Shopify POS offers features that are highly customizable across retailers and for scaling businesses. For example, your customers can buy online to pick up in person, buy in store and ship or browse in store and buy online. Inventory is automatically synced and updated across multiple locations and channels, so inventory sold in store will be updated on the website as well. Read our full Shopify POS review.

Lightspeed Retail

Best for inventory management
Why we like it: Lightspeed offers many features that are customizable across industries, but its sophisticated inventory management system makes it a good fit for established retailers, especially if they have more than one location. With Lightspeed’s product variants, for example, users can detail variations on the same product like color or size. Lightspeed can also help you sell online by building your e-commerce store and offers a variety of hardware to build a customized POS. Its software is compatible with an iPad, and you may be able to use other hardware you already own on a case-by-case basis. Read our full Lightspeed Retail POS review.

Clover

Best for hardware
Why we like it: Clover offers a lot of recognizable hardware options that are built to last. This can make it a less flexible option for businesses trying to cut costs by using their existing hardware, but a great option for businesses looking for an all-in-one solution. You can choose to purchase hardware upfront by paying in full, or add a monthly payment for your hardware to your recurring subscription cost and avoid putting a lump sum down. It offers features that are customizable for full and quick-service restaurants, retailers, professional services and more. Read our full Clover POS review.

SpotOn Restaurant

Best for quick-service restaurants
Why we like it: Similar to Toast, SpotOn can accommodate different types of restaurants, but its lower in-person processing rates (available in paid plans) and less expensive hardware lower the barrier to entry — especially for quick-service restaurants that don’t need SpotOn’s most expensive full-service POS software plan. There are also lots of useful add-ons available, like in-house online ordering and loyalty programs, too.

PayPal Zettle

Best for mobile transactions
Why we like it: PayPal Zettle’s free app and portable card reader make it a low-cost option for lower-volume businesses that complete most of their sales on the go — for example, at pop-up events or markets. You can also use the app to accept Tap to Pay payments if you don’t have a card reader. In addition to credit and debit cards, you can accept Venmo and PayPal payments. Read our full PayPal Zettle review.

What is a cloud POS system?

A cloud POS system uses the internet, as opposed to a local server, to operate, process payments and store data. This means all of your sales information is centralized in the cloud as opposed to siloed on-premise, which is especially convenient for businesses with multiple locations. And instead of only being able to accept payments in one location, you can complete sales anywhere you have an internet connection (and the necessary credit card readers and/or mobile apps). The same goes for accessing your POS system data so that you can manage your business and run reports from anywhere.
To address inevitable internet outages, cloud POS systems usually have offline modes that allow your business to continue accepting card payments without an internet connection. However, depending on the provider, you may need to purchase a backup router to access these capabilities.

Learn more about how POS systems work

Read more about the differences between cloud-based and more traditional legacy (or on-premise) POS systems, along with general POS system costs and benefits.

Cloud POS system benefits

Most businesses will benefit from using a cloud POS system as opposed to an on-premise system for the following reasons.
  • Accessibility: Cloud POS data can be accessed from multiple devices, as long as they have an internet connection. You don’t have to be at your business’s brick-and-mortar location to change menu items, update inventory or run reports. 
  • Ability to accept payments anywhere: Cloud POS systems let you use countertop registers, handheld terminals or your mobile device to complete sales in-store or on the go. 
  • Cost: Since cloud POS systems don’t require local servers, you don’t have to purchase one and pay for its installation and maintenance. This lessens business’s upfront costs and helps them start accepting payments sooner. 
  • Multi-location sync: Businesses with multiple locations can use cloud POS systems to centralize their data in the cloud, as opposed to on separate servers. This makes it easier to compare data across locations and sync it all with your accounting software.

How to choose a cloud POS system

To choose the right cloud POS system for your business, consider the following factors.

Industry-specific features

Lots of popular cloud POS system providers tailor their solutions to a particular industry — usually retail stores, restaurants or service-based businesses. Choosing a cloud POS system made for your particular type of business helps ensure you’ll have the basic industry-specific features you need without paying for what you don’t.
More general, must-have features include reporting, payment processing, employee management, inventory tracking and accounting software integrations. Ideally, your cloud POS system provider will also supply all the POS hardware and accessories you need.

Cost

Cloud POS systems typically require less upfront costs than on-premise systems, but add-on features and hidden fees can pile up quickly. Don’t forget to factor in extra fees for loyalty programs, online ordering and higher-tier software plans, as well as PCI compliance and chargebacks.

Security

Whether you choose a cloud POS system or a legacy one, make sure you and your employees know how to responsibly handle customers’ card data. Your provider should help you meet PCI compliance requirements in some capacity. But if your hardware and software aren’t already PCI compliant, you may need to fill out a self-assessment form to affirm you’re meeting all the requirements. Cloud POS systems should also be transparent about how they encrypt and store your data securely.

Contract lengths

Though month-to-month contracts are common for cloud POS systems, some still require you to sign a longer-term contract if you want to access promotions and/or lower monthly fees. If you go this route, try to demo the software before committing, so that you can get a feel for its usability.
Last updated on May 23, 2024

Methodology

NerdWallet’s point-of-sale systems provider ratings reward companies whose products and services are priced well and work in a variety of payment scenarios, among other criteria.
Ratings are based on weighted averages of scores in several categories, including cost, system capabilities, contract requirements, customer service and integrations and add-ons. Learn more about how we rate point-of-sale (POS) systems providers.
These ratings are a guide, but services, hardware and pricing can vary widely from business to business and provider to provider. We encourage you to shop around and compare several providers.
NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines.

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