Point-of-sale, or POS, software allows businesses to accept customer orders, collect sales data and organize day-to-day operations on computers or mobile devices. Typically, merchants have to pay a monthly fee for POS software to make their checkout processes function, but there are several free POS software products, including some with features such as inventory tracking and integrations with accounting software. That can save a lot of money, especially considering that, generally, you'll still have to pay for POS hardware and add-ons such as payment processing.
Here are NerdWallet's top picks for free POS software systems.
Our Nerdy picks for
Free POS for industry-specific features
Loyverse4.0
NerdWallet Rating
Free POS software for payment processing fees
eHopperBest Free POS Software
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Input your business’s monthly transaction details and we’ll help you sort from the best valueProduct | Cost Estimate | Payment processing fees | Cost Estimate | Learn more | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Square POS Learn more on Square POS's secure website | Get an estimated monthly cost for your business. | 5.0/5 Best for Overall free POS system | In-person: 2.6% + $0.10 Online: 2.9% + $0.30 | $0 Free plan; $60 Plus plan for retailers and restaurants. | Get an estimated monthly cost for your business. | Learn more on Square POS's secure website |
PayPal Zettle | 4.5/5 Best for Free POS software for mobile sales | In-person: 2.29% + $0.09 Online: 3.49% + $0.49 | $0 | |||
Loyverse | 4.0/5 Best for Free POS for industry-specific features | N/A Varies by processor. | $0 | |||
eHopper | Best for Free POS software for payment processing fees | N/A | $0 | |||
Nextar | Best for Free POS software for sales commissions | N/A for Premium plan; no additional processing fees. | $0 |
Our pick for
Overall free POS system
Square POS
Learn more
on Square POS's secure website
Monthly fee
$0
Free plan; $60 Plus plan for retailers and restaurants.
Square is one of a few in the space that offers a free version of its POS system. Even the free version comes with a long list of features and functionality, including sales tracking and reporting, offline mode for accepting payments without a Wi-Fi connection and a customizable interface. It’s a strong choice for businesses that don’t require specialized or advanced POS features.
Pros
- Deep list of features.
- Free version offers a lot of functionality.
- Square offers helpful related services, like payroll, that integrate closely with its POS system.
Cons
- Can’t run on Windows devices.
- Complex industries might prefer a more specialized system.
Our pick for
Free POS software for mobile sales
PayPal Zettle
Monthly fee
$0
PayPal Zettle delivers the essentials at a relatively low cost with a small commitment. But consider other options if you want features like customer loyalty and email marketing programs. Although Zettle can expand through hardware, it doesn’t offer plan upgrades or those types of add-ons.
Pros
- Solid core features.
- No monthly fees.
- No long-term commitment.
- Low initial costs.
- Easy to use.
Cons
- No add-on features available.
- Limited integrations.
- Funds are transferred to your PayPal account and not your bank account.
Our pick for
Free POS for industry-specific features
Loyverse
4.0
NerdWallet rating Payment processing fees
N/A
Varies by processor.
Monthly fee
$0
Loyverse offers free POS software with several features well suited to businesses in retail or food and drink industries. It can support inventory tracking for mixed drinks in bars and order management for cafes and restaurants, for example. It can also handle retail store inventory.
Pros
- Can be used for a variety of businesses, including restaurants, cafes, bars, grocery stores, retail stores and boutiques.
- Integrates with several payment processors, including SumUp and Zettle.
- Can be used with other payment processors without an integration.
- Free software includes a loyalty program, which most competitors offer as an add-on with additional cost.
Cons
- 24/7 live chat support is only available with paid add-on subscriptions.
- Not all features are available with the free version, including employee management and integrations into accounting and e-commerce apps.
Our pick for
Free POS software for payment processing fees
eHopper
Payment processing fees
N/A
Monthly fee
$0
EHopper offers businesses in qualifying states a cash-discount program, allowing businesses to accept credit card payments without paying the processing fees. This means you offer your customers two prices for the same service: If they pay by credit card, the customers pay your processing fees. If they pay with cash, there is no processing fee, so they pay a cheaper price for the same service or product.
Pros
- Works with a variety of processors.
- Customer support requests can be submitted through a ticketing system; support also includes videos, a chatbot and an online knowledge base.
Cons
- The free plan has limited features, including only one POS license to cover 50 products and 300 transactions per month.
- Certain integrations, such as with QuickBooks, are unavailable with the free plan.
Our pick for
Free POS software for sales commissions
Nextar
Payment processing fees
N/A
for Premium plan; no additional processing fees.
Monthly fee
$0
With Nextar’s POS, you can run reports to calculate commissions for each salesperson, a feature many free POS options don't offer. The product allows you to set a default commission percentage for all employees or custom commission percentages for specific products. Although you can’t accept credit cards with the free version, it's a solid no-cost option for cash-based small businesses.
Pros
- Chat and email support are available.
- The free plan allows you to calculate sales commissions.
Cons
- To accept card payments, you need a paid plan.
- Doesn’t offer accounting or e-commerce integrations.
Square: Best overall free POS system
Software: The free version of its POS software includes comprehensive features, including sales dashboard, reporting, inventory management and multiple location management.
Monthly fee:
- $0 for Square POS, Restaurant, Retail and Appointments Free plans.
- $29 for Square Appointments Plus plan.
- $60 for Square Restaurant and Retail Plus plans.
- $69 for Square Appointments Premium plan.
Payment processing: Square transaction fees apply.
- 2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions.
- 2.9% plus 30 cents for online transactions.
- 3.5% plus 15 cents for manually keyed transactions.
- 3.3% plus 30 cents for invoices.
App: iOS and Android OS.
Desktop: Virtual terminal.
Pros:
- Works with all Square readers to accept all types of credit card payments.
- Includes a virtual terminal for manually entering credit cards remotely.
- Offers customer service Monday through Friday for free plans via chat and phone.
- Integrates with apps like QuickBooks Online for accounting and WooCommerce for e-commerce.
Cons:
- Some of the more advanced options require a paid subscription.
Why we like it: Square’s free POS is small-business focused and includes less common features, like email notifications for low inventory and a wide range of app integrations. The company also offers solid customer service, a variety of credit card readers — including a free magstripe reader — and app options for Apple and Android OS. Read our full Square POS review.
PayPal Zettle: Best free POS software for mobile sales
Software: Free version includes robust features including sales dashboard, reporting, inventory management, staff productivity tracking and more.
Monthly fee: $0.
Payment processing: PayPal transaction fees apply.
- 2.29% plus 9 cents for in-person and QR code transactions.
- 3.49% plus 9 cents for manual-entry card transactions.
- 2.99% plus 49 cents for invoicing (payment made with card).
- 3.49% plus 49 cents for invoicing (payment made with PayPal).
App: iOS and Android OS.
Desktop: Virtual terminal.
Pros:
- Works with the PayPal Zettle card reader to accept all credit card payments.
- Accepts payment via QR codes in the PayPal and Venmo platforms.
- Integrates with accounting software and e-commerce apps.
- Includes a virtual terminal function to let you enter credit card information remotely.
- Offers customer support via message, community forum and phone, including assistance when resolving customer payment issues.
Cons:
- Funds land in your PayPal account and have to be transferred to your bank account.
Why we like it: PayPal Zettle's free POS software comes with several features, including inventory management and reporting, and works with the company's mobile card reader, named one of NerdWallet's best card readers for iPhones. The system also allows you to accept QR codes as a payment method in the PayPal and Venmo platforms and integrates with accounting and e-commerce software, like QuickBooks Online and Shopify. Read our full PayPal Zettle review.
Loyverse: Best free POS for industry-specific features
Software: Free version includes POS access for multiple stores, inventory management, analytics, loyalty program, transaction details and kitchen display system.
Monthly fee: $0.
Payment processing: Through third-party payment processor.
App: iOS and Android OS.
Desktop: Not available.
Pros:
- Can be used for a variety of businesses, including retail stores, boutiques, grocery stores, cafes, restaurants and bars.
- Integrates with several payment processors, including SumUp and Zettle.
- Can be used with other payment processors without integration.
- Customer support is available by email and chat.
Cons:
- Not all features are available with the free version, including employee management and integrations into accounting and e-commerce apps.
Why we like it: Loyverse offers free POS software with several features well suited to businesses in retail or food and drink industries. It can support inventory tracking for mixed drinks in bars and order management for cafes and restaurants, for example. It can also handle retail store inventory.
» MORE: Best point-of-sale (POS) systems
eHopper: Best free POS software for payment processing fees
Software: Free version includes basic features, including inventory management, customer management, cash discounts, split payments and basic reporting.
Monthly fee: $0.
Payment processing: Through third-party integration or external payment processors.
App: Android tablet OS and Windows tablet.
Desktop: Windows PC only.
Pros:
- Works with a variety of processors.
- Customer support requests can be submitted through a ticketing system; support also includes videos, a chatbot and an online knowledge base.
Cons:
- The free plan has limited features, including only one POS license to cover 50 products and 300 transactions per month.
- Certain integrations, such as with QuickBooks, are unavailable with the free plan.
Why we like it: EHopper offers businesses in qualifying states a cash-discount program, allowing businesses to accept credit card payments without paying the processing fees. This means you offer your customers two prices for the same service: If they pay by credit card, the customers pay your processing fees. If they pay with cash, there is no processing fee, so they pay a cheaper price for the same service or product.
Nextar: Best free POS software for sales commissions
Software: Free version includes basic features, including barcode scanning, sales tax setup, supplier catalog and inventory management.
Monthly fee: $0.
Payment processing: Not included with free version.
App: iOS and Android OS.
Desktop: Windows PC only.
Pros:
- Chat and email support are available Monday through Saturday.
- The free plan allows you to calculate sales commissions.
Cons:
- To accept card payments, you need a paid plan.
- Doesn’t offer accounting or e-commerce integrations.
Why we like it: With Nextar’s POS, you can run reports to calculate commissions for each salesperson, a feature many free POS options don't offer. The product allows you to set a default commission percentage for all employees or custom commission percentages for specific products. Although you can’t accept credit cards with the free version, it's a solid no-cost option for cash-based small businesses.
Last updated on March 23, 2023
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.