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Best Free POS Systems of October 2024

POS systems don't have to be expensive. These options give you the features you need for free.
By Karrin Sehmbi, Hillary Crawford
Last updated on July 31, 2024
Edited byChristine Aebischer
Fact checked and reviewed

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Free point-of-sale (POS) systems can help keep your business’s expenses down, since you don’t have to pay a monthly software fee. Lots of POS systems offer free rudimentary plans, as well as paid ones. If you opt for a free plan, make sure to consider other related costs, too, like payment processing fees, add-ons and hardware. Those expenses can easily eat into your expected savings if they’re not priced competitively.
The best free POS systems include core POS functions, like basic reporting, flexible mobile apps, competitive payment processing rates and add-ons such as advanced inventory management, online ordering or customer management tools.
Here are NerdWallet's top picks for free POS systems.

Sponsored partner picks for

Free loyalty program

Loyverse

4.0

NerdWallet Rating

Free POS system with low processing fees

eHopper

Best Free 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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Payment processing fees
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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

$0.00

and up.

Get an estimated monthly cost for your business.
Learn more

on Square POS's secure website

Helcim POS

Learn more

on Helcim POS's secure website

4.5/5

Best for Interchange-plus processing

In-person: 0.4% + $0.08

Online: 0.5% + $0.25

Plus interchange

$0.00

Learn more

on Helcim POS's secure website

Toast POS

Learn more

on Toast POS's secure website

4.0/5

Best for Startup 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 Restaurant add-ons

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 Free POS system for mobile sales

In-person: 2.29% + $0.09

Online: 3.49% + $0.09

$0.00

Loyverse

4.0/5

Best for Free loyalty program

N/A

Varies by processor.

$0.00

eHopper

Best for Free POS system with low processing fees

In-person: 2.5% + $0.10

$0.00

And up.

Our pick for

Overall free POS system

Square is our pick for the overall top free POS system because it accommodates multiple industries (retail, restaurant and appointment-based) and offers a free software plan that includes a breadth of useful features: sales reports, customer profiles, low-stock alerts, invoicing, an online store, built-in payment processing, gift cards and virtual terminal access.

Square POS

Learn more

on Square POS's secure website

Monthly fee
$0.00

and up.

Our pick for

Interchange-plus processing

Whereas most of our choices use flat-rate processing, Helcim’s free POS system stands out for its interchange-plus processing. In terms of free features, it includes invoicing, online checkout options, virtual terminal access, reporting, subscription plans for customers and inventory management.

Helcim POS

4.5
NerdWallet rating 
Learn more

on Helcim POS's secure website

Monthly fee
$0.00

Our pick for

Startup restaurants

Toast, a restaurant-specific POS system provider, has a free POS software plan with integrated payment processing, table and order management tools, digital menus and basic employee scheduling and time tracking. However, it comes with higher processing fees that cover the cost of both the hardware and software over time.

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

Restaurant add-ons

SpotOn Restaurant’s free POS software plan features reporting, menu and table management, marketing tools and online review monitoring. Instead of having to subscribe to higher-tier plans to access certain features, you can keep the free plan and pay for just the add-ons you need.

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

Free POS system for mobile sales

PayPal Zettle’s free mobile app, competitively priced mobile hardware and low in-person processing fees make it an easy solution for entrepreneurs that make most of their sales at markets or pop-up events. Free features include the ability to accept PayPal and Venmo QR code payments from customers, basic inventory management and sales reporting.

PayPal Zettle

Monthly fee
$0.00

Our pick for

Free loyalty program

The highlight of Loyverse’s free POS system is its free loyalty program, which lets you build a customer base, assign loyalty card barcodes to each customer and establish a points program. Other free features include sales reporting and basic inventory management. Businesses must integrate the software with a third-party payment processor to accept card payments.

Loyverse

4.0
NerdWallet rating 
Payment processing fees
N/A

Varies by processor.

Monthly fee
$0.00

Our pick for

Free POS system with low processing fees

Like most other options listed here, eHopper offers both free and paid POS software plans. Its free plan features in-house payment processing, a credit card terminal, employee accounts, reporting, inventory management and the ability to collect customer data.

eHopper

Monthly fee
$0.00

And up.

Our picks for the best free POS systems

Square

Best overall free POS system
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.

Helcim

Best for interchange-plus processing
Why we like it: Helcim’s interchange-plus payment processing isn’t as easy to understand as flat-rate pricing models, but it’s more transparent. If you’re willing to dig into the details, you can break down processing fees for each card type and identify exactly how much you’re paying in markups. Read our full Helcim review.

Toast

Best for startup restaurants
Why we like it: Toast’s beginner plan is basic, but still includes built-in table and menu management features along with reporting tools. As restaurants expand or open new locations, they can upgrade plans and opt for add-ons like mobile ordering and pay, email marketing and reservations. Read our full Toast review.

SpotOn Restaurant

Best for restaurant add-ons
Why we like it: SpotOn is a capable POS system built specifically for restaurants. Add-ons include loyalty programs, employee management tools, delivery options and online reservation tools.

PayPal Zettle

Best free POS system for mobile sales
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 loyalty program
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.

eHopper

Best free POS system with low processing fees
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.

Didn't find what you're looking for?

Explore NerdWallet’s exhaustive list of top POS systems, which includes both free and paid options.

What is a free POS system?

Free POS systems offer $0-per-month software plans to businesses that just need the basics. They typically include the following features and capabilities:
  • Calculates sales total, plus tax. 
  • Generates reports to help you identify your most profitable goods and/or services. 
  • Mobile POS app for completing sales on the go or checking in on reports. 
  • Integrated payment processing services.
  • Invoicing. 
  • Basic inventory tracking. 
  • Integrates with your accounting software
Even if free POS systems include these features, other must-have components will likely cost money. While you might be able to get a mobile card reader for free, countertop POS hardware can be hundreds of dollars if you need it. Processing credit and debit cards will cost you as well. Lots of free POS system providers double as payment processing companies, and others integrate with third-party services to facilitate the movement of money from customers’ bank accounts to your business’s account. Regardless, you’ll likely pay a per-transaction fee.
Outside of that, you may have to pay extra for additional capabilities, like advanced inventory POS features, multi-location management and customer loyalty programs. But if you only require the basics right now, a free POS system can be a great launching point, especially if the provider offers higher-tier plans that can scale with your business as it grows.

How to choose the best free POS system

The cost of a POS system is an important part of the decision-making process — but not the only one. If you’re considering a free POS system, look at these factors as well to find the right option for your business.

Scalability

Think about your business’s growth trajectory and whether free POS software can be a long-term solution. Does the product offer higher-tier paid plans in case your business requires a more robust system down the road? If so, how much do those cost? The provider should be able to accommodate your business now and in the future.

Industry specificity

Some free POS systems are targeted toward certain industries. Restaurant POS systems, for example, might offer reservation add-ons or table management features. And retail POS systems may come equipped with inventory tracking, e-commerce platforms and options for adding multiple product variations. Many providers offer free industry-specific plans, but check out each tier’s features; you may need to upgrade to a paid option to get everything you want.

POS hardware

POS hardware is rarely free, unless all you need is a standalone card reader. Make sure the POS software provider you choose offers in-house hardware or integrates with third-party hardware that’s within your business’s budget.

Payment processing costs

Similar to POS hardware, payment processing services typically come with their own fees and are often offered through POS software providers. Consider credit card processing fees for your sales channels (rates typically differ for in-person and online transactions) to see how much you might have to pay, as well as whether a free POS system charges extra for using a third-party processor — or even allows you to. See NerdWallet’s picks for the cheapest credit card processing companies for more options.

Integrations

Your free POS software should integrate with your accounting software so that you don’t have to manually export your sales data. If your accounting software isn’t looped into your free POS system, it’ll be challenging to keep your books accurate and tell how profitable your business actually is.

App and desktop compatibility

Some free POS software is only compatible with its own in-house POS terminals, while some can be downloaded onto iPads, Android tablets or both. Similarly, some products may only be available for Windows or iOS systems. Verify that your free POS system’s software works with all of the devices you’d like to use it on.
Last updated on July 31, 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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