Best POS system for restaurants in 2026
A restaurant POS (point of sale) takes orders, sends them to the kitchen and takes payment. You pay for it in three ways: a monthly software fee, the hardware, and a fee on every card payment. Some plans also tie you to a contract. We compared five systems on what each one publishes on its own pricing page.
Our picks at a glance
Square for Restaurants
- Software
- $0, $49 or $149/month per location
- Card rate in person
- 2.4% to 2.6% + 15¢
- Contract
- None
Clover
- System with hardware
- From $135/month for 36 months
- Card rate in person
- 2.3% + 10¢
- Contract
- Subscription cannot be canceled
SpotOn
- All-In plan
- $0/station per month
- Card rate in person
- 2.79% + 20¢
- Term
- 2-year minimum
TouchBistro
- Software
- From $69/month
- With hardware
- From $119/month
- Card rate
- Not published
Lightspeed Restaurant
- Plans
- 69, 189 or 399 USD
- Billing period
- Not shown
- Kitchen display
- $30/screen per month
Comparison at a glance
| System | Monthly software | Hardware | Card present | Card typed in | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square | $0, $49 or $149 per location1 | Bought separately, from $592 | 2.6% + 15¢ (Free), 2.5% + 15¢ (Plus), 2.4% + 15¢ (Premium)1 | 3.5% + 15¢1 | "No hidden fees or locked-in contracts"2 |
| Clover | In the bundle: $135 to $354 a month for 36 months3, 4 | In the subscription, or bought for $849 to $4,4473, 4 | 2.3% + 10¢3 | 3.5% + 10¢3 | 36-month subscription, "non-cancelable"5 |
| SpotOn | $0 per station (All-In) or $55 per station (POS Essentials)6 | Included in All-In; otherwise $750 per Station 15, $297 per handheld6 | 2.79% + 20¢ (All-In), 2.45% + 15¢ (Essentials)6 | 3.79% + 20¢ or 3.45% + 15¢6 | All-In: 2-year minimum; Essentials: month-to-month6 |
| TouchBistro | From $69, or $119 with hardware7 | Required; included in the $119 bundle7 | Not shown | Not shown | Not shown |
| Lightspeed | 69, 189 or 399 USD; period not shown8 | Not shown | Not shown | Not shown | Not shown |
Read on November 13, 2026 on each vendor's pricing page, then checked a second time. "Card present" means tapped, inserted or swiped.
What a restaurant pays: one example
Take a restaurant with $40,000 in card sales a month: 1,000 checks of $40, all paid by card in person. Here is what each published plan costs at that volume.
| Plan | Card fees | Software | Total a month | Not included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square Free | $1,1901 | $01 | $1,1901 | Hardware |
| Square Plus | $1,1501 | $491 | $1,1991 | Hardware |
| Square Premium | $1,1101 | $1491 | $1,2591 | Hardware |
| Clover quick service Starter | $1,0203 | $135 with hardware3 | $1,1553 | Nothing listed; 36 months |
| SpotOn All-In | $1,3166 | $0 with hardware6 | $1,3166 | Processing minimums apply |
| SpotOn POS Essentials, 1 station | $1,1306 | $556 | $1,1856 | Hardware, implementation |
Our arithmetic from the published rates. It leaves out Amex and keyed-in payments, online orders, add-ons and taxes. TouchBistro and Lightspeed do not publish card rates, so they cannot be priced this way.
At this volume the plans land within about $160 a month of each other, so the contract and the hardware deal matter as much as the rate.1, 3, 6 Card fees are most of the bill. On fees alone, Square Plus beats Square Free only above $49,000 a month in card sales, and Premium only above $74,500.1
Toast's pricing page blocked our checks on November 13, 2026. We only publish prices we have read on the vendor's own website, so we will add Toast once we can check them.
The five in detail
Square for Restaurants
- Free $0
- Plus $49
- Premium $149
- per location, per month
Square has three plans for restaurants, priced per location each month: Square Free at $0, Square Plus at $49 and Square Premium at $149.1 The in-person card rate falls as the plan rises: 2.6% + 15¢, then 2.5% + 15¢, then 2.4% + 15¢.1 The kitchen display app costs $30 a month per device on Plus and $20 on Premium; Free does not include it.1
Square says it has no locked-in contracts and that you can cancel or switch anytime; Plus and Premium each come with a free 30-day trial.2 Hardware is bought separately, with options from $59.2 Phone support runs 6am to 6pm Pacific time on weekdays, only for the first 90 days on Free, and 24/7 on Premium.1
Good fit
New or small restaurants that want to start without a contract or a large upfront cost.
Watch out for
In-person card rates are higher than Clover's, and hardware is extra.
Clover vs Square for restaurants, with costs at three sales levels
Clover
- From $135/month with hardware
- 36 months
- Card present 2.3% + 10¢
Clover sells restaurant systems as bundles of hardware and software. For quick-service restaurants, Starter costs $135 a month for 36 months, or $849 upfront plus $89.95 a month.3 Full-service bundles run from $179 to $354 a month for 36 months.4
Every bundle charges 2.3% + 10¢ for cards tapped, swiped or inserted, and 3.5% + 10¢ when the card number is typed in.3 The subscription needs no money down, but Clover says subscriptions are non-cancelable and ineligible for refunds.5 Its devices cannot be used with other payment processors.5
Good fit
Restaurants with steady card sales that want hardware with no money down and a low in-person rate.
Watch out for
A 36-month subscription you cannot cancel, and hardware that works only with Clover's processing.
SpotOn
- All-In $0/station
- Essentials $55/station
- From 2.45% + 15¢
SpotOn's All-In plan costs $0 per station each month with the hardware included, and charges 2.79% + 20¢ per card-present payment.6 It comes with processing minimums and a 2-year minimum term.6
POS Essentials costs $55 per station each month, month-to-month, with lower rates: 2.45% + 15¢ in person, or 3.19% + 15¢ for Amex.6 Its hardware is bought: $750 for a Station 15 and $297 for a handheld, plus implementation costs.6
Good fit
Restaurants that want no upfront cost (All-In) or month-to-month terms with lower rates (POS Essentials).
Watch out for
All-In's higher rate and 2-year term; POS Essentials adds hardware and setup costs.
TouchBistro
- From $69/month
- $119 with hardware
- Card rates on quote
TouchBistro's Point of Sale plan starts at $69 a month and needs your own hardware; the Essentials bundle starts at $119 a month with hardware and integrated payments.7 The page says payment processing and other fees apply to both, but it does not publish card rates.7
Its FAQ says 24/7 support is included, online orders carry no commission, and hardware financing is available for venues with two or more terminals.7
Good fit
Full-service restaurants that want one bundle price for software and hardware.
Watch out for
Card rates and contract terms come only with a quote.
Lightspeed Restaurant
- Starter 69 USD
- Essential 189 USD
- Premium 399 USD
- Kitchen display $30/screen
Lightspeed lists Starter at 69 USD, Essential at 189 USD and Premium at 399 USD, but the page does not say whether that is per month or how it is billed.8 Essential and Premium include online ordering, multi-location management and advanced inventory management; Starter does not. A kitchen display costs $30 per screen each month on any plan.8
Card rates are not published, and the page notes that prices may vary with the type of business.8
Good fit
Restaurant groups with several locations that need inventory and reporting.
Watch out for
You need a quote to learn the billing period and the card rates.
How to choose
- Price the card fees first. In our example they are most of the monthly bill, so a lower rate can outweigh a higher software fee.
- Read the term. Clover's subscription runs 36 months and cannot be canceled, and SpotOn All-In has a 2-year minimum.5, 6 Square and SpotOn POS Essentials have no long contract.2, 6
- Check who processes your cards. Clover devices work only with Clover's processing; TouchBistro says it works with a wide range of processors.5, 7
- Count stations, locations and screens. Square charges per location, SpotOn per station, and kitchen displays cost extra on Square and Lightspeed.
- Ask for what is not published. TouchBistro and Lightspeed do not publish card rates, and Lightspeed does not show its billing period. Get them in writing before you sign.
More guides
Frequently asked questions
What is a restaurant POS system?
A point of sale built for restaurants: it takes orders at the counter or the table, sends them to the kitchen, splits checks, takes card payments and tips, and reports on sales.
Which restaurant POS has the lowest card rate?
Among the rates published by these five, Clover's: 2.3% + 10¢ for cards tapped, swiped or inserted.3
Is there a free restaurant POS?
Square Free costs $0 a month per location, with 2.6% + 15¢ per in-person card payment.1 SpotOn's All-In plan also costs $0 per station with hardware included, but it has processing minimums and a 2-year minimum term.6
Can I use Clover hardware with another payment processor?
No. Clover says its devices cannot be used with other payment processors, even when bought or leased from other sellers.5
How we compared
We read each vendor's pricing page on November 13, 2026, compared software fees, hardware, card rates and contract terms, and checked every figure a second time. We have not used these systems in a restaurant, and we do not score ease of use or support, which we cannot measure.
We use AI tools to help research and draft our pages. Every figure is checked against the vendor's own published pages, and each page shows the date of that check.
Prices and processing rates change often; check the vendor's website before you sign. Best POS System for Restaurants is not affiliated with the vendors listed.