7 Best Restaurant EPOS Systems: Our 2023 Ranking

If your restaurant has been hit by the UK’s labour shortage in 2023, you’re not alone. According to market research firm CGA, one in nine hospitality jobs remained vacant in the end of 2022. In this scenario, you’ve got to do the most with your current staff to keep customer experience levels high.

POS systems can be key tools to help you with that – and for our money, Square is the best POS system in the market. That said, we were also impressed with six other providers, which we cover in this ranking.

Square’s restaurant-specific version easily connects kitchen and front of house while its intuitive interface offers massive help during rush hours. Accordingly, it lands a high 4.7/5 overall score in our independent research.

If you’re unsure if Square is the best fit for your eatery, you can use our free comparison tool to get custom quotes straight from the providers. However, if you’d like to know more about our research’s findings, read on to find out about other six outstanding POS systems we analysed.

1. Square – Best overall

What we found during testing

You can customise your menus however you like, add items to a display group, and place the best sellers on the main menu to speed up checkout times. These amendments can be made from anywhere and can be applied to all your locations. Your menu can also be updated with bulk additions, and you can even apply taxes and modifiers in bulk. All your online orders are managed on one screen, no matter who’s picking up the delivery, streamlining your service.

Square for Restaurants offers a Plus plan, which includes a feature that enables you to add a service charge to large groups. Plus also includes the ability to share the same settings among different staff members’ accounts, ensuring everyone is on the same page. A helpful feature is close of day reports so you aren’t left working past your bedtime. You can pull up shift reports for each employee to ensure everything is as it should be.

The Square POS app is free, and is handy if you run a start-up or small business – however, we recommend Square for Restaurants for its restaurant-specific features. The hardware that comes alongside the software – such as a card reader and stand – are affordable, so you don’t have to fork out thousands just to set up your POS system. Square is cloud-based and will run on any iPad or iPhone that has a Lightning port and runs iOS 10.0.2 or later.

Would we recommend Square?

Despite cinching the number one spot, Square does lack some features, such as as reservations. If you want this feature, you’ll have to integrate it into your POS system via a third party, meaning extra costs and effort. That said, Toast and Touchbistro also have this limitation.

Square also lacks comprehensive inventory management tools, unlike Epos Now. Full-service restaurants may struggle without in-built reservation tools or advanced inventory management, so Square could be a better option for limited service restaurants. Full-service restaurants might be better off with a POS system such as Lightspeed. Lightspeed is on the pricier side, however, it has been designed specifically for the restaurant industry and includes advanced restaurant features and is able to handle multi-locations.

2. Clover – Best for staff performance tracking

3. Zettle – Best for affordability

What we found during testing

You can access simple and real-time reporting within the app, making it easy to track sales and staff. Inventory management is made easier with the ability to organize and sync your stock – staying on top of stock levels is important to ensure you don’t run into any sticky conversations with customers. Zettle’s stock management is one of its highest scores, with a 5/5.

A key feature of the Zettle app is its simplicity. Once installed, you can be set up and ready to go within minutes, which is why Zettle scores well for usability (5/5). However, Zettle doesn’t integrate with customer relationship management (CRM) systems, which makes it difficult to run customer loyalty programs or marketing campaigns.

Would we recommend Zettle?

Zettle scores poorly in the business management (2.8/5) and business development (2.5/5) areas as it lacks many features found in other POS systems, such as Lightspeed, Square or TouchBistro.

Square is one of Zettle’s closest competitors as both offer free POS apps, however, Square’s software is a lot more comprehensive offering more features and tools. Zettle is best suited to businesses that only require the bare bones of a POS system.

4. Epos Now – Best for chains

What we found during testing

Epos Now offers a restaurant POS system that includes features such as: inventory tracking, robust reporting tools, and connection to major delivery apps.

Its Kitchen Display System is comprehensive, and allows the kitchen to receive orders in real-time. Online orders are also added to the KDS so both in-person and online orders are dealt with efficiently. Last-minute changes can also be made to orders.

Conveniently, Epos Now scores highly in the customer service department with a 4/5. You can contact customer service via phone, email, live chat, or reach out to the Epos Now community online.

Would we recommend Epos Now?

With a score of 1.7/5 for price, Epos Now has the lowest score for pricing in our research because of its high fees. This largely comes down to the fact that it charges for monthly subscriptions for software as well as hardware lease fees.

Its cheapest monthly cost (£15 per month) requires you to shell out £149 upfront. Foregoing upfront payments, its cheapest monthly cost is £25 per month and it requires you to already have an iPad to install its software in, otherwise you’d have to buy one (Epos Now actually sell them for £549). These prices are way higher than providers such as Square which has free POS software and hardware that starts from £16. This means that Epos Now isn’t the best choice for restaurant owners that are starting out or operating on a tight budget.

5. TouchBistro – Best for customer service

What we found during testing

Table management tools empower you and your staff to provide your customers with a seamless service by monitoring factors such as distances, spend, and time seated. You can access the system from a smartphone, so orders can be taken tableside with all the necessary notes and amendments and be sent to the kitchen. TouchBistro scores well in the business and stock management areas, scoring a 5/5 for both.

The system is simple, intuitive, and flexible, making it ease to use. The system is fast and able to cope with a high volume of orders without slowing down or affecting service. Some users have reported that TouchBistro’s card machine is too small and difficult to use. You can use a third-party card reader, but these don’t tend to integrate well, causing delays, which can be time-consuming.

Would we recommend TouchBistro?

TouchBistro gives you the option to add on features to create one comprehensive platform, including reservations, marketing, online ordering, and gift cards. These come at a cost, and compared to lots of other POS systems where these features are included, this can add up price-wise. You can get a free quote on the TouchBistro website, which can help you assess your options and whether or not this is an affordable system for you. If you’re keen to use a system where you receive tons of customer support, it may be worth it, however the core system is a little lacking in features.

TouchBistro does not offer a free trial so you can test out whether or not you’re happy with the interface and features, which can make it harder to decide whether or not this is the right system for your restaurant. Once you’ve signed a contract with TouchBistro, it’s difficult to opt out. Failure to alert TouchBistro with written notice 30 days prior to your desire to end the contract means you get locked into another contractual period.

6. Lightspeed – Best for ease of use

What we found during testing

You can integrate delivery and contactless online ordering, diversifying your revenue streams and expanding your restaurant’s reach and customer base. Online orders are consolidated one one screen, so your kitchen can work efficiently.

You can adjust your floor plan and move tables on the Lightspeed app so you can make any last minute adjustments, ensuring your staff are immediately aware of any changes. Items can transferred to a different table, seat or floorplan, giving your customers a great experience. Your customers can order by course or seat and split the bill with ease. It’s no wonder that Lightspeed’s till feature scores a 4.5/5.

Direct Order Mode is also available, so you can take orders and payments quickly.

Lightspeed’s reporting functions make it easy for you to see what’s working and what’s not, so you can quickly adjust and make the necessary changes. Lightspeed Payments is integrated into the platform, so your customers can pay with a credit or debit card and mobile payments. However, in order to use Lightspeed Payments, you have to purchase a specific card machine, incurring extra cost or inconvenience if it’s not your preferred choice. Your payment reports sync to your back office so you have easy access to your numbers. Lightspeed also boasts an expert team who can give you advice on chargeback management and fraud assistance.

Lightspeed is scalable, making it a great option for businesses who expect to expand. You can start out with a less comprehensive system, but as your restaurant grows, the system can grow alongside it. This means you don’t pay for features you don’t need.

Would we recommend Lightspeed?

Lightspeed is flexible, but the number of options, add-ons, and integrations means it can take a long time to set up and get used to, making it difficult for those who lack tech experience. The add-on features come at a cost, which can add up to make it an expensive option.

Lightspeed’s POS app is accessed via an iPad, making it convenient, flexible, and efficient. However, you may want to opt for a system that has purpose-built hardware, such as Toast. Restaurant-grade hardware is typically stronger, more durable, and built to withstand factors such as a very hot kitchen.

7. Toast – Best for features

What we found during testing

Toast Go® is a handheld device that increases order efficiency. The Toast Go® is extremely durable as it’s spill, drop, and dust proof. With a 24-hour battery life and a processing speed that’s up to three times as fast as the previous model, your customers and staff are in for a smooth experience.

Square’s free POS app is type of handheld POS system as it can be used on smartphones. In comparison the Toast Go is a lot more expensive although it has the advantage of being made from durable material, handy for restaurant environments. Toast does score slightly higher than Square in the hardware area, with a 4.1/5 compared to Square’s 4/5.

Toast’s Kitchen Display System is key to running an efficient and tight ship. Everyone in the kitchen can have visibility on the KDS, and all the info they need to provide a seamless service. Toast claims that its self-ordering kiosks reduce wait times. These kiosks give customers the freedom to customize their orders and pay with a contactless form of payment.

Online ordering is made commission-free with the tools offered by Toast. Online orders can be integrated into the POS system so your kitchen can seamlessly prepare in-person and online orders. Toast also offers a customer relationship management (CRM) system, giving you the tools to develop a relationship with your customers. The CRM system gives you marketing tools such as restaurant-specific email templates, automated campaigns, and the ability to build an email list. That said, some users have reported that the syncing is not always accurate, which can mean information such as inventory levels is incorrect.

Would we recommend Toast?

Toast offers tons of features helpful for managing a restaurant, however its customer service is reported by users as being fairly slow. This can cause major hiccups, especially in a fast-paced environment.

Which provider has the best free plan?

As our reigning champ, Square has the best free plan. Its free EPOS app can be used alongside affordable hardware, with costs starting from £16 for a card reader. Square is easy to use, customisable, and offers a variety of features from employee management, inventory tools, and digital gift cards.

Zettle by PayPal also offers a free EPOS app, however, it offers less features when compared with Square. It is super simple and suits start-ups or small businesses, especially as its transaction fees are much lower than Square’s.

Our methodology

Our research team compared 10 EPOS providers, looking at restaurant features, price, help and support, and customer score. Based on how well the providers performed in each of these areas, our team was able to find the best EPOS systems for restaurants as well as what each system is best for.

The areas we looked at included:

• Hardware – this takes into account the industry type the hardware it suited to, bill splitting, and transaction processing
• Business management- this looks at various features such as detailed reports, offline mode, and delivery support
• Price – this score is worked out based on the average price of the provider and whether it offers a free plan or a free trial

For example, Square scores 4.8/5 for restaurant features and Clover a 4.6/5 and, although these scores are close, Square won out thanks to its integrations. However, Clover does have built-in, restaurant-specific features, such as being able to customise floor plans, take bookings, and split bills.