POS software, priced and scored in plain English.
We track 28 point of sale systems that are actually sold in the US — what they cost per terminal, what the contract locks in, what the hardware really adds, and which trade-offs you inherit. Nobody pays us for a placement.
A florist and an HVAC crew need different software.
Each industry gets its own scorecard, because the features that decide a purchase in a repair shop barely register in a coffee shop.
Field Service
HVAC · Plumbing · Electrical · Roofing · Landscaping
Retail
Apparel · Furniture · Electronics · Specialty · Multi-location
Restaurant & Hospitality
Restaurants · QSR · Cafés · Bars · Food Trucks · Hotels
Grocery & Convenience
Supermarkets · Grocery · Deli · Convenience · Butcher
Automotive & Fleet Repair
Auto Repair · Tires · Diesel · Fleet · Multi-shop
Wholesale & Distribution
Wholesale · B2B · Industrial Supply · Building Materials
Beauty & Wellness
Salons · Spas · Med Spas · Barbers · Fitness
Specialty & Experiences
Golf · Tours · Activities · Rentals · Memberships
Nobody wins every category.
Scores combine usability, value, features and support, weighted for the job the software has to do in your trade.
Best Field Service POS: AlpacaBOSS
POS, field-service management, inventory, invoicing and payments in one connected system.
Best Restaurant POS: Toast
Front of house, kitchen, ordering, payments and labor.
Best Automotive & Marine POS: Tekmetric
Parts, service, inventory, repair and specialty operations.
Where the money and the friction actually go.
Every profile records published pricing, processing terms, hardware requirements, the limitations vendors gloss over, and who should look elsewhere.
What is a POS system?
A POS (point of sale) system is the combination of software and hardware a business uses to take payments and run day-to-day operations. Modern POS software goes far beyond the cash register: it typically handles inventory, staff management, reporting, customer loyalty and online ordering — and in field-service industries it can manage dispatch, estimates and work orders too.
Choosing the right point of sale system matters because costs and fit vary enormously. Software can run from free plans to $200+ per terminal per month, payment processing rates differ between vendors, and some systems lock you into proprietary hardware or long contracts. A platform that's perfect for a coffee shop can be a poor fit for an auto repair shop or a wholesale distributor.
That's why we rank systems by industry. Start with our overall POS rankings, compare real pricing and contract terms, or answer four quick questions in the POS Finder to get a shortlist matched to your business.
Four questions. A shortlist you can actually act on.
Tell us your trade, your size, how you sell and what you care about most — we'll match it against the database and show the systems worth a demo.