The Best POS Systems for Retail: 10 Options for {{year}}

A chef is only as good as their ingredients. An artist is only as good as their subject. And a retail business is only as successful as their point of sale (POS) system helps them to be.

There’s stiff competition in the retail industry, and having the right POS system is essential for success. Gone are the days of relying on outdated cash registers or clunky systems that can't keep up with your business' demands. 

Without the right POS in place, you risk falling behind the competition and missing out on valuable opportunities for growth.

In this post, we'll guide you through choosing the best POS system for your retail business. We'll discuss the key features you should look for in a POS system and provide an in-depth comparison of the top options available on the market today.

By the end of this article, you'll have all the information you need to make an informed decision and take your business to the next level.

Key Features Included in All the Best POS Systems for Retail

Your point of sale system is critical to your success. If you want to succeed in the modern retail environment, you need a tool that processes payments, streamlines operations, manages inventory, and helps you improve your customer experience.

But is a POS system really all that much better than a regular cash register?

A POS system offers several advantages over traditional cash registers. First and foremost, it provides inventory tracking capabilities, allowing you to monitor stock levels in real time and avoid stockouts or overstocking. 

Modern POS systems also include customer and employee management features, enabling you to store customer information, track sales performance, and manage staff schedules. You can also use this modern tech to stay up to date on trends like mobile payments and e-commerce integrations, making it easier for customers to patronize your store. 

Related Read: POS vs. CRM: Which Is Best for a Retail Store?

But with so many point of sale systems available, how can you narrow down your selection? Start by looking for a POS solution that offers these core features:

• Inventory Management: Your POS system should offer real-time inventory tracking, barcode scanning for streamlined checkout, advanced pricing features like bulk discounts or promotional offers, and supplier integration.
• Customer Management: Look for a POS system that lets you store customer contact information, purchase history, and preferences for targeted promotions and sales outreach. 
• Reporting and Analytics: Your solution should provide detailed inventory breakdowns, sales reports by various metrics, and reports to help identify potential shrinkage.
• POS Hardware and Software Flexibility: Choose a POS system that is compatible with a range of hardware components, such as barcode scanners, cash drawers, and receipt printers. If possible, find a solution that allows you to build a custom hardware package.

By investing in a POS system that offers these essential features, you'll be well-equipped to handle the challenges of modern retail. With these key features in mind, let’s examine our list of the top ten best POS systems for retail this year. 

The 10 Best POS Systems for Retail in 2024 

How We Approached Building Our List of POS Systems 

How did we build our list of the top ten POS systems for retail this year? Our criteria for this list are as follows:

• Key features
• Overall performance
• Best fits for specific business types

Please note that the order of our list isn’t a ranking system. The ten solutions listed below all have their merits and benefits and may be the best fit for your store based on your specific needs.  

1. Comcash 

Best for: Independent retailers

Comcash is a top-of-the-line point of sale system designed for independent retailers. Our custom POS application is full of advanced features presented in an easy-to-use format, including Android handheld terminals and integrated payment modules.

With Comcash, you can scan products, select items from a menu, and take all forms of card payment using a single device. The Comcash mPOS app is available for download in the Google Play Store, and you can run it alongside the Comcash Counts inventory app on the same device. 

Key features for retail stores:

• Modern touchscreen menu: Search and select non-barcoded items, toggling between image and text menu views. 
• Flexible POS mounting options: Use various POS mounting options to suit your retail needs.
• Advanced EMV and NFC payment support: Keep up with customer demand by accepting all forms of payment. Comcash supports a modern range of signature capture terminals, including the Verifone MX 915 and lower-cost terminals that accept EMV and NFC payments.
• Powerful administration: Advanced back office administrative capabilities are available from anywhere, at any time. 
• User-friendly features: The familiar Android interface with a tailored design provides a modern yet easy-to-use POS platform that requires limited staff training.

Pricing: Get a custom quote for your perfect solution using our transparent build and price tool. 

2. Square POS 

Best for: Solopreneurs

Square POS is an all-in-one point of sale system that allows small retailers to accept payments, manage inventory, and streamline their operations. With no setup fees or monthly fees, Square POS is an affordable and easy-to-use solution for solopreneurs and small businesses.

Key features for small retailers:

• Flexible payment options: Accept every major payment type, including Afterpay, in-store, and online. 
• Seamless returns and exchanges: Process returns at any location and easily handle exchanges.
• Online selling: Set up a professional Square Online e-commerce site and customize it with design themes, or integrate your existing website to expand your reach and sell products online.

Pricing: Square’s Plus plan starts at $29 per month plus processing fees.

3. IT Retail 

Best for: Independent grocery stores

IT Retail is a robust point-of-sale solution designed specifically for independent grocery stores. With features tailored to meet the industry's unique needs, IT Retail helps streamline operations, reduce costs, and improve inventory management.

Related Read: Grocery Store Inventory 101: The What, Why, and How for Inventory Success

IT Retail's back office features include the ability to create purchase orders, low-stock reports, and more, giving you the tools to simplify ordering processes. 

Key features:

• Offline functionality: IT Retail's POS system is designed to work even when the internet is disconnected, ensuring that your store can keep ringing up orders during network interruptions. 
• Rugged hardware: Benefit from durable hardware designed to handle the high volume wear-and-tear of grocery store operations.
• Shrinkage and theft detection: Analyze every transaction for potential theft and receive alerts about transactions that require further investigation. Additionally, IT Retail calculates shrinkage by comparing items received, items sold, and past inventory counts.

Pricing: Get a custom quote using IT Retail’s online pricing tool. 

4. Lightspeed 

Best for: Enterprise or larger retailers 

Lightspeed is a comprehensive retail platform designed to help enterprise and larger retailers maximize efficiency, manage multiple locations, and scale their businesses. With advanced features and integrations, Lightspeed helps these larger businesses optimize operations and drive growth. 

Key features of Lightspeed:

• Multi-location management: Integrate and manage inventory, sales, and customer data across all your sales channels and stores, providing a unified view of your business.
• Advanced inventory management: Reduce stockouts and overstocking, improve inventory accuracy across every location and warehouse, and quickly order and receive stock.
• E-commerce integration: Connect with your customers where they shop, from your website to social selling and online marketplaces. 

Pricing: Lightspeed’s Standard package starts at $119 per month.

5. C-Store POS 

Best for: Convenience stores

C-Store POS is a point of sale solution designed specifically for convenience store owners, offering a range of features to simplify your operations, boost sales, and improve customer experience. C-Store POS also offers onboarding, setup, and 24/7 support.

Key features:

• Smart reporting and analytics: Run easy, customizable, and accurate reports at the end of the day, week, or year. Track the least-sold to most-sold items, and stay on top of customer preferences.
• Employee management: Manage schedules, update staff on changes, set pay rates, and make payroll running easier. You can also set employee permissions on the system for added security.
• Integrated dual pricing: Save money and lower the cost of credit card processing by passing it on to your customers. 

Pricing: Get a custom quote using C-Store POS’s online pricing tool.

6. Shopify POS 

Best for: E-commerce-first retailers 

Shopify POS is a comprehensive point-of-sale solution designed for retailers who prioritize their online presence. The platform integrates seamlessly with Shopify's e-commerce tools, allowing retailers to manage their online and offline sales from a single platform.

Key features for retailers:

• Omnichannel sales: Sell your products across multiple channels, including online marketplaces, social media, and online search, managed through a single platform. 
• Unified back office: Use a single tool to manage all your products, inventory, and customers, regardless of the number of sales channels.
• Powerful reporting: Utilize unified analytics to blend in-store and online sales data, enabling retailers to identify growing trends.

Pricing: Shopify for Small Teams starts at $79 per month.

7. Bottle POS 

Best for: Liquor stores

Bottle POS offers a point of sale system designed specifically for liquor stores. With its industry-specific features, such as auto ranking inventory, auto generating purchase orders, and auto invoicing received shipments, Bottle POS can save liquor store owners significant time and effort in their daily operations.

Key features:

• Centralized product database: Use Bottle POS’s centralized database of common products to easily update your inventory, even with hundreds or thousands of individual SKUs in stock.
• Auto ranking and reporting: Benefit from auto ranking features, where all items are ranked on an A-B-C-D scale and color-coded based on sale patterns. This feature lets you quickly identify which brands drive sales and which are overstocked or dead stock.
• Automated inventory receiving: Use auto invoicing to save valuable hours on manual data entry every week. 

Pricing: Get a custom quote using their online pricing tool. 

8. KORONA POS 

Best for: Ticketing and events management

KORONA POS offers a point of sale solution designed for a broad range of industries. Their solution offers advanced and unique features for ticketing and events management businesses. KORONA POS ​​also provides 24/7 customer technical support via email, chat, and phone.

Key features:

• Employee time and performance tracking: Monitor employee hours and performance to optimize shift schedules and staffing. 
• ID scanning: KORONA POS includes ID scanning capabilities, which are particularly useful for ticketing and event management and ensure secure and compliant operations.
• Loyalty programs: Implement and manage customer loyalty programs to encourage repeat business and boost engagement.

Pricing: KORONA’s Core package starts at $59 per month.

9. Toast 

Best for: Restaurants or shops with in-store cafes 

Toast offers a point of sale solution designed for the restaurant and food service industry. With its powerful cloud-based software, transparent payment processing, and restaurant-grade hardware, Toast POS is an ideal solution for restaurants or retail shops with in-store cafes or eateries. 

Key features:

• Tableside service: Toast POS offers handheld technology designed for the restaurant environment, enabling staff to spend more time with guests, accelerate service, and speed up checkout through tableside ordering and payments.
• Analytics and reporting: Monitor business performance from anywhere, on any device, using cloud-based reporting and analytics. 
• Menu management: Manage your menus from any device, making updates in real time across all terminals and online channels. 

Pricing: Toast’s Point of Sale package starts at $69 per month.

10. PayPal Zettle 

Best for: On-the-go mobile POS needs

PayPal Zettle is a versatile point of sale solution designed for businesses that require a mobile, flexible, and easy-to-use POS system. With its user-friendly app and various payment acceptance options, Zettle by PayPal is ideal for entrepreneurs and small businesses that need to manage sales and process transactions on the go.

Key features:

• Accept payments with your phone: Accept contactless payment methods from a mobile device, including credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.
• Product management: Create and organize products, track inventory, receive low-stock alerts, bulk upload and easily update thousands of products.
• Growth tracking and reporting: Zettle by PayPal provides at-a-glance sales reports in the app and an in-depth dashboard on your computer. You can view sales reports, filter transactions by payment type, monitor top-selling products, spot seasonal trends, and track each staff member's performance.

Pricing: Zettle’s software pricing is based on transaction processing fees. Get a custom quote for hardware through their sales team.

Find the Best POS System for Your Retail Store 

As we've explored, each POS system has its own benefits and drawbacks. With so many options available, it can be challenging to determine which one is the perfect fit for your retail store. All ten of these options are solid fits for some retailers. But which is the best fit for your store?

Consider what features matter most to your business. Do you want to prioritize advanced inventory tracking, customer loyalty programs, or a user-friendly interface? Make a list and narrow down your options to the point of sale systems with robust features in those critical areas. Once you have your shortlist, reach out to the providers and schedule a demo of each system.

During the demo, consider how well the POS system aligns with your needs and whether it offers the required features. 

If you're looking for a solution that combines advanced inventory management, flexible pricing plans, customer loyalty programs, and a built-in CRM, Comcash could be the ideal choice for your retail store.

At Comcash, we understand the unique challenges faced by retailers and have designed our POS system to address those needs head-on. Schedule a demo of Comcash today and discover how our powerful POS system can take your retail store to the next level.