What is the best POS system for a cafe?

It depends on your cafe. For a cafe that wants POS, QR ordering, kitchen display, loyalty and recipe stock at one flat price on its own hardware, we recommend Timeo. Cafes that want a free start with built in card payments may look at Square, and very small shops may look at Loyverse.

Who wrote this comparison?

Timeo did. We make Timeo, so we list it first. Every fact about another product comes from that vendor’s own public pages, checked on 9 November 2026, and anything we could not confirm is left out.

How much does a cafe POS system cost?

From the published prices here: Timeo is USD 29 to USD 49 a month per outlet, Square free or USD 49 to USD 149, Toast from USD 0 with its own hardware or USD 69, Clover bundles from USD 135 a month for 36 months, and Loyverse free with paid add ons.

Do I need to buy special hardware?

Not for Timeo or Loyverse, which run on a tablet or computer you already own. Toast runs only on its own hardware, and Clover bundles its devices with the software.

Can customers order from a QR code at the table?

Yes. On Timeo, table QR ordering is on every plan and orders go straight to the kitchen display. Square has QR on Plus and Premium; Lightspeed and Clover include it; Toast sells it as an add on.

Can I try Timeo before I pay?

Yes. Every plan has a 7 day free trial with no contract.

Compare

The best cafe POS system, compared.

Six POS systems a cafe or coffee shop is likely to look at, with what each one is best for and what it publishes about price.

In Malaysia? See the Malaysia cafe POS comparison

How to choose

Hardware lock in. Some POS systems only run on their own terminals, often on a long finance term. Others run on a tablet you already own.
Card fees. The monthly fee is often the small part. Compare the card rate on every coffee you sell.
QR ordering and kitchen display. Check whether table QR ordering and a kitchen screen are included or paid per device.
Loyalty and gift cards. Regulars are a cafe’s business. Check loyalty and gift cards are on the plan you can afford.
Stock that follows recipes. If a latte should take beans, milk and a cup out of stock, check recipe based inventory is included.

At a glance

Taken from each vendor's public pages on 9 November 2026. "Not stated" means we did not find it on the pages we checked, not that the product lacks it.

Best cafe POS system: Published software price (USD), Hardware, QR ordering and kitchen display
Product	Published software price (USD)	Hardware	QR ordering and kitchen display
Timeo	USD 29 to USD 49 a month per outlet	Your own tablet or computer	Both on every plan
Square	Free; Plus USD 49, Premium USD 149 per location	From USD 59	QR on Plus and Premium; kitchen display USD 20 to USD 30 per device
Toast	From USD 0 (starter kit) or USD 69 a month	Toast hardware only	Order and pay is an add on
Lightspeed Restaurant	From USD 69 (billing period not stated)	Price not stated	QR included; kitchen display USD 30 per screen
Clover	Bundles from USD 135 a month for 36 months	Clover devices, included in bundles	QR ordering included; kitchen display not stated
Loyverse	Free; paid add ons from USD 5 a month	Your own phone or tablet	Kitchen display free; QR ordering not stated

The 6, one by one

1. TimeoOur pick

Best for: Cafes that want POS, QR ordering, kitchen display, loyalty and recipe stock in one system at a flat price, on hardware they already own.

Basic USD 29 a month: POS, kitchen display, tables, QR ordering and pickup orders. Advance USD 39 adds loyalty, gift cards and stock for up to 5 staff. No contract.
Customers scan a table QR to order with no app download, or order ahead for pickup with a collection code.
On Advance, drinks link to recipes so beans, milk and cups come out of stock as you sell; stocktakes and supplier purchase orders.
Loyalty points, wallet top ups and gift cards at the till, on Advance.
Online payments go into your own payment account, in your own currency. Console in English, Chinese and Thai.

2. Square

Best for: Cafes that want to start free and pay monthly only when they need more food and drink features.

Free plan; Plus USD 49 and Premium USD 149 a month per location. Hardware from USD 59.
Card rates from 2.4% + 15¢ in person (Premium) to 2.6% + 15¢ (Free); online from 2.9% + 30¢.
Online ordering page on every plan; QR payments and loyalty on Plus and Premium; kitchen display USD 20 to USD 30 a month per device.
No locked in contracts; 30 day free trial on Plus and Premium.

3. Toast

Best for: Restaurants and cafes that want a restaurant specific platform on Toast’s own hardware.

Starter kit from USD 0 a month for 1 location and up to 2 terminals; Point of Sale from USD 69 a month.
Runs only on approved Toast hardware; hardware and implementation are paid up front or financed.
Flat rate processing included; card rates are not published.
Online ordering, order and pay, and email marketing with loyalty and gift cards are add ons.

4. Lightspeed Restaurant

Best for: Restaurants and cafes that want built in inventory, order and pay at the table, and deep reporting across locations.

Starter USD 69, Essential USD 189, Premium USD 399; the page does not say whether these are monthly or per location.
Online ordering, order and pay at table and advanced inventory on all three priced plans.
Kitchen display USD 30 per screen a month. Gift cards offered; price not stated.
Card rates are not published.

5. Clover

Best for: Counter service cafes that want a device and software bundle from one provider.

Bundles from USD 135 a month for 36 months (Starter) to USD 245 (Advanced), or hardware up front plus a monthly fee.
Card rates 2.3% + 10¢ in person, 3.5% + 10¢ keyed.
Contactless QR ordering, online ordering and stock tracking included.
Accounts are subject to credit approval.

6. Loyverse

Best for: Small cafes and coffee shops anywhere that want a free POS on their own phone or tablet.

Free POS; paid add ons from USD 5 a month (sales history per store, employee management per employee) and USD 25 a month per store for advanced inventory.
No proprietary hardware; runs on your own device.
Kitchen display, loyalty program and multi store management included free.
Used in 170+ countries, by its own count. Its own payments run in only a few countries; others use partner processors.

Why we built Timeo for cafes

A cafe needs the till, the QR menu, the kitchen screen and the regulars’ points to agree with each other. Timeo puts them in one system, runs on the tablet you already have, and charges one flat price per outlet.

Read more: Cafe POS system · Restaurant and F&B POS · Pricing

Start free See pricing

Questions cafe owners ask

What is the best POS system for a cafe?: It depends on your cafe. For a cafe that wants POS, QR ordering, kitchen display, loyalty and recipe stock at one flat price on its own hardware, we recommend Timeo. Cafes that want a free start with built in card payments may look at Square, and very small shops may look at Loyverse.
Who wrote this comparison?: Timeo did. We make Timeo, so we list it first. Every fact about another product comes from that vendor’s own public pages, checked on 9 November 2026, and anything we could not confirm is left out.
How much does a cafe POS system cost?: From the published prices here: Timeo is USD 29 to USD 49 a month per outlet, Square free or USD 49 to USD 149, Toast from USD 0 with its own hardware or USD 69, Clover bundles from USD 135 a month for 36 months, and Loyverse free with paid add ons.
Do I need to buy special hardware?: Not for Timeo or Loyverse, which run on a tablet or computer you already own. Toast runs only on its own hardware, and Clover bundles its devices with the software.
Can customers order from a QR code at the table?: Yes. On Timeo, table QR ordering is on every plan and orders go straight to the kitchen display. Square has QR on Plus and Premium; Lightspeed and Clover include it; Toast sells it as an add on.
Can I try Timeo before I pay?: Yes. Every plan has a 7 day free trial with no contract.

Sources

Each vendor's own pages, checked on 9 November 2026.