A Loyverse alternative for cafes ready to grow.
Loyverse is a genuinely free POS that runs on your own phone or tablet, and for many small shops it is enough. This page is for cafes that are starting to pay for add ons or need more than a till.
Who looks for a Loyverse alternative
Loyverse rarely loses customers on price. Cafes look around when they want table ordering, bookings or messaging the free tools do not cover.
- Add ons per store and per employee. Unlimited sales history is USD 5 a month per store, employee management USD 5 a month per employee and advanced inventory USD 25 a month per store.
- Reports stop at 31 days for free. The free plan shows sales reports for the last 31 days; longer history is the paid add on.
- More than a till. Cafes that add table QR ordering, pickup orders want those in the same system as the POS.
Loyverse and Timeo side by side
Loyverse facts are taken from its own pages on 9 November 2026. "Not stated" means we did not find it on the pages we checked, not that the product lacks it.
| Loyverse | Timeo | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free POS; add ons USD 5 per store, USD 5 per employee, USD 25 per store (monthly) | USD 29 to USD 49 a month per location (Basic, Advance, Team), the same whatever the client count |
| Staff | Employee management USD 5 a month per employee | 1 login on Basic (USD 29), 5 on Advance (USD 39), unlimited on Team (USD 49) |
| Kitchen display and loyalty | Both free | Kitchen display on every plan; loyalty from Advance (USD 39) |
| Table QR ordering | Not stated on the pages we checked | On every plan, no app to download |
| Payments | Loyverse Payments, Shift4, SumUp, Tyro, Zettle, Yoco and others | One off online payments and deposits go into your own Airwallex account, in your own currency; auto-renewing memberships charge cards through your own Stripe account |
| Customer messages | Not stated on the pages we checked | WhatsApp from your own business number: unlimited appointment reminders plus 500 other automated messages a month, and email too |
When Loyverse is the better choice
- You want to pay nothing. Loyverse’s core POS, kitchen display and loyalty are free. Timeo is a paid plan after the trial.
- You have a few stores and few staff. Multi store management is free on Loyverse, and the add ons are small per store amounts.
- You need a specific card terminal. Loyverse works with several payment partners, so you may keep a terminal you already use.
When Timeo is the better fit
- Table and pickup ordering. Customers order from a table QR or order ahead for pickup with a collection code, on every plan.
- Recipes, not just stock counts. On Advance, a latte deducts beans, milk and a cup as it sells, with supplier purchase orders.
- Bookings too. Timeo also takes bookings, sells packages and sends WhatsApp reminders from your number, so a cafe with classes or workshops runs it in one place.
Moving from Loyverse to Timeo
Loyverse documents both exports in its help centre, so this is one of the simplest moves.
- In the Loyverse Back Office, open your item list and click Export to download a CSV.
- For retail items or a menu, open Catalog > Products and choose Import. Pick Generic CSV as the Import format, then Preview import and Apply import once the summary looks right.
- In Loyverse, open the customer list and click Export at the top.
- In Timeo, open Customers and choose Import customers. Choose CSV file (or paste the sheet), then Preview import. Timeo matches the columns, flags rows it cannot read, and matches people you already have by email, then phone. Nothing is saved until you confirm the plan.
- On Advance, link drinks and dishes to their ingredients: open Catalog > Products > Recipe BOMs, choose Import preview, paste rows with recipe, target variant, component, quantity and unit, then Run preview and Apply import.
Loyalty point balances and sales history do not import; note balances before you switch if you plan to honour them. If you would rather not do it yourself, our team can run the import and set up services as part of hands-on setup, which is quoted separately.
Questions about switching from Loyverse
- Why pay for Timeo when Loyverse is free?
- If a free till covers everything you need, Loyverse is a good choice. Timeo is worth paying for when you want table QR ordering, recipe stock, bookings and WhatsApp reminders in the same system.
- Can I export my items from Loyverse?
- Yes. Loyverse’s help centre explains exporting items and customers as CSV from the Back Office. Timeo imports both.
- Does Timeo run on my phone or tablet?
- Yes. Use it in the browser or the Timeo Pro POS app, which keeps taking sales offline and syncs when it reconnects.
- How does Timeo price staff?
- By plan: 1 login on Basic (USD 29), 5 on Advance (USD 39), unlimited on Team (USD 49). On Basic or Advance you can also add a single extra login for a small monthly fee instead of moving up a plan.
- What does Timeo cost in Malaysia?
- In Malaysia, Timeo is billed in ringgit: RM79 to RM119 a month, with FPX and DuitNow QR through your own Billplz account.
- Can I try Timeo first?
- Every plan has a 7 day free trial with no contract.
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Sources
Loyverse's own pages, checked on 9 November 2026.