A POS system boosts efficiency for small businesses by streamlining operations and tracking sales. Here are my top 5 picks.
Many small business owners think they can skip a point-of-sale (POS) system and handle things manually. But with tight budgets, small teams, and tough competition, efficiency is key.
The right POS software streamlines sales, inventory, billing, customer management, and more.
Here are my top 5 picks for the best POS software in Australia.
Our Top Picks
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Great for food & beverage businesses
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Good for mobile vendors
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Good for scalability and reporting capabilities
Why trust us?
Our team of unbiased software reviewers follows strict editorial guidelines, and our methodology is clear and open to everyone.
See our complete methodology
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Tools considered
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Tools reviewed
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Best tools chosen
What to Look For in a POS Software
I looked for the following key features in the POS systems I chose:
Must-have features:
- Sales processing: Small businesses need a quick way to consolidate and track sales from different channels to calculate revenue easily.
- Multiple payment methods: The system must accept, process, and track payments through different methods, including cash, debit/credit card, and mobile payments.
- Inventory management: Real-time updates on what’s in stock and what must be reordered are crucial.
- Customer management: POS software that creates customer profiles and tracks purchase history can help with personalized service.
- Reporting and analytics: Trends, most popular products, and employee performance should be readily accessible.
- Security and compliance: Security protocols, such as data encryption and role-based access, ensure sensitive information is seen by the right people only.
I also made sure the software is:
- Easy to use: An intuitive interface and easy onboarding are essential.
- Compatible with hardware: It should easily connect to tablets, receipt printers, barcode scanners, etc.
- Affordable: Monthly fees and add-ons shouldn’t break the bank.
Finally, I checked for features that make POS systems great:
- Multi-location support: For businesses with multiple locations, a system that can pull all the data together is great.
- Omnichannel sales: Online and in-store sales tracking and payment support keep everything streamlined and hassle-free.
- Promos and discounts: The ability to run discounts, gift cards, and loyalty programs can keep customers engaged and coming back.
- 24/7 customer support: A reliable and responsive support team is a game-changer.
- Offline mode and mobile access: A system that’s accessible offline and through mobile devices is an added advantage.
- Integrations: Ideally, the system should support connections with employee management, payroll, accounting, and other software.
The 5 Best POS Softwares of 2025
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Lightspeed Restaurant — Great for food & beverage businesses
Lightspeed offers a POS solution for several industries, including retail and food and beverage. I think Lightspeed Restaurant stands out for its exceptional features for diners, cafes, and restaurants—so I’ll focus on this product for my review.
Why I chose Lightspeed Restaurant: Lightspeed Restaurant offers all must-have core functionalities like inventory management, payment processing through multiple methods, and sales tracking. It also offers customer-facing and kitchen-facing displays for seamless communication from the customer to the chef.
Here are a few features:
Omnichannel and multi-location support and advanced inventory management
Restaurants and cafes should make it easy for customers to order anywhere and in any way, so Lightspeed offers online and tableside orders and barcode scans for payments. You can take delivery orders online or by phone and set controls for delivery fees and minimum order requirements. You can even let customers schedule orders in advance.
I love that it keeps it simple for kitchen staff with all in-house and online orders in line with a ticketing system. You stay on top of what’s happening in the kitchen—prep times, last-minute requests, etc.—with Bump Screen (Lightspeed’s kitchen display system).
Lightspeed Restaurant also offers advanced multi-location support, vendor management, and automated reordering for inventory.
In-depth insights plus advanced menu and floor management
I think the advanced insights feature is a game-changer. Reports tell you exactly where to focus your attention and which employees, channels, and menu items are working best—-placing this information in an easy-to-understand Magic Quadrant—and AI-driven forecasts are the icing on the cake.
You can use these insights to edit your menu. For instance, you can make customer favorites more prominent. Menu capabilities don’t end there: You can add promotions, discounts, and deals instantly.
Also, you can create a digital layout of your space, view table statuses, and assign tables to staff in seconds.
Easy-to-use interface, customer support, and white glove onboarding
With Lightspeed, everything takes just a couple clicks. I think it’s relatively easy to train your team, and Lightspeed offers full-fledged onboarding.
I particularly like that the platform offers 24/7 customer support and assigns customers to dedicated account managers.
Integrations
Lightspeed Restaurant offers great integrations with accounting software such as Xero, and customer loyalty and marketing tools such as VaocherApp, and Gift-It. You can integrate with online ordering and delivery apps such as Doshii and Otter and connect to reservation apps such as OpenTable and SevenRooms.
My favorite is the integration with Workforce Management Software, a restaurant staff management tool with features for scheduling, time tracking, communication, and more.
Why is this my favorite? You can easily calculate labor costs as a percentage of sales by syncing sales data from Lightspeed with employees’ logged hours in Workforce Management Software.
You can view this data directly in the employee scheduler to inform your scheduling process. Lightspeed highlights peak hours and downtimes, which also helps with staffing.
Finally, with Workforce Management Software, you can communicate menu updates, promotions, and other information with employees instantly through the online team chat.
In my opinion, the Workforce Management Software + Lightspeed Restaurant combination creates an ecosystem that boosts overall restaurant performance.
What users say about Lightspeed Restaurant
Pros: The ease of using it. Very user-friendly, even a person that has barely ever been in contact with a tablet or PC has no problem using it.
Read review here.
I wish our Chase payment system could be integrated.
Read review here.
Key Features
- Menu management
- Customizable floor plan
- Real-time reporting and analytics
- Integrations with employee management tools, delivery apps, and more
Pros
- Great customer experience with real-time menu updates and floor management
- Can be used anywhere with cloud-based access and offline support
Cons
- Rich product ecosystem can be confusing
- Higher pricing compared with other systems
Pricing
Starts at A$40/month Trial: Yes Free Plan: No
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Square POS — Good for mobile vendors
Square POS is a cloud-based, all-in-one solution.
Why I chose Square POS: Square offers must-haves such as inventory management, customer profiling, and sales processing for different sectors, including hospitality, eCommerce, and retail businesses.
Here’s why I thought it should be included in the best POS software in Australia:
Omnichannel sales and built-in payment processing
Square POS supports omnichannel sales for all types of businesses—online and in-store–and I like that it includes social media pages, too. You don’t have to use separate payment gateways or card readers, as Square has its own payment processing system.
Its inventory management system shows stock levels but has no vendor management or automated reordering features. Reports are clear, consolidated summaries—but aren’t as thorough or customizable as what some other vendors offer.
Easy to use, affordable, and no special hardware required
I found Square’s POS system easy to use, and it requires minimal training. It’s a safe bet for smaller businesses and startups that want a hassle-free, immediate start.
The best part for me? It offers a free plan with no monthly fees—you pay only for transactions. The POS system works on any computer or mobile device, and you don’t need any special hardware. Square does offer its own sleek hardware, though.
offers integrations, including accounting, marketing, and eCommerce tools, but integrations are limited compared with Lightspeed.
Photo studio, Square Loans, and more
I like the photo studio feature that lets you take sell-worthy pictures of your products. Just click and sync them with your Square catalog (this feature would be great for retail stores). You can also create a gift card program and apply promos and discounts whenever you want.
Also, Square uses your sales data to determine whether you’re eligible for a small loan with an 18-month payment plan (or you can repay it via daily sales deductions).
What users say about Square POS
is easy to use because it has an intuitive interface.
Read review here.
I don’t like that they charge a different rate if I insert the card details directly.
Read review here.
Key Features
- Multi-location support
- Built-in payment processing
- Customer loyalty programs
- Omnichannel sales support
Pros
- Easy to use and affordable
- Can be used on nearly any device
Cons
- Basic inventory management and reporting features
- Limited offline functionality (payments may be declined once it’s reconnected)
Pricing
Starts at A$40/month + processing fees Trial: Yes — 30 days Free Plan: Yes
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EPOS Now — Good for scalability and reporting capabilities
Available on
- Web
- iOS
- Android
- Windows
- Mac
EPOS Now is a powerful cloud-based POS system for retail and food businesses.
Why I chose EPOS Now: EPOS Now has advanced inventory management features, customer profiling, sales tracking, and payment processing options for retail operations and certain hospitality businesses, such as restaurants, cafes, and takeaways. Apart from that, it offers some extra capabilities that set it apart from competitors.
Here’s what I found exciting about it:
Multi-location and omnichannel support, advanced inventory management, and reporting capabilities
EPOS Now is scalable to any level—even if you open 50 or more outlets. Small businesses can use it, and they won’t have to switch when they add more stores or outlets. It tracks both online and in-store sales and processes payments through card, cash, and digital wallet options from multiple providers.
Compared with Square, EPOS Now has more advanced inventory management features, including stock-level tracking and low-stock alerts.
I like its reporting capabilities: There’s a centralized dashboard comparing sales from different locations and clear visibility on top products. You can access reports anywhere via the cloud.
However, it lacks AI-driven insights (which Lightspeed Restaurant has).
You can export the reports to Excel and CSV formats and customize them as you wish—which I found convenient.
Employee management, loyalty programs, and offline functionality
The system offers basic employee management tools. For instance, it tracks clock-in/clock-out times and sales per employee, plus provides reports on employee productivity. However, it isn’t a full-fledged employee management tool—you can integrate it with one, though.
You can also use EPOS Now to run customer loyalty programs and send marketing promotions directly from the system without integrations.
It functions offline, too, and you can opt for the mobile or tablet POS for a portable experience.
A key drawback I found? There are high upfront hardware costs.
Integrations
EPOS Now offers over 100 integrations to accounting software, marketing tools, eCommerce platforms, payment processors, and more. You can connect to over a thousand apps through Zapier.
What users say about EPOS Now
Very good, the staff know what they are doing and are very helpful.
Read review here.
Sometimes updates create problems and I have to reset the machines which takes time.
Read review here.
Key Features
- Integrated employee management
- Multi-location support
- Customizable multi-location and inventory management reports
- 100+ integrations
Pros
- Supports business scalability for growing operations
- Can be used anywhere
Cons
- High upfront hardware costs
- Limited offline support for reporting and cloud syncing
Pricing
Starts at $78/month Trial: No Free Plan: No
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Hike POS — Good for retail businesses that sell on marketplaces
Hike POS has strong omnichannel selling capabilities and inventory management features.
Why I chose Hike POS: Hike POS offers extensive capabilities for retail businesses and works on any platform—from sales registers to iPads.
Here’s what caught my eye about Hike:
Omnichannel and multi-location support and label printing
Hike supports in-store, online, and marketplace sales. You can integrate it with eCommerce platforms, and voila! Start selling.
It’s also scalable across stores and provides insights into performance by outlet. You can set user roles by outlet, too. Additionally, you can print labels for products from the POS—but not with the basic plan.
The basic plan is also limited in other ways and has just a few multi-location and multi-channel features, which annoyed me.
Inventory and customer management and support
Hike offers features for inventory management that are similar to other options, but it also offers automated reordering and supplier management (unlike EPOS Now and Square). I appreciate that auto-purchase orders are available on the basic plan.
It supports gift cards and offers customer segmentation, tiered pricing, and store credit on advanced plans. Customer support is very responsive—always a dealmaker for me.
What users say about Hike POS
Super fast support to start with. Under 2 mins every time!
Read review here.
Need to come up with more flexible pricing.
Read review here.
Key Features
- Inventory management
- Omnichannel sales with eCommerce integrations
- Customer profiling, segmentation, and tiered pricing
- Multi-device support
Pros
- Increased customer reach with omnichannel selling
- Responsive customer support
Cons
- Basic plan lacks several features
- Learning curve for new users
Pricing
Starts at $69/month if billed annually Trial: Yes Free Plan: No
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Revel — Good for enterprise-grade businesses that want customized workflows
Available on
Revel Systems is a cloud-based POS system that’s good for retail businesses and restaurants and cafes with multiple locations.
Why I chose Revel Systems: I appreciate its enterprise-grade scalable features and customization capabilities. It’s a bit advanced compared with simpler tools like and has some unique features.
Here’s what’s worth mentioning:
Omnichannel and multi-location support and automated workflows
The POS system combines in-store and online sales data for retail businesses and diners. It also offers a drive-thru feature for diners and enables both diners and retail businesses to make orders through mobile devices. This capability is common for food businesses, but it’s an added advantage for retailers, enabling them to process orders from anywhere on the shop floor.
It also supports self-service kiosks.
For food service businesses, the solution helps you manage everything from your menu board to adding meal prep timers—and it’s all connected so your kitchen receives orders on time.
I like that you can automate workflows, such as scheduling promotions to go live on the dashboard and menu at certain times, plus setting up messages to be sent out. So, if a certain promotion starts at 6:00 pm or on a certain day, you can customize and automate messaging and pricing for that occasion in advance and set it to repeat.
Retail businesses will find automations—such as stock reordering, employee overtime alerts, and automated assigning of customer loyalty discounts at checkout—beneficial.
One downside, though, is that the software can be difficult to set up and use.
Advanced inventory management and customization
Like some other POS systems, Revel Systems offers low-stock alerts, bulk product imports, and vendor management.
I think what sets it apart is its customization capabilities. You can easily customize catalogs, menus, and pricing, and create workflows according to your needs. Unfortunately, these cost extra.
I think growing businesses with complex workflows will enjoy the ability to tailor reports and dashboards to see what they want.
What users say about Revel Systems
POS interface is intuitive and easy to use and easy to train staff to use in everyday sales operations.
Read review here.
Cons: Troubleshooting software issues.The most recent glitch is with trying to order a replacement card reader. Going on 3 months and equipment is yet to be delivered.
Read review here.
Key Features
- Drive-thru support
- Customizable dashboards and reports
- Automated workflows
- Inventory management
Pros
- Scalable as the business grows
- Saves time and effort with pre-set workflows
Cons
- Customization comes at an added cost
- Steep learning curve
Pricing
Contact vendor for price Trial: No Free Plan: No
Compare the Best POS Softwares
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| Reviews |
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| Pricing |
Starts at A$40/month
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Starts at A$40/month + processing fees
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Starts at $78/month
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Starts at $69/month if billed annually
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Contact vendor for price
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| Free Trial |
yes
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yes
30 days
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no
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yes
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no
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| Free Plan |
no
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yes
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no
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no
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no
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| Use cases |
Great for food & beverage businesses
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Good for mobile vendors
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Good for scalability and reporting capabilities
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Good for retail businesses that sell on marketplaces
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Good for enterprise-grade businesses that want customized workflows
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| Available on |
Web, iOS, Android, Windows, Mac
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What Are POS Systems?
POS systems combine software and hardware that businesses use to track and process sales, manage payments, and track inventory. They can integrate with other systems—such as accounting software and employee communication tools—to make a powerful, full-fledged business management tool.
Beyond transactions, modern POS systems offer additional features, such as customer profiling, employee and payroll management, and built-in marketing tools. The software runs on hardware devices such as tablets, kiosks, or computers and may also be available on mobile devices.
How Does POS Software Work?
POS software processes sales, manages inventory, and handles payments. When a customer makes a purchase, the software records the transaction, calculates the total, and applies any discounts or gift cards. Then, it processes the payment via cash, card, or digital wallet. For secure card transactions, the POS is integrated with digital card readers.
After a sale, the system updates inventory levels in real time. It also generates sales reports, tracks employee performance, and provides forecasts. Advanced systems provide customer information—such as past purchase behavior, name, or product preference—during a transaction so tailored services can be provided.
It can also integrate with employee communication tools for task management and payment processing—for example, by automatically providing sales targets or allocating tasks or by syncing performance/work hours with payroll.
A POS software may also have marketing features to send emails/SMS to the customer database or a select group, help run loyalty programs by applying discounts, and automate financial reporting by syncing data with accounting software.
The Benefits of POS Systems
Provides real-time information
Manually keeping track of inventory, customers, or sales in real time is close to impossible without errors. With a POS, you have instant access to accurate data.
If you have multiple locations, some POS systems consolidate information from all locations in real time and provide a centralized system for managing customers or viewing overall business performance.
Increases efficiency and saves time
A POS system helps small businesses work faster and smarter by automating key tasks like tracking sales, managing inventory, handling payments, and calculating revenue.
It takes the manual work off employees’ plates, saving them time and effort.
Boosts profitability
These systems help identify best-selling products, reduce incidents of stock mismanagement, and prevent inaccuracies or errors that come with manual work, ultimately boosting profitability.
Enables data-driven decision-making
With a POS, data about stock, pricing, employee performance, and more is at your fingertips—so you can make smarter, more effective decisions.
Enhances the customer experience
A POS system enables faster checkouts, customer loyalty programs, and a personalized experience based on customer data, helping small businesses attract and retain customers.
How Much Do POS Systems in Australia Cost?
To use POS software, businesses usually pay monthly fees. The best POS software in Australia usually costs anywhere from A$0 to $300+ per month, varying based on features and providers. Some POS software providers offer customized plans based on the business’s needs and the features chosen.
For instance, Lightspeed Restaurant starts at A$40 for basic features, with additional costs for more registers, add-on features, or a more advanced plan.
Plans from A$50-$150 often include some advanced reporting features, inventory tracking modules, and integrations.
More expensive plans in the range of A$150-$300+ per month are premium plans and offer features like multi-location support, thorough analytics, and customizations. However, this varies by provider.
Hardware such as tablets, kiosks, card readers, and barcode scanners are usually priced separately. Transaction fees and fees for add-ons and additional features can also be separate expenses.
FAQs
The 3 main types of POS systems are:
- Legacy: Function on specialized hardware.
- Cloud-based: Can be accessed anywhere from various devices.
- Mobile-based: Work on phones.
With over 4 million users, is the most widely used POS system, as it’s available in many countries and caters to organizations of any size. However, POS system use and popularity depend upon the sector.
The Bottom Line On POS Systems
Small businesses in Australia juggle many processes with limited resources. A POS system simplifies these tasks, reducing errors, saving time, and improving cash flow.
Among my top picks, is great for mobile vendors and startups because of its user-friendly setup and mobile capabilities. EPOS Now, Hike, and Revel Systems offer strong scalability and reporting functionalities, omnichannel retail support, and enterprise-grade capabilities, respectively.
For restaurants, cafes, and food trucks, my top pick is Lightspeed Restaurant, thanks to its pain-point focused features, excellent customer support, affordable pricing, and extensive integrations. I especially appreciate its integration with Workforce Management Software, as together, these apps form a powerful solution for managing your restaurant operations and staff.
Learn more about how Workforce Management Software helps you make your restaurant a success