How to Choose a Shopify POS Alternative
Shopify POS is a natural fit if you already run a Shopify store, unifying online and in-store selling. Teams look elsewhere for three main reasons: it requires a paid Shopify subscription even for in-person selling, its retail features are built around ecommerce first, and POS Pro adds a cost for each location. The right replacement depends on which of those pushed you to look.
If you sell mainly in person and want to drop the subscription, Square POS is free with no monthly plan, and Loyverse, eHopper, and SumUp also offer free or very low-cost options.
If you want a retail-first system with deeper inventory, Lightspeed Retail, KORONA POS, and PHP Point of Sale focus on the store rather than the website, and ConnectPOS or Hike keep omnichannel selling if you still sell online. Decide whether your gap is the subscription, retail depth, or omnichannel, then compare total cost.
Shopify POS Alternatives Compared
Every published price below was checked against the vendor's own pricing page in 2026. The Shopify POS row is included so you can see what each alternative competes against, including that it needs a paid Shopify plan, which several of these systems avoid with free or standalone pricing.
| Alternative | Best for | Starting price (verified 2026) | Free plan | Why teams switch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square POS | Small businesses wanting free, simple POS | Free; paid plans from about $29 to $89/mo | Yes | Free POS with flat-rate payments |
| Lightspeed Retail | Multi-location retailers needing deep inventory | Basic from about $109/mo | No | Advanced inventory and multi-location |
| KORONA POS | Retailers wanting no payment processor lock-in | Core about $59/mo per terminal | No | Processor-agnostic with no cut of sales |
| PHP Point of Sale | Retailers wanting flat-price standalone POS | From about $29/mo per location | No | Flat-price retail POS with no cut of sales |
| Epos Now | Retail and hospitality wanting hardware bundles | Custom quote (from about $39/mo) | No | POS with hardware bundles and an app store |
| Loyverse POS | Small shops and cafes wanting free POS | Free; add-ons from about $5/mo | Yes | Free POS with loyalty built in |
| ConnectPOS | Omnichannel retailers on Shopify or Magento | From about $49/mo | No | Omnichannel POS for ecommerce platforms |
| Hike | Retailers wanting cloud POS with ecommerce | From about $59/mo | No | Cloud retail POS with ecommerce built in |
| SumUp | Mobile sellers and small counters | Free (Lite); paid POS from about $39/mo | Yes | Low-cost card readers and mobile POS |
| Odoo Point of Sale | Businesses wanting POS inside a full ERP | Free (One App); Standard from about $24.90/user/mo | Limited | POS integrated with a full business suite |
| Shopify POS (for reference) | Unified online and in-store selling | Requires Shopify plan (from about $39/mo); POS Pro adds about $89/location | No | The baseline these alternatives compete with |
How We Scored These Alternatives
Match scores weigh four things: how well the tool covers what Shopify POS does well, strength where owners say it falls short (required subscription, ecommerce-first design, and per-location POS Pro cost), value at typical store sizes, and ease of use. A higher score means a closer fit for the widest range of retailers, not that it wins for every store.
Sources
Pricing verified in 2026 against each vendor pricing page: Shopify POS pricing, Square POS, KORONA POS pricing, Loyverse pricing, and PHP Point of Sale. Lightspeed, Epos Now, and ConnectPOS quote or bundle by setup, so confirm current rates.
Related Comparisons
Comparing options across the same category? These guides use the same verified-pricing method:
- Best Square POS Alternatives
- Best Lightspeed Retail Alternatives
- Best Epos Now Alternatives
- Best Loyverse POS Alternatives
- Best KORONA POS Alternatives
- Best SumUp Alternatives
Verified on 15 September 2026 by the SaaSRat editorial team. Pricing and contract terms change often; confirm current rates with the vendor before purchasing.
