How to Choose a Square POS Alternative
Square is one of the easiest ways to start selling, with free software and flat-rate payments, but businesses look elsewhere for three main reasons: flat-rate fees that add up as sales grow, limited inventory depth for multi-location retail, and being locked into Square's own payment processing. The right replacement depends on which of those pushed you to look.
If your fees have outgrown flat-rate pricing, KORONA POS and PHP Point of Sale let you keep your own processor and never take a cut of sales. If you need deeper inventory, Lightspeed Retail handles large catalogs and multiple locations.
If you also sell online, Shopify POS and Hike unify in-store and ecommerce, while Loyverse, SumUp, and eHopper keep costs low with free or cheap plans. Decide whether your gap is fees, inventory, or online selling, then compare processing terms and total cost.
Square POS Alternatives Compared
Every published price below was checked against the vendor's own pricing page in 2026. The Square POS row is included so you can see what each alternative competes against, including its free plan, so you can weigh where each system charges and whether it locks you into its own payment processing.
| Alternative | Best for | Starting price (verified 2026) | Free plan | Why teams switch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Shopify POS | Retailers who also sell online with Shopify | Requires Shopify plan (from about $39/mo); POS Pro adds about $89/location | No | Unified online and in-store selling |
| Loyverse POS | Small shops and cafes wanting free POS | Free; add-ons from about $5/mo | Yes | Free POS with loyalty built in |
| Epos Now | Retail and hospitality wanting hardware bundles | Custom quote (from about $39/mo) | No | POS with hardware bundles and an app store |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| eHopper | Very small shops wanting a free counter | Free; paid from about $29.99/mo | Yes | Free POS for small counters |
| POS Nation | US retailers wanting POS plus hardware | From about $99/mo | No | POS with hardware and US-based support |
| Square POS (for reference) | Free, simple all-in-one POS | Free; paid plans from about $29 to $89/mo | Yes | The baseline these alternatives compete with |
How We Scored These Alternatives
Match scores weigh four things: how well the tool covers what Square does well, strength where owners say it falls short (fees at scale, inventory depth, and processor lock-in), 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: Square POS, KORONA POS pricing, Loyverse pricing, Shopify POS pricing, and PHP Point of Sale. Lightspeed, Epos Now, and Retail Express 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 Shopify 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.
