POS System Reviews
Scored by product quality weighted against real annual cost at £20,000/month card volume. Every score includes the processing rate arithmetic — not just the software subscription.
Square POS Review 2026: Honest Costs, Real Trade-offs
Best for: Single-location food or retail operators who want zero contract risk and a free software tier to start
Skip if: You're running more than 4 locations or need advanced inventory matrix (size x colour) for apparel
Shopify POS Review 2026: Best POS If You're Already on Shopify
Best for: Retailers already on Shopify who want unified online and in-store inventory with no duplicate data entry
Skip if: You're in food and beverage — Shopify POS has no kitchen workflow; you'd be bolting a Square or Toast on top anyway
Lightspeed Retail Review 2026: The Best POS for Growing Retail Chains
Best for: Multi-location retailers with complex inventory (matrix, serial-number, lot tracking) who want to bring their own payment processor
Skip if: Single-location operators on a tight budget — Lightspeed is overkill and overpriced for 1 location at low volume
Toast POS Review 2026: Best Restaurant POS — If You Can Live With the Contract
Best for: Single or multi-location restaurant committed to 2+ years, doing £25K+/mo card volume, wanting the best kitchen workflow in the market
Skip if: You're not 80% sure you'll still be on Toast in 2028, or if you need to use your own payment processor
Clover POS Review 2026: Flexible Hardware, Inflexible Contracts
Best for: Established businesses that already have a processor relationship with a Clover reseller (bank or ISO) and want a polished hardware ecosystem
Skip if: Anyone who hasn't already been offered Clover through a bank — the third-party reseller model creates huge price variability and the contract terms are often worse than buying direct