Free POS systems compared: VoVi, Square and Toast

What is actually free?

These are US software offers, checked against official sources on September 26, 2026. A zero in the software column does not make card processing, equipment, extra services or every contract obligation free. A free trial also has an end date; it is different from a continuing no-subscription plan.

The table describes the offer to investigate. It does not certify that every feature your store needs is included. Read the provider page and get the selected configuration in writing before comparing the final bill.

When each offer deserves a closer look

Start with VoVi when you want its retail tools and are willing to assess the processor-linked offer. We favor our product where its inventory, purchasing and team features solve the store’s actual work. Being a smaller, newer provider also means its support arrangements and operational fit deserve a careful trial. Prefer a demonstrated workflow to our recommendation.

Square belongs on the shortlist when its selected plan covers the counter you need. Its official pricing separates the no-subscription entry plan from paid tiers. That makes the exact feature requirement important: a comparison against Free is unhelpful if your intended setup needs a paid capability.

Toast deserves attention for a restaurant evaluating a Starter configuration. Ask for the actual order-to-kitchen-to-payment flow your operation needs and its complete package price. A retail software comparison should not silently stand in for a restaurant systems evaluation.

Shopify deserves a comparison when the business already uses, or independently needs, a Shopify store. Separate the subscription you will keep either way from the extra cost of your intended in-store setup. An included feature can have zero incremental software cost without making the underlying paid platform free.

Compare the same job on every plan

Write one realistic sale before booking a demo: two items, one discount, one returned item and a closing report. Add only the exceptions your business truly has, such as size variants, a kitchen modifier or a second location. Run the sequence on the exact plan being quoted, with an ordinary staff account and the devices you intend to use.

Follow the result after checkout. A refund should lead to a clear payment record and the intended stock treatment. A purchase order should show what arrived and what remains outstanding. Mark a requirement as demonstrated, supported only by documentation, unavailable or unresolved. Those four states are more informative than a row of identical checkmarks.

A timed demonstration can help your own training decision, but it does not establish that one provider is universally faster. Use the same task, equipment and connection when comparing your observations. Record interruptions and assistance rather than inventing a benchmark from a polished sales presentation.

Get a quote you can actually compare

Give each provider the same locations, payment volume, card mix, average transaction, required devices and mandatory features. Ask it to identify the chargeable unit for each line. A monthly price per account, per location and per device are different costs.

Collect these six answers before accepting a lowest-cost claim. If a price is unknown, leave it unresolved; entering zero would manufacture savings.

• Software: the exact plan, locations, staff entitlements and billing commitment.
• Payments: percentage and fixed transaction fees for each channel, plus recurring processor charges.
• Equipment: devices you own, equipment you buy, accessories, replacements and any financing.
• Operations: integrations, onboarding, inventory tools and support required for your actual setup.
• Changeover: data preparation, training, parallel operation and any existing cancellation obligations.
• Exit: notice period, separate agreements and continued access to usable business records.

Choose the offer whose conditions fit

Choose a free-software configuration only after it passes the required workflows and the complete quote works for you. A paid option can still be the better purchase if it preserves a valuable existing setup or supplies a capability the free option lacks. Conversely, paying for tools your shop never uses does not improve the counter.

Keeping your current processor is a specific decision in the VoVi comparison: the US software price becomes US$99 per month per location, and your processor still charges for payments. Compare that combined cost with the processor-linked route. Outside the US, VoVi’s offer is US$99 per month per location in supported markets; this US comparison is not an international eligibility check.

Shortlist two configurations, keep the written assumptions, and test the uncertain items. Our preference for VoVi is visible; the evidence you collect should decide whether it earns a place in your store.