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Home /Point of Sale Systems Canada /The 5 Best POS Systems for Small Businesses in Canada

The 5 Best POS Systems for Small Businesses in Canada

Updated on 19 July 2023

Written by

Sarah Thompson

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With a score of 4.8/5, Square is our highest rated POS provider in our research. We recommend it to small businesses  as it offers free POS software, affordable hardware, and comprehensive features.

Our independent research team has compared 12 different POS systems to find the best providers. Each provider was scored against a range of areas including business development, price, and customer support.

If you’re short on time, you can get quotes from trusted POS companies directly through our free quote-comparison tool. Simply answer a few questions, and we’ll match you with the most suitable company, who’ll offer tailored, no-obligation quotes. Easy.

Square

Lightspeed

Shopify POS

TouchBistro

Toast

4.8⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
4.3⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
4.1⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
4.0⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
3.7⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Price

From $0/month

Price

From $89/month

Price
  • Basic – $29/month
  • Shopify – $79/month
  • Advanced – $299/month

Shopify POS:

  • Lite: $0
  • Pro: $89/month/location
Price

From $93/month

Price
  • Starter – $120/month
  • Essentials – $175/month
  • Custom – bespoke
Best For

Overall

Best For

Bars

Best For

Retailers with an online store

Best For

Restaurants

Best For

hospitality industry

Square: Best Overall

Pricing: Software price plans range from $0 per month to $79 per month

Square

4.8 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Quick overview

Square scores a 4.8/5 overall in our research, taking the number one spot. Square scores a 5/5 for pricing because of its free POS app. The free software is especially suitable for startups or small businesses that have a limited budget. Square does have a paid version for retail ($79 per month)

Strength

Weaknesses

Software Hardware
Free
$0
Card reader
$59
Plus
$60

Key Features

Lightspeed: Best for Retail

Pricing: Software price plans range from $69 per month to $289 per month

Lightspeed

4.3 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Quick overview

Lightspeed score a 4.3/5 overall and offer two different POS systems: restaurant and retail. The split means you can choose the system that’s right for your business’ needs. Lightspeed doesn’t do very well in the pricing area scoring a 3.2/5. Starting from 89 CAD per month, the ‘Lean’ package is

Strength

Weaknesses

Lean
89 CAD/month
Standard
159 CAD/month
Advanced
229 CAD/month

Key Features

Shopify: Best for Ecommerce Integration

Pricing: Software price plans range from $38 CAD per month to $389 CAD per month

Shopify

4.1 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Quick overview

Shopify scores a 4.1/5 overall in our research and is best for businesses looking for ecommerce integration. This is because Shopify’s ecommerce platform is popular and widely used but you also cannot use Shopify’s POS system without signing up to an ecommerce plan. If you’re looking solely

Strength

Weaknesses

Shopify plan Shopify POS subscription
Basic
$38 CAD/month
POS LITE
$0 USD/month
Shopify
$99 CAD/month
POS PRO
$89 USD/month per location
Advanced
$389 CAD/month

Key Features

Key Features

Toast: Best for Android

Pricing: Software plans range from $0 per month to $165 per month

Toast

3.6 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 
Starter Kit
$0/month
Restaurant Basicshttps://vpnclicks.com/pos-compare-and-save/
$110/month
Essentials
$165/month
Custom
Custom

Key Features

How We Test POS Systems for Businesses

We tested 16 market-leading POS systems to evaluate them in terms of functionality, usability, price, features, and more so we can make the most useful recommendations to Canadian businesses.

Our rigorous testing process means these products have been scored and rated in eight main categories of investigation and 45 subcategories – in fact, we covered 61 areas of investigation in total. We then gave each category score a ‘relevance weighting’ to ensure the product’s final score perfectly reflects the needs and requirements and that’s our product testing algorithm in a nutshell!

Our main testing categories for POS systems are:

Till: the core functionality of the POS system, which includes the processing of sales transactions. It involves features such as item scanning, item look-up, and price calculation.

Business Management: the features and tools provided by the POS system to support various aspects of running a business, such as employee management, shift scheduling, and customer management.

Stock Management: the POS system’s capabilities to manage inventory and track stock levels, including inventory tracking, stock alerts and transfers, and purchase order management.

Business Development: the features and tools provided by the POS system to help businesses grow and improve their operations, e.g. customer relationship management, marketing integrations, and sales forecasting.

Usability: how easily and intuitively the POS system can be used by the staff, including the user interface design, navigation, ease of training, and overall user experience during setup.

Price: the cost associated with acquiring and using the POS system, such as the initial purchase cost, licensing fees, subscription plans, and any additional charges or ongoing costs.

Help and Support: the assistance and resources available to users when they encounter issues or need guidance while using the POS system including documentation, tutorials, or knowledge bases.

Features: the functionalities and capabilities provided by the POS product. This can include dedicated restaurant and retail functionality including KDS, loyalty management, and multi employee login.

FAQs

Point of Sale (POS) systems combine software and hardware in order to help you manage your business more efficiently. The best systems offer features designed to help you with everything from processing transactions to creating email marketing campaigns that’ll encourage repeat purchases.

For small businesses, software plans for some POS systems, including Square and eHopper, start at $0 per month, with just the hardware costs and transaction fees to worry about. However, most POS systems have pricing plans, starting from $60+ per month. The majority of POS hardware can be bought for around $1,500

The cheapest POS system is provided by Square. While eHopper offers a free plan, too, Square’s plan is better value for money thanks to its impressive features. With Square’s software, you can manage and grow your small business easily, at no monthly cost.

While we strive to keep the prices up-to-date on our website, please note that all prices mentioned are subject to change. Therefore, we highly recommend filling out the questionnaire form to obtain the latest and most accurate pricing

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