Free & low-cost options compared. No fluff, real monthly costs.
If you run a small shop, café, restaurant, food truck, salon, or market stall and you are paying $60–$200 every month for a POS system, you are almost certainly overpaying. This guide ranks the cheapest POS systems for small business in 2026. By real monthly cost, not sticker price. And shows how to set up a fully working till for $0.
The cheapest POS system for a small business in 2026 is Timeline POS: $0 per month, $0 transaction fees, unlimited products and users, runs on any Windows computer you already own, and works fully offline. Square Free, Loyverse, and eHopper are the next-cheapest options. Their software is free, but you pay 1.69%–2.9% on every card transaction, which adds up fast. SumUp and Zettle are the cheapest card-reader options in the UK and Germany at $39–$79 for hardware. Anything that costs more than $30/month and locks you into a multi-year processor contract is not the cheapest, no matter how the marketing reads.
Monthly software fee, transaction fee, hardware cost, and what each one is actually best for. Pricing is current as of April 2026. Always confirm with the vendor. POS pricing changes often.
| POS System | Monthly Fee | Transaction Fee | Hardware | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timeline POS (Free Desktop) | $0 forever | $0 (no payment processor built in) | Use your existing Windows PC | Small retail shops, cafés, workshops, service businesses |
| Square Free Plan | $0 | 2.6% + 10¢ in person; 2.9% + 30¢ online (USA) | Free magstripe reader; $49–$799 for chip/tap hardware | Businesses that want one app for POS and payments |
| Loyverse POS | $0 base; add-ons $5–$25/mo | Depends on payment integration (Square, SumUp, Zettle) | Works on any iPad or Android tablet | Cafés, small restaurants, and shops |
| eHopper POS | $0 for essentials; $29.99+/mo for advanced | Processor-dependent | Free on your device; bundles $449+ | Convenience stores, quick-service food, and kiosks |
| SumUp / Zettle (by PayPal) | $0 | 1.69% – 2.75% per transaction (varies by country) | $39–$79 reader; $99+ register bundles | Market traders, mobile merchants, micro-businesses in the UK and EU |
| Square Plus / Shopify POS Lite | $29–$89/mo | ~2.5%–2.9% + fixed | $49–$799 | Growing retailers who need more features than the free tier |
| Lightspeed Retail Lean | $69+/mo | 2.6% + 10¢ with Lightspeed Payments | $329+ for bundle | Small retailers that need multi-location and deep inventory |
| Clover Mini / Go | $14.95+/mo | 2.3% + 10¢ and up (processor-dependent) | $49 (Go card reader) to $749+ for Clover Mini | Merchants wanting an all-in-one hardware + software stack |
| Toast Starter | $0 (restricted; hardware & processing bundled) | ~2.49% + 15¢ and up | $0 upfront on Starter (higher fees) | Small restaurants, cafés, and quick-service |
Prices shown for USA merchants. UK, Germany, Canada, and Australia rates differ. Check the vendor’s local site. Transaction fees for non-processor POS systems (like Timeline POS) depend on whichever card reader or bank you use separately.
The comparison table gives you the headline number. This section is the honest commentary. What each POS is actually like to run, and where the pricing trap tends to be hidden.
$0/mo · $0 transaction fees · Windows desktop
Timeline POS is the POS system built by Timeline Digital. A 13-year custom software company in Pakistan serving 200+ enterprise clients across the USA, UK, and Europe. We ship it free because most small businesses do not need the complexity or price of Square, Clover or Lightspeed. It is a Windows desktop app with sales billing, product and inventory management, customer records, orders, reports, and full offline operation. No subscription, no trial period, no feature lockout, no transaction fees, and no processor contract.
$0/mo · 2.6% + 10¢ per in-person card transaction (USA)
Square is the best-known free POS and the default recommendation for US small businesses. The software is free forever, you get a free magstripe reader, and the app runs on iPhone, iPad, Android, and a dedicated Square Register. The catch is transaction fees. At 2.6% + 10¢ in person you will pay around $270 on $10,000 of card sales. That is your real monthly cost. For businesses with low card volume, it is still excellent value; for busy retailers, the math gets worse than a paid POS with lower processing.
$0/mo · Payment processing via integrated partner
Loyverse is a free POS popular with cafés and small restaurants. It runs on iPad or Android tablet, supports menu management and split bills, and integrates with Square, SumUp, Zettle, and CloudPayments for card acceptance. Most features are free; employee management, advanced inventory, and kitchen displays are paid add-ons at $5–$25/month. Still one of the cheapest ways to run a café with a tablet.
$0/mo on the Essential plan · processor-dependent rates
eHopper is a Windows, Android, and Poynt-compatible free POS aimed at convenience stores and quick-service food. The free Essential plan handles up to 300 SKUs and one register. Fine for a small shop, restrictive once you grow. The paid tier starts at $29.99/mo and unlocks inventory and staff tools. Solid, but plan for the upgrade if you grow.
$0/mo · 1.69%–2.75% per card transaction · $39–$79 reader
In the UK, Germany, Ireland, and across mainland Europe, SumUp and Zettle are the cheapest way to start taking card payments. Hardware costs from £29/€29 for a reader, no monthly fee, and no contract. The POS app handles basic products, discounts, and reports; inventory is light compared to Square. Ideal for market traders, pop-ups, and service businesses that visit clients.
$0–$14.95/mo · 2.3%–2.49% + fixed fees · $49–$749 hardware
Toast Starter markets as $0/month but you commit to bundled processing. Clover Go has a low entry at $14.95/mo. Both are valid options, but both lock you in through payment processor contracts that are hard to exit. Great if you know you want an all-in-one bundle. Read the processing contract carefully before signing.
$29–$89/mo · 2.5%–2.9% card fees · $49–$799 hardware
When the free tier runs out of room, Shopify POS Lite (free with a Shopify subscription) and Square Plus at $29–$89/month are the natural next step. Not the cheapest any more, but still affordable and deeper on inventory, e-commerce sync, and reporting. Good for shops doing $20k+/mo in card volume where the subscription is easily paid for by lower processing rates.
A POS (Point of Sale) system is the software and hardware that a business uses to ring up a sale. A modern POS does four things at minimum: (1) calculates and records the transaction, (2) accepts payment, (3) prints or emails a receipt, and (4) updates inventory and sales reports. A cheap POS does those four things without a monthly fee or a long processor contract. A free POS does them with no software cost at all. Sometimes in exchange for higher transaction fees, sometimes (like Timeline POS) genuinely free because the vendor does not process payments at all.
CRM (Customer Relationship Management) inside a POS means storing customer profiles, tracking purchase history, and sometimes running loyalty offers. Timeline POS, Square, Loyverse, and Clover all include basic customer tracking for free; full marketing automation (email campaigns, loyalty points) usually costs extra on SaaS platforms.
Pick based on where you operate and how you take payment. The “best cheap POS” depends entirely on your model.
Cheapest pick: Timeline POS (free) or Square Free
A single-location retail shop needs barcode scanning, product catalogue, and clean end-of-day reports. Timeline POS covers all three with no cost. Pick Square if you want everything. Software + card reader. From one brand.
Cheapest pick: Loyverse or Timeline POS
Loyverse runs on an iPad with menu + split bills + kitchen ticket. Timeline POS handles orders and inventory on a Windows till. Toast is cheaper on paper but watch the processing contract.
Cheapest pick: SumUp, Zettle, or Square
Mobile POS on a phone or tablet with a $39–$79 reader wins on hardware cost. All three charge under 2% processing in the UK and EU.
Cheapest pick: Timeline POS or Square Appointments
If bookings matter, Square Appointments has a free tier. If you invoice on the spot, Timeline POS is cheaper. Zero ongoing cost.
Cheapest pick: Loyverse or Shopify POS Lite
Multi-outlet control for low monthly cost. Timeline POS can run per-site with independent data; cloud sync is a custom build.
Cheapest pick: Shopify POS Lite or Square Plus
Unified inventory between web and counter. Pricier than free, but the time saved on stock reconciliation pays for itself.
A small shop doing $10,000/month in sales, 70% on card. Here is how each POS actually bills you.
| POS | Software fee | Card fees ($7,000) | Total / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timeline POS + your own bank reader | $0 | Use your bank rate (often 1.2–1.8%) | ~$84–$126 |
| Square Free Plan | $0 | 2.6% + 10¢ × avg 50 txns = ~$187 | ~$187 |
| Loyverse + SumUp integration | $0 | ~1.69% × $7,000 = $118 | ~$118 |
| Clover Mini (Starter) | $14.95 | ~2.3% × $7,000 = $161 | ~$176 |
| Shopify POS Lite | $39 | ~2.7% × $7,000 = $189 | ~$228 |
| Toast Starter | $0 | ~2.49% × $7,000 = $174 + 15¢/txn | ~$181 |
Estimates based on standard US rates in April 2026. Actual rates vary by merchant category, volume, and negotiated pricing.
Direct answers to the questions small-business owners ask before they choose a POS.
The cheapest POS system is one with no monthly software fee and no transaction fee baked in. Timeline POS from Timeline Digital is the most cost-effective option because it is genuinely free for life, runs on any Windows PC you already own, has no transaction fees, and does not require a payment processor contract. If you need integrated card payments, the next cheapest options are Square Free and Loyverse with SumUp, where the software is free but you pay 1.69%–2.75% per card transaction.
Yes. Timeline POS is 100% free with no trial period, no subscription, no feature lockout, and no transaction fees because it does not process payments itself. Square, Loyverse, eHopper, and SumUp also offer free software plans. But you pay per-transaction fees on every card sale, which are effectively a variable monthly cost.
A basic POS system costs $0 to $89 per month in software fees, plus 1.69%–2.9% in payment-processing fees on card transactions. For most small businesses doing $10,000/month in card sales, the real monthly cost is $170–$290 regardless of which tier they pick. The only way to avoid that bill is to use a POS without a built-in processor, such as Timeline POS, and run card payments separately through your existing bank or a pay-as-you-go reader.
Cheap POS software typically costs $10–$30/month and includes support, cloud backup, and integrations. Free POS software has no monthly fee but usually makes money through payment-processing fees, hardware sales, or paid feature upgrades. For a small business with low card volume, a free POS is almost always cheaper. For a business processing more than $5,000/month in cards, a cheap POS with lower processing rates can work out less expensive overall.
Yes. Timeline POS charges $0 in software fees and $0 in transaction fees because it is not a payment processor. You bill the customer through the POS and accept cash, bank transfer, or any card reader of your choice. This is the most affordable setup for small businesses that already have a merchant account or prefer cash-heavy workflows.
A reputable free POS system is as safe as a paid one, provided the vendor is established and the software is downloaded from an official site. Timeline POS stores data locally on your computer, so your sales, inventory, and customer records never leave your premises. For cloud-based free POS options like Square or Loyverse, check the vendor's security certifications (PCI DSS, SOC 2) before signing up.
For a single-location retail shop, Timeline POS is the cheapest option at $0 total cost with unlimited products, barcode scanning, inventory tracking, and reports. If you need built-in card payments and are in the USA, Square Free is the cheapest branded option; in the UK and Germany, SumUp and Zettle offer the lowest hardware entry points at $39–$79 for a reader.
For a small café or restaurant, Timeline POS handles menu, orders, and daily sales reports with no monthly cost. If you need kitchen display integration and delivery-app sync, Loyverse (free tier) or Toast Starter ($0 monthly with bundled hardware and processing) are the next cheapest options. But watch the transaction fee structure on Toast, which can add up at volume.
Yes. SumUp, Zettle, Square, and Loyverse all run on Android and iOS with a paired card reader. For businesses that only need occasional sales or operate at markets, events, or mobile service calls, a phone-based mobile POS is the cheapest route. Total hardware cost of $39–$79 and $0/month in software fees.
Look for: no mandatory monthly fee, no locked payment processor, unlimited products and users, clear inventory tracking, daily sales reports, offline capability so downtime does not kill sales, and an export function so you can move off the platform later if needed. Many "cheap" POS systems trap you with multi-year processor contracts. Avoid those unless the processing rate is clearly the lowest available.
Yes. Timeline POS is fully configurable for currency, tax rates, and receipt formats, so it works in the USA (with USD and sales tax), the UK (GBP and VAT), Germany (EUR and MwSt.), Canada, Australia, and any other English-speaking market. Square covers the USA, UK, Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, Spain, and Japan. Zettle and SumUp are strongest across the UK, Germany, and the rest of Europe.
If saving money is the point, start with the one POS on this page that charges you nothing. Not at setup, not per month, not per transaction. Timeline POS runs offline, on any Windows computer, with unlimited products and users. Download it, install it, start billing in under 10 minutes.