The 5 best iPad POS systems for small businesses Using an iPad to run your POS system can be both affordable and easy to use - but which platform is right for your small business? We'll tell you everything you'll need to know. Written by Eddie Harris Reviewed by Ollie Simpson Updated on 13 June 2025 About Us Startups was founded over 20 years ago by a serial entrepreneur. Today, our expert team of writers, researchers, and editors work to provide our 4 million readers with useful tips and information, as well as running award-winning campaigns. Written and reviewed by: Eddie Harris Reviews Writer Ollie Simpson Senior Research Executive Startups.co.uk is reader supported – we may earn a commission from our recommendations, at no extra cost to you and without impacting our editorial impartiality. Looking for the best POS system for your small business? There’s a number of strong reasons to look for one that’s iPad-based. By using an iPad POS system you can avoid paying for expensive terminals, and it gives you or your staff a lot of manoeuvrability. As a result of the most recent testing carried out by our dedicated research team, we concluded that Square was the best iPad POS system for retail small businesses, thanks to its unparalleled usability. There could be another option that has specific features and benefits that will be a great fit for your needs though. That’s why we’ve included a full roundup of the top iPad POS options below: Best iPad POS Systems at a glance Square: best overall iPad POSClover: best iPad POS for a fast-paced restaurant environmentSumUp: best iPad POS for beginnersLightspeed Restaurant: best iPad POS for driving repeat businessTouchBistro: best iPad POS for balancing usability with featuresClick any of the links above to begin comparing costs on POS Systems for your own business’s size and needs. Key takeaways Square is our number one choice for an iPad POS thanks to its free plan, array of features, and since 2024 it has made some impressive improvements to overall usability.If you need to integrate your iPad POS with third party software to increase effiency, Clover has an impressive app store.If you just need a simple and free iPad POS to quickly get to grips with, then we’d recommend SumUp if you’re on a limited budget.Lightspeed Restaurant, while on the more expensive side of things, stood out as having some of the most impressive customer engagement tools we observed.TouchBistro combines an impressive range of features with exceptional usability, such as letting you edit your floor plan directly from the iPad. Swipe right to see more 0 out of 0 backward forward FEATURED DEAL BEST ALL ROUND Lightspeed Square Clover SumUp TouchBistro Best for Best iPad POS for driving repeat business Best for Best overall iPad POS Best for Best iPad POS for a fast-paced restaurant environment Best for Best iPad POS for beginners Best for Best iPad POS for balancing usability with features Overall Score Based on our in-depth research and user testing 3.9 Overall Score Based on our in-depth research and user testing 4.8 Overall Score Based on our in-depth research and user testing 4.4 Overall Score Based on our in-depth research and user testing 4.2 Overall Score Based on our in-depth research and user testing 3.7 Pricing from £109 per month Pricing from Free Pricing from £1 per month (on an 18 month contract) Pricing from Free Pricing from $69 per month Key benefits Top class customer engagement and loyalty toolsAutomatic offline functionalityTablet based kitchen display system Key benefits Free POS appManage multiple storesIntegrate an online store Key benefits Reporting that gives you a deep dive into your analyticsWide range of tools to boost efficiencyExtensive app store Key benefits Great range of hardware and accessoriesInventory management tools with stock alerts and cost managementMobile and QR code ordering Key benefits Great floor planning toolsSeamlessly connect to a kitchen display systemStrong cost management tools Save On Your New POS System by Comparing Quotes Do you currently have a POS system? Yes No Compare iPad POS costs in just minutes This article will cover: Square Clover SumUp Lightspeed Restaurant TouchBistro How to choose an iPad POS system Our methodology: how we test iPad POS systems I updated this page on 13/06/2025. Here's what's changed: In May 2025, we re-tested and re-evaluated our recommendations for the best iPad POS to ensure that our information is as accurate and helpful as possible.Our latest analysis resulted in a new ranking order for this page. This is what changed:Square remained our number one pick, and since 2024 has seen even further improvement to its usability.Clover has stayed in second place, but SumUp now joins the ranking in the number three position. This is due to improvements to front end usability, combined with its overall affordability.This resulted in Lightspeed Restaurant and TouchBistro shifting down to fourth and fifth place respectively, nudging Shopify out of the top five. 1. Square: best overall iPad POS Square Starting software price: Free plan Transaction fees from: From 1.75% Great range of hardware as well as an iOS app Excellent employee management system Lets you efficiently manage multiple store locations Summary Square is headed up by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey. Specifically designed for small to medium sized businesses, it leads the US market for POS systems, currently serving four million clients. Show moreless Suitable if: You're looking for a free iPad POS software You want to integrate an online store You're a business of any size, including multiple locations Not suitable if: You want a training mode to help onboard new staff You're looking for flexible transaction fees You want a cost/profit management tool What makes Square the overall best iPad POS system?Square came out as our overall favourite option for an iPad POS thanks to a feature-filled backend, easy to use frontend, and a whole range of tools to help manage your business. Since we last tested it in 2024, Square has made even further improvements to its interface, making it the easiest to use system we tested.During our testing, we found that Square’s POS was incredibly easy to navigate around. Source: Startups.co.ukWe were impressed by the multi-location stock management, customisable gift cards, and email marketing tools. What makes this all the more impressive: you can get all these features on Square’s totally free plan (which we recommended as the overall best free POS for SMEs). The free plan also lets you seamlessly integrate your POS with an online store.During our testing we found Square to be reassuringly user-friendly. Source: Startups.co.ukAre there any limitations?Unfortunately, there’s no training mode for helping new staff get up to speed. This might be an issue for larger businesses that have a high turnover of staff who need to be quickly trained. If this is a dealbreaker for you, then Lightspeed will be worth looking at. There’s also currently no option for cost/profit management tools, but Clover can provide this if you need to take a more granular look at your financial data.How much does it cost?PricingSoftwareFree plan: FreeSquare for Retail Plus plan: £49/month, per locationSquare for Restaurants Plus plan: £69/month, per locationPremium plan (for businesses that process more than £200,000 per year): custom pricingHardwareSquare Stand (to turn your iPad into a countertop terminal): £99 plus VATSquare Stand Kit with USB Printer: £419 plus VATTransaction feesFree plan: 1.75% in person, 2.5% for virtual terminal and invoices, 1.4% + 25p for online transactionsSquare for Retail Plus plan: 1.6% in person, 1.4% + 25p for online transactionsPremium plan: custom ratesFree trial?You can test the system using the free plan on a tabletIf you’re on Square’s free plan, then you’ll be subject to a 1.75% transaction fee for in-person card payments. In the grand scheme of transaction fees, this is roughly about average. So you won’t be overpaying, and considering it’s on a free plan, that’s a pretty solid deal.Just keep in mind, if you’re planning on using Square on iPad as your sole POS, you’ll most likely need to also purchase the Square Stand which is currently £99 plus VAT. If you need any accessories, such as a cash drawer and a printer, then the cost could add up quickly. Square sells a bundle which is comprised of the Square Stand, cash drawer, USB receipt printer and paper rolls for £419 plus VAT.What security measures are in place?Square is Level 1 PCI compliant, and provides live transaction monitoring. It also uses strong cryptographic protocols when transferring data, its hardware is end-to-end encrypted, and it has its own proprietary tokenization scheme. 2. Clover: best iPad POS for a fast-paced restaurant environment Clover Starting software price: Currently from £1 per month (18 month contract) Transaction fees from: 1.49% Highly customisable customer display Exceptional POS hardware and accessories Speedy fingerprint login on the Clover Terminal Summary Clover is based in California and, as of 2020, processes $133 billion in card transactions annually. It’s owned by Fiserv, the largest merchant acquirer in the world. Show moreless Suitable if: You're a medium, or larger sized restaurant or bar You want a large library of third-party apps You want a straightforward, easy-to-use iPad POS Not suitable if: You're a smaller, or pop-up sized business You need automated tip sharing You're looking for a free plan What makes Clover a great iPad POS?We’ve previously been impressed by Clover’s excellent range of hardware, but you can also run its POS from an iPad using the Clover Go app. Clover has an easy, straightforward interface and when we tested the back office, we found tasks like creating categories and modifiers to be seamless, which we think makes it suitable for a fast-paced environment.We found Clover’s frontend to be highly intuitive, and you can edit floor plans directly from the iPad. Source: Startups.co.ukWe were also thoroughly impressed by Clover’s extensive app store. It provides a wide-ranging selection of third-party applications you can use to turbocharge your business and increase efficiency. For example, you can connect your POS system with small business accounting software, such as Sage.Clover boasts an impressively extensive app store. Source: Startups.co.ukAre there any limitations?Just keep in mind that Clover might be too advanced for the needs of some smaller eateries and pop-ups (with fewer than ten employees). There’s also no option for automated tip sharing, which is especially important since the most recent tipping legislation, but Square will have you covered there.How much does it cost?PricingSoftwareCurrently from £1 per monthHardwareClover Mini: £450Clover Station Solo: Contact Clover for pricesClover Station Duo: £1,300Transaction feesFrom 1.49%Free trial?NoneClover provides quote-based transaction fees, as opposed to a set fee like Square’s. So what you lose in initial transparency you could make up for with a transaction fee agreement that’s tailored to your needs.However, Clover is currently running a promotion where you can get a competitive 1.49% transaction fee on all cards, starting from £1 per month (service fee). Just keep in mind that this is based on an 18-month agreement, so it might not be the best option for those looking for a flexible solution. You can contact Clover for a bespoke offer though.What security measures are in place?Clover is PCI compliant, its hardware is end-to-end encrypted, and it uses EMV® 3DS to authenticate customers’ payments and prevent you from being exposed to card-not-present fraud. 3. SumUp: best iPad POS for beginners SumUp Starting software price: Free Transaction fees from: 1.69% Superb range of hardware and accessories Mobile and QR code ordering Inventory management tools with stock alerts and cost management Summary In 2020, London-based payment service provider SumUp acquired GoodTill, an iPad-based POS software provider. Show moreless Suitable if: You need a simple, easy-to-use iPad POS You want to integrate your iPad POS with an online store You want to avoid monthly costs Not suitable if: You want to automate tip management You want to offer your customers bill splitting (on a free plan) You're larger business (more than 20 employees) with more complex needs What makes SumUp a great iPad POS?When we tested it in May 2025, we found SumUp’s iPad POS to be simple, clear and ideal for beginners. We think the minimal, easy-to-use platform is a great fit for newer, smaller businesses (roughly one to nine employees) like cafes and coffee shops.SumUp’s POS Pro is recognisable by its colourful interface, as opposed to the monochrome of the free plan. Source: Startups.co.ukWe found that managing tables, cancelling payments and editing orders were all really simple from the iPad. We also really appreciated the addition of a “park order” function, which made it so easy to quickly adjust items on the fly. In general, we felt that the learning curve would be very short with SumUp’s POS.Just note that bill splitting is only available through SumUp POS Pro. Source: Startups.co.ukAre there any limitations?One thing to keep in mind is that bill splitting is only available through SumUp Pro, the most expensive tier. And while we found the frontend to be extremely simple and easy to use, the back office felt clunkier, less intuitive, and could be slow to load. A more complex business might be better suited to a platform with a better balance of front and back end features, like Clover.How much does it cost?Pricing SoftwarePay-as-you-go: FreePayments Plus: £19/monthPoint of Sale Pro: £49/monthHardwarePOS Lite: One-time cost of £249POS Pro: Starting at £754.80Transaction feesPay-as-you-go: 1.69%Payments Plus: 0.99% per transaction, 1.99% for premium cards Free trial?7-day trial for Payments PlusSumUp is a great deal, from a pricing perspective. It provides a free tier, which is subject to a 1.69% transaction fee. But if you’re taking in a high number of monthly sales, you should consider the Payments Plus plan, which costs £19 per month, but unlocks extremely low 0.99% fees.What security measures are in place?SumUp is PCI compliant, its transaction process encrypts all data and it is transferred to a secure payment server, and SumUp doesn’t store sensitive data on smartphones, tablets or card readers. It also has qualified internal and external teams regularly testing its security systems. 4. Lightspeed Restaurant: best iPad POS for driving repeat business Lightspeed Restaurant Starting software price: £69 per month Transaction fees from: Quote-based Offline functionality that syncs automatically when back online Brilliant customer engagement features Tablet-based system is easy to carry around Summary Based in Montreal, Canada, Lightspeed is a commerce platform that currently serves over 150,000 customer locations. Show moreless Suitable if: You want excellent loyalty tools for repeat business You run multiple locations You need offline functionality Not suitable if: You want a low cost option You change your floor plan frequently You need automatic tip management What makes Lightspeed Restaurant a great iPad POS?Out of all the providers we’ve reviewed, Lightspeed sets the gold standard for customer engagement tools. If you’re looking to build up repeat business and foster a long-term customer base, then the loyalty tools like built-in email and SMS marketing, as well built-in gift card functionality, will set you up for success.Lightspeed Restaurant has automatic offline functionality, which should give you peace of mind when taking payments. Source: Startups.co.ukLightspeed Restaurant is specifically designed to be used on tablets, but we did find that the frontend was a little trickier to use than the back office. But Lightspeed does provide a solid range of accurate help and support options if you get into trouble. You can also be reassured that Lightspeed has automatic offline functionality.While we found that creating a floor plan in Lightspeed was effortless, this can only be done from the back office, not directly from the iPad. Source: Startups.co.ukAre there any limitations?One thing to keep in mind is that you can’t edit the floor plan directly from the iPad, you need to login to the back office. And similarly to Clover, there’s no automatic tip management, so you’ll need to jump back up to Square if this is a non-negotiable for you.How much does it cost?Pricing SoftwareBasic: £69 per month Core: £129 per monthPro: £219Lightspeed Restaurant isn’t a budget option for iPad POS systems. If you’re looking for a cheap-and-cheerful, low-cost option you’d be far better off with Square or SumUp instead, as even the Basic plan still has a steep monthly cost attached.However, if you’ve got multiple locations to manage and you don’t mind shelling out for first-class loyalty features, then Lightspeed Restaurant will be well worth your attention.What security measures are in place?Lightspeed is PCI compliant, specific products are SOC 2 compliant, it enforces multi-factor authentication, it uses encryption protocols, and it employs strong security tools to keep merchant data secure. Save On Your New POS System by Comparing Quotes Do you currently have a POS system? Yes No Compare iPad POS costs in just minutes 5. TouchBistro: best iPad POS for balancing usability with features TouchBistro Starting software price: $69 Transaction fees from: Available on request Solid cost management tools Tablet-based system is easy to carry around Floor plans that are easy to edit Summary TouchBistro is based in Toronto, Canada, and in 2013 it partnered with PayPal. It now focuses on its POS software developed specifically for iPad. Show moreless Suitable if: You want to edit your floor plan straight from the iPad You want an exceptionally user-friendly iPad POS You want to seamlessly connect to a KDS Not suitable if: You want extensive, customisable mobile or QR code ordering You're a smaller restaurant needing a low-cost solution You want automated tip management What makes TouchBistro a great iPad POS?Since our last testing in 2024, our confidence in TouchBistro has only grown: it’s exceptionally easy to use, with an extremely user-friendly front office. Our experience using the frontend was overwhelmingly positive, and we smoothly completed daily tasks with ease. We found it particularly helpful that the floor plan could be edited straight from the iPad.TouchBistro stood out as an exceptionally easy-to-use POS platform. Source: Startups.co.ukThe built-in reservation system, as well as the marketing features, stood out as especially helpful tools. TouchBistro can also seamlessly connect to a tablet-based kitchen display system (KDS), making sure there is smooth communication between the front of house and the kitchen, thereby streamlining efficiency.We found that completing orders in the frontend was incredibly smooth. Source: Startups.co.ukAre there any limitations?Unfortunately the lack of customisability for the QR and mobile code ordering was a bit of a miss for us. If you want more extensive QR and mobile code ordering (particularly important for takeaway businesses) then we’d recommend Lightspeed Restaurant or Clover instead. Once again, we’d recommend keeping mind that only Square has automated tip management.How much does it cost?PricingSoftwareFrom $69/month (TouchBistro’s pricing is only available in US dollars)HardwareQuote-basedTransaction feesQuote-basedFree trial?No, but you can get a free demoTouchBistro won’t be the first port of call for a beginner-friendly, low-cost POS system. Though it does take an interesting approach to its pricing. You pay the base monthly price for the software, but you can then have a certain level of choice over which features you add.There are upsides and downsides to this. We appreciated this customisable “build your own POS” approach as you can avoid paying for tools you won’t use. But if you do want a fully stocked pantry of features, you’re going to be faced with a large bill.What security measures are in place?TouchBistro is PCI compliant and it uses Amazon Webservices cloud data center to store sales data. If you’re looking for even more iPad POS options – and custom quotes – to help you decide which supplier is right for you, the best thing to do is speak directly to suppliers – Startups can help you with this process.Simply complete our quick, easy form, and you’ll receive tailored quotes from iPad POS suppliers who can provide you with what your business needs. This process is free, quick and easy, and it could save your business both time and money. How to choose an iPad POS system for my small businessIntegrating an iPad POS system into your business comes with a number of benefits, including mobility and saving costs on expensive terminals.But how do you know which will be best for your business? Here are the key considerations you’ll need to look out for when shopping for an iPad POS:UsabilityYou’ll need an easy-to-use system that won’t have you or your staff tearing your hair out. You want it to be simple, easy to navigate and well-signposted so you can quickly find the features you need.Our recommendation is to always try a free trial or demo where available. It’s important to see if it will be your cup of tea before signing up to any contracts or investing time and energy into the platform.A crucial point to consider when choosing an iPad POS is the capacity of the frontend: this is what you’ll be using on the POS each work day. Make sure it’s easy to manage and use on an iPad, and crucially make sure you can edit features from the front office, not just the back.Tools and featuresDifferent businesses have different needs. A pop-up food stall will have an entirely different set of demands to a multi-chain clothing business.There’s no point shelling out for advanced features if all you need are basic payment processing tools. But if you’re running multiple outlets then a detailed multi-site inventory management is going to be a dealbreaker, not a “nice to have”.Sit down and make a list of all the features that are your must-haves, and make sure your chosen POS platform can provide them.Reliable supportA busy retail floor or a bustling restaurant can make for high pressure work environments. Technology is doomed to go haywire at some stage, so make sure your provider has a solid suite of help and support options so you won’t be left hanging at a critical moment.Long-term supportAll successful businesses should be planning for scalability, even if it’s in the distant future. Don’t just think about what you need today, choose a platform that can grow with your business.You might want a simple, low-cost iPad POS right now, but what about when you open that second, or third location? Having to jump over to a brand new POS system, and get your staff re-trained to use it, can be a pain. Look for providers that have plans and features to support expansion.CostThis will be an obvious concern for all small businesses. If you’re looking for an iPad-based POS, there’s a good chance you’re trying to keep your costs low.But don’t just go straight for the cheapest platform possible. Keep in mind things like: what features you get for your money, transaction fees and contracts. For example, if you have a high turnover of monthly sales, it can be more than worth it to pay a monthly fee in exchange for low transaction fees.You can read more in our dedicated page about credit card processing fees, and it’s even got a handy calculator to help you work out what you should be paying! Save On Your New POS System by Comparing Quotes Do you currently have a POS system? Yes No Compare iPad POS costs in just minutes Important to know: three key payment industry regulations As a merchant, there are several critical regulations that will apply to you when you start taking payments. Here are some key ones you need to know about before setting up your POS system:1. PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard)These are a set of security standards that apply to any business taking card payments, big or small. These are mandatory. Non-compliance can result in severe fines and possibly even legal action.There are four different levels of PCI compliance, and what’s required from you will depend on how many card transactions you take each year.2. GDPR Data ProtectionThis is the EU/UK law governing customer data handling. You POS system will be storing your customers’ sensitive card data, purchase history, and personal information. So you need to make sure it’s been handled correctly.3. Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) RequirementsThis is the UK financial services regulation. Some POS providers are FCA regulated, which will affect consumer protection. Our methodology: how we test iPad POS systemsIn May 2025, our dedicated research team rigorously and impartially tested a range of iPad POS systems in order to find the best options.We analysed 11 POS systems in total, in a process led by our Senior Research Executive, to ensure that our recommendations would be up to date and accurate. This included hours of actual hands-on user testing, conducted in our London office by a group of participants including our own dedicated Reviews Writer.We tested and analysed the systems based on the six categories that are most important for iPad POS systems for SMEs:Usability (30%): how easy the system is to operate.Software (25%): this is the heart of your POS system, including all the tools, tricks and features that should ensure a smooth running of your day-to-day operations.Pricing (20%): keeping costs manageable is going to be essential for a small business, so we assess how much it will be costing you. This includes transaction fees, monthly costs and any additional hardware you might need to purchase.Help and support (15%): this was also assessed as it will be important for a small business to be able to access a range of reliable support options if they run into any issues using the POS.Additional hardware (5%): encapsulates any accessories you might need, including a kitchen display system.Reputation (5%): determined by competitor reviews, online comments, and how likely users are to recommend the system. Startups.co.uk is reader-supported. If you make a purchase through the links on our site, we may earn a commission from the retailers of the products we have reviewed. This helps Startups.co.uk to provide free reviews for our readers. It has no additional cost to you, and never affects the editorial independence of our reviews. Share this post facebook twitter linkedin Written by: Eddie Harris Reviews Writer Eddie is resident Reviews Expert for Startups, focusing on merchant accounts, point of sales systems and business phone systems. He works closely with our in-house team of research experts, carrying out hours of hands-on user testing and market analysis to ensure that our recommendations and reviews are as helpful and accurate as possible. Eddie is also Startups video presenter. He helps create informative, helpful visual content alongside our written reviews, to better aid customers with their decision making. Eddie joined Startups from its sister site Expert Reviews, where he wrote in-depth informational articles and covered the biggest consumer deals events of the year. And, having previously worked as a freelancer providing screenplay and book coverage in the film and television industry, Eddie is no stranger to the demands of the sole trader. Reviewed by: Ollie Simpson Senior Research Executive After three years of refining my skills in data analysis, I transitioned to a role as a researcher to help understand our readers' preferences and needs. My professional journey started as a researcher in law enforcement, where I developed strong analytical abilities. Later, I moved into operations, strengthening my understanding of quantitative data. Now, I blend my quantitative analysis skills with qualitative research to explore both audience preferences and product nuances. Armed with a UX design diploma, I translate research findings into actionable insights that facilitate informed decision-making. Whether enhancing Startups offerings or delivering research presentations, I am driven by a relentless pursuit of improvement and results.