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Home › Categories › POS Systems

POS Systems, Compared: Verified 2026 Pricing

Bill BelcaminoBy Bill Belcamino · Last updated September 19, 2026 · Our methodologyResearched and fact-checked by the HelpCompare team

Side-by-side pricing for Square, Clover and Shopify POS: entry price, free plan, how each vendor bills for AI, and the date we last checked each figure against the vendor’s own pricing page.

POS Systems, ComparedVerified Sep 19, 2026

Quick answer

  • Lowest published entry price: Square — Square Free $0/mo (2.6% + 15¢ in person); Plus $49/location/mo.
  • Free plans: Square (Yes — Square Free, $0/mo; you pay processing fees).

POS Systems pricing at a glance

Every row links to the comparison where the figure was verified and to the vendor’s pricing page.

ToolEntry priceFree planAI billingG2 ratingVerifiedSource
SquareSquare Free $0/mo (2.6% + 15¢ in person); Plus $49/location/moYes — Square Free, $0/mo; you pay processing fees——September 19, 2026in Square vs CloverVendor pricing ↗
CloverClover Go reader $199; Essentials $29.95/mo (2.5% + 10¢ in person)No free plan; Starter lists no monthly fee (reader $199)——September 19, 2026in Square vs CloverVendor pricing ↗
Shopify POSIn-person selling included with Shopify from $29/mo (annual); POS Pro $89/location/moNo free plan; 3-day trial, then $1/mo for 3 months——September 19, 2026in Square vs Shopify POSVendor pricing ↗

Head-to-head comparisons

Clover vs Shopify POSUpdated September 19, 2026Square vs CloverUpdated September 19, 2026Square vs Shopify POSUpdated September 19, 2026

Switching guides

Clover to Shopify POSSwitching guideClover to SquareSwitching guideShopify POS to CloverSwitching guideShopify POS to SquareSwitching guideSquare to CloverSwitching guideSquare to Shopify POSSwitching guide
Verified data

POS Systems: security, offline & remote work

The POS tools we track, side by side on compliance, single sign-on, offline access and remote or office controls. Every value links to the vendor page it came from.

What we checkedSquareCloverShopify POS
Security & compliance
SOC 2 reportNot publishedNot publishedSOC 2 Type IIsource
ISO/IEC 27001CertifiedsourceNot publishedNot published
Other certificationsPCI DSS Level 1sourcePCI DSS (QSA-validated; level not stated)sourcePCI DSS Level 1, SOC 3source
HIPAA (BAA)Not publishedNot publishedNot published
GDPR data processing agreementNot publishedNot publishedDPA offeredsource
Single sign-on (SAML/OIDC)Not publishedNot publishedYesShopify Plussource
SCIM user provisioningNot publishedNot publishedYesShopify Plussource
Two-factor authenticationYessourceNot publishedYesEnforcement: Shopify Plussource
Admin audit logNot publishedNot publishedYesShopify Plussource
Data residency choicesNot publishedNot publishedNot published
EncryptionCard-present payments encrypted end to end; no unencrypted payment data touches the devicesourceEnd-to-end encryption and tokenization via Clover Security PlussourceNot published
Self-hosting optionNot publishedNot publishedNot published
Offline access
Offline modePartialSquare POS apps on supported Square hardware can take cash and card payments offline; payments are stored in the app and process automatically on reconnection (ideally within 24 hours, expiring after 72 hours), while online orders, gift cards, Tap to Pay and manual card entry are unavailable offline.sourcePartialClover devices with Offline Payments turned on can take card payments without internet for up to 7 days; they are stored on the device and submitted for authorization automatically on reconnection (EBT and gift cards excluded).sourcePartialThe Shopify POS app can take cash and custom payments offline and, once activated, card payments on supported Shopify readers within merchant-set limits; orders and inventory sync with the Shopify admin after reconnecting.source
Desktop appsNot publishedNot publishedNot published
Mobile appsiOS, AndroidsourceiOS, AndroidsourceiOS, Androidsource
Offline limitsUpload within 24 hours, no later than 72 hours; not supported on Square Reader 1st gen v1/v2, Kiosk, Tap to Pay, manually entered cards, gift cards, Afterpay, Cash App Pay, Invoices app or services mode.sourceUp to 7 days per device; optional per-payment limit, total offline limit and approval threshold; not for EBT or gift cards; uninstalling the app while offline deletes offline payments.sourceOffline card payments need POS app 9.14.0+, a compatible Shopify reader, and are capped by a device daily limit and a per-transaction limit that apply to all locations; POS Terminal needs the local Wi-Fi network working.source
Remote, hybrid & in-office
IP allowlistingNot publishedNot publishedNot published
Device & session controlsYesRemote device management: device profiles and codes, printer profiles, monitoring from off-site.sourceNot publishedNot published
Office & room hardwareSquare sells its own POS hardware: Reader for contactless and chip ($59), Terminal ($299), Handheld ($399), Stand ($149), Kiosk ($149) and Register ($899).sourceClover sells its own locked POS devices: Go reader ($199), Compact ($349), Flex and Flex Pocket handhelds, Mini, Station Solo, Station Duo ($1,899), Kiosk and Kitchen Display System; they cannot be used with other processors.sourceShopify POS runs on your iOS/Android phone or tablet with Shopify card readers (Tap & Chip Card Reader $49, POS Terminal $349, Verifone Victa Mobile $399) plus retail hardware such as barcode scanners, receipt printers and cash drawers.source
Editorial assessment

What this means for your team

  • Audit reports: Shopify POS states a SOC 2 report on its own site; we found no SOC 2 statement for Square and Clover. If your security team requires SOC 2, ask Square and Clover directly before shortlisting.
  • Single sign-on: Shopify POS includes it on Shopify Plus. Square and Clover doesn’t document single sign-on with your own identity provider. If your team signs in through Okta, Microsoft Entra ID or Google, price the plan that includes SSO, not the entry plan.
  • Working offline: Square, Clover and Shopify POS work offline only in part. Details are in the Offline mode row above.
  • In the office: Square: Square sells its own POS hardware: Reader for contactless and chip ($59), Terminal ($299), Handheld ($399), Stand ($149), Kiosk ($149) and Register ($899). Clover: Clover sells its own locked POS devices: Go reader ($199), Compact ($349), Flex and Flex Pocket handhelds, Mini, Station Solo, Station Duo ($1,899), Kiosk and Kitchen Display System; they cannot be used with other processors. Shopify POS: Shopify POS runs on your iOS/Android phone or tablet with Shopify card readers (Tap & Chip Card Reader $49, POS Terminal $349, Verifone Victa Mobile $399) plus retail hardware such as barcode scanners, receipt printers and cash drawers.

Square: worth knowing

  • OfflineOffline payments not uploaded within 72 hours expire; Square recommends reconnecting within 24 hours. source
  • OfficeOffline payments will be enabled on all devices automatically unless the seller opts out (change rolled out March–April 2026). source
  • RemotePhone support is 6am–6pm PT on weekdays for Square Plus (first 90 days only on Square Free); only Square Premium includes 24/7 phone support. source
  • SecuritySquare is the merchant of record and maintains PCI certification, so sellers do not validate PCI compliance individually. source

Clover: worth knowing

  • OfflineOffline payments carry decline risk: expired or canceled cards and wrong PINs are only declined once the device reconnects. source
  • OfficeClover hardware bought on a 36-month subscription cannot be canceled; it can only be bought out or upgraded. source
  • RemoteThe customer list can be exported only from the web dashboard, not from a Clover device. source
  • RemoteClover Go needs a WiFi or cellular connection and pairs with a phone for taking payments away from the counter. source

Shopify POS: worth knowing

  • OfficeWith the POS Terminal reader, offline payments still require the store's local Wi-Fi network to be working. source
  • OfflineOffline payment limits (device daily and per-transaction) are set once and apply to every store location. source
  • OfficeThird-party card terminals can be used alongside Shopify POS only as a custom payment method for tracking; Shopify does not process those funds. source
  • SecuritySAML SSO, SCIM provisioning, mandatory two-step authentication and the organization user activity log are Shopify Plus-only. source

Checked September 19, 2026 against each vendor’s own trust center, help docs and app pages. Hover or tap “source” to see the exact wording we relied on. “Not published” means we could not find the vendor saying it on its own site — it doesn’t mean the feature is missing. Plan names are the lowest plan the vendor says includes the feature. Security · Offline · Remote vs office · Download the data

Frequently asked questions

Which POS tool is cheapest?

Of the 3 POS tools HelpCompare tracks, the lowest published entry price belongs to Square (Square Free $0/mo (2.6% + 15¢ in person); Plus $49/location/mo, verified September 19, 2026). Entry prices are the cheapest paid tier each vendor publishes; the right answer at your team size depends on seat minimums and add-ons, which each head-to-head comparison breaks down.

Which POS tools have a free plan?

Free plans: Square (Yes — Square Free, $0/mo; you pay processing fees).

Where does this pricing data come from?

Every figure was recorded from the vendor's own pricing page during research for a HelpCompare comparison, and is dated. The most recent check in this category was September 19, 2026. Nothing is estimated: where a vendor publishes no price, we say so. The full dataset is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 at helpcompare.com/data/.

Sources

Figures come from each vendor’s pricing page, recorded on the date shown. Download the full dataset from Open Data (JSON and CSV, CC BY 4.0).

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Bill Belcamino, founder of HelpCompare
About the author

Bill Belcamino

Founder and author, HelpCompare

Bill has worked in software and digital marketing for more than 20 years. He spent nine years as an engineer at HP, served as COO scaling a platform past 200,000 users, and ran Google’s $70M/year search syndication partnership at Alot.com. He has bought, trialled, integrated and cancelled more SaaS tools than he can count, and started HelpCompare because the real cost of switching tools is the part nobody covers.

“I’ve sat on both sides of the table: the agency recommending the tool and the client paying for it.”

Researched and fact-checked by the HelpCompare team. Pricing on this page was last verified on September 19, 2026. No paid sponsorships, no affiliate commissions.

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