Bakery POS System
Quality POS systems for bakeries provide specific features such as ingredient-level inventory tracking, recipe management, and custom order invoicing, all which can help your business operations run efficiently.
Of course, with so many excellent POS system solutions on the market today, finding the right fit can take a lot of leg work.
Luckily, we've extensively researched the best POS software for bakeries, so that you don't have to.
Price | Payment Processor Fees | Best For | |
|---|---|---|---|
$39 per month starting | 2.6% + $0.10 | Best overall | |
$0 per month starting | 2.49% + $0.15 | High-volume bakeries | |
$69 per terminal per month | Processor-dependent | Best marketing suite | |
$49 per month starting | Processor-dependent | Best value | |
$149 for first year; $20 for each additional year | 3.49% + $0.49 | Best for home-based bakery businesses | |
$199 per month starting | Processor-dependent | Wholesale bakeries | |
$0 per month starting | 2.6% + $0.10 | Best free bakery POS |
Lightspeed Restaurant POS has been around for almost a decade, helping new food service businesses establish themselves in the cutthroat restaurant industry.
This cloud-based bakery POS system runs on iPad hardware, making it approachable for new employees to hop on and learn.
As a manager or owner, you're not tethered to the location of your operation, as all back-end operations are accessible through the mobile app, as well as Lightspeed's website.
Lightspeed Restaurant comes with the Lightspeed Payments payment processing plan, which is charged at a flat-rate fee.
However, if you already have a preferred payment processing company, you can integrate them into this POS system for an additional fee.
One of the reasons that Lightspeed Restaurant is the best POS system for bakeries that it provides ingredient-level tracking - an incredibly helpful feature for bakeries of all sizes. You can track all of your raw goods, from flour to sugar to food coloring and beyond.
Beyond the ingredient tracking capabilities, this option provides customer management, product management, employee management, and reporting/analytics. If there are certain functionalities you need that don't come built into Lightspeed's software, you can install one of the many third-party integrations or pay extra for some of its several advanced features, including delivery management, online ordering, self-order kiosks, loyalty programs, advanced reporting, and customer-facing displays.
Nothing says "high-end business" quite like having one of Lightspeed's ultra-sleek iPad displays!
If your bakery business is looking for a cloud-based iPad POS system with all of the most advanced features and third-party integrations, this may be the best choice for you.
Plus, with the low base price of $39 per month with the annual contract, you can get started using this cloud-based iPad POS with little risk.
Features
Hardware:
iPad hardware costs
Software:
$39 per month starting
Payment Processing:
2.6% + $0.10 for in-person transactions
Pros
Cons
Toast POS is one of the best Android-based bakery POS systems made for all kinds of restaurants, cafes, and bakeries. You'll find several unique features within Toast's system, each of which is designed to streamline operations.
Beyond the numerous hardware options and software features, you'll find top-notch customer support and highly capable multi-location capabilities, making it perfect for franchises.
To get started, you can use the Toast POS starter plan, which provides the core functionalities of your standard point-of-sale solution, including built-in payment processing. Of course, if you need a more advanced set of features, such as delivery management and online ordering, you can upgrade to the company's $165 per month Essentials Package.
One of the reasons Toast made it onto this list of our favorite all-in-one POS systems and payment processing solutions is its hardware. From customer-facing displays to handheld ordering devices to contactless payment terminals, they can provide everything you need in order to conduct business efficiently while making customers happy.
All Toast hardware was specifically designed for restaurants. It is resilient, resistant to spills and drops. The battery life is better than your standard Android tablet, and the RAM provides enough memory to run complex operations.
One feature Toast recently added to its system was digital ordering, which you can purchase completely separately from the standard point-of-sale offering. Essentially, if you choose to go with another bakery POS, you can still use several of Toast's features, such as its contactless delivery options, eGift cards, mobile ordering app, and online ordering site.
For the online ordering solutions, you can expect to pay from between $75 - $175 per month, which may be a bit hefty for small bakery operations. However, if you run a high-volume bakery and need all of the best restaurant functionalities that you can get, Toast POS is an excellent option.
Features
Hardware:
$0 to $799
Software:
$0 per month starting
Payment Processing:
2.49% + $0.15 per in-person transaction
Pros
Cons
TouchBistro is another cloud-based iPad point-of-sale system that was specifically designed for the food service industry. The baseline TouchBistro system grants access to several great features, such as customizable permissions, detailed ingredient-level tracking, and unlimited users.
TouchBistro is similar to Lightspeed in that you'll have the ability to integrate with a number of payment processors.
The ability to shop for the best rates out there can be a lifesaver for any small business. Plus, you can't ignore the functionality of the TB Marketing toolkit, which comes with a wide range of digital promotion tools and customer tags.
iOS-based bakery POS systems always seem to be the easiest to use.
If you struggle with high employee turnover and don't want to take extensive time to provide in-depth training for each new staff member that comes onboard, we recommend it. Your employees should be able to get the hang of the system in a few minutes.
You can get started using TouchBistro for $69 per month, a relatively low price considering the robust feature set found in this POS system. Unlike other similarly-priced POS systems, this one comes with ingredient-level inventory tracking and several front-end features, including order management and delivery management.
The delivery features are top-notch, allowing you to print delivery information such as customer names, phone numbers, and addresses, directly onto your product receipts.
You can even use the baseline POS solution to set up customer profiles, storing important information like customer allergies and purchase histories. If you decide to upgrade to the $99 per month TouchBistro plan, you'll get access to TB Marketing and TB loyalty program features.
Overall, if you're looking for bakery POS systems that can help with your marketing needs, TouchBistro is one of the best around.
Features
Hardware:
Custom quotes
Software:
$69 per month starting
Payment Processing:
Payment processor dependent
Pros
Cons
Korona is one of our favorite POS systems for specialty retail businesses, including bakeries, liquor stores, cafes, and independent grocers.
With its cloud-based functionality and intuitive interface, it is easy to use, allowing your cashiers to run orders and complete transactions quicker than ever.
While Korona does not have built-in payment processing, you can integrate with any payment processor of your choice, giving you the flexibility to find the least expensive option out there.
Having the freedom to shop for the lowest rates possible can be helpful, especially if you run a low-volume operation with relatively low prices.
One of our favorite Korona POS features is the order scheduling feature. You can process payments and deposits to set up orders for the future, great for catering or special occasions, such as weddings.
Your employees can then search for these orders and quickly process any outstanding payments in less than a minute using the intuitive interface.
You'll also find a built-in inventory management system that will allow you and your employees to manage supply orders and track stock levels at the ingredient level, all from your Korona dashboard. You can even set up Korona to track promotions and coupons when reordering.
You'll pay anywhere from $49 - $79 per terminal per month, depending on the plan you choose. But note that Korona also has an unlimited free trial, which you can use for up to 30 transactions per day.
Korona's hardware is quote-based, so they will need to be contacted in order to determine the right set up for your needs. The month-to-month contracts make it easy for users to cancel their Korona service without being penalized, making it easy to update your point-of-sale plan as the needs of your business evolve. Finding POS systems that don't require long-term commitments is pretty rare, so we were excited to find that option through Korona.
Korona doesn't often make the top spot when it comes to POS lists, though when it comes to bakery software, it provides some of the strongest functionality for the cost.
Features
Hardware:
Custom quotes
Software:
$49 per month starting
Payment Processing:
Payment processor dependent
Pros
Cons
If you run a bakery based out of your home or one that focuses on online ordering, CakeBoss is the best option. You can store recipes, schedule orders, send out invoices, and keep track of inventory at the ingredient level. The software was designed specifically for home bakeries, not for those that run storefront businesses, which is why we recommend it for those who produce custom cakes or cottage foods.
The first thing you'll probably notice about CakeBoss is the unique pricing model, which works differently from the other bakery POS systems on our list. You pay $149 for the first year of your point-of-sale software subscription. However, if you keep using it after that year, you'll only pay $20 annually.
Plus, CakeBoss has a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to try the software out without any risk!
The great thing about CakeBoss is that you can run it on your computer at home, eliminating added hardware costs. This is because CakeBoss was not made to process payments in person. Instead, you would be using PayPal to accept online payments. With that said, if you choose to accept in-person payments while selling at an event or farmer's market, you can always integrate a credit card reader, such as the one from Square POS.
CakeBoss' inventory tracking is robust, allowing up to 120 standard baking ingredients. It even comes pre-loaded with ingredients and pricing, giving you an easy jumping-off point when customizing the software to fit the needs of your business. Custom ordering combines your set pricing information with material costs and recipes to generate price-per-servings, ensuring you never undercut yourself when selling online.
They have handy invoicing tools as well, making CakeBoss our #1 pick for home businesses.
Features
Hardware:
$0
Software:
$149 per year
Payment Processing:
3.49% + $0.49 for online payments
Pros
Cons
BakeSmart is our recommended POS solution for wholesale bakeries as well as bakeries that produce custom cakes. This locally-installed POS software operates on Windows or macOS systems. Similar to Korona, you can integrate BakeSmart with a number of payment processors, allowing you to shop around until you find the best rates.
Our favorite feature on BakeSmart has to be their wholesale production support. Using the intuitive BakeSmart dashboard, you can create recipes and production parts with custom pricing and costs. If your bakery supplies other local businesses with goods, such as grocers, hotels, or other local restaurants, having these tools at your disposal is a huge advantage.
This bakery software comes with just about every tool you need to run an efficient operation, including wholesale management, loyalty features, vendor management, integrated eCommerce, and quoting tools for custom cakes. Though it might be one of the most expensive bakery software solutions on our list, the baseline price includes software for five POS terminals.
One unique tool found in BakeSmart's bakery software is the custom cake tool. You can create custom cake orders, charging accordingly for different flavors, layers, and decoration styles. This tool can be used to generate contracts and estimates for elaborate orders, such as wedding cakes. It also helps with organization, allowing you to assign specific bakers and decorators on your team to specific cakes.
An upgrade to the Pro or Enterprise plans will allow you to create a website through BakeSmart for online ordering. You can then integrate your website with the BakeSmart dashboard to plan orders in advance and keep track of customer profiles.
Overall, if you're running a wholesale bakery, there is no better POS software in terms of functionality. But as a starter POS, we would recommend something less expensive.
Features
Hardware:
$1,499 to $3,499
Software:
$199 to $299
Payment Processing:
Payment processor dependent
Pros
Cons
Square for Restaurants has become one of the most popular cloud POS solutions over the past decade. This free POS works on unlimited devices and comes with all of the best features you could ask for if you're willing to pay a bit extra.
Upgrading to the Square POS Plus tier, which costs $60 per month, gives you access to detailed reporting costs, menu management, online ordering, and more. You can also finance some of Square's high-quality hardware, which costs anywhere from $49 to $10,000, depending on the needs of your business.
Similar to Korona, you're not locked into a long-term contract when you sign up with Square, allowing you to cancel your subscription at any time without incurring hefty cancellation fees.
As for Square's cloud POS software functionality, there are plenty of features to write home about.
For starters, the Square Invoices package allows you to send invoices to customers through your POS dashboard. The software will even prompt customers to pay their bills and send out automatic reminders for those that don't respond right away.
When you sign up with Square, you'll get a free online store. Square wizard guides will take you through the entire website-creation process, allowing you to sell online without needing any prior website building knowledge. In as little as an afternoon, you can get your online store up and running to sell baked goods and other branded merchandise.
We can't think of a better free POS out there than Square POS. With built-in payment processing, unlimited devices, and tons of third-party integrations, it's an excellent choice for any small business that plans to scale in the future.
Features
Hardware:
$49 to $1,159
Software:
$0 per month starting
Payment Processing:
2.6% + $0.10
Pros
Cons
The Bottom Line
While there is no single best POS for bakeries, since your choice will be dependent upon your individual business needs, we've outlined the benefits and drawbacks of the 7 most popular bakery POS solutions.
We hope this has assisted in narrowing down your options in finding the perfect fit.
If you're looking to get price quotes on your favorite POS systems, allow us to do the work for you.
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Elevate your bakery business today!
Tyler Connaghan
Contributing Author