Best Pizza POS Systems
Our team tested 25 of the top selling POS systems used in pizza retail, within the U.S., and narrowed it down to just 5 winners.
The system that is the right fit for your business depends on whether you're running a small, neighborhood-friendly pizza parlor or the next big pizza franchise.
Read on as we compare the 5 winning brands to help you decide which one of these is perfect for you.
Comparison Table
Pricing | Hardware | Customer Support | Top Features | Best For | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
$499 remote installation or $1,500 on-site installation + $79 per month per terminal | Standard terminals, customer-facing displays, tableside ordering, self-order kiosks | 24/7 technical assistance and hands-on training material | Encyclopedic online training features, tableside ordering, detailed menu management, payroll administration and real-time data | Sit-down pizzerias or full-service pizzerias | |
Free + additional hardware and feature fees | iPads, kitchen printers, receipt printers, customer display screens, registers | 24/7 customer support with paid plan | Chowly Integration, basic back-office reporting, user-friendly app | Delivery or take-out restaurants | |
$1,200- $1,500 installation + $49 per month subscription | iPad, EMV readers, cash register, kitchen printer | Unlimited 24/7 support with live chat, text, and email | Raw ingredient tracking, custom online ordering, offline functionality | Quick-service pizza shops | |
$1,700 installation + $59 per month | Apple and Android integration, Meraki networking gear, Epson printers, kitchen display system, EMV solutions | 24/7 support through phone calls, email, and in-app messaging | Remote printing, back-office report generator, table management, online ordering | Sit-down pizzerias or full-service pizzerias | |
$649 installation + $99 per month per terminal | Digital menu boards, iPad registers, kitchen displays, self-order kiosks, mobile ordering tablets | 24/7 phone and web support | Driver delivery management, Integrated KDS, customizable Reporting | Pizza shops of all shapes and sizes |
The 5 Best Pizza POS Systems
#1 Toast
Toast works well for pizza restaurants of all shapes and sizes, from full service pizza restaurants to quick-service pizza shops.
Toast was built specifically for the foodservice industry and starts at $75 per month for the baseline POS system and restaurant management system.
It is worth noting that Toast works exclusively on Android devices, which makes it a bit more versatile compared to its iPad competitors.
Users can also choose to utilize Toast hardwired terminals which are stationary, or handheld mobile POS systems for tableside orders.
One of the beautiful aspects about Toast is that employees find it highly intuitive. The POS software is easy to get the hang of, helping to expedite your day-to-day business and quickly train new-hires. This is among the many reasons that we rank Toast as the best POS system for pizza parlors.
Some of our favorite functions include an online ordering system, customized tip percentages for customer transactions, and the ability for customers to receive digital or printed receipts. Users also love takeout and contactless delivery options, especially during post-covid times. It will cost an additional $75 per month to take advantage of the complete online ordering suite.
Toast provides users with integrated payment processing, so you will not be able to use your own merchant services provider. However, their policy includes matching the rates of third party merchant services providers. If you have your own payment processing company that you work with, Toast might not be the right choice for you. However, with serious versatility and ease of use, it is our favorite Android-based POS system for pizza restaurants.
Related resources: Toast POS Reviews, How To Use Toast POS System, Toast Customer Service.
#2 Square
Square has been around for quite some time now. More recently, however, the company created a cloud-based restaurant POS system known as Square for Restaurants.
Compared to most other restaurant POS systems, Square is very affordable.
It comes with built-in payment processing as well, making it a great choice for a small pizza business on a strict budget.
The entry-level Square subscription is completely free and does not come with any sort of long-term contract.
It is worth noting that inventory management and modification features are a bit limited with the entry-level version, though if you run a small pizza shop that sells by the slice, this may not be an issue.
The beauty of Square is that it is incredibly user-friendly. You can install it on iPad or Square registers and make use of additional modules for online and mobile ordering, loyalty programs, marketing, and payroll. This iPad POS system has a very conversational ordering style. Customers can easily modify down to the ingredient level on the fly.
Pizza shop businesses run on pretty tight margins. There is no question about that. We recommend the free version of Square for smaller pizza shops to start. All you need is an iPad and Square credit card reader to begin taking your first orders. Once your business begins to grow, you can add additional software features later down the line.
To learn more, visit the following pages: Square Restaurant POS Reviews, Square POS System Cost, Square POS Reviews, How Does Square Work, Toast Vs Square.
#3 Revel
Revel is one of the most comprehensive iPad POS systems on the market today.
Revel comes complete with a myriad of features and integrations, perfect for those who are looking for an ultra-customizable POS system with online pizza ordering, tableside ordering, delivery management, multiplication support, and kitchen display systems.
Revel has been on the market for about ten years, and is currently ranked as one of the top restaurant POS systems overall.
There are a few unique features that are well worth mentioning, including the open API and digital menu board.
You can take the Revel system even further when you venture into the app marketplace, as Revel is a renowned branded mobile app builder for various merchants too. Beyond the wide range of small businesses that Revel partners with, the company has a few major foodservice businesses under its wings as well, including Arby's and Popeyes Chicken.
Whether you run a quick-service pizzeria or a full service pizza restaurant, you can customize Revel to fit your needs. However, we recommend it more for quick-service shops. This particular pizza POS system comes with customizable ordering options, which allows customers to add toppings, make special requests, and even create half-and-half pies. Managers will love the fact that they can track their delivery drivers throughout the process too.
There is no doubt that Revel sits on the high-end for iPad POS systems, as plans start around $99 per month for baseline functionality.
Our Revel POS System Reviews provides further details about the features that this provider has to offer. Visit Revel Vs Square if you're on the fence between the two systems.
#4 Shopkeep
Shopkeep was not specifically designed for pizza restaurants. However, it does come with a multitude of features that are applicable to pizza parlors and can help your business run smoothly. For starters, their raw ingredient tracking feature is incredibly helpful.
The beauty of Shopkeep is that it is one of the most highly scalable and customizable POS systems for restaurants out there.
If you want to have a system that can add various toppings and calculate those into the price of a pizza, for example, Shopkeep can get it done.
Plus, their online ordering features are phenomenal. Your customers will love how easy it is to order online from your pizza shop.
Shopkeep has long been compatible with iPad hardware, and recently Android mobile devices are also integrable. This system's reliability stems from its offline functionality which will allow you to continue running credit card transactions, even if the Internet suddenly goes out. Shopkeep has great customer service as well, meaning if you have a problem, that problem will get fixed ASAP.
You can use a variety of payment processing systems with Shopkeep, which is very beneficial for those who already have a third party merchant service providers that they want to keep. Of course, you can also choose to use in-house payment processing from Shopkeep if you choose.
Most pizza shops will find Shopkeep to be one of the highest quality pizza POS systems around, though we recommend it more for small, takeout pizza shop businesses and quick-service pizza restaurants.
More information can be found at ShopKeep POS Reveiws, ShopKeep Vs Square, and Revel Vs ShopKeep.
#5 Upserve
Upserve is a cloud-based POS system recommended for full-service pizza restaurants. It can be used on either iPad or Android tablets.
You'll get recipe costing, tableside ordering and table management features. Plus, the mobile POS tableside device can be used for contactless payments.
Not only do customers find it easy to add tips, but businesses find it easy to tack on necessary fees and delivery charges to checks.
Upserve is also popular with takeout businesses, as its wide range of POS features include mobile ordering, delivery management, call-in ordering, and in-house ordering, all under one management system.
Upserve is similar to Toast in many ways. We recommend comparing Upserve and Toast side by side to get a better idea of which one has the right set of features for you. See Upserve Vs Toast for a full comparison.
The subscription plan for Upserve starts at around $59 per month. However, to get full access to inventory management features and the Upserve loyalty program integration, you will need to fork over $199 per month.
All Upserve plans come with flat-rate payment processing - great for those who don't already work with a merchant service provider. If you currently have a preferred merchant service provider that you do not want to part with, head over to the POS System Without Credit Card Processing review article for a list of the top 6 POS companies that allow business owners to choose their own credit card processors.
What To Look For In A Pizza POS System
The features available on pizza POS systems can seem quite endless. However, you don't need a million features to run a successful business. Here are a few of the best pizza POS features that we highly recommend looking out for when searching for the best POS system.
- Online Ordering: If you have younger customers and you haven't integrated any type of online ordering system, then you are missing out on a good chunk of revenue. Many people want to order pizza without ever having to talk to a person. You should give your customers the ability to order their pizza online and have it delivered using your website or a specialized app.
- Ingredient Tracking: Having some form of inventory management that allows you to look at the ingredients on your menu and track what you do and don't have in stock is extremely helpful. A great inventory management system allows you to update your inventory as customers order specific meals so that you can update and order new ingredients automatically or manually from the app. Ingredient level tracking may cost a bit extra with most pizza POS systems, though it is very much worth it in a business where so many ingredients are in use.
- Order Management: There are tons of pizza shops out there that have a mixture of in-house, online, and phone-in orders. It's up to you to find a quality POS system that utilizes a strong ordering system. This way, all of your management features, including menu management and delivery management, are integrated in one space.
- Delivery Management: Speaking of delivery management, we know that pizza and delivery are best friends. When you have a management system in place for your deliveries, you can manage and track your delivery orders using your in-house POS system or third-party delivery service.
- Loyalty Program: There is no better way to get customers coming back for more with a good loyalty program in place. Loyalty programs have been around forever. For a small pizza business, getting customers to sign up for special deals and offers will entice them to come back and order more pizza from your restaurant.
- Reporting and Analytics: You want your POS software to track every sale that you make and create reports that surround customer traffic and employee activity. Having the right data to look at will tell you which items are selling best, which days are busiest, and how you should schedule your employees based on the needs of the restaurant during specific times.
- Pizza Builder: If you run a shop that serves by the slice, you may not need a pizza builder. However, if your pizzeria allows customers to build custom pizzas, including those with unique toppings or half-and-half pizzas, you'll want some sort of pizza building software built into your POS system.
Of course, the features don't end here, though we believe the above features are the most important. One thing to note is that you may want to consider easy of use as a priority.
Most food service restaurants have quick employee turnovers. The last thing you want to have to do is teach new employees how to use your POS system over and over again.
If you run a sit-down pizza business, you will need some sort of pre-authorization for bar tabs or table management software integrated into your POS.
Final Verdict - Which Pizza POS System Should I Get?
To find the best pizza POS system for your business, our recommendation is to start by looking at the best POS systems on the market and comparing their features, all the while considering your budget.
The majority of pizza POS systems come with an integrated payment processor, so you should also take into consideration what fees they each charge and whether or not having a third party payment processor might be a smart idea.
We also recommend testing out POS software before settling into a contract if you can. There are many POS companies that provide businesses with free trials. If your chosen POS company provides a free trial or free demo, we urge you to take advantage of it.
Overall, if we had to choose our favorite pizza POS system from our "Best Pizza POS Systems" list, it would be Toast. This particular POS system comes with robust integrations, excellent reporting and analytics, a modern kitchen display system, a variety of flexible ordering features, loyalty programs, and much more.
Tyler Connaghan
Contributing Author