Florist software usually covers four jobs: a point of sale for the shop, an online shop for delivery orders, wire service orders, and proposals for weddings and events. Retail florists need a strong POS and delivery tools; event florists need proposals and recipes. Few systems do all four equally well.
Running a flower shop means juggling walk-ins, phone orders, website orders, wire orders and weddings, often on the same busy morning. The right software keeps all of that in one place, so a Valentine's rush doesn't turn into missed deliveries.
This list covers POS systems, florist website platforms, wire networks and event proposal tools. If you're writing your own product descriptions or social posts, my ChatGPT prompts for florists will save you time, and this piece on why local florists matter is a good reminder of what customers value.
Florist software compared at a glance
Here's what each system is, what it's good for and whether its own site shows a free plan, a trial or neither. The list is alphabetical and in no particular order.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curate | Event proposals | Wedding and event florists | No |
| Details Flowers Software | Floral proposals | Designers quoting events | No |
| Floranext | Website and POS | Shops wanting a website and POS together | Trial only |
| FloristWare | Florist POS | Retail shops with lots of orders | No |
| FTD Mercury | Wire network | Receiving network orders | No |
| gotFlowers? | All-in-one platform | Delivery-heavy shops | No |
| Lovingly | Florist system | Owners who want help with daily tasks | No |
| Square for Retail | General POS | Card payments and stock | No |
| Teleflora | Wire network | Shops in a florist network | No |
Software for florists and flower shops
Curate
Best for: Event florists who quote weddings and want recipes, proposals and order lists worked out from the same design.
Details Flowers Software
Best for: Floral designers who want to quote events confidently with proposals that look good and keep orders organised.
Floranext
Best for: Flower shops that want an online shop, point of sale and wedding tools from one florist-built system.
FloristWare
Best for: Retail florists handling phone, walk-in and wire orders who want the whole shop run from one POS.
FTD Mercury
Best for: Shops that take orders through the FTD network and want sending and receiving built into their system.
gotFlowers?
Best for: Shops with lots of local deliveries who want their website, POS and delivery management working from one platform.
Lovingly
Best for: Shop owners who feel they're the only one holding everything together and want daily operations handled by one system.
Square for Retail
Best for: Florists who also sell gifts and plants and want a general retail POS with stock tracking and card payments.
Teleflora
Best for: Florists who belong to the Teleflora network and want orders, delivery confirmations and design education in one place.
Retail florist or event florist?
Retail florists live on their point of sale, delivery routes and website orders, with wire orders adding volume. Event florists live on proposals: building a design, working out the stems and sundries it needs and turning that into a quote the couple or planner can approve. Many shops do both, so check which side each system was built for and how well it handles the other.
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Questions to ask before you switch
- Can it take orders from your website, phone and wire network into one order list?
- Does it print card messages and delivery tickets the way your team works?
- Can drivers see routes and mark deliveries done from their phones?
- Will it work out recipes and stem counts for event quotes?
- Can you export your customer list and order history if you leave?
Fresh flowers and cancellations
Regulation 28 of the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, which you can read on legislation.gov.uk, says the usual cancellation rights don't apply to goods which are liable to deteriorate or expire rapidly. Fresh flowers usually fall into that group, but customers rarely know it. Say so clearly on your website and order confirmations, and set your florist software to include it, so customers know where they stand before they order.
Planning for the busiest days
Valentine's Day, Mother's Day and the run-up to Christmas can bring in more orders in a week than a quiet month. Use your software to look back at the previous peak season: what sold, when orders came in and how many deliveries you managed each day. It'll help you order stems, book extra drivers and set a sensible cut-off for same-day delivery.
Set up your busiest products and delivery zones well before the rush, and test the website checkout on a phone. On the day, keep one person on the orders screen so nothing gets missed while everyone else is designing and packing. A calm system is what lets a small team get through a big day.
After each peak, spend half an hour reviewing what went well and what didn't. Note which products sold out, which delivery zones ran late and which orders caused problems. Those notes, kept in your software or a shared document, are what make the next busy day smoother.
Do you make software for florists? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My advice on choosing florist software
List every way orders reach you today and how many come through each one in a normal week. Then shortlist systems that handle your biggest channel best, and ask for a demo built around a real order from that channel rather than a generic tour.
Avoid switching in the run-up to Valentine's Day or Mother's Day. Move in a quiet month, run both systems side by side for a week and train everyone before the busy season starts.
Frequently asked questions
What software do florists use?
Florists use a mix of floral POS systems, florist website platforms, wire network technology and event proposal software, depending on whether they're retail, event or both.
Is there free florist software?
Most florist systems offer demos or trials rather than free plans. General retail POS systems sometimes have free starter options.
What's the difference between a florist POS and a regular POS?
A florist POS handles card messages, delivery tickets, wire orders and recipes, which general retail systems usually don't.
Do event florists need different software?
Often, yes. Event florists benefit from proposal tools that work out recipes, stems and sundries for each design and turn them into a quote.
Can customers cancel a fresh flower order?
UK consumer rules say the usual cancellation right doesn't apply to goods that deteriorate rapidly, which usually covers fresh flowers. Make your policy clear before people order.
