Start with how orders reach your kitchen and what hardware you'll need, not with the feature list. Some systems suit single restaurants and cafes, others multi-site hospitality groups, and a few are built for table service on handhelds. Pick by the way your service runs, then check every device you'd have to buy or replace.
Qu is pitched at chains. It sells one platform covering tills, self-order kiosks, drive-thru lanes, kitchens and menus, aimed at restaurant brands with many sites. If you run one cafe, a small group or a full-service restaurant, you're probably looking for something built for your size. Here are seven restaurant POS systems in no particular order.
One system for orders, tables and online ordering
What separates a good replacement from a bad one is whether the pieces join up. A modern restaurant takes orders at the counter, at the table, through its own website and through delivery apps, and every one of those needs to land in the same kitchen queue without someone retyping it. When that breaks on a busy Friday, tickets go missing and tables wait.
So for each system, follow one order from start to finish. Place it online, then at the counter, then at a table, and watch where it lands: on a kitchen screen, a printer, or both. Check whether menu changes made in one place update everywhere, including your online ordering page.
Then look hard at hardware. Some systems run on the vendor's own terminals, some on tablets you already own, and some need specific printers, kitchen displays or card readers. What you'd have to buy, lease or replace often matters more than any feature on the homepage.
Seven restaurant systems, A to Z
These run by name, not by merit. Under each one is what its maker says it's for, put plainly.
Aldelo
Best for: Restaurant and bar owners who want tills, web orders, kitchen screens and card payments from one supplier, with a partner network to help with setup.
Lavu
Best for: Owners who want an AI assistant, which the vendor calls Marty, to dig through POS data for labour waste and slimmer margins.
Lightspeed
Best for: Businesses with a shop counter and a web store who want both tills and payments joined up, which the vendor pitches as simplifying the whole operation.
Rezku
Best for: Independent restaurants that want online ordering and reservations alongside their POS; the vendor highlights fee-free reservations and names a free trial.
Squirrel Systems
Best for: Operators from single independents up to hotels, resorts and multi-concept groups, all of which the vendor says its hospitality POS covers.
Tabit
Best for: Full-service restaurants where staff take orders and payments at the table on handhelds; the vendor calls its system mobile-first.
Toast
Best for: Busy restaurants that want the till and back-office tools from the same company, which the vendor says makes service smoother for staff and guests.
Restaurant POS options compared
| Tool | System type | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Aldelo | Restaurant and bar POS | Bars and restaurants wanting POS with kitchen displays |
| Lavu | POS with AI insights | Owners who want their sales data analysed for them |
| Lightspeed | POS and payments platform | Selling in person and online from one system |
| Rezku | Restaurant management suite | Independents wanting ordering and reservations together |
| Squirrel Systems | Hospitality POS | Hotels, resorts and multi-concept groups |
| Tabit | Mobile-first POS | Table service taken on handheld devices |
| Toast | Restaurant POS and management | Busy restaurants wanting POS and management together |
Which ones fit your size of operation
Single sites and independents. Rezku and Lavu talk most directly to owner-run restaurants, one with reservations and ordering bundled in and the other with an AI assistant reading your sales data.
Busy all-rounders. Toast and Aldelo cover POS, ordering and kitchen screens for restaurants and bars that want most of their front and back of house in one system.
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Groups and hospitality. Squirrel Systems talks about hotels, resorts and multi-concept groups, and Lightspeed about running counter and web sales together, which helps if you also run retail or a shop.
Table service on handhelds. Tabit is built around staff taking orders and payments at the table, so it's worth a look for full-service dining rooms.
Whichever group you land in, remember that a POS you'll use every service for years is a bigger decision than any single feature. Shortlist two or three, give each one the same menu and the same test orders, and let the people who'll use it on a Saturday night have the final say. If two systems feel equally good, choose the one whose support you can reach during your own opening hours.
My advice before you book a demo
Book demos at the time of day you're least busy, but ask the vendor to show you their system as if it's your busiest service. Bring your real menu, including modifiers, combos and allergy notes, and ask them to build a few items live. If it takes them a long time, it'll take your manager longer.
Talk to your kitchen team before you decide, too. They'll live with the kitchen screen or printer every shift, and they'll spot problems a demo hides. Ask the vendor how support works during evening service and at weekends, and what happens if the internet drops mid-service. For more choices, see my roundups of restaurant online ordering tools, bar POS systems and restaurant reservation software.
Hardware checklist before you sign
- List every device you use today: terminals, tablets, handhelds, receipt and kitchen printers, kitchen screens, cash drawers and card readers.
- Ask which of them the new system supports, and which you'd need to replace.
- Check whether you're tied to the vendor's own card processing, and what happens to your hardware if you leave.
- Ask how the system behaves offline and how orders sync once the connection returns.
- Find out who installs it, who trains your staff and how long switchover usually takes for a site like yours.
Do you make restaurant POS or ordering software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
Is a restaurant POS worth it over a general shop till?
If you run table service, a kitchen, modifiers or online ordering, a restaurant-specific system usually handles them better than a general retail till.
Will it run on the iPads I already have?
Some systems run on tablets you already own and others need their own terminals. Ask before you commit, and check which printers and card readers work with it.
What happens if the internet goes down mid-service?
Many systems keep taking orders offline and sync later, but card payments may be limited. Ask each vendor exactly what still works when the connection drops.
How do online orders reach the kitchen?
In a joined-up system they arrive in the same kitchen queue as counter and table orders. If they come through a separate tablet, someone has to retype them.
When's the best time to switch POS?
It depends on your menu, hardware and number of sites. Plan for menu setup, staff training and a quiet day for go-live rather than switching before a busy weekend.
Who checks that my till meets receipt and card rules?
You do, not the software. Receipt and record-keeping rules are set by your local tax authority, and card security standards come through your card provider, so confirm both with them before go-live.
