13 Free PoS (Point of Sale) Systems for Retails, Cafes, and Restaurants [2024 Edition]
Point of Sale (PoS) applications are essential tools for managing retail transactions efficiently. Free and open-source PoS systems are particularly valuable as they offer high customization options, enabling businesses to tailor features to their specific needs without incurring high costs.
Unlike commercial applications, which often come with rigid structures and ongoing fees, open-source solutions allow businesses to build and scale their systems flexibly, ensuring long-term effectiveness and adaptability in a competitive market.
This flexibility ultimately leads to reduced operational costs and enhanced user satisfaction.
While we wrote several posts about free and open-source PoS, we always like to upgrade our lists with more unique apps.
1-Open Source Point of Sale (Self-hosted)
The Open Source Point of Sale is an open-source web-based point of sale solution. The application is written in PHP, uses MySQL (or MariaDB) as the data storage back-end, and has a simple but intuitive user interface.
Features
- Stock management (items and kits with an extensible list of attributes)
- VAT, GST, customer, and multi tiers taxation
- Sale register with transactions logging
- Quotation and invoicing
- Expenses logging
- Cash up function
- Printing and emailing of receipts, invoices and quotations
- Barcode generation and printing
- Database of customers and suppliers
- Multiuser with permission control
- Reporting on sales, orders, expenses, inventory status and more
- Receivings
- Gift cards
- Rewards
- Restaurant tables
- Messaging (SMS)
- Multilanguage
- Selectable Bootstrap based UI theme with Bootswatch
- MailChimp integration
- Optional Google reCAPTCHA to protect the login page from brute force attacks
- GDPR ready
2- Chromis POS
Chromis POS is a free, open-source Point of Sale (POS) system designed for businesses of all sizes. It’s ideal for retail and hospitality environments as cafes and restaurants, offering a user-friendly interface that simplifies sales transactions and inventory management.
With customizable features and support for various hardware like receipt printers and barcode scanners, Chromis POS helps streamline day-to-day operations.
Features
- Runs on Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 & 10, Linux
- Supports extensive range of hardware
- Java 1.8 supported
- Can be installed on macOS with Java support
- Multi sale modes
- Screen resolutions from 1024×768
- Built in powerful scripting language, allowing user customization
- CSV import for product list
- Barcode supported, including variable price or weight (GS1 standard)
- Supports range of open source database platforms
- Built in reporting and reports
- Supports USB printers
- It supports touch screens and multiple screen gestures.
- Ability to migrate from Derby (single user) datebase to MySQL or Postgresql
- Remote Kitchen printing
- Chromis Kitchen Screen support
- Use security
- Customer database
You can download it for free from its page on Sourceforge.net.
3- Aronium
Aronium is a modern, free Point of Sale (POS) software designed for small and medium-sized businesses. It provides an easy-to-use interface, helping business owners manage sales, inventory, and customer relationships efficiently. While it is not an open-source PoS, it is completely free to install and use.
With its reactive sleek design and extensive features, Aronium is a versatile POS system suitable for retail stores, cafes, and other businesses.
Features
- User-Friendly Interface: Intuitive design for quick and easy navigation.
- Inventory Management: Track stock levels and manage products efficiently.
- Sales Reporting: Generate detailed sales reports to monitor business performance.
- Multi-Language Support: Available in multiple languages to suit diverse users.
- Search using barcode, SKU or product name
- Simplified stock management
- Translate and customize receipt to match your brand identity
- Customer Management: Track customer information and purchase history.
- Discounts & Promotions: Apply special offers and promotions easily.
- Customizable Receipts: Design and personalize your receipts.
- Offline Mode: Operates without an internet connection.
- Free and Paid Add-Ons: Enhance the system with additional features as needed.
4- Simpos
Simpos is a powerful and intuitive Point of Sale (POS) client software built using React, designed to integrate seamlessly with the Odoo back end.
It provides an enhanced user experience and is easy to customize, while retaining all the robust features of Odoo’s back-end operations, such as accounting and inventory management.
Hardware Compatibility: Works with any device, including Sunmi hardware (e.g., Sunmi T2 used in bakery shops).
Features
- Offline POS support
- Multiple orders simultaneously (for restaurant mode use-case)
- Record customer information
- Multiple payment methods support
- Multiple cashiers
- Vibration card order support
- Table tag order support
- Bar code scanner support
- Kitchen printer via network support
- Customer screen support (for advertising, customer order review use-case)
- Discount directly or percentage discount support
- Responsive layout
- Multiple price list support
5- LogicPOS
LogicPOS is a free, open-source Point of Sale (POS) system designed to simplify sales operations for small and medium-sized businesses. Built with flexibility in mind, LogicPOS provides an intuitive and efficient solution for retail environments, helping users manage inventory, sales, and customers with ease.
Its simple yet design and powerful features make it a standout option for businesses looking to streamline their operations.
With LogicPOS, businesses can enjoy a flexible, powerful, and cost-effective POS solution that grows with their needs. It is an ideal option for those seeking a customizable and modern sales management system.
LogicPOS is built originally for restaurants and cafes. However, the only downside is that it does not have good English support.
Application Modes: The app supports restaurants, cafés/bars, bakeries, fish markets, butcher shops, shoe stores, clothing shops, hardware stores, and more.
Features
- Open Source Software: Source code available on GitHub.
- Multi-Platform Compatibility: Supports multiple operating systems.
- Database Support: Compatible with various database systems.
- Permanent Online Updates: Regular system updates available online.
- Accuracy and Speed: Ensures reliable operations with full audit trails.
- Multi-User and Multilingual Application: Supports multiple users and languages.
- Customizable Reports: Allows users to create and customize reports.
- Legal and Fiscal Compliance: Developed in accordance with legal and fiscal requirements.
- Certified: Approved by tax authorities in Portugal, Angola, and Mozambique.
- Continuous Evolution: Constant system optimization and evolution.
- User-Friendly Interface: Simple and easy-to-use interface.
- Comprehensive Business Management System: Provides a full suite for commercial management.
- Robust and Modular Architecture: Allows creation of new functionalities to meet specific client needs.
- GDPR Compliance: Fully compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
- Multilingual: Available in Portuguese, English, French, and Spanish.
- Discounts & Promotions: Supports promotional pricing and flexible discount options, with or without tax included.
- Barcodes: Barcode support for products.
- Encrypted Backups: Scheduled, encrypted backup and restore capabilities.
- Current Accounts: Manages customer accounts and balances.
- Inventory Management: Basic stock management for goods in and out.
- Export Options: Export reports to PDF and Excel formats.
6- WallacePOS
WallacePOS is a user-friendly, web-based Point of Sale (POS) system designed to be easily extensible. It supports standard POS hardware like receipt printers, cash drawers, and barcode scanners, making it a practical choice for retail businesses.
With its comprehensive administration dashboard and reporting features, WallacePOS helps both managers and staff streamline operations and enhance productivity.
Features
- Web-Based System: Accessible through modern web browsers, no software installation needed.
- Hardware Support: Compatible with standard POS hardware including receipt printers, cash drawers, and barcode scanners.
- Rich Administration Dashboard: Offers a comprehensive dashboard for managing sales and business operations.
- Reporting Features: Provides detailed reporting for sales and inventory tracking.
- Multi-Platform Support: Works on various devices, including PCs, tablets, and mobile devices.
- Multi-User Support: Allows multiple users with different access levels.
- Customizable Interface: Easily extensible and customizable to meet business needs.
- Open Source: Free to use, modify, and expand, with community-driven support.
Note: WallacePOS is no longer actively maintained, but interested developers are encouraged to become maintainers of the project.
7- EFLInventory
EFLInventory V2 is a simple inventory and point-of-sale application for web and PC, built with PHP using the Laravel framework. It uses MySQL for data storage and features a Bootstrap 4 material-style interface.
Designed for small retail stores, it helps track inventory, manage items, and generate reports on sales and purchases.
Features
- Web and PC Compatibility: Accessible on both web browsers and desktop PCs.
- Built with Laravel: Developed using the Laravel PHP framework for robust functionality.
- MySQL Backend: Utilizes MySQL for efficient data storage and management.
- User-Friendly Interface: Features a Bootstrap 4 material-like user interface for easy navigation.
- Inventory Management: Allows users to keep track of items and inventory levels.
- Sales Tracking: Monitors sales transactions for better financial oversight.
- Purchase Management: Tracks purchases to maintain accurate inventory records.
- Report Generation: Generates reports based on inventory, sales, and purchases for informed decision-making.
- Small-Scale Retail Focus: Tailored for small retail stores to streamline their operations.
- Open Source: Free to use, modify, and contribute to, with community support available.
8- POS AWESOME for ERPNext
POS Awesome is an open-source Point of Sale for ERPNext using Vue.js and Vuetify.
Features
- User-Friendly Interface: Provides a good user experience with fast navigation.
- Multi-Language Support: Available in multiple languages for diverse users.
- Card and List View Options: Cashiers can choose between card view (with item images) and list view during transactions.
- Batch and Serial Number Support: Allows tracking and management of batch and serial numbers.
- Flexible Payment Options: Supports cash returns, customer credit returns, and credit sales with due date selection.
- Customer Loyalty Points: Accumulates loyalty points for customers.
- Shortcuts Keys: Enhances efficiency with customizable keyboard shortcuts.
- Customer Discount and Offers: Facilitates discounts for customers and special POS offers.
- Template Items with Variants: Supports items with variations for better inventory management.
- Invoice Submission: Enables enqueue submission of invoices after printing receipts for faster processing.
- Search by Serial and Batch Numbers: Quickly search and add items using serial or batch numbers.
- Sales Order Creation: Allows users to create sales orders directly from the POS.
- Weighted Products Sales: Supports sales of scale (weighted) products.
- Mpesa Mobile Payment Integration: Accepts mobile payments via Mpesa.
- POS Coupons: Provides coupon support for promotions and discounts.
- Referral Code Feature: Includes a referral code option for customer acquisition.
- Customer and Group Pricing: Manages price lists for individual customers and customer groups.
- Sales Person Tracking: Allows tracking of sales made by specific employees.
- Delivery Charges Management: Supports the addition of delivery charges to sales.
- Payments Reconciliation: Facilitates reconciliation of payments against existing invoices.
- Auto Apply Batches: Automatically applies batches for bundled items.
9- Point-of-Sale App
This point-of-sale (POS) app, with its administrative panel, was meant to be a simple to use alternative to all the restrictive paid apps for small shops, street fairs, and neighborhood festivals. My goal is to slowly build this into a WordPress for point of sales apps.
10- PharmaSpot Point of Sale
PharmaSpot is an open-source cross-platform Point of Sale system designed for pharmacies and built to streamline operations and enhance customer service.
Features
- Multi-PC Support: Enables multiple computers to access a central database for consistent data management.
- Receipt Printing: Generate professional receipts for customer convenience.
- Custom Barcode Support: Define custom barcodes for improved inventory flexibility.
- Product Expiry Date Tracking: Monitor product expiry dates to prevent sales of expired items.
- Low Stock Alerts: Get notified about low stock levels to maintain popular items.
- Transaction Filtering: Filter transactions by till, cashier, or status for detailed insights.
- Staff Accounts and Permissions: Manage user accounts with varied permission levels for secure access.
- Improved UI: Enjoy a modern interface with enhanced display quality for a better user experience.
- Customer Database: Build a customer database to personalize interactions and enhance loyalty.
- Transaction History: Access comprehensive records of all transactions for reporting and reference.
- Date Range Filtering: Analyze transactions based on specific date ranges for in-depth insights.
- Product and Category Management: Easily organize products and categories for efficient inventory management.
- Profit Calculation: Calculate profit per item and total profit for informed decision-making.
- Open Tabs and Orders: Manage open tabs and orders for customer convenience.
- Basic Stock Management: Track inventory levels and update stock as needed.
- Expiry Date Alerts: Receive notifications about approaching product expiry dates to reduce waste.
- User Management: Administer and maintain user accounts for staff members.
- Product Search: Quickly find products by scanning barcodes for easier inventory control.
- Transaction Filtering: Filter and analyze transactions effectively.
11- Point of Sale
This Point of Sale web application is specifically designed for supermarkets to efficiently manage products and customer carts.
The app is built with JavaScript and TypeScript, it can be installed on any server, whether local or remote. The application includes a headless API, allowing developers to integrate it seamlessly with any ERP or accounting systems.
Using this app, supermarkets can enhance customer service and ensure accurate calculations for a smooth shopping experience.
Key Features
- Product Management: Easily manage inventory by adding, updating, or removing products.
- Multi-Cart Management: Handle multiple customer carts simultaneously for efficient checkout processes.
- Total Amount Calculation: Automatically calculate the total amount for each cart, considering product prices, quantities, discounts, and taxes.
- Cart Descriptions: Add descriptions to carts for better organization and reference.
- User Authentication: Requires login to access the application; admin user must be created manually.
- POS Page: Manage customer carts with multiple cart support and descriptions.
- Product Management: Filter and search products with card and list display options.
- Cart Management: Sort, filter, and manipulate single carts, including tax and discount management.
- Category Management: Add, edit, and delete categories.
- Unit of Measure Management: Manage different units of measure for products.
- Product Page: Add, edit products, and manage inventory.
- Dashboard: View checked carts, switch themes, and admin user management.
- Theming Options: Choose from multiple pre-defined themes for personalization.
- State Management: Utilizes React-Redux for efficient state management.
12- Point Of Sale System
This is a simple web-based open-source Point of Sale system developed with PHP and MySQL. It can be installed on your own server. The application features admin and operator logins, allowing admins to create operator accounts with restricted access.
Operators can manage products, handle purchases, and generate print slips for customers. The frontend utilizes Bootstrap, CSS, and HTML, while the backend relies on PHP and MySQL.
13- Open Source POS System
Open Source Point of Sale is a web-based system designed for efficient sales management, offering a user-friendly interface and robust features.
Features
- Multiuser support with permission control
- Supplier and customer database management
- Sales register with transaction logging
- Expense tracking
- VAT and multi-tier taxation
- Quotation and invoicing
- Inventory status reporting
- Receipt and invoice printing/emailing
- Barcode generation and printing
- Gift card and rewards management
- Restaurant table management
- SMS messaging capability
- Mailchimp integration
- Multilanguage support
- Built-in reCAPTCHA for enhanced security