Point of sale software · 11 alternatives

Clover alternatives: 11 compared

Editor Sebastiaan Smits · Published October 16, 2026 · Updated October 16, 2026

Merchants look past Clover when device subscriptions that cannot be cancelled, processing tied to Fiserv, or terms set by the reseller who sold the system stop fitting. Most move to Square for a free-to-start system, KORONA POS for processor choice, or Toast and TouchBistro when the business is a restaurant.

Short answer: The closest replacements for Clover in our point of sale software ranking are Square, KORONA POS and Toast. Choose Square if you want a free-to-start system and published prices instead of terms set by a reseller. All 11 alternatives below are ranked products from Best Point of Sale (POS) Software in 2026, and each says where it differs from Clover and when Clover is still the better choice.

Visibility in our rankings can be paid for. Payment moves a vendor's position within the shortlist; it never adds a vendor, and it never changes a word of the review or of this page. The first three alternatives go to challengers, vendors outside the best-known brands in a category, wherever the category has them; the established names follow in their ranked order. How it works: placement disclosure · editorial process.

Clover at a glance

Headquarters: United States
Pricing model: Hardware + monthly plan + processing
Pricing: Hardware bought outright or financed, plus a monthly software plan and Fiserv card processing; terms vary a lot by sales channel.
Free option: None
Built for: Retail and quick-service counters wanting turnkey hardware
Wrong for: A full-service restaurant that needs sophisticated kitchen routing should look at Toast or TouchBistro, and any merchant that wants to shop its processing rate every year should look at KORONA POS instead.
Place in our ranking: #6 of 15
Website: clover.com

Facts from our point of sale software ranking, last checked October 16, 2026.

Why buyers look past Clover

Hardware can only be used with Clover processing

Clover's pricing FAQ says its devices can be bought or leased from other entities but cannot be used with other payment processors. A merchant who wants to shop the card rate has to replace the terminals, not just change a contract.
The subscription is hard to cancel

According to the pricing FAQ, a Clover device subscription is non-cancelable and ineligible for refunds, though it can be broken in a buyout or upgrade and paid off at any time. Contract terms and termination fees vary by the provider that sold it.
The end of the term needs action from you

If you do not choose to buy or return the equipment at the end of the term, the subscription continues at the same monthly charge. To stop renting month to month you must tell Clover at least 30 days before the term ends.

11 alternatives at a glance

Closest replacement first. The last column is our place in the full 15-product ranking.

#	Alternative	Headquarters	Pricing	Key difference	Switch if	Our rank
1	Square	United States	Processing + optional per location / month; free plan	Free-to-start POS with its own readers and terminals	you want a free-to-start system and published prices instead of terms set by a reseller	#5
2	KORONA POS	United States	Per register / month; free trial	Processor-agnostic retail POS with month-to-month terms	you want to keep your processor or shop card rates without replacing terminals	#2
3	Toast	United States	Per location / month + processing; none	Restaurant POS with kitchen, ordering and payroll built in	you run a restaurant and need kitchen, ordering and support built around table service	#7
4	Lightspeed Retail	Canada	Per location / month; free trial	Retail POS with purchasing and multi-store stock control	you run several shops and need purchase orders and stock transfers between locations	#4
5	Shopify POS	Canada	Per location / month + processing; free trial	Store checkout tied to a Shopify online shop	your online store is the core business and the counter should share its catalog and stock	#8
6	SpotOn	United States	Per station / month + processing; none	Restaurant and retail POS with local service reps	you run a restaurant and want a published choice between a low-upfront plan and a month-to-month plan	#13
7	TouchBistro	Canada	Per location / month; none	iPad POS for independent full-service restaurants	you run a full-service restaurant and want floor plans and table management in the base product	#12
8	Loyverse	Cyprus	Free + paid add-ons; free plan	Free tablet POS for small cafés and shops	you run a small café or shop and would rather pay nothing for software and use your own tablet	#1
9	Epos Now	United Kingdom	Hardware + monthly subscription; none	UK POS for retail and hospitality with hardware bundles	your business is in the UK and you want terminal bundles with finance and local support	#10
10	Erply	Estonia	Per location / month; free trial	Retail POS and inventory platform for multi-store chains	you run a retail chain, or plan to, and want payment integrations from several providers	#15
11	SumUp POS	United Kingdom	Per transaction + optional monthly; free plan	Card reader and simple POS for micro-merchants	you are a micro-merchant who wants a card reader and light POS, not a full terminal	#14

What each alternative does differently

1. Square

Free-to-start POS with its own readers and terminals · United States

Square's pricing page lists a Free plan, Plus at $49 and Premium at $149 per location a month, with card processing on Square's own flat rates. Entry cost is lower than a Clover device subscription, but processing is bundled with Square in the same way, so the lock-in moves rather than disappears.

Switch from Clover if you want a free-to-start system and published prices instead of terms set by a reseller.

Pricing: Free plan with flat-rate card processing; Plus at $49 and Premium at $149 per location per month lower the processing rate and add features across restaurant, retail and appointment modes. (free plan)

Full review: #5 of 15 in our ranking · Visit Square →

2. KORONA POS

Processor-agnostic retail POS with month-to-month terms · United States

Charges $59 (Core), $79 (Retail) or $99 (Plus) per terminal a month, month-to-month with discounted annual plans, according to its pricing page. It says it is processing agnostic and takes no cut of card sales, so you keep or shop your own processor. Hardware and onboarding are separate decisions.

Switch from Clover if you want to keep your processor or shop card rates without replacing terminals.

Pricing: Published monthly plans per register, month-to-month, with the merchant choosing among supported card processors. (free trial)

Full review: #2 of 15 in our ranking · Visit KORONA POS →

3. Toast

Restaurant POS with kitchen, ordering and payroll built in · United States

Restaurant-only platform that runs on approved Toast hardware, with an offline mode and 24/7 support included in every software subscription, according to its pricing FAQ. Toast is a payment facilitator working with processors, so you are tied to its payments. It is a poor fit for a shop.

Switch from Clover if you run a restaurant and need kitchen, ordering and support built around table service.

Pricing: Hardware plus monthly software per location and Toast payments; a low-upfront starter plan trades hardware cost for higher processing. (none)

Full review: #7 of 15 in our ranking · Visit Toast →

4. Lightspeed Retail

Retail POS with purchasing and multi-store stock control · Canada

Retail system whose site stresses multi-store inventory, purchase orders, stock transfers between locations and built-in wholesale. It is built for shops that manage stock across several sites, which a Clover counter system handles more simply. Plan prices and quotes are set per location, so compare a full quote.

Switch from Clover if you run several shops and need purchase orders and stock transfers between locations.

Pricing: Published monthly plans per location, billed higher without Lightspeed Payments; extra registers cost more. (free trial)

Full review: #4 of 15 in our ranking · Visit Lightspeed Retail →

5. Shopify POS

Store checkout tied to a Shopify online shop · Canada

Ties in-store selling to a Shopify online store in one back office, and lists POS Pro as an extra charge per location on top of a Shopify plan. Best when the online shop is the main business and the counter is the second channel. It is not a standalone restaurant system.

Switch from Clover if your online store is the core business and the counter should share its catalog and stock.

Pricing: In-person selling is included with every Shopify plan; POS Pro is charged per location per month, and in-person cards run through Shopify Payments. (free trial)

Full review: #8 of 15 in our ranking · Visit Shopify POS →

6. SpotOn

Restaurant and retail POS with local service reps · United States

Restaurant pricing page shows a $0 All-In plan with hardware included, higher card rates and a two-year minimum term, or Essentials at $55 per station a month, month-to-month. Payments run through SpotOn. The cheap start resembles a Clover subscription, so read the term before signing.

Switch from Clover if you run a restaurant and want a published choice between a low-upfront plan and a month-to-month plan.

Pricing: Published per-station plans: a $0 plan with included hardware, higher card rates and a two-year minimum term, or a month-to-month plan with lower rates and hardware bought outright; multi-unit setups are quoted. (none)

Full review: #13 of 15 in our ranking · Visit SpotOn →

7. TouchBistro

iPad POS for independent full-service restaurants · Canada

iPad system for restaurants, with software starting at $69 a month and an Essentials Bundle that includes hardware, according to its pricing page. It covers floor plans, tables, menus and staff in one product. It has no retail focus, so shops with large catalogs should look elsewhere.

Switch from Clover if you run a full-service restaurant and want floor plans and table management in the base product.

Pricing: Monthly software per location with paid add-ons for reservations, online ordering and loyalty; integrated payments optional in some markets. (none)

Full review: #12 of 15 in our ranking · Visit TouchBistro →

8. Loyverse

Free tablet POS for small cafés and shops · Cyprus

Its site presents a free POS covering inventory, employee management, kitchen and customer displays and multi-store management from one account. It is the lowest-cost route off Clover for a small café or shop, but you bring your own tablet and card reader and there are fewer all-in-one terminals.

Switch from Clover if you run a small café or shop and would rather pay nothing for software and use your own tablet.

Pricing: Core POS free, including multi-store back office and kitchen display; paid add-ons for sales history and advanced inventory per store, and employee management per employee. (free plan)

Full review: #1 of 15 in our ranking · Visit Loyverse →

9. Epos Now

UK POS for retail and hospitality with hardware bundles · United Kingdom

UK vendor selling hardware bundles, a Complete Solution at a promotional price, finance and its own Epos Now Payments card machine. Like Clover it pairs terminals with a payments service, but it targets UK retail and hospitality. A US merchant should check coverage and support before considering it.

Switch from Clover if your business is in the UK and you want terminal bundles with finance and local support.

Pricing: Hardware bundles bought or financed, plus monthly software and optional Epos Now Payments. (none)

Full review: #10 of 15 in our ranking · Visit Epos Now →

10. Erply

Retail POS and inventory platform for multi-store chains · Estonia

Pricing page shows plans from $49 a month, including a store plan with one terminal, and payment integrations with Shift4, Cayan, Adyen and Pax. Its enterprise side is built for chains of 800 or more locations. It suits retail chains more than a single counter, and it needs onboarding.

Switch from Clover if you run a retail chain, or plan to, and want payment integrations from several providers.

Pricing: Published monthly plans that scale with locations and registers; large franchise and enterprise setups are quoted. (free trial)

Full review: #15 of 15 in our ranking · Visit Erply →

11. SumUp POS

Card reader and simple POS for micro-merchants · United Kingdom

Sells card readers and POS software with a restaurant package, table management, kitchen orders and delivery app integrations, plus POS Pro for larger setups. It began as a reader for micro-merchants, so it is lighter than a Clover Station. Prices and rates vary by country, so check yours.

Switch from Clover if you are a micro-merchant who wants a card reader and light POS, not a full terminal.

Pricing: The Free POS plan costs nothing beyond pay-as-you-go card fees; POS Plus adds features for a monthly fee, and POS Pro terminals and software are sold as monthly bundles, with prices and rates varying by country. (free plan)

Full review: #14 of 15 in our ranking · Visit SumUp POS →

When Clover is still the right choice

Clover is still the right choice when you want a complete counter system bought in one transaction, you are happy with Fiserv processing, and the rate and term were quoted clearly by a provider you trust. Its pricing pages publish plans and rates for retail and restaurants, and a turnkey device suits operators who do not want to assemble hardware.

What to expect when you switch from Clover

Export your inventory and customers before cancelling

Clover's developer documentation describes a bulk inventory import by spreadsheet, a customer list endpoint that returns CSV, and an Export API for payments and orders limited to 30 days per request. Check with your provider which of these your account can reach.
Plan the terminal swap and the contract end

Because Clover devices work only with Clover processing, a new processor usually means new hardware. Line up the move with the end of your subscription term, send the 30-day notice, and ask whether a buyout is cheaper than running out the term.

Questions and answers

Can I use Clover hardware with another card processor?

No. Clover's pricing FAQ says devices can be purchased or leased from other entities but cannot be used with other payment processors. Moving processor therefore means replacing the terminals you own or rent.

Can I cancel a Clover device subscription early?

Not as a normal cancellation. The pricing FAQ says subscriptions are non-cancelable and ineligible for refunds, but they can be broken in a buyout or upgrade and paid off at any time. Ask your provider for the buyout figure.

What happens at the end of a Clover subscription term?

The subscription extends at the same monthly charge unless you act. The FAQ says you can purchase or return the equipment, and that you must notify Clover at least 30 days before the term ends if you will not keep renting.

Are there termination fees on Clover?

It depends on who sold it. Clover's FAQ says contract terms and termination fees vary by service provider, whether Clover Direct or a partner such as Citi, PNC or Wells Fargo. Read your own agreement, not the website.

Can I export my customers and inventory from Clover?

Yes, in part. Clover's developer docs list a customers CSV endpoint, an inventory API and an Export API for payments and orders. What a merchant can pull from the dashboard depends on the account, so test an export before you cancel.

Is the price I saw for Clover the price I will pay?

Not necessarily. The FAQ says each Clover partner sets its own plans and pricing, and that listings from sellers who are not genuine partners should be approached with caution. Get the monthly fee and processing rate in writing.

Sources

Prices, plan limits and product facts about Clover on this page were checked against the vendors' own pages on October 16, 2026. Vendors change both without notice, so treat the figures as of that date.

Clover pricing and FAQ: Subscription terms, non-cancelable subscriptions, end-of-term notice, termination fees varying by provider, devices tied to Clover processing.
Clover retail pricing: Retail plan structure, in-person and keyed-in rates, Rapid Deposit fee.
Clover developer docs: Export merchant data: Export API for payments and orders, 30-day range.
Clover developer docs: Bulk import inventory: Spreadsheet inventory import, 5 MB limit.
Clover developer docs: customers CSV endpoint: Customer list in CSV format.
Fiserv contact page: Fiserv corporate headquarters in Milwaukee.
Square pricing: Free, Plus $49 and Premium $149 per location, card rates.
KORONA POS pricing: Per-terminal plans, month-to-month, processing agnostic.
Toast pricing: Approved hardware only, offline mode, payment facilitator, support included.
SpotOn restaurant pricing: $0 All-In plan with two-year minimum, Essentials $55 per station.
TouchBistro pricing: Software from $69 a month, hardware bundle.
Loyverse: Free POS, inventory, employee and multi-store management.
Lightspeed Retail: Multi-store inventory, purchase orders, stock transfers, wholesale.
Shopify POS pricing: In-store and online selling unified, POS Pro per location.
Epos Now pricing (UK): Hardware bundles, finance, Epos Now Payments.
Erply pricing: Plans from $49 a month, payment integrations, chain scale.
SumUp POS (UK): Restaurant package, POS Pro.

Who wrote this

Sebastiaan Smits, Founder, wrote, edited and fact-checked this page. Founder of The Interregnum and of 2 Steps Ahead, an AI search visibility agency. Editorially responsible for every page here; research and drafting are AI-assisted. Last reviewed October 16, 2026. How we review.