Square POS vs Epos Now

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Our analysts compared Square POS vs Epos Now based on data from our 400+ point analysis of POS Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Product Basics

Square is a cloud-based POS system for retail stores of all sizes. It automatically creates customer profiles and tracks their information and purchase histories. Its key capabilities include sales reports, online payment processing, inventory tracking control, marketing campaigns, digital receipts, sales management, e-commerce and more. It accepts offline payments and automatically syncs payment information when mobile devices reconnect.

It is available on Android and iOS devices and includes optional hardware such as terminals, cash drawers, scanners, scales and card readers. Users can manage order pick-ups from third-party services like DoorDash, Postmates and more.

Pros
  • Easy to use and set up
  • Affordable pricing plans
  • Mobile payments and online ordering
  • Integrates with Square ecosystem
  • Free basic plan available
Cons
  • Limited customization options
  • May not be suitable for high-volume businesses
  • Transaction fees can add up
  • Limited reporting features in free plan
  • Customer support could be improved
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Epos Now is a cloud-based point-of-sale (POS) system designed for retail and hospitality businesses. It streamlines operations with features like inventory management, multi-channel sales, and customizable dashboards. Its strengths lie in flexibility and affordability, making it ideal for startups and growing businesses. Users praise its ease of use, wide range of integrations, and reliable customer support. Compared to similar products, Epos Now shines in its app store, offering numerous add-ons to tailor the system to specific needs. However, some users report limitations in advanced reporting and scalability for larger businesses. Pricing starts at a low monthly fee per device, with additional costs for advanced features and integrations.

    Pros:
  • Easy for staff
  • Inventory control
  • Sales insights
  • App integrations
  • Flexible plans
    Cons:
  • Limited trial
  • Add-on costs
  • Support inconsistency
  • Limited customization
  • Hardware concerns
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$29 Monthly, Freemium, Plus Transaction Fees
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Tailored to your specific needs
$39 Monthly
Get a free price quote
Tailored to your specific needs
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Windows
Mac
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Android
Chromebook
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Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile

Product Assistance

Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support

Product Insights

  • Streamlined Operations: Simplify day-to-day tasks like sales, inventory management, and employee management with an intuitive interface and mobile accessibility. Square POS offers a clean and user-friendly interface that minimizes the learning curve for new users and streamlines operations for established businesses. Additionally, its mobile app allows you to manage your business on the go, whether you're taking inventory, processing payments, or checking sales reports.
  • Omnichannel Engagement: Facilitate seamless omnichannel experiences by offering mobile payments, online ordering, and click-and-collect options. In today's digital age, customers expect a smooth and consistent experience across all channels. Square POS empowers you to meet these expectations by providing omnichannel features that bridge the gap between physical and online storefronts.
  • Scalability and Flexibility: Adapt to your evolving business needs with a range of pricing plans and integrations with Square's broader ecosystem of tools. Square POS doesn't lock you into a one-size-fits-all solution. With its flexible pricing plans and vast ecosystem of integrations, you can tailor the system to your specific needs and budget, whether you're a small startup or a growing enterprise.
  • Data-Driven Decisions: Gain valuable insights into your business performance with sales reports, inventory tracking, and customer analytics. Square POS equips you with the data you need to make informed decisions. Its comprehensive reporting and analytics suite provides insights into sales trends, customer behavior, and inventory levels, empowering you to optimize your operations and marketing strategies.
  • Enhanced Customer Experience: Delight your customers with features like loyalty programs, gift cards, and email marketing tools. Square POS goes beyond just processing transactions. It helps you build stronger customer relationships by offering tools to implement loyalty programs, send personalized marketing campaigns, and offer convenient gift card options.
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  • Simplified Operations: Streamline your workflow with intuitive sales processing, inventory management, and reporting tools, freeing up time and resources for what matters most.
  • Enhanced Insights: Gain valuable data-driven insights into your business performance. Track sales trends, identify top-selling items, and analyze customer behavior to make informed decisions.
  • Customer-Centric Focus: Delight your customers with faster service, flexible payment options, and loyalty programs. Build stronger relationships and keep them coming back for more.
  • Scalable Growth: Easily adapt your POS system to your evolving needs. Add new locations, integrate with online platforms, and manage multiple sales channels seamlessly.
  • Cost-Effective Solution: Choose from flexible pricing plans that fit your budget and scale with your business. Enjoy a low monthly fee with no hidden costs or long-term contracts.
  • Empowered Team: Equip your staff with user-friendly tools that boost efficiency and productivity. Improve accuracy, reduce errors, and ensure everyone is on the same page.
  • Mobile Accessibility: Access your POS system and key business data from anywhere, anytime. Manage your business on the go and stay connected even when you're not on site.
  • Secure and Reliable: Enjoy peace of mind knowing your data is safe with cloud-based storage and industry-leading security measures. Count on reliable performance and minimal downtime.
  • Adaptable and Customizable: Tailor Epos Now to your specific needs with a wide range of add-on apps and integrations. Create a POS system that works for you, not the other way around.
  • Ongoing Support: Benefit from helpful and responsive customer support. Get your questions answered, access training resources, and ensure you're getting the most out of your POS system.
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  • Intuitive Register Interface: Easy-to-use touch-screen interface with customizable menu items, modifiers, and employee permissions.
  • Payment Processing: Accept all major credit cards, debit cards, contactless payments, gift cards, and cash.
  • Inventory Management: Track stock levels, set low-stock alerts, and generate purchase orders.
  • Employee Management: Track employee hours, create schedules, and manage payroll.
  • Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Store customer information, track purchase history, and send targeted marketing campaigns.
  • Sales Reporting: Generate reports on sales, inventory, employee performance, and customer behavior.
  • Mobile App: Access Square POS from your smartphone or tablet to process payments, manage inventory, and view reports on the go.
  • Online Ordering: Allow customers to order and pay online for pickup or delivery.
  • Loyalty Program: Reward customers for repeat business with points, discounts, and special offers.
  • Gift Cards: Sell physical and digital gift cards to boost sales and customer loyalty.
  • Integrations: Connect Square POS with other business tools, such as accounting software, payroll providers, and email marketing platforms.
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  • Contactless Dining: Facilitate a coherent ordering and dining experience with an online, ticket-based system. Access the menu, make customizations, add notes, place orders and make payments using QR codes or a URL. Use error-free business management tools to reduce wait times and boost operational efficiency. 
  • Inventory Management: Track business functions and optimize the supply chain using efficient inventory management tools. Centrally manage merchandise, fulfill orders, process payments, scan barcodes, set stock alerts and streamline operations for a time-saving, effortless experience. 
  • Reporting and Analytics: Get full visibility into transactional data, analyze individual product performance, understand business operations, access sales reports, track profits, view data forecasts and monitor employee performance to make informed decisions. 
  • Customer Relationship Management: Boost website engagement and drive customer loyalty by staying in the loop with customer information. Build marketing campaigns based on purchase history, buying patterns, total spending and website visits. Offer promos and discounts, send gift cards, create rewards and improve communication. 
  • Integrations: Leverage robust integrations with major platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce to improve business efficiency. Sync in-store and online inventory, automate recurring functionalities, process faster checkouts, consolidate services and more. Integrate loyalty programs, store promotions and reward schemes to deliver consistent customer service. 
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Product Ranking

#13

among all
POS Software

#59

among all
POS Software

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Analyst Rating Summary

92
76
100
50
100
67
100
80
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Compliance and Security
Customer and Loyalty Management
Employee Management
Integration and Extensibility
Items and Service Management
Integration and Extensibility
Items and Service Management
Inventory Management
Reporting and Insights

Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

Square POS
Epos Now
+ Add Product + Add Product
Compliance And Security Customer And Loyalty Management Employee Management Inventory Management Items And Service Management Payment Transactions And Cash Management POS Hardware Reporting And Insights Sales And Marketing Management Store Management Types Of POS 100 100 100 98 100 100 74 100 74 69 100 50 67 80 93 100 63 78 88 68 63 74 0 25 50 75 100
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80%
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89%
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11%
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100%
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56%
11%
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56%
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44%
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Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

100%
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100%
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User Sentiment Summary

Excellent User Sentiment 2169 reviews
Good User Sentiment 596 reviews
93%
of users recommend this product

Square POS has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 93% when considering 2169 user reviews from 3 recognized software review sites.

74%
of users recommend this product

Epos Now has a 'good' User Satisfaction Rating of 74% when considering 596 user reviews from 3 recognized software review sites.

4.6 (495)
3.9 (9)
n/a
3.57 (309)
4.7 (1637)
3.8 (278)
4.5 (37)
n/a

Awards

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Square POS and concluded it deserves the award for the Best Overall POS Software available today and earns best-in-class honors for Compliance and Security, Customer and Loyalty Management, Items and Service Management, Payment Transactions and Cash Management and Types of POS. Square POS stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

Analysts' Pick Award
User Favorite Award
Compliance and Security Award
Customer and Loyalty Management Award
Items and Service Management Award
Payment Transactions and Cash Management Award
Types of POS Award

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Epos Now and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Items and Service Management.

Items and Service Management Award

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

User-Friendly: 96% of users who reviewed this element said the software is flexible and mobile with a clean user interface.
Economical: According to 70% of users who mentioned this aspect, the pricing is fair and competitive.
Card Payments: 80% of users who reviewed payments said the platform is useful for processing cashless transactions with cards and sending invoices.
Invoicing: Regarding this feature, 95% of users said it’s easy to create, add and send invoices to clients.
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Easy for Staff: The intuitive interface and minimal training requirements are praised by users, including small businesses with staff of varying tech skills.
Inventory Control: Real-time stock tracking and low-stock alerts are cited as game-changers, preventing stockouts and improving order accuracy.
Sales Insights: Users highlight valuable reporting tools that provide actionable insights into sales trends, employee performance, and customer behavior.
App Integrations: Connecting seamlessly with popular accounting, loyalty, and delivery apps is appreciated for streamlining workflows and reducing manual data entry.
Flexible Plans: Users love the range of plan options with competitive pricing, allowing them to scale the software with their business needs.
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Costly for high-volume transactions: The per-transaction fees become significant as your business grows, pushing Square beyond cost-effective for many merchants.
Limited reporting and inventory: Users find Square's reports lack depth and flexibility, making detailed sales analysis and inventory management challenging.
Unreliable customer support: Users report difficulty reaching support, long wait times, and frustrating email-only communication, leaving them feeling helpless when issues arise.
Account holddowns and closures: Square's automated fraud detection can lead to sudden account freezes and closures, causing business disruptions and difficulties resolving the issue.
Clunky hardware: Some users find the Square hardware, particularly the chip reader, clunky and frustrating to use, impacting checkout workflow and customer experience.
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Limited Free Trial: Some users find the 30-day trial period insufficient to fully explore the features and compatibility with their specific needs.
Add-on Costs: Essential features like advanced reporting or certain app integrations require additional monthly fees, potentially pushing up the overall cost beyond initial expectations.
Customer Support: While generally praised, occasional user reviews mention inconsistencies in the responsiveness and helpfulness of customer support, particularly through email inquiries.
Limited Customization: Some users, especially in niche industries, express a desire for deeper customization options for the interface and functionalities to perfectly fit their specific workflow.
Hardware Concerns: While offering hardware bundles, occasional reports mention issues with specific hardware options in terms of durability or compatibility, requiring replacements or alternative sourcing.
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Square POS shines for its ease of use and affordability for small businesses, especially those starting out. Users praise its intuitive interface, seamless setup, and mobile accessibility, making it a breeze to ring up customers and manage basic sales. It also integrates well with popular tools like email marketing and accounting software, offering a centralized platform for managing various aspects of their business. However, Square's appeal wanes as businesses grow. Users lament its limited reporting and inventory management features, lacking the depth and customization offered by competitors like Shopify POS or Clover. Square's higher transaction fees for larger volumes also become a drawback compared to options like Stripe, which offer lower rates based on monthly transaction volume. Furthermore, Square's customer support receives mixed reviews. While some appreciate its responsiveness, others face frustrating wait times and limited communication channels, especially compared to the dedicated phone and live chat support offered by competitors. Overall, Square POS is a strong contender for solopreneurs and micro-businesses seeking a user-friendly and affordable POS solution. However, its limitations become apparent as businesses scale, pushing them towards more robust and feature-rich platforms. The choice ultimately boils down to prioritizing ease of use and affordability in the early stages versus scalability and advanced features as a business grows.

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Recent user reviews of Epos Now reveal a spectrum of experiences. Praise centers around its user-friendly interface, robust inventory management, and actionable sales insights. These strengths, particularly the intuitive design, benefit smaller businesses with diverse staff skillsets, giving Epos Now an edge over tech-heavy competitors like Square or Shopify. Affordability adds to its appeal. However, limitations emerge for complex operations. Users call for more granular customization and highlight occasional gaps in customer support responsiveness, especially via email. Furthermore, optional fees for vital features like advanced reporting or select app integrations can inflate the initial cost, potentially swaying users towards competitors with more comprehensive plans. In conclusion, Epos Now excels in simplicity, affordability, and real-time data, making it a strong contender for businesses prioritizing ease of use and core POS functionalities. However, businesses with niche requirements or intricate workflows may find greater value in exploring competitors for enhanced feature fit and potentially lower long-term costs.

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Screenshots

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