Celerant vs PHP POS

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Our analysts compared Celerant vs PHP POS based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Retail POS Systems, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Celerant Software Tool

Product Basics

Celerant is a point of sale management software that provides industry-specific solutions to retail businesses with dynamic features like inventory management, e-commerce, product allocation, digital marketing, vendor management, accounting and more on an omnichannel POS system.

The product offers multi-channel integrations, online marketing services, business intelligence tools, efficient product management solutions and a mobile application. A flexible set of in-store and online functionalities help manage employees, track inventory, accept orders, oversee finances and meet business needs on a consolidated platform with a time-efficient, productivity-driven approach.
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PHP POS is an open-source point-of-sale system designed for small businesses and individual entrepreneurs. It offers essential POS features like product management, inventory tracking, sales recording, and basic reporting. Users praise its customizability and low cost, often opting for self-hosted installations to keep expenses minimal. However, setup and maintenance require technical expertise, making it less suitable for beginners or businesses needing extensive support. Compared to paid competitors, PHP POS lacks advanced features like multi-store management, employee permissions, and integrations with popular apps. While users appreciate its flexibility and cost-effectiveness, they also acknowledge the trade-off in terms of user-friendliness and functionality. Pricing varies depending on hosting and customization needs, but self-hosted installations start around $50, with additional fees for premium themes and plugins.

Pros
  • Free & open-source
  • Highly customizable
  • Low cost to self-host
  • Simple & intuitive interface
  • Basic features for most needs
Cons
  • Requires technical expertise
  • Limited advanced features
  • No multi-store support
  • Minimal customer support
  • Potential security risks
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$125/License, Monthly
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Tailored to your specific needs
$8/Month, Freemium
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Tailored to your specific needs
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Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
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

  • Flexibility: Ease of use on a single, integrated platform free of multiple data entry hassles and multi-channel management. 
  • Reliability: Eliminate the need for an external firm to perform crucial accounting tasks. A robust POS system calculates taxes, compiles reports, tracks sales and more with reduced errors and greater efficiency. 
  • Offline operations: Supports sales and point-of-sale functionalities with reliability in case of weak or no internet connectivity. 
  • Security: Advanced privacy controls for accounting-related activities provide additional security. 
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  • Unleash Your Inner Tweak Master: PHP POS's open-source nature lets you customize it to your exact needs. Craft bespoke workflows, tailor reports, and even build custom plugins - the possibilities are endless.
  • Cost-Conscious Champion: Ditch the hefty price tags of closed-source POS systems. PHP POS is free to download and use, with minimal hosting costs and optional add-ons for advanced needs. Save your resources for what truly matters - growing your business.
  • Data Detective: Gain valuable insights into your operations with built-in reporting tools. Track sales trends, analyze inventory levels, and identify customer buying patterns to make informed decisions and optimize your business strategy.
  • Tech-Savvy Simplicity: Don't be intimidated by complex interfaces. PHP POS boasts a user-friendly design that makes it easy for anyone, from seasoned cashiers to tech newbies, to navigate and master the system quickly.
  • Community Connection: You're not alone in your POS journey. PHP POS has a vibrant community of developers and users offering support, sharing tips, and contributing to the ongoing development of the platform.
  • Future-Proof Flexibility: As your business evolves, so can your POS. PHP POS's modular design allows you to add new features and integrations as your needs change, ensuring your system stays relevant and adaptable.
  • Security in Your Own Hands: Take control of your data security. Self-hosted installations give you complete ownership and oversight, allowing you to implement your preferred security measures and customize access permissions.
  • Investment in Openness: By choosing PHP POS, you're not just investing in a POS system, you're investing in an open-source philosophy. Contribute to the development community, share your knowledge, and help shape the future of POS technology.
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  • Integrated Ecommerce: Benefit from an advanced marketplace solution to manage physical and online store operations. Integrate the website and POS with a single system to manage inventory, process orders, offer promotions and accept payments through an omnichannel approach. 
  • Online Inventory: Manage business inventory with an integrated POS solution. Track stock levels, transfer merchandise across stores, ship products, replenish stocks, print tickets and more. Categorize products for smooth documentation, automate reordering to meet demands and integrate with major carriers to transfer merchandise across locations. 
  • Cloud-Based Accounting: Streamline the business workflow using an integrated finance software that helps record transactions, sync data, accept payments, send receipts, monitor charges, get cash flow insights, record sales and control the accounting ecosystem with powerful integrations. 
  • In-Depth Reporting: Read data-backed, comprehensive reports to stay in the loop about crucial business insights. Combine data from business aspects such as sales, purchases, products and more. Analyze KPIs and compare key metrics, create interactive dashboards based on multi-dimensional data, create visual comparisons, schedule customer reports and more to improve overall performance. 
  • Labor Management: Efficient workforce management tools help track employee activity, create schedules, manage time offs, add new staff, process payrolls, and more from a centralized location. Create unique user profiles, assign tasks based on job functions and complete commission and print checks using ADP integration. 
  • Customer Relationship Management: Track sales data on a single database to understand customer’s behavior and boost website traffic with personalized promotions, targeted email campaigns, club memberships, rewards and more. Set up user categories to keep track of customer expectations and improve services based on real-time trends. 
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  • Inventory Management: Count items, edit quantities, assign serial numbers, generate summaries, scan products, refill goods, view updates and more. Track inventory movement and avoid out of stocks with real-time updates. View reports and gain insightful access to sales data. 
  • Employee Management: Add new employees, grant permissions, create user-profiles and more with employee management tools. Record employee work hours using an integrated time clock. Access summarized information about recorded time in the form of reports. 
  • Offline: Skip internet connection hassles and work smoothly while offline. Log in and check the Offline Mode box to enable the functionality. Works only with a valid SSL certificate. Keep the browser open and log in to allow automatic sales screen sync. 
  • Reports: Use graphical, summary and detailed reports to provide insights into total sales, profit and loss, item totals, sum transactions, commissions, payments, customers and more. Generate custom reports to view stats for a specific category. 
  • Delivery: Accept orders, add customers, schedule delivery, manage shipping zones, process payments, send receipts, view status information, update details and control the complete delivery lifecycle using a flexible management system. 
  • Marketing: Create deals and promotions like "buy one get one free" and "flat 20% off" to strengthen customer loyalty and improve sales. Keep guests coming back for more using coupons, personalized rewards, gift cards and attractive offers. 
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Product Ranking

#30

among all
Retail POS Systems

#42

among all
Retail POS Systems

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User Sentiment Summary

Great User Sentiment 29 reviews
Excellent User Sentiment 304 reviews
82%
of users recommend this product

Celerant has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 82% when considering 29 user reviews from 1 recognized software review sites.

94%
of users recommend this product

PHP POS has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 94% when considering 304 user reviews from 1 recognized software review sites.

4.1 (29)
4.7 (304)

Awards

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PHP POS stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite Award

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Inventory Management: Celerant's inventory management system is praised for its ability to track stock levels across multiple locations, helping retailers avoid stockouts and overstocking. Users appreciate the system's ability to manage inventory by size, color, and other attributes, making it easier to keep track of specific items.
Point of Sale (POS): Celerant's POS system is known for its user-friendly interface and robust features. Users find it easy to process transactions, manage returns, and track customer loyalty programs. The system's ability to handle multiple payment methods and integrate with other business systems is also highly valued.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Celerant's CRM capabilities allow retailers to build stronger relationships with their customers. Users appreciate the system's ability to track customer purchase history, preferences, and interactions, enabling personalized marketing campaigns and improved customer service.
Reporting and Analytics: Celerant's reporting and analytics tools provide retailers with valuable insights into their business performance. Users find the system's ability to generate customizable reports on sales, inventory, and customer behavior helpful in making informed decisions.
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Simple and intuitive interface: Reduces training time and improves staff efficiency, especially for small businesses with limited tech experience. Many users praised the clean layout and logical workflow, allowing staff to focus on customer service rather than struggling with the POS system.
Streamlined inventory control: Real-time stock tracking, low-stock alerts, and barcode scanning minimize errors and prevent stockouts. Users reported significant reductions in inventory discrepancies and improved stock management, leading to fewer out-of-stocks and happier customers.
Adaptable to diverse needs: Wide range of features and integrations cater to specific industry requirements and business growth. From restaurant orders to appointment booking, many users highlighted the ability to customize the POS for their unique needs, eliminating the need for multiple software solutions.
Actionable sales reports: Gain valuable customer and performance insights to optimize marketing, staffing, and product offerings. Users appreciated the detailed reports and data analysis tools, enabling them to make data-driven decisions about promotions, staffing levels, and inventory.
Cost-effectiveness: Open-source option available: Free or affordable plans cater to various budgets and business sizes. Many users found PHP POS to be a budget-friendly alternative to proprietary POS systems, with options to scale as their business grows.
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Limited Customization: Some users have reported difficulty customizing the system to meet their specific needs, particularly when it comes to reporting and inventory management. For example, they may find it challenging to create custom reports or track inventory levels in a way that aligns with their business processes.
Steep Learning Curve: The software can be complex to learn and use, especially for new users. This can lead to frustration and a longer time to become proficient with the system. For instance, some users have mentioned that the interface is not intuitive and requires significant training to master.
Customer Support Issues: Some users have reported issues with customer support, including slow response times and difficulty getting their questions answered. This can be a major problem for businesses that rely on timely support to resolve technical issues or address urgent needs. For example, some users have experienced delays in getting help with system errors or troubleshooting problems.
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Limited customization options: May require technical expertise for advanced configurations or integrations, potentially hindering user experience for non-technical users. Some reviews mentioned challenges customizing receipts or reports without coding knowledge.
Reliance on community support: Open-source nature may require users to seek help from online communities or forums for troubleshooting or feature requests, potentially leading to delays or dependence on external resources. Users reported waiting for solutions or workarounds from the community, impacting workflow.
Compatibility concerns: Integration with specific hardware or software might require additional effort or custom development, potentially increasing costs or implementation time. Some users encountered difficulties connecting older hardware or niche software, requiring extra workarounds.
Scalability limitations: Free or basic plans may have limitations on features, data storage, or user accounts, potentially restricting growth for larger businesses. Some reviews mentioned outgrowing the features or data storage capacity of free plans, requiring paid upgrades.
Security considerations: Open-source nature may require additional vigilance and proactive security measures compared to closed-source solutions, potentially increasing IT workload. Some users expressed concerns about managing server security or keeping the software updated, especially for businesses with limited IT resources.
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User reviews from the past year present a mixed bag. While Celerant is touted for its comprehensive suite of features encompassing point of sale, inventory management, CRM, and data mining, its purported strengths are often overshadowed by implementation challenges. Users appreciate the software's flexibility in handling diverse business models and customizing the interface. For instance, one retailer praised the ability to tailor the system for their unique multi-channel operation, integrating online sales, physical stores, and even kiosks. However, this flexibility comes at a cost – complexity. Several users have reported a steep learning curve and difficulties navigating the software's extensive functionality. This complexity often necessitates significant support from Celerant, which some users found responsive, while others deemed it lacking. A common thread in negative reviews is the perception that Celerant might be better suited for larger enterprises with dedicated IT resources. Smaller businesses, in particular, have expressed frustration with the system's intricacy and the resources required to maximize its potential. In essence, Celerant, much like a high-performance sports car, offers powerful capabilities but demands a skilled operator to truly harness its potential. It's most suitable for larger retailers with the technical expertise and resources to navigate its complexities and unlock its full range of features. Smaller businesses seeking a more user-friendly and intuitive solution might find Celerant overwhelming.

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The buzz around PHP POS is mixed, painting a picture of a POS system with distinct strengths and weaknesses. Users laud its intuitive interface, streamlined inventory management, and adaptability, often praising it as a time-saver compared to clunkier alternatives. This simplicity makes it a hit with small businesses and those new to POS systems, allowing staff to focus on customers rather than software struggles. However, PHP POS stumbles in its lack of extensive customization options. Power users and those with unique needs may find themselves hitting walls, yearning for the deep integrations and bespoke configurations offered by its pricier competitors. Additionally, the open-source nature presents a double-edged sword: while it keeps costs down, it also throws users into the arms of online communities for troubleshooting and feature requests, potentially leading to frustrating delays. Ultimately, PHP POS shines for its user-friendliness, affordability, and solid core features. But for businesses demanding extensive customization, robust integrations, and hand-holding support, its limitations might outweigh its charms. Remember, choosing the right POS is a balancing act – weigh PHP POS's strengths against your specific needs to see if it strikes the perfect chord for your business.

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