Disclosure: this site is the home of Floreant POS, so Floreant is one of the options below. We have not tested the other products hands-on; their details come from the public sources listed at the end, and prices and features change, so check each vendor before you decide. Last reviewed October 28, 2026.
Quick answer
For a free restaurant POS, Floreant POS and uniCenta oPOS are open-source programs with no license fee that run on a Windows, Mac or Linux computer. Loyverse has a free baseline POS for tablets and phones. Square for Restaurants has a free plan with monthly £0 pricing on its UK site, but you pay card processing fees and buy hardware. The right pick depends on your hardware, how much setup you can handle and whether you need full table service.
Free restaurant POS options at a glance
| Option | Cost to start | Runs on | Restaurant features | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floreant POS | No license fee (open source) | Windows, macOS, Linux, Raspberry Pi (Java) | Dine-in and take-out orders, kitchen printing, payments, sales reports, works without internet | Needs some technical comfort to install. Inventory, floor plan and delivery are paid plugins. |
| uniCenta oPOS | Free (GPL v3 open source) | Windows, Mac, Linux (Java) | Restaurant and cafe sales screens, kitchen printers and kitchen display output, inventory, 50+ reports | Switchable retail and restaurant screens; set-up and hardware work are on you. |
| Loyverse | Free baseline POS; paid add-ons | Android and iOS tablets and phones | Kitchen display, dine-in, take-out and delivery options, split and merge tickets, inventory, works offline | No built-in payments, no table map, basic reports, not aimed at large full-service restaurants. |
| Square for Restaurants | Free plan (£0/month on the UK site) plus processing fees | Square hardware and iPad | Open bills, fast order entry, menu and table management, cash management | Shift and close-of-day reports need a paid plan. Hardware and card fees are extra. |
Square pricing above comes from its UK page; plans and fees differ by country, so check your own region.
Who each option suits
Floreant POS
A good fit if you want free, open-source software on a computer you already own, with kitchen printing and offline operation for a cafe, bar or small restaurant. You pay for your own printer, cash drawer and card processing, and for optional plugins. Read what free POS software really includes, the free restaurant management software overview and the coffee shop POS guide.
uniCenta oPOS
Worth a look if you want open-source software that also lists inventory and 50+ reports, and you are comfortable setting up Java software and hardware yourself.
Loyverse
Suits quick-service shops that prefer tablets or phones and want a free starting point. A 2023 review by FitSmallBusiness noted that it has no table mapping and is not aimed at large full-service restaurants, so confirm the current feature list.
Square for Restaurants
Suits owners who want hosted software with built-in payments and support, and accept processing fees and hardware costs in return.
How we chose
We looked for free or free-to-start POS software with restaurant features such as order entry, kitchen output and table or ticket handling. We compared cost to start, supported devices, restaurant features and stated limits, using the sources below. The order of the table is not a ranking.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free restaurant POS?
There is no single best option. Floreant POS and uniCenta oPOS are free open-source programs for desktop computers, Loyverse is a free tablet and phone POS, and Square has a free plan with paid processing. Choose by your hardware and how much setup you want to do.
Is a free POS really free?
The software may cost nothing, but you still pay for hardware, card processing and any paid plugins or add-ons.
Can a free POS work without internet?
Floreant POS and Loyverse are described as working offline. Check this for any option you pick, because card payments still need a connection.
Which free POS supports table service?
Square lists table management on its free plan. Floreant POS handles dine-in orders, and a visual floor plan is a paid plugin.
