Top Square POS Alternatives on a Budget for Small Businesses in 2022 & 2023

If you are a small business owner, then you know that Square POS can be quite expensive. There are many Square POS alternatives on the market, but which one is the best for your needs? In this blog post, we will compare the most popular Square POS alternatives and discuss the merits and demerits of each one. We will also explore how much these alternatives cost compared to Square POS. So, whether you are looking for a cheaper option or something more tailored to your specific needs, we have you covered!

What is Square POS & Its Advantages Along with its Disadvantages?

Square POS is currently one of the most popular point-of-sale systems. Mobile payment apps are used by millions of people all over the world. It is particularly known for its simple and straightforward user interface and the portability feature, which allows making transactions on the go.

Businesses can use the POS app to perform many tasks ranging from monitoring sales to inventory management and data analysis.

Let’s review just a few advantages and disadvantages that Square’s POS application offers small businesses.

Advantages:

1) Platform Customization:

Square’s POS is ideal for customization. Regardless of your business, you can set up your store any way you’d like and group products, services, and add-ons in whichever categories make the most sense to your team.

2) Employee Management:

Managers can set up specific employee accounts for each worker, complete with custom permissions that restrict access to specific functions based on the employee’s role in the company.

3) Inventory Management:

When paired with Square’s Dashboard app, the POS system can be a great way to manage your company’s inventory. Each sale is logged, organized, and made available for review at later dates within the Square platform.

4) Third-Party Integrations:

Aside from the POS system’s benefits, Square’s application can seamlessly integrate with other applications you need to keep your business moving. Financial management tools from Intuit, advanced inventory management platforms like Shopventory, and eCommerce integrations like Weebly are just a few examples.

Disadvantages:

1) Additional Charges:

Hidden/additional costs for add-on modules. Users need to pay extra for each add-on module.

2) No Free Trail:

Unfortunately, Square POS doesn’t allow free trials for new users.

3) Availability of Vendor:

Square software and Hardware vendors are not available all over the globe.

4) Lack of Customer Support:

Square POS doesn’t provide additional customer support for minor issues. You have to sort it out by reading articles that are available on the internet.

5) Costing:

Square charges 2.9 percent + $0.30 for every online payment and 3.5 percent + $0.15 for purchases entered manually. Square’s invoice fee is also 2.9 percent plus $0.30 unless the payment is made with a card on file, in which case the price is 3.5 percent plus $0.15. The per transaction cost feels high as there is an increase in your sales volume.

Square POS Alternatives:

1) ARI POS

2) Light Speed POS

3) Revel

4) Vend HQ

Three Things to Examine When Looking for a Square POS Alternative

1) Pricing Factor:

• Square’s pricing is on pace with other POS providers overall. However, Square credit card processing can be expensive for firms that process a lot of charges under $10, known as micropayments.
• If you compare the cost of Square POS with any other POS, you can get a more customized POS at a low cost.
• If you’re looking for Square alternatives, you should consider cost and how the charges will add up to your sales volume and typical expenses.

2) Support:

Square provides just basic assistance and lives customer care on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific time. Moreover, the team might guide you to read its support-related documents for minor issues. When purchasing a new POS system, look for one that provides exclusive support during critical evening and weekend hours.

3) Retail Features:

Square provides standard POS functionality like inventory management and sales analytics. Still, many POS systems have much richer tracking and reporting capabilities.

Top 4 Square POS Alternatives in 2022

Here are our favorite alternatives to Square POS for small businesses to consider.

ARI POS:

At the top of the list, ARI POS is there. Ari POS is a great Square POS alternative for small businesses. It is extremely user-friendly and has all of the functionality required to run a successful business. After that, many third-party software options can be integrated with Ari POS. Overall, Ari POS is an excellent option for small businesses that are looking for an affordable and user-friendly Square POS alternative.

Advantages:

1) Advanced POS:

ARI POS is More advanced than any other POS available in the market.

2) Enhance Retention Rate:

To enhance the retention rate of individual customers and help brands expand their client base, the software also provides users access to an appropriate customer loyalty program.

3) Other Loaded Functionalities:

It includes promotion management, supply chain management, inventory management, and multi-store management.

4) Robust Integrations:

Active integrations with external platforms like Xero, Quickbooks, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Tally, Mailchimp, and Retail Insight are of great help for your business.

5) Best Customer Support:

Ari Retail POS’s world-class support executives provide relevant assistance in real-time over chat, phone, and email.

6) Free Trial:

Most importantly, Ari POS allows you a free trial.

7) Customization:

POS experts from ARI POS will understand your business-specific needs and, according to that team, will deliver you the robust, customized POS for your business.

Disadvantages:

1) Subscription Fees after 30-Day Free Trial:

There is one disadvantage of ARI POS is that after the free trial, you have to pay for a subscription; otherwise, it will not work correctly.

Features of ARI POS:

Lightspeed POS:

Lightspeed is another popular Square POS alternative. It offers a robust set of features and is perfect for businesses with multiple locations. One downside of Lightspeed is that it can be pricey for small businesses. However, if you are willing to pay a bit more for your Square POS alternative, then Lightspeed is definitely worth considering.

Advantages:

1) Best for Accounting:

Light speed is best in scanning, purchasing orders, and overall managing your accounts department.

2) Easy to Install and Use:

It is very user-friendly and easy to use. Individuals can start learning from tutorial videos.

3) Robust Support:

It has a 24/7 support team that will help you anytime.

Disadvantages:

1) No Updates:

They have not had significant updates to their system in years.

2) Solving Issues Takes Time:

They do have 24-hour support. However, wait times are excessive, and representatives have challenges understanding your issues. Also, it can take months to resolve your issue.

3) Basic Reporting:

Reports are fundamental and will likely require Lightspeed Analytics to get reports useful for day-to-day operations.

4) Expensive:

If you compare the cost with any other POS, then it’s a little bit expensive for small businesses.

Revel POS:

Revel POS is another Square POS alternative that is perfect for small businesses. It has a variety of features, including built-in accounting, inventory management, and CRM. The only downside of Revel POS is that it does not have a mobile app. However, the web-based interface is very user-friendly and easy to use.

Advantages:

1) Robust Dashboard:

The robust dashboard gives you exact stats that will help you make better business decisions.

2) Best in Inventory Management:

Revel offers many tools that help us keep track of our visitor counts and inventory. The technology is simple to use and requires little training for our employees.

3) Multi-device Accessibility:

It is accessible on computers, mobile phones, I-pads, etc. Also, it doesn’t take too much space.

Disadvantages:

1) Need for More Functionalities:

There is a need for more in-depth functionalities, including every module.

2) Need for Third-party Integration:

It doesn’t provide third-party integration.

3) Expensive:

It’s pretty expensive, compared with other software’s

VendHQ:

VendHQ is the last Square POS alternative we will discuss in this blog post. It has many of the same features as Ari POS and Lightspeed. But it is even more user-friendly. Using Vend HQ, users can Manage inventory across multiple outlets with a centralized product catalog that is accessible from your POS. After that, you can edit products in bulk and many more. Overall, VendHQ is a great Square POS alternative for small businesses that are looking for easy to use POS system.

Advantages:

1) Customer Loyalty Programs:

VendHQ POS offers excellent gift card and voucher features that help you to find repeat customers.

2) Best in Report Generation:

It has the capability to deliver different kinds of reports. Also, you can get customized reports.

3) Good in All-over Store Management:

It helps a lot at the backend and cash counter. It’s pretty easy to get receipts and clear customer ques quickly.

Disadvantages:

1) E-commerce Inventory Syncing:

Vend Hq has been facing issues with inventory syncing in the E-commerce module.

2) Costing:

The cost is pretty much high for add-on modules.

Which is the Best Square POS Alternative?

So, which Square POS alternative is the best for your business needs? Ultimately, the best Square POS alternative for your business will depend on your specific needs and budget.

Suppose you are looking for an affordable and user-friendly option, then Ari POS is a great choice. If you are willing to spend more for your Square POS alternative, then Lightspeed is definitely worth considering.

However, it is always best to consult experts and get the best POS according to your needs. In the market, not so many companies are offering consultation facilities. Still, ARI POS helps you with that for free of cost. Get a 30 Days Free Trial for it.

Summary:

Square POS is one of the most popular point-of-sale systems right now. However, It does, has its own advantages and disadvantages. There are other Square POS alternatives available on the market, such as ARI POS. Lightspeed, Vend HQ, Revel POS, and others are available, but which is ideal for your needs? Finally, the greatest Square POS alternative for your organization will be determined by your specific requirements and budget. If you are only testing POS for your business, ARI POS offers a free demo option. Above all, it is always best to consult and obtain the greatest POS for your specific needs.