Quick-service restaurants (QSRs) need POS systems that allow for fast operations and consistent outcomes across various locations. The best QSR systems combine affordable software with flexible hardware, allowing QSRs to meet customers where they are: in-house, online, curbside, or at the drive-thru. POS tools focusing on customer loyalty and an improved customer experience can help restaurants expand and grow sales.
Beyond processing orders and sales, a QSR POS should also offer robust reporting across inventory management, employee scheduling, and excellent offline functionality. A QSR POS helps you move lines quickly and efficiently. A QSR POS is available at every price point, and I’ve ranked the best.
The six best POS systems for QSRs in 2025 are:
- Toast: Best overall QSR POS system
- SpotOn: Best for multi-location QSRs
- Square for Restaurants: Best for online ordering & best free QSR POS
- Revel Systems: Best iPad POS for QSRs
- Lightspeed Restaurant: Best for third-party delivery management
- Oracle MICROS Simphony: Best for drive-thru management
Best quick-service POS systems compared
| Our score (out of 5) | Minimum monthly software fees | Contract length | Payment processing fees | |
 | 4.51 | $0 | 2 years | From 2.49% + 15 cents |
| Visit Toast | ||||
 | 4.27 | $0 | Month-to-month | From 1.99% + 25 cents |
| Visit SpotOn | ||||
 | 4.08 | $0 | Month-to-month | 2.6% + 10 cents |
| Visit Square for Restaurants | ||||
 | 4.06 | Custom-quoted | 3 years | Varies by processor |
| Visit Revel Systems | ||||
 | 4.02 | $189 | 1 year | Varies by processor, Lightspeed Payments: 2.6% + 10 cents |
| Visit Lightspeed Restaurant | ||||
 | 3.90 | Custom-quoted | Month-to-month | Varies by processor |
| Visit Oracle MICROS Simphony | ||||
I have over 10 years of experience in the restaurant industry, mostly working in quick-service or fast-food concepts. My experience allows me to identify core POS functions that help QSRs grow while understanding the niche features these restaurant types require.
I also spend a lot of time analyzing current POS software tools for a variety of restaurant types, which lets me access the latest tech offerings. I used this mix of experience, analysis, and real-world use of these systems to write this guide.
Toast: Best overall QSR POS system
Pros
Cons
Who should use it:
Toast is great for any QSR type but shines specifically for those managing multiple locations or requiring diversity in payment and order-taking tools (handhelds, self-serve kiosks, etc.)
Why I picked it:
Toast delivers three key functions that I think make it the best QSR POS software on the market: industry-grade hardware, robust multi-location management, and intuitive modifiers to almost all POS functions.
With all of these features in mind, Toast also provides a very affordable base plan, a wealth of support resources, and an ecosystem that allows for the growth of your QSR business.
This POS offers an overwhelming suite of tools to QSR owners, which can suit a standalone business or a business with over 30 locations across a region. Toast does lack payment processing flexibility and hides some key features behind extra fees, but it delivers the most comprehensive QSR POS offering in 2025.
Monthly software fees:
- Starter Kit: $0
- Point of Sale: $69
- Build Your Own: Custom quote
Hardware costs:
- Pay-as-You-Go plans include free hardware for up to two terminals (with the Pay-as-You-Go processing rates listed below).
- The standard price for a stationary terminal with a router and card reader is $719.10
- One-time installation fees are $0 for self-installation, from $75 to $125 per hour, and $400 for a full menu built into the POS.
Processing fees:
- In-person fees for the standard plan: 2.99% + 15 cents
- In-person fees for the Starter Kit plan: 2.49% + 15 cents
- Pay-as-you-go hardware: Toast is the only provider on this list that offers its proprietary POS hardware at no upfront cost. This can be a game-changer for small QSRs that need to expand operations.
- Toast Go 2 handheld terminal: Toast also supports a fully featured handheld terminal, the Toast Go 2, to support line busting and curbside or tableside orders and payments. The Toast Go 2, which fits in an apron pocket and can be operated with one hand, is best-in-class.
- New Benchmarking Tool: Toast has introduced a new Benchmarking Tool, a feature no other POS in this guide offers. Toast uses its system-wide metrics to track your sales and operational data to give you a sense of how your business is performing. Compare your overall progress against similar ones in your region, and break down specific food and drink sales to see how your menu performs against the market norm.
- Advanced combo building: Toast’s combo builder operates a little differently than the others on this list. Rather than relying on nested modifiers, Toast combos operate as a discount type where discounts are applied automatically on possible combos once added to a check.
- Drive-thru management: Toast offers a detailed, built-in drive-thru order stream. Configuration instructions are on Toast Central, Toast’s online knowledge database. Once configured, your drive-thru tickets will be color-coded on your KDS screens. You can display order status for customers on an order-ready digital display while alerting customers to their order status via automated text messages.
- Delivery tools: With Toast, you can manage a team of in-house drivers with GPS mapping integrations or send your in-house orders to local third-party drivers for a flat per-delivery fee.
- Handheld and QR code ordering: Toast’s handheld POS devices make it very easy to take orders, especially in busy restaurants. This speed-specific focus allows QSR models to use Toast to expedite lines and get more orders to customers in a timely manner.
|
Countertop Terminal Kit |
Handheld Terminal Kit |
Guest Self-service Kit |
KDS |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Pay-as-ou-go: $0 upfront; 3.09% plus 15 cents processing fee Pay upfront: $1,024 plus $69 per month |
Pay-as-you-go: $0 upfront; 3.09% plus 15 cents processing fee Pay upfront: $799.20 plus $69 per month |
Pay-as-you-go: $0 upfront; 3.09% plus 15 cents processing Pay upfront: $1,339.20 plus $99 per month |
Custom quoted; Contact Toast for pricing |
SpotOn: Best for QSRs with multiple locations
Pros
Cons
Who should use it:
Growing QSRs, those needing an industry-leading but easy-to-use POS system, and those with multiple locations are suited to SpotOn’s robust suite of features.
Why I picked it:
SpotOn’s tools are seamlessly fine-tuned for QSRs with many locations: marketing AI tools, a robust mobile reporting app, and the ability to grow customer loyalty across multiple sites. It also offers in-depth employee management features, making scheduling staff, executing payroll, and viewing hours worked across your locations easy.
The entirety of SpotOn’s software is customizable, which allows your SpotOn experience to be unique to your business. The most successful QSRs can build out their own personalized POS systems, and SpotOn gives you this opportunity.
This system’s robust QSR features and comprehensive support make it especially ideal when it needs to be set up multiple times in new locations.
Monthly subscription plans:
- Quick Start: $0; both software and hardware fees are covered by payment processing fees
- Counter-service: $99 + $3 per employee
- Full-service: $135 + $3 per employee
- Customize Your Own: Custom-quoted
Hardware:
- Station POS: $750
- Counter POS: $850
- Kitchen Display System: $600
Processing fees:
- Quick Start: 2.89% + 25 cents
- Counter-service, Full-service, Customize Your Own: 1.99% + 25 cents
- Robust workforce management: SpotOn Teamwork is SpotOn’s built-in employee management tool. Teamwork includes a scheduling app that can track employee availability, organize time-off requests, and handle shift swaps.
The tool is so popular that it also integrates with the Toast, Square, Clover, Lightspeed, and Revel POS systems. Users claim the Teamwork system saves them up to 20 hours per week on labor management tasks. - Customizable workflows: The SpotOn team custom-builds the POS for every new customer. So, if you want your order screens to appear in a specific layout, want to offer dynamic pricing that supports cash discounting, or need multiple revenue categories to support granular reporting, you can typically get any customization you need.
This level of customization can mean that onboarding with SpotOn will take longer than with a self-installed system like Square. But if you have complex needs, the lead time likely won’t bother you. - Online ordering and delivery management: SpotOn’s built-in online ordering tools start with an eye-catching online ordering website. Orders are sent directly to your POS order stream. You can manage self-delivery or takeout orders in-house with built-in two-way text messaging (most other POS systems on my list only support one-way text messaging).
- Dynamic hardware: Like Toast, SpotOn operates on industry-grade hardware. However, SpotOn’s hardware is slightly sleeker and more flexible than Toast’s. You can choose standard or low-profile countertop terminals set up in multiple configurations with built-in card readers and customer-facing displays.
SpotOn’s KDS screens are dynamic and user-friendly, and the handheld POS devices include a QR code reader so your team can quickly scan promotional coupons tableside. - QSR time-efficient tools: SpotOn’s many different POS tools deliver speed and efficiency in many aspects of the restaurant. Instant digital receipts, one-tap tipping, and an all-day view all help keep the product moving. Prep timers communicated through the KDS ensure food gets out on time and will even change colors depending on the situation’s urgency.
- CRM and loyalty tools: SpotOn delivers great loyalty rewards and keeps you connected to guests with automated marketing features and website tools. The focus on loyalty and rewards tracking keeps customers wanting to come back, which is key for QSR growth.
|
Stationary Terminal |
Handheld Terminal |
Self-service Kiosk |
KDS |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Countertop touch-screen terminal with built-in card reader |
Handheld order and payment device |
Countertop-mounted self-service kiosk |
Touch-screen kitchen display system screen |
Square for Restaurants: Best for online ordering & best free QSR POS
Pros
Cons
Who should use it:
Square for Restaurants is great for QSR businesses that offer online ordering, want a cost-effective POS, and do not have to manage a drive-thru.
Why I picked it:
Square for Restaurants continues to be a great, low-cost option for QSR business owners. It offers an excellent online ordering platform and encourages customer growth through an online ordering app tailored to your business. Square’s online ordering app also features conversational modifiers and repeat order buttons. The system is so efficient that customers can re-order online with just three taps.
Square’s ability to sync menus and inventory in real time helps ensure all your stations are ready to go during a busy service. It is also very user-friendly, claiming staff can be trained on the system in less than 15 minutes. While it lacks drive-thru management tools and locks some features behind fees, Square is a great economical option for QSR businesses.
Monthly software costs:
- Free: $0
- Plus: $69
- Premium: $165
Hardware costs:
- From $59 for a card reader (though Square will send your first card reader for free) to $1,389 for a complete Square POS kit with a stand, cash drawer, card reader, Square Terminal, receipt printer, and kitchen printer (iPad not included)
- $0 installation; Square is self-installed, but you can request on-site installation assistance for $600
Processing fees:
- 2.6% + 10 cents for in-person transactions
- 2.9% + 30 cents for online or invoice transactions
- 3.5% + 15 cents per transaction for manually keying in a customer’s credit card
- Pocket-sized Square Terminal: Square’s Terminal is a handheld order and payment device that fits in a pocket. Unlike other handheld devices on this list, Square Terminal also includes a built-in receipt printer, excellent for line-busting in busy QSRs.
- Free basic POS: Square for Restaurants’ entry-level POS subscription is available for no monthly fees. If you have a compatible iPad, you can start with Square for Restaurants at no upfront cost. Most QSRs only need this level, making it an affordable yet functional option.
- Free online ordering site: Square for Restaurants users can add an online ordering site for free via the integrated Square Online Store. If your restaurant does not have a website, you can host your online ordering page on a Square web address for no additional cost. Square’s free POS operates on the equipment you already have, which gives it the edge in free online ordering.
- No long-term contracts: Square for Restaurants does not require a long-term service contract. You can use the POS for a month or a year and leave at any time. You can also easily shift to a different subscription tier as your business grows or needs change.
- Integrated KDS: Square for Restaurants recently added an integrated KDS (it formerly relied on FreshKDS). This new function is a great option for QSRs that need a cost-effective solution. Like the rest of the Square for Restaurants system, the Square KDS operates on iPads. You can download the software for the KDS from the Apple App Store.
- Great user reviews: While not a feature, Square enjoys great user reviews across many reputable sites, including Trustpilot and Capterra. Square has definitely grown into one of the most popular POS systems in the industry, and user reviews showcase why it has been widely adopted.
|
Stand |
Terminal |
Stand Restaurant Station |
Stand Mount |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
$149 ($14 per month for 12 months)* |
$299 ($27 per month for 12 months) |
$1,089* |
$149 ($14 per month for 12 months)* |
|
Payment-enabled iPad stand |
Handheld order and payment terminal with integrated receipt printer |
Complete POS including Square stand, cash drawer, and receipt printer |
Counter or wall mount for POS or self-service kiosks |
*Price without an iPad; with an iPad, add $349.
Revel Systems: Best iPad POS for QSRs
Pros
Cons
Who should use it:
Revel Systems is great for QSR concepts wanting iPad-based POS software for multiple locations. Additionally, users who want flexibility in payment processing will find value in Revel.
Why I picked it:
Revel Systems is native to iPads and designed to run on these devices. This makes the system very easy to learn, with many being used to the Apple ecosystem.
Revel’s success in the QSR space is due to its ability to deliver a wide range of great QSR options in a package that is easy to implement into your business. With features such as drive-thru management and complex order modifiers, it’s a robust offering on one of the most popular devices for a POS system.
The system’s biggest drawback is its historically expensive POS subscription. All tiers are now custom-quoted, and this lack of pricing transparency holds Revel back on my list.
If pricing is not a major concern and you want intuitive POS software for new staff members, then Revel Systems is a great option for your QSR concept. While Square is also iPad-intuitive, Revel delivers drive-thru management, which makes it quintessential for this technology type.
Monthly software costs: Custom-quoted
Hardware costs: Custom-quotedProcessing fees: Custom-quoted; choose from Revel Advantage, First Data, Heartland, TSYS, Worldpay, Chase Paymentech, Elavon
- Digital order flow: Revel Systems emphasizes a streamlined digital experience, capturing customer orders and routing them to their KDS screens in your kitchen. You can customize how your kitchen display appears and even set up digital notification boards for order status at your expo station.
- Delivery XT: Revel offers its own in-house delivery system, helping you avoid third-party fees and consolidating this aspect of your business into your existing software. This software is great for concepts with a lot of delivery orders or those looking to introduce delivery into their repertoire.
- Customer engagement: Revel offers great customer loyalty and engagement opportunities for QSRs. Growing a customer base is vital for QSRs, and Revel has dedicated programs to help grow your base and deliver vital reward programs for QSRs to leverage.
- Driver management: Revel includes live, maps-based driver management through the Delivery XT Dispatch app. If you manage a team of in-house delivery drivers, Revel shows you their live locations on a dispatch map. You can directly assign orders based on proximity from the map and manage driver reimbursements based on mileage.
- Driver smartphone app: Revel includes a free driver app, Revel Delivery XT Agent, that syncs with your dispatch system. Drivers are notified in their app about new delivery assignments, updated delivery information, and real-time turn-by-turn directions. This driver app gives you Uber-like control over your delivery fleet. It’s an excellent fit for restaurants like pizzerias with a high volume of deliveries.
|
Apple iPad |
Revel C-stand |
Revel L-stand |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
|
10.2” to 12.9” display for POS, KDS, and self-service kiosk screens |
Low-profile iPad stand for POS terminals or self-service kiosks |
iPad terminal stand with customer-facing display |
Lightspeed Restaurant: Best for third-party delivery management
Pros
Cons
Who should use it:
QSR concepts that rely on a lot of different third-party delivery orders will find massive success with Lightspeed Restaurant. Additionally, it’s suitable for concepts that want complete control over editing online ordering menus.
Why I picked it:
Lightspeed Restaurant is a great option for QSRs due to its intensive and intuitive third-party delivery management. Lightspeed consolidates all orders from different sites into your KDS screens, giving your kitchen a broad view of all the orders it needs to manage and maintain. On top of this, you can edit and sync your delivery menus from one app, allowing changes to be easily reflected in all of your connected platforms.
Lightspeed scored well due to its great third-party order management and efficient POS design. However, I docked points for its higher pricing and consolidation of pricing tiers — an increase from $69 per month to $189 per month, making the baseline POS more expensive. However, some key features, such as inventory management, are now included in the base POS offering and do not require an extra fee.
Monthly subscription plans*:
- Essentials: $189
- Premium: $399
- Enterprise: Custom quote
One-time installation fee: None
Payment processing: Lightspeed Payments starts at 2.6% + 10 cents for in-person payments.
* Prices are lower for users who pay fees annually and enroll in Lightspeed Payments.
- Quick service mode: Lightspeed Restaurant includes a quick service setting that reduces the number of button presses required to ring up a new order and process payment. Unfortunately, this mode does not support barcode scanning to add ready-to-eat (RTE) and ready-to-drink (RDT) items to orders.
- Consolidated third-party delivery: Via integration with Deliverect, Lightspeed Restaurant consolidates all of your third-party delivery platforms into a single dashboard.
You can configure online-only menus and manage each of your third-party platform subscriptions from a single place. Orders print to your kitchen or KDS screen seamlessly. This is helpful for any restaurant size as it streamlines orders, especially during a busy dinner rush. - Flexible hardware: In addition to iPad-based terminals, Lightspeed Restaurant uses iPads for KDS, customer-facing displays, and self-service kiosks, so you can customize your POS by pressing a few buttons in the manager dashboard. These screens all feature Lightspeed’s intuitive interface.
- Popular integrations: In addition to Lightspeed’s extensive add-on functions, this restaurant POS integrates with over 80 third-party software tools. These include popular options for employee scheduling, inventory, website management, reservations, accounting, payroll, and third-party delivery platforms.
- Delivery menu customizations: Lightspeed Restaurant allows you to update your online delivery menus in real-time across all platforms at once.
You can also create delivery-only menus online, locking out takeout and dine-in options and only providing delivery-based menu options to online platforms. This level of customization and management makes managing delivery a breeze for QSR concepts.
|
Terminal Kit |
Verifone P400 |
Mobile Case |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
|
iPad stand, cash drawer, receipt printer, and kitchen printer |
Mobile, PIN-enabled tap, swipe, and dip card reader |
Rugged handheld case for iPad |
Oracle MICROS Simphony: Best for drive-thru management
Pros
Cons
Who should use it:
QSR concepts needing drive-thru management or wanting to expand their capabilities should consider using the Oracle MICROS Simphony system.
Why I picked it:
Oracle MICROS Simphony is a POS system I have extensive experience with, using the software in a restaurant I helped manage. The cloud-based offering from Oracle combines industry-grade, rugged hardware with intuitive software design, making it an ideal choice for QSR concepts.
Oracle’s drive-thru management tools are the most comprehensive in this guide, allowing support for multi-lane and designated pickup options, as well as the ability to take orders curbside, similar to concepts like Culver’s or Chick-fil-A.
The system lost a few points due to extra fees for baseline POS features and mixed user reviews. Additionally, its hardware is custom-quoted, making it hard to compare to other systems without doing a deep dive with an Oracle representative.
Monthly software fees: Oracle’s subscription fees are now all custom-quoted
One-time installation fees: Custom-quoted
Processing fees: Varies by processor
- Centralized multilocation dashboard: Adding new locations to your Simphony dashboard only takes a few minutes. You can easily run reports for single locations or compare multiple locations in a single report. All information is accessible via a central dashboard, so you don’t need to log into various back-office dashboards and run multiple reports.
- Drive-thru management: Simphony’s drive-thru management includes tools for managing a traditional drive-thru alongside curbside pickup monitoring. You can keep track of which numbered parking spaces customers arrive in, note vehicle type, and close out orders at the drive-thru window or via a handheld terminal in the parking lot.
Additionally, Oracle offers the ability to manage multi-lane drive-thrus, a perfect tool for expanding drive-thru capabilities. - Rugged, customizable hardware: Like top-ranked Toast, Simphony operates on hardware designed to withstand a demanding restaurant environment. Terminals are sealed to prevent the intrusion of steam, water, and dust. They can also operate at higher and lower temperatures than an iPad.
- Multilanguage support: Your Simphony POS can operate in more than 20 languages. So, if your restaurant operates in multiple countries, you can use the same system in the local language. This supports QSRs that want to expand on a grand scale. Simphony is the only option on this list that has this language option.
|
Workstation 6 Series |
Tablet 700 Series |
Self-Service Kiosk |
KDS |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Countertop, touch-screen POS terminal |
Touch-screen handheld order and payment device |
Touch-screen kiosk |
Bump-bar enabled KDS screen |
How to choose a QSR POS in 5 steps
Choosing the best QSR POS for your restaurant is straightforward. However, you’ll need to take some time to ensure you find the best fit. Follow my steps to find the best QSR POS.
Step 1: Assess your needs
First — and most importantly — you need to understand the business you have and the functions you require for your QSR POS. Are you a one-unit small business with limited capital to deploy? Or are you a 20-unit QSR group with the necessary cash flow to invest in a POS with centralized multilocation management?
Understanding not only what you can afford but also the basic needs you require of POS software is integral to your choice.
Step 2: Consider your staff’s needs
Before committing to POS software, understand if it makes sense for the people you employ. Does it need to be multilingual? Is a lot of training and time needed to understand the system functionally? Understanding the POS capabilities and how your staff will work with it is crucial before investing the money and time you will dedicate when purchasing this software.
Step 3: List your must-haves
Having a list of must-have features is very important during this process. You should not commit to software that will not fulfill your needs, negatively impacting your customers. Understanding what is absolutely crucial to you as an operator is vital in the selection process.
This also applies to the contract you will sign. Are you willing to sign up for more than one year? Do you need your software to be billed month-to-month? Know this before making a final decision.
Step 4: Shop around & accept demos
Let QSR POS providers sell to you! Accept free demos, take calls with sales teams, and do not settle on just one provider. Make it clear you are looking to invest in a POS system for your business, and do not be afraid to share that you are shopping around.
Letting POS providers share the system’s unique features and comparing them with other providers will allow you to see which system suits your needs and also reveal any gaps in service.
Step 5: Choose your QSR POS software & sign up
The last part is committing to and signing up for the software. This also means doing the work on your end as an operator to ensure you know the system better than anyone else. Take time to learn all of the POS’s functionalities in your unique setting. Your end goal should be to train your staff and get the most out of the service you are paying for.
How I evaluated QSR POS systems
Evaluating the QSR POS systems in this guide was a robust process, as you will see in my scoring criteria below. Looking at a range of factors, from affordability to multi-location management, led to some in-depth analysis of every system’s current offering. Below are the five different categories I used to determine the best POS systems for quick-service restaurants.
Pricing: 15%
The key factors for my pricing score were the affordability of the base plan, whether free trials were offered, and what kind of payment processing was offered. Furthermore, I took into account the maximum number of users allowed per system, the hardware options offered, and whether order volume discounts were offered.
General POS features: 20%
Some general POS features I believed each system should have included inventory management, workforce management tools, and online ordering. Beyond this, CRM, loyalty tools, gift cards, and reporting capabilities were also considered.
Quick-service features: 25%
Quick-service restaurants require some niche features, requiring me to do a deep dive into what was offered specifically for this restaurant type. Integrated peripherals, handheld ordering, and multi-location management in a centralized location were all important to this category. Robust modifiers, combo building, drive-thru management, and sticky label printing were also weighed in this section.
Ease of use: 20%
How easy a POS system is comes down to the support and other accessibility features it provides. Customer service hours and online training resources were considered for this section. Additionally, if and how robust of an online mode each system had and whether or not mobile reporting was offered played into this scoring.
Expert score: 20%
Lastly, my expert score considered the overall package each quick-service POS software provided. General features, value for the base subscription, and industry popularity were all weighed here. Capterra customer reviews, and real-world sentiment on how easy each system was to operate were also considered.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Below are the most frequently asked questions about quick-service restaurant POS systems.
Last bite
Toast leads my guide with a resounding 4.51 out of 5 due to its cost-effective plans, robust hardware, and key QSR features. Some of these features include drive-thru management, combo building, and the ability to support QSRs of any size. Self-ordering kiosks, handheld terminals, customer-facing displays, and intuitive KDS screens ensure you can produce consistent, quality food throughout one or many QSR locations.
