Our take
Square remains the strongest choice for businesses that want a POS system without the financial risk of monthly fees or hardware purchases. The free tier is genuinely useful — not a stripped-down teaser — and includes inventory tracking, customer profiles, sales reports, and even a basic online store. The hardware lineup ranges from a free magstripe reader to the $799 Square Register, giving you room to scale. Where Square falls short is offline mode: if your internet drops, you can only accept cash. High-risk or high-volume sellers also report occasional fund holds while Square reviews transactions. For most small businesses, though, the combination of zero cost, fast setup, and a polished interface makes Square the default starting point.