Reviews

PrivadoVPN Free is one of the few free VPNs we'd ever recommend on TechRadar. The service offers 10GB of monthly data, access to high-speed servers in 12 locations, and support for unblocking streams. For a free VPN, this is rather impressive. However, some underlying issues with the provider hamper our rankings of its service.

PrivadoVPN Free has topped our free VPN rankings for a while now, and our latest tests prove this is still the case. Read on to see why our continuous testing has shown PrivadoVPN's free offering to top the costless options currently available across areas such as speed, unblocking, and, of course, security.

Features

PrivadoVPN Free offers less than the paid version in terms of features, but you’ll still get all of the basic security features needed to keep your connection safe. This includes support for OpenVPN with AES-256 encryption, as well as WireGuard and IKEv2. Privado recently upgraded its kill switch for added stability, which is also on the free version.

What you won’t get access to is Control Tower, PrivadoVPN’s DNS blocklist that doubles as a parental control tool. I can understand why it’s not in the free version, but the lack of any malware blocking is a little disconcerting. You also won’t get access to PrivadoVPN’s SOCKS5 proxies or anti-virus features, although both are relatively underwhelming additions to PrivadoVPN’s core functions.

Otherwise, it’s a pretty basic VPN. PrivadoVPN lacks advanced features such as multi-hop servers, a password manager, or Tor over VPN, which are all becoming increasingly common in premium services.

Features score: 5/10

Server network

PrivadoVPN Free offers servers in 12 locations, down from 60 in the paid plan. This is still above average for a free VPN provider, as it’s rare to see more than 5 without paying a subscription. You’ll be able to connect to Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Mexico, Netherlands, the UK, and the USA. You should note that this doesn’t provide you with any access to the Middle East or Africa and very little access to Asia so be warned if you’re looking to unblock content from those regions.

Server network score: 9/10

Apps

PrivadoVPN Free supports major operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, but doesn’t come with a Linux client. Instead, you’re expected to install your own OpenVPN configuration from PrivadoVPN onto a third-party client. Considering that ProtonVPN provides both a GUI client and an unlimited data policy on their free plan, I can’t recommend PrivadoVPN as a free VPN if you’re on Linux.

Apps score: 7/10

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The desktop clients present the user with a smart and straightforward interface (Image credit: PrivadoVPN)Image 2 of 2

We were impressed by the mobile apps, even if they're not perfect (Image credit: PrivadoVPN) Ease of use

PrivadoVPN Free is about as easy to use as a VPN can be. Installing the software takes only a few minutes, and the interface is intuitive, allowing you to connect to a server with a single click. The layout is clean and uncluttered, presenting both the location manager and kill switch up front alongside the connect button. However, dig down a little bit and you’ll find there’s a real lack of customization options, which isn’t surprising considering it’s a free VPN. Overall, it’s nothing special but that’s not a bad thing.

Ease of use score: 9/10

Speed and performance

Most free VPNs don’t perform very well when it comes to speeds, often dramatically underperforming compared to the paid versions. However, PrivadoVPN is the exception. We were rather surprised during our speed tests as the free version of PrivadoVPN maxed out our 950Mbps testing rig, providing better speeds than the paid version. We test several times a day over multiple locations, so this was pretty surprising to see and we’re fairly sure it’s not just a fluke. However, I don’t expect PrivadoVPN Free’s speeds to stay this consistent forever, but for the moment if you need a high-speed free VPN then PrivadoVPN is ideal.

Speed and performance score: 10/10

Unblocking

PrivadoVPN Free’s unblocking capabilities are the very definition of “better than nothing”. For absolutely no cost, you can access Netflix… in the US and UK. If you want access to Canada, Japan, or Australia, you’re out of luck. You can also get onto Disney+, BBC iPlayer, Channel 4, and ITV, but not Amazon, 10Now, or 9Play. That’s a mixed bag in terms of unblocking, and it’s likely to be a coin flip as to whether or not the stream you want to view is accessible. That said, it is free, and free VPNs are usually much worse at unblocking streams.

It’s also pretty good for torrenting. However, the high-speed servers combined with a 10GB data cap mean it’s pretty easy to chew through your allotted bandwidth for the month, so be careful you don’t end up downloading too much.

Unblocking score: 8/10

Privacy and security

Let’s address the elephant in the room: While PrivadoVPN has a strong no-logs policy and is based in a privacy-friendly jurisdiction, they have yet to carry out a third-party audit. So, while I would like to believe that PrivadoVPN has your best interests at heart, there’s no way to prove it in the meantime.

On the plus side, you’re covered under the same no-logs policy under the free version as you get with the paid. There are a lot of “free” VPNs out there that monetize your data to cover the cost of the service, so it’s good to see PrivadoVPN taking a stance against this. If you want to learn more about PrivadoVPN’s overall stance on security, you can check out our PrivadoVPN review here.

Privacy and security score: 8/10

Track record

PrivadoVPN is a relatively new player in the VPN space, having only set up shop in 2019. As such, there isn’t a huge amount to talk about. That’s essentially a good thing, as PrivadoVPN hasn’t had any major security breaches. We’d like to see more focus on auditing from PrivadoVPN, as well as a transparency report to show how many requests for user data they’re receiving on a regular basis.

Track record score: 9/10

Customer Support

Customer support for PrivadoVPN Free is limited to email inquiries and an FAQ knowledgebase. There is a live chat system, but it’s not staffed at all hours of the day so you’re better off just accepting you’ll need to send an email ticket.

The knowledge base is a little more impressive, as it covers the install process for all of the supported apps plus guides for third-party routers and torrenting clients.

Customer support score: 6/10

Pricing and plans

PrivadoVPN Free is completely free, but it caps users at 10GB of data per month. After you’ve used up 10GB, you can continue using the service but your bandwidth is limited to 1 Mbps. This might be alright for basic internet browsing, but you won’t be able to effectively stream with it. You’re also limited to a single VPN connection instead of the unlimited devices you’ll be able to connect on the paid version.

Need unlimited data? The paid plan starts at $10.99 per month, which is about average for a VPN provider but drops massively to $1.11 if you buy into a two-year plan. That said, PrivadoVPN still falls short of the value provided by other cheap VPNs like Surfshark.

Pricing and plans score: 8/10

There's a lot to like about PrivadoVPN's free plan (Image credit: PrivadoVPN) Should you use Privado VPN Free?

You could do much worse than PrivadoVPN Free when looking for a free VPN. It doesn’t sell your data, it’s very fast, and there’s a relatively generous monthly data allowance. It’s also one of the rare free VPNs we’ve seen that can effectively unblock a multitude of streams.

That said, you’re likely to go through 10GB of data relatively quickly if you use PrivadoVPN daily. It’s just not feasible to keep all of your activity protected by the VPN, so you’ll have to choose which apps you want to cover (which is made easier thanks to split tunneling) or only use it when it’s necessary, somewhat defeating the point of a VPN.

If you are looking for a free VPN with truly unlimited data and you’re not concerned about getting access to fewer VPN locations, you might be better off looking at ProtonVPN Free instead.

Total score: 79/100

PrivadoVPN Free alternatives

NordVPN – from $3.09 per month
The best VPN overall
NordVPN is one of the most well-rounded VPN services on the market, offering a combination of top-tier security, blazing-fast speeds, and advanced features. They’ve been fully audited multiple times to confirm both their no-logs policy and the safety of their apps, and alongside a suite of extra security features it makes NordVPN one of the best choices for keeping your data safe. You can give it a shot yourself with a 30-day money back guarantee. View Deal

Surfshark – from $2.19 per month
The best cheap VPN (and also the fastest)
Surfshark is a budget-friendly VPN that doesn’t skimp on quality, offering unlimited simultaneous connections on a single subscription. It also comes with advanced privacy tools like Alternative ID, which allows you to generate new identities on the fly. While it doesn’t have a free VPN tier, it’s priced on par with PrivadoVPN at $2.49 a month when you buy in for two years. You can try it out now with a 30-day money-back guarantee.View Deal

ExpressVPN - from $4.99 per month
A beginner-friendly VPN package
ExpressVPN has built a reputation as one of the most reliable and secure VPN providers which is well deserved. It’s a slightly more expensive VPN than most of the other top-tier providers at $8.33 a month for a year, but in return, you’re getting access to a high-speed server network that spans 148 locations in 106 countries. It’s particularly effective at unblocking streaming platforms, including Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and HBO Max, and works in countries with restrictive internet policies.View Deal

A POS (point of sale) system is crucial for brick-and-mortar retail businesses or service providers. An advanced POS system lets you receive payments and monitor financial records easily. However, POS systems are a dime a dozen, and choosing the right one from a sea of options can be daunting.

I’m reviewing Epos Now, one of the best-known POS systems, to help you decide if it’s the right choice. I tested it extensively to note its pros and cons for businesses. Read on to learn about Epos Now’s features, pricing, user-friendliness, and what it offers for your business.

Epos Now POS: Plans and pricing

Epos charges flat transaction fees of 2.6% plus 10 cents. This fee is in line with many POS systems I’ve tested, although some rivals offer lower fees of 2% to 2.5%.

To use Epos Now, you’ll need a recurring subscription in addition to the transaction fee. The standard fee is $39 monthly for the software only on a one-year term. The complete package, which includes the software and Epos’s hardware, costs $79 monthly. 

Epos Now’s hardware pricing strategy isn’t as simple as that of other POS systems. It offers special hardware bundles, often discounted, but you can also buy hardware accessories separately.

“The Complete Solution,” as Epos Now calls it, includes a countertop POS terminal, card reader, cash drawer, and personalized setup. Epos Now usually sells this solution for $1,099, but it was heavily discounted to $349 with a catch.

The discount only applied if we paid a monthly subscription starting at $79. Given these circumstances, there wasn’t much of a discount; it illustrates why it’s essential to read between the lines when companies dangle considerable discounts.

To be fair, Epos Now’s hardware pricing isn’t out of place compared to competitors. I’ve tested several POS systems that charge $1,000+ for their hardware bundles and still require monthly subscriptions. Epos Now isn’t the most affordable option, but its prices aren’t out of the blue for an advanced POS system.

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Epos Now offers a number of hardware bundles including industry specific ones for retail and hospitality (Image Credit: Epos Now) (Image credit: Image Credit: Epos Now) Epos Now: Features

Epos Now provides many features that enable businesses to accept in-person payments. With its cloud-based system, customers can pay for goods by inserting, swiping, or tapping their cards on the card reader.

Something stood out when testing Epos Now; it doesn’t support manually keyed-in payments, i.e., typing the customer’s card details directly if they don’t have their cards with them.

Many POS systems support manually keyed-in payments, albeit with higher transaction fees because of the increased risks. It seems Epos Now chose not to support them at all.

As an alternative, you can create payment links for customers to input their card details. You’ll pay the same transaction fee of 2.6% plus 10 cents, unlike the 3.5% most POS systems charge for manually keyed-in transactions. In a way, Epos’s refusal to support manually keyed-in payments saves you money.

This system provides an easy way to manage your product catalog. I could add or remove product details without hassle and retrieve any product when needed.

Suppose you run a video game store. You can add all your products and their corresponding details, including prices and quantities, to your Epos Now catalog. When a customer chooses an item, you can quickly retrieve it on the system, and they’ll pay the required price.

Epos Now tracks your inventory count, so you can receive alerts when an item’s quantity runs low. Suppose you list seven units of an item. Whenever a customer buys that item, it’ll be subtracted from the inventory count. You can set Epos Now to alert you if the item’s count falls below two, ensuring you restock it to keep customers happy.

I like that Epos provides an interactive dashboard to track all payments related to your POS system. If you have multiple stores with Epos POS systems, you can track all collective payments from a single dashboard. You can monitor inventory at every store and get low-stock alerts.

(Image credit: Epos Now)

Notably, Epos’s software works with external POS hardware. Unlike some POS systems I’ve tested that make their software work only on their hardware, you must not buy Epos's hardware to use its software.

Epos Now’s hardware systems are pricey, so it’s understandable if you choose alternative options while sticking to its software. In that case, you’ll pay its monthly subscription fee of $39 for a minimum of twelve months ($468 total).

In contrast, people who use Epos hardware can pay for their subscription monthly without a twelve-month commitment (the company uses this technique to incentivize customers to choose its hardware, but alternative options still work).

If you choose external hardware, setting up your Epos system becomes more complex. Depending on your hardware, you might need a developer to integrate Epos’s software. Yet, even with these hoops, external hardware can be a more affordable option for businesses with limited budgets.

I appreciate Epos Now's versatility and tailor-made features for different types of businesses, including retail stores, restaurants, bakeries, hotels, and more.

For instance, Epos provides a tool to list available hotel rooms for customers to check and easily book. For restaurants, it provides a kitchen display system to send real-time orders from the counter to the kitchen staff. I toyed with similar helpful features for other business niches.

I always consider third-party integrations when testing any POS system. You might need features a POS system doesn’t offer, but third-party integrations will do the trick. Epos Now didn’t disappoint in this criterion. It has integrations with dozens of apps, ranging from delivery to e-commerce, appointments, loyalty programs, and accounting.

For example, Epos Now’s integration with Shopify, a popular e-commerce platform, enables you to integrate your offline and online stores. Both stores will share the same inventory, and you can monitor in-person and online transactions from the same dashboard.

Epos’s integration with QuickBooks makes managing your finances easier. Every in-person transaction can be automatically inputted into your accounting records, and you can quickly retrieve it when preparing formal accounting reports. These are a few examples of the integrations available with Epos Now.

However, I think Epos Now’s integration library is limited. I’ve tested POS systems with a broader library of integrations- think hundreds instead of dozens. Though its existing integration library provides valuable features, I believe much more can be added.

Yet, that doesn’t mean any app not available on Epos Now’s app store can’t be integrated with its system. Epos offers API access to enable developers to create unique integrations for POS systems. You can hire a developer to build a custom integration for your Epos Now system.

(Image credit: Epos Now) Epos Now: Interface and use

The last time I tested Epos Now, I noted difficulties navigating its interface. However, the interface has improved significantly since then. It is much easier to navigate, and the setup process is now more straightforward.

Epos Now has a noticeably quick setup process when using the company’s hardware. It gets more complex when using external hardware, as integration requires API access, but the process isn’t overtly challenging. Epos provides detailed documentation to guide developers through the process.

If you need help, Epos offers direct support via live chat and telephone. You can also visit the official Epos Communities forum to find solutions to common issues.

Epos Now: The competition

I’d like to highlight two major competitors to Epos Now: Lightspeed and Square. I’ve tested both extensively to see how they compare.

Lightspeed offers broad features for different business types. Whether you run a retail store, restaurant, cafe, hotel, or other brick-and-mortar business, Lightspeed enables you to accept in-person payments conveniently. It offers intuitive software and sophisticated hardware ranging from a portable card reader to a full-fledged Terminal.

Lightspeed has broader complementary features than Epos Now. For example, you can use its NuOrder system to find and order goods directly from suppliers. Lightspeed has better customization and third-party integration. The drawback is its higher subscription fees.

Square outshines Epos Now in usability and affordability. Its user interface is much more intuitive, and Square doesn’t charge subscription fees. Its standard transaction fee is 2.6% plus 15 cents, slightly higher than Epos.

The drawback is Square’s limited customization and scalability. Adding and managing new POS devices to your Square account isn't as convenient as on Epos Now. Likewise, Square has limited third-party integrations, an issue I also highlighted about Epos Now.

Epos Now: Final verdict

Epos Now is a versatile and reliable point-of-sale system. I like that it works for various business types, with features tailored to different niches to make the best of Epos Now.

Epos Now is one of the few POS systems I consider suitable for all business sizes, whether small or large. It has some drawbacks, such as its higher hardware costs, but it’s a decent POS system overall.

Special Offer

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Further reading

Unsure which POS to choose? Read our guide on how to choose the right POS system for your business,

Toast is an aptly named point-of-sale system for restaurants. It provides an all-in-one system for restaurants to create detailed menus, receive payments from customers, and manage discounts, loyalty programs, and other activities involved in running a restaurant.

Adopted by over 100,000 restaurants, Toast is one of the most popular point-of-sale systems worldwide. I’m testing it to examine why many restaurants choose it and whether it’s ideal for your business. I’ll dive into its features, pricing, user-friendliness, and how it fares against competitors. Read on to learn what Toast offers and its pros and cons.

Toast POS: Plans and pricing

Toast offers flexible pricing options for users, depending on the hardware they buy and the software features they choose. But there’s a catch: Toast does not provide simple monthly or annual subscriptions. Instead, customers usually sign contracts of 1 to 3 years, with 2 years being the most common.

A 2-year contract length discourages mom-and-pop restaurants from trying out Toast. However, this arrangement works for large independent restaurants or restaurant chains with sufficient scale. With flexible pricing, large restaurants can negotiate favorable prices and fees, depending on their scale.

After buying Toast’s hardware, payment processing starts at $69 per month per POS location, and Toast charges a transaction fee of 2% to 2.75% plus 15 cents.

Toast offers three hardware options: a handheld POS, a countertop terminal, and a self-service kiosk. Generally, the handheld POS costs $799, the countertop kit costs around $1,000, and the self-service kiosk costs roughly $1,300. However, Toast runs a program that gives customers free hardware in exchange for higher processing fees.

Toast’s pricing terms aren’t so straightforward, which I consider a drawback for small restaurants. However, this pricing system favors large restaurants that can negotiate favorable terms for their point-of-sale system.

(Image credit: Toast ) Toast POS: Features

Toast is one of the most sophisticated point-of-sale systems I’ve tested. It’s more than just a point-of-sale system: it provides numerous features to help restaurant managers run their operations.

The point-of-sale system can be challenging to set up, but Toast offers help during this process. With your handheld POS device or tabletop register, customers can seamlessly insert, swipe, or tap their cards to pay you.

I like that Toast provides an easy way to create restaurant menus, which are known for being complicated. Restaurant menus often have long lists of items, each with several top-ups that can make things challenging to manage. However, Toast simplifies this process and lets users create detailed menus without hassle.

Toast terminal bundle (Image Credit: Toast) (Image credit: Toast)

Each menu item will have a specific price and inventory count. When a customer orders and pays for an item, it’s automatically subtracted from the inventory count. You can receive alerts when an item runs low, prompting you to restock immediately.

Toast offers a kitchen display that integrates seamlessly with the customer-facing restaurant operations. When a customer orders an item at the counter, the kitchen staff are immediately alerted about the order to fulfill it. They’ll get a complete list of pending orders, removing the need for staff to move back and forth to place orders.

Toast offers a feature that I like – instant deposits – but with a catch. It can process and deposit money into your account within an hour, much faster than the usual 24 hours. In exchange, Toast charges a 1.75% fee on the amount. I think this fee is significant, but instant deposits can help restaurants in some urgent situations.

All your customers’ transactions are logged on Toast in an easily understandable format. You can analyze real-time or previous transactions and extract key insights, such as the total order volume, revenue growth compared to prior periods, and which items sell the most in your restaurant.

If you have multiple POS locations, you can monitor the data on a unified dashboard. You can view real-time or past sales data and compare them against other periods. Toast’s user-friendly interface made it easy for me to navigate these reports. I liked that I could receive daily emails about specific business metrics instead of constantly logging into the app to check them.

Toast isn’t just about collecting in-person payments. It also provides comprehensive tools for restaurants to manage online orders. You can integrate your Toast system with popular food delivery apps like Grubhub, Uber Eats, and DoorDash. When someone orders an item on these apps, the order will immediately reflect in your point-of-sale system.

Restaurant owners can attest to dealing with suspicious or outright fraudulent online transactions. Toast counters this with its real-time anti-fraud algorithms that highlight suspicious transactions. Every transaction data is encrypted to prevent malicious actors from snooping on sensitive details.

Toast features (Image Credit: Toast) (Image credit: Toast)

You can store extensive customer data (provided with consent) on your Toast point-of-sale system. This data helps you create targeted marketing campaigns, such as discounts for loyal customers and email promos for new menu additions. For instance, you can automatically send thank-you emails to major spenders and welcome emails to first-timers.

I like that Toast has an extensive suite of third-party integrations, ranging from email marketing to loyalty programs, tip management, analytics, and more. If Toast doesn’t provide a desired feature, you can get it via a third-party app and run your restaurant seamlessly. My favorite integration was Ovation, a platform that makes it easy to get feedback from diners. You can access many more integrations from your point-of-sale system.

Toast offers good hardware that excels in both form and function. The handheld POS is a portable option for collecting payments on the curbside, drive-through, or inside your restaurant. It easily fit into my pockets and felt comfortable in my hand.

The self-service kiosk hardware streamlines a restaurant’s operations. It enables guests to order items themselves instead of speaking to a staff member. Of course, you can still have staff members at the counter, but the self-service option saves considerable time for both your staff and customers. If paired with the kitchen display, any order on the self-service system is immediately passed on to the kitchen staff for preparation.

Toast offers an excellent all-in-one POS system for restaurants. My few complaints are its high transaction fees and complex setup process that involves long-term contracts. Given these constraints, Toast best suits large restaurants, not mom-and-pop restaurant owners.

(Image credit: Toast) Toast POS: Interface and use

Toast has one of the best interfaces of all POS systems I’ve tested. Despite having so many features, the interface is arranged in an intuitive format that’s easy to navigate.

You can customize the button colors to match your restaurant’s logo, a seemingly trivial but crucial feature that makes you look professional. You can easily switch between light and dark mode, depending on your preferences.

Toast offers an iOS and Android mobile app to manage your restaurant. This app lets you monitor real-time data from your POS devices and keep tabs on your inventory. You can also monitor this data from the web platform, which has a similarly intuitive interface as the point-of-sale app.

Setting up Toast can get complicated, but the company provides excellent support if you need help. You can read guides and documentation to help with the setup and troubleshoot common issues. If you need further help, Toast’s support team is available via email, live chat, or telephone.

Toast POS: The competition

Out of many POS systems I’ve tested, Lightspeed is the closest Toast competitor I’d like to highlight. It offers reliable point-of-sale systems and software for restaurants to manage their operations. It’s a suitable option for small restaurants, as you don’t have to sign multi-year contracts like you’d do with Toast.

Lightspeed offers more affordable hardware and can run on various devices. You can use an iPad or other external displays in your Lightspeed setup, unlike Toast, where you’re restricted to custom hardware.

Yet, Lightspeed doesn’t offer as many restaurant management features as Toast. Its point-of-sale system is good, but if you’re looking for advanced features beyond that, Toast is the best choice.

It boils down to tradeoffs. Lightspeed is ideal for mom-and-pop restaurants seeking a simple point-of-sale solution. Toast is better for large restaurants or restaurant chains with complex operations. It’s more customizable, and major users can negotiate favorable fees with Toast’s sales team.

Toast POS: Final verdict

Toast offers one of the best restaurant point-of-sale systems, albeit suited to large-scale operations. It’s an excellent payment processing and management tool for restaurant owners, but it is expensive and requires a multi-year contract.

If you run a large restaurant with multiple locations, Toast is an excellent POS system to choose. However, small restaurants will be best served by other POS systems.

Read how to choose the right point of sale (POS) system.

PayPal is most popular for online payments processor and arguably pioneered the 21st-century online payment processing market. It began with a simple electronic payments system in the 1990s and has since expanded into many other services, including a point of sale (POS) system.

In 2012, PayPal launched a POS solution called PayPal Here. Then, in 2018, it acquired a Swedish company, iZettle, that offered a POS solution, among other services. In 2021, PayPal Here was retired and replaced by the PayPal Zettle POS. This service lets businesses accept in-person payments and keep extensive financial records.

I tested PayPal Zettle to help you decide if it’s an ideal solution for your business. My review concentrated on its core features, pricing, and user-friendliness. Read on to learn what PayPal offers with its point-of-sale system.

Zettle POS: Plans and pricing

PayPal charges a standard 2.29% plus 9 cents for card-present transactions. If card details are manually keyed in, the fees rise to 3.49% plus 9 cents (POS providers charge more for manual transactions to cover increased risks). These fees are on par with most POS providers I’ve tested; 2% to 2.5% plus 5 to 15 cents is the norm.

You don’t need recurring monthly or annual fees to access PayPal’s point-of-sale software, setting it apart from competitors with significant monthly or yearly fees.

I’ve reviewed a handful of POS systems that require $50 to $200 in monthly fees to access their features; this price adds up for businesses with limited budgets, but PayPal doesn’t have this issue.

PayPal offers two hardware options: a portable card reader and an all-in-one Terminal. You can buy your first card reader at a discounted $29. Subsequent card readers will cost the standard $79. This card reader will be paired with the PayPal Zettle app to accept payments.

Zettle offers a range of quick and easy payment options (Image credit: PayPal)

In contrast, you don’t need to pair the Terminal with an external smartphone. It’s a standalone device that runs the PayPal Zettle app directly. The standard Terminal costs $199, and the one with a built-in barcode reader costs $239.

PayPal’s hardware systems are reasonably priced. They cost much less than similar hardware from some POS vendors I’ve reviewed. I like that PayPal has reasonable transaction fees and no recurring fees, making it a cost-effective option.

(Image credit: PayPal) Zettle POS: Features

PayPal provides a system for businesses to accept in-person payments. It lets your customers scan, swipe, or tap their cards to pay for goods and services. Customers can also pay you via contactless payment apps like Apple Pay and Samsung Pay. Alternatively, you can manually type in a customer’s card details, but such transactions have considerably higher fees.

At 2.29% plus 9 cents per transaction, PayPal’s fee isn’t too high compared to the competition, but it isn’t low either. It sits at the middle of the POS systems I’ve reviewed. Fees are crucial for any business choosing a POS system, and handing over 2.3% of every transaction can feel burdensome. However, most POS systems with similar features charge within this range.

I like that PayPal offers an integrated system for accepting payments, managing inventory, and collating customer data. The PayPal Zettle app allows you to create an extensive product catalog, and product details can be quickly retrieved when a customer wants to pay.

Suppose you run a small clothing store. You can add all your store’s clothing items to your PayPal catalog, including details like their price, size, colors, etc. You can specify the quantity of each item in your inventory. When customers choose a specific item, you can retrieve it from the system, and they’ll pay the corresponding price.

The Zettle POS can work on a till-based system if needed (Image credit: PayPal)

Once an item is bought, the sale is immediately subtracted from your inventory. Suppose you have five units of an item and customers buy two, the inventory count becomes three. You can set PayPal to alert you when a product’s quantity falls below a specific threshold, ensuring you restock the goods to avoid disappointing customers.

PayPal offers a Terminal with a built-in barcode scanner, which simplifies operations for your store. You can create, print, and attach a unique barcode to every product in your store. When someone picks an item, you can quickly scan it to retrieve the details.

I like that PayPal offers a built-in barcode scanner, saving users the expense of buying external barcode hardware. The built-in barcode scanner worked reliably during my test; it scanned products and retrieved details without hassle.

However, you can use an external barcode scanner if that’s your preference; many businesses prefer this for redundancy. PayPal’s point-of-sale system can be integrated with external barcode apps.

The same goes for external peripherals like receipt printers and cash drawers. You can integrate PayPal Zettle’s software with external hardware accessories, a plus for businesses that want to create a custom setup.

PayPal’s POS system supports direct integration with some third-party tools. For example, you can connect your system to QuickBooks, a popular accounting app. With this integration, sales on your POS system are automatically added to your accounting records.

This system integrates with popular e-commerce tools like Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce. Hence, you can sync your in-person sales catalog with your online store.

(Image credit: PayPal)

However, I didn’t like that PayPal has limited direct integrations. I found only a few dozen tools in its native integration library, unlike some POS systems that directly integrate with hundreds of tools.

If you need to integrate your PayPal POS system with an existing tool, you might need a developer to handle it, as PayPal offers direct integration only for a few dozen apps. On the bright side, PayPal provides easy API access and detailed documentation for developers to integrate external tools.

Though I didn’t experience it, a noticeable complaint arose when researching third-party opinions about PayPal Zettle. Some users complained about their accounts being paused for security purposes, with PayPal asking for additional information to verify their business. Support is often limited during this process, and users get confused about which documents to upload. Accounts under review can’t accept payments in the meantime, causing losses.

PayPal definitely doesn’t block accounts for fun. However, the company has an infamous automated review system that can ensnare legitimate users, and dealing with PayPal’s support team can be frustrating when this happens.

Zettle POS: Interface and use

PayPal Zettle has a minimalist, modern interface that I enjoyed using. It’s one of the best-designed POS systems I’ve tested, and that’s a lot of systems. It sports a white background and light colors to highlight features. The main features are neatly placed on the left side, and the dashboard is on the right.

I didn’t face any headaches setting up the point-of-sale system. If you’re using a card reader, you’ll have to download the mobile app (iOS or Android) and pair it with the reader. Pairing works smoothly via Bluetooth.

If you’re using the Terminal, the setup becomes easier because you don’t need to pair with an external device. You can follow the on-screen instructions to set up the Terminal.

Of course, you can still download the mobile app for easy monitoring. For instance, if you have multiple POS devices across different stores, you can monitor your sales on each one from your central PayPal dashboard. Your data will be arranged in a quickly digestible format, so you don’t need to stress about extracting insights.

Zettle POS: The competition

PayPal Zettle has an endless list of competitors, but I’d like to highlight Clover as the main rival. It offers robust features and is designed specifically for small businesses.

Clover charges 2.6% plus 10 cents for card-present transactions and 3.5% plus 10 cents for manually keyed-in transactions. Its transaction fees are higher than PayPal’s. Clover also charges monthly fees ranging from $15 to $90, unlike PayPal, which has no recurring fees.

However, Clover is a more versatile tool with a broader collection of third-party integrations. It can be used for different types of businesses, including restaurants.

Clover provides more complementary features than PayPal, such as employee time management. It’s more versatile than PayPal Zettle, but the tradeoff is higher fees.

Zettle POS: Final Verdict

PayPal Zettle is a decent point-of-sale solution for small businesses seeking a simple setup. It offers competitive transaction fees, a well-designed interface, and affordable hardware options.

Yet, I don’t rank PayPal Zettle as an ideal POS solution for large businesses. It doesn’t offer many advanced features and has limited third-party integration. Its fees are competitive, but it’s not the versatile solution that large retailers need.

We've rated the best POS systems for restaurants and bars.

Finding a suitable point of sale (POS) system is often challenging for businesses with small budgets. In response, many companies have propped up to serve the small business market with low-cost POS solutions.

Clover is one of the main POS systems targeted at small businesses. It makes it easy to accept debit/credit card payments, keep accurate records, and monitor payment data to extract insights.

I tested Clover to help you decide if it’s the best choice for your business. I paid attention mainly to its features, user-friendliness, and pricing. Read on to learn what Clover offers and if it’s ideal for your business.

Clover POS: Plans and pricing

The Clover Station Pro is the brand's most powerful point-of-sale system yet. (Image credit: Clover)

I like that Clover offers flexible pricing plans depending on the customer’s needs. For instance, if you need a basic POS setup for a retail store, you can pay $14.95 monthly to use Clover.

If you run a quick-service restaurant and need a POS system bundled with restaurant management software, Clover offers a $60 monthly package. If you need a full-service restaurant POS and management platform, you can subscribe to the $90 monthly package.

For every transaction where a customer inserts, swipes, or taps their cards, Clover charges a 2.6% plus 10 cents transaction. If the card details are manually keyed in, the transaction fee increases to 3.5% plus 10 cents (POS providers charge higher prices for keyed-in transactions to cover the increased liability risks).

Clover POS is able to help you process all types of payment (Image credit: Clover)

The above prices are more affordable than most POS systems I’ve tested, unsurprisingly because Clover is designed for small businesses. Many POS providers offer basic features for at least $50 monthly, but Clover is as low as $15.

Clover offers different hardware systems at varying prices. The portable card reader, Clover Go, costs $199. The Flex POS hardware costs $749, and the Flex Pocket, a lighter version, costs $699.

The Compact, a countertop terminal, costs $349. If you run a restaurant, you can get the self-service Kiosk for $3,499 or the Kitchen Display for $799 to $899.

(Image credit: Clover)

Though targeted at small businesses, Clover has higher hardware prices than most competitors. It offers monthly installment plans for the high-end hardware options, but they remain expensive.

On the bright side, you don’t always have to buy the most expensive Clover hardware to run your small business. The Clover Go handheld card reader works with your existing Android devices to accept payments. You’ll download the Clover mobile app and integrate it with the card reader for seamless payments.

Clover is also compatible with third-party hardware. Hence, you can buy more affordable hardware and integrate it with your Clover account. You’ll pay the monthly subscription costs and save on hardware prices.

Clover POS: Features

Clover offers a versatile cloud-based POS system for businesses. Though geared toward small businesses, it’s also suitable for medium-sized enterprises.

With Clover’s software, you can accept in-person payments without hassle. Depending on your hardware, customers can insert, swipe, or tap their cards to transfer funds to you. There’s also an option to input card details manually, but the higher transaction fees make businesses avoid this method, except if necessary.

Clover’s transaction fees sit in the middle of most POS systems I’ve tested. At 2.6% plus 10 cents per transaction, it’s not as low as some systems (e.g., Shopify POS with 2.4% for Advanced subscribers) yet not as high as others. I didn’t grumble, neither was I too excited about the fees when testing Clover.

Clover POS can be tailored to suit multiple retail and restaurant uses (Image credit: Clover)

Inventory management was a bright spot when testing Clover. With a user-friendly interface, Clover made it easy to add goods and services to my catalog, with detailed information including prices and variants.

Suppose you run a restaurant selling Pizza; it’s easy to add Pizza as the base product, then various toppings as the extras. Customers who choose a Pizza will immediately see the base price. Then, as they select their desired toppings, the cost of each one is added to the total. When the order is complete, Clover calculates the total price and prompts the customer to pay.

If any service or delivery charges apply, you can automatically apply them to any orders. For example, you can set Clover to add a specific value-added tax percentage to the price of every order.

Clover is cloud-based, so it allowed me to monitor sales on an external POS device from my mobile phone. With the Clover app, I could monitor real-time and past transactions on my POS system even when I wasn’t present. If you have multiple POS systems, you can monitor the data for each one in a unified dashboard. Admittedly, I didn’t use multiple POS systems during my test (I used just one). However, the cloud monitoring feature worked well for my system, so it’ll likely also work excellently for multiple systems.

Monitoring isn’t restricted to transaction data. Clover helps businesses keep tabs on customer data (collected with consent) and generate valuable insights. For example, you can view a list of your top-spending customers and provide discounts as a reward for their loyalty. Talking about loyalty, I was happy to discover that Clover had a built-in app for managing loyalty programs.

With Clover, I could send automatic emails to customers based on specific criteria, such as a thank-you email to major customers or a welcome email to new customers. Of course, this only works if the customer provides their email address after a purchase and consents to receiving promotional materials.

Clover is more than just a point-of-sale system. It also provides tools to manage employee schedules and oversee your responsibilities. For instance, you can approve shift and leave requests from the app. You can track sales to identify top-performing employees. You can set specific data access permissions for employees, depending on their role.

Another extra is Clover’s invoicing tool, which lets businesses send invoices via email and get paid by debit or credit card. You can create the invoice in your dashboard, enter the required amount, and send it to the recipient's email address. Then, the recipient can pay with their debit or credit card.

Likewise, I liked Clover’s rapid deposit feature, which lets customers receive payments in less than an hour instead of the usual 24 to 72 hours. However, Clover charges a 1.75% fee for this service. I advise only to use it for emergencies, or if at all.

I appreciated the form and function of Clover’s hardware systems, especially the handheld card reader. Yet, that didn’t stop me from grumbling about the price. Clover sells its card reader for $199, unlike many POS rivals whose card readers sell for $50 to $100.

Clover POS: Interface and in use

I found Clover’s interface intuitive and aesthetically pleasing. I observed major improvements since the last time I tested Clover, when I highlighted some snags with its user interface.

Options are neatly arranged across the dashboard, and you can easily find your desired feature. Clover uses minimal colors with a white or dark background to make elements easy to find.

Clover POS offers a range of inventory and reporting options (Image credit: Clover)

You can download the Clover Android app and link it to your POS hardware. The setup is easy if you use Clover’s native hardware. However, if you choose alternative hardware, the setup process can be complex, as you’d have to make various configurations and integrate with Clover’s API.

You may need to hire a developer to integrate Clover with your third-party device. If you can handle it yourself, Clover provides detailed documentation to make it easier. You can also request support via telephone or email.

Clover POS: The competition

Out of numerous POS systems I’ve tested, Square is the closest Clover competitor I’d like to highlight. It’s one of the best POS solutions with similar features as Clover. Its transaction fees – 2.6% plus 15 cents for card-present transactions and 3.5% plus 15 cents for manually keyed-in transactions – are close to Clover’s.

Square offers more affordable hardware than Clover. Its card reader costs $59, compared to Clover’s $199, and its Terminal costs $299, compared to Clover’s $699 to $749.

However, Clover beats Square in customization and third-party integration. Clover offers a much broader set of third-party integrations, letting you access additional features that it doesn’t offer natively. It also lets you customize your payment processing flow much more than you’ll do on Square.

In summary, Square is a simpler and more affordable solution, but Clover offers better customization and third-party integration.

Clover POS: Final Verdict

Clover is a dependable POS system for small and medium-sized businesses. It has reasonable transaction fees, and its recurring subscriptions cost much less than many similar POS systems charge. It’s user-friendly and has broad features that make in-person payments a breeze.

My main complaint is Clover’s expensive hardware, but this system is compatible with external devices, so this issue can be easily mitigated.

Further reading

You may also like our articles on the best POS systems for restaurants, small businesses, and retail, or how to choose the right POS system for your business, and 9 inspiring ideas on how to use POS system customer data.