Choosing the right restaurant pos system is one of the most important decisions you’ll make for your business. It’s not just about taking payments anymore; it’s about managing your inventory, keeping your kitchen in sync, and making sure your customers leave happy. If you’ve been looking into an epos system, you’ve likely come across three big names: Toast, SumUp, and Epos Now.
But which one is actually the best pos system for your specific setup? Whether you’re running a bustling city-centre bistro, a quiet local café, or a high-volume takeaway, the choice isn’t always obvious. At What EPOS, we’ve spent years looking at these systems, and we know that what works for a Michelin-star restaurant won’t necessarily work for a food truck.
In this guide, we’re going to break down the pros and cons of Toast, SumUp, and Epos Now to help you decide which epos till system will help your business thrive.
What Should You Look for in a Restaurant POS System?
Before we dive into the specific brands, it’s worth thinking about what actually makes a "good" system. In the hospitality world, speed is everything. If your pos system lags during a Friday night rush, you’re losing money.
We think there are four main pillars to consider:
- Ease of Use: Can your staff learn it in ten minutes?
- Reliability: Does it work offline if your internet goes down?
- Specialised Features: Does it have table management, split billing, and kitchen display integrations?
- Cost: Is it the cheapest pos system, or does it offer the best value for money in the long run?
Toast POS: The Specialist for Foodservice
Toast has made a massive name for itself by being "built for restaurants, by restaurant people." Unlike some other platforms that try to be a retail pos system and a hospitality system at the same time, Toast POS is laser-focused on the food and beverage industry.
Why We Love It
Toast is incredibly robust. Its Kitchen Display System (KDS) is widely considered one of the best in the industry. It syncs perfectly with the front-of-house, meaning fewer mistakes and faster service. We also love their "Toast Go" handheld devices, which allow servers to take orders and payments right at the table.
The Downside
Toast can be a bit of a heavy hitter when it comes to pricing. While they offer a "pay-as-you-go" starter kit, the processing fees can be higher than others. It’s also worth noting that Toast is deeply integrated with its own hardware, so you won’t have much flexibility if you wanted to use existing tablets.
Alt Text: A waiter using a Toast POS handheld device to take a table order in a busy restaurant.
SumUp POS: The "Plug and Play" Champion
If you are looking for the cheapest pos system or you’re just starting out, SumUp POS is often the first port of call. It’s famous for its simplicity and transparent pricing.
Why We Love It
SumUp is fantastic for small businesses, kiosks, and pop-up shops. There are no monthly contracts on their basic plans, and you only pay a flat percentage per transaction. It’s incredibly easy to set up, literally in under five minutes. If you need a simple epos system that doesn't require a degree in computer science to operate, SumUp is a solid choice.
The Downside
As your restaurant grows, you might find SumUp a little limiting. It lacks some of the deeper inventory management features and complex reporting that larger establishments need. If you’re planning on scaling to multiple locations or need advanced ingredient tracking, you might find yourself outgrowing it sooner than you’d like.
Epos Now: The Versatile All-Rounder
When it comes to a balance between power and price, Epos Now is a very strong contender. They serve both the retail and hospitality sectors, but their restaurant-specific features are top-tier.
In terms of reputation, Epos Now holds an impressive 4.5/5 score on Trustpilot, which is no small feat in the world of technology. We’ve done a deep dive into their platform, and you can read our full epos now till system review to see why it ranks so highly with UK business owners.
Why We Love It
The Epos Now till system is incredibly flexible. It offers "AppStore" style integrations, meaning you can connect it to everything from your accounting software (like Xero or QuickBooks) to delivery platforms like Deliveroo and UberEats. For a growing restaurant, this scalability is vital. It also offers excellent multi-site management, making it our pick for the best pos system for those looking to expand.
The Downside
Because it has so many features, the initial setup can take a little longer than SumUp. However, once it’s configured to your menu and floor plan, it’s a breeze to use.
Alt Text: An Epos Now till system set up on a bar counter showing a hospitality interface with table layouts.
Comparing the Costs: Toast vs SumUp vs Epos Now
Let’s talk about everyone’s favourite topic: money. When searching for the cheapest pos system, you have to look at two things: the upfront hardware cost and the ongoing software/transaction fees.
| Feature | Toast POS | SumUp POS | Epos Now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best For | Mid-to-large restaurants | Small cafés & pop-ups | Growing hospitality businesses |
| Contract | Usually 2-3 years | No contract options | Flexible options |
| Hardware | Proprietary tablets | Small card readers/Tablets | Wide range of till hardware |
| UK Support | Growing | Good (Online/Phone) | Excellent (24/7 available) |
| Key Strength | Specialized KDS | Low entry cost | Scalability & Integrations |
While SumUp looks the cheapest on paper due to the lack of monthly fees, high-volume restaurants often find that the flat transaction rate adds up quickly. In those cases, a system like the epos now till system with a set monthly fee and lower transaction rates can actually save you hundreds of pounds a month.
It’s always worth checking out our epos now till system review for the most up-to-date pricing and offer details.
How to Choose Based on Your Restaurant Type
Not all restaurants are created equal. Your choice of pos system should reflect your daily operations.
For the Fast-Casual Spot or Coffee Shop
If your customers are in and out in ten minutes, speed is your priority. SumUp is great for basic needs, but if you want to start offering loyalty schemes or "order at table" QR codes, we’d suggest looking at Epos Now. It allows you to add these features as you need them without switching providers.
For the Full-Service Restaurant
You need table management. You need to know which tables have been seated, who has been served their starters, and who is waiting for the bill. Toast POS excels here with its visual table maps. However, Epos Now provides a very similar experience at a price point that is often more palatable for UK-based independent owners.
For the Multi-Location Empire
If you're managing three, four, or ten different sites, you need a "bird’s eye view" of your business. You need to compare sales across locations from your phone while you're at home. Both Toast and Epos Now offer great enterprise features, but Epos Now’s reporting suite is particularly intuitive for tracking stock across multiple warehouses and sites.
Alt Text: A restaurant manager looking at sales reports on a laptop showing graphs and multi-site data.
Why Integrations Matter
When you choose an epos system, you’re also choosing an ecosystem. For example, if you run a small shop alongside your restaurant, you might be looking for a retail pos system integration. Or perhaps you use shopify pos for your online merchandise.
The best systems play well with others. Epos Now has hundreds of integrations, which is why it's often cited as the most versatile restaurant pos system. Whether you need to automate your marketing emails or sync your payroll, having a system that talks to your other software saves you hours of manual admin every week.
Final Thoughts: Which One Should You Pick?
So, Toast, SumUp, or Epos Now?
- Choose SumUp if you are a brand-new startup, a mobile coffee van, or a weekend market trader and you want the absolute cheapest pos system to get started with no strings attached.
- Choose Toast if you are a high-end, high-volume restaurant that needs the absolute best-in-class Kitchen Display System and you don’t mind being locked into their specific hardware and ecosystem.
- Choose Epos Now if you want the best all-around balance. It’s powerful enough for big venues but affordable enough for small ones. It’s a system that grows with you, and the UK-based support is a massive plus.
We really can't stress enough how much a good system can change your life as a business owner. If you're still on the fence, we highly recommend reading our detailed epos now till system review. It’s the best way to see the nitty-gritty details before you commit.
Picking an epos system is a big step, but with the right info, it doesn't have to be a headache. Good luck with your search, and here's to a more efficient (and profitable) restaurant!
Alt Text: A smiling restaurant owner standing behind a modern touch-screen POS system.