QuickBooks POS Alternatives: Which Point of Sale Can Replace Your QuickBooks System?

Updated: February 19, 2024

QuickBooks POS terminal with receipt printer, cash drawer, and barcode scanner

Intuit, the company behind QuickBooks, has discontinued its point of sale, QuickBooks Desktop POS. The move is unsurprising, as most on-site POS providers are becoming increasingly obsolete or transitioning to a cloud-based SaaS model.

All of their users will need to think about shopping around for a different point of sale. There are many options and providers, and selecting the best solution will depend on your vertical, budget, and desired features. Here’s a guide on the best QuickBooks POS alternatives.

Key Takeaways: QuickBooks POS Alternatives

1. KORONA POS: Best for Single And Multi-Location Retailers

KORONA POS terminal as one of the best quickbooks pos alternatives.

KORONA POS offers a great point of sale system for retail stores as an alternative to QuickBooks POS. It is a POS system designed for stores like liquor shops, convenience stores, vape shops, smoke shops, wineries, and more, as well as being an ideal franchise and multi-location POS. A key benefit of KORONA POS is its ability to integrate with any major payment processor. The company also provides robust customer support through email, phone, online resources, and live chat.

Key Features

  • Smooth inventory management: KORONA POS offers smooth inventory management features that allow retailers to generate count lists daily or weekly. It enables spreading out annual counts throughout the year to ensure all items are counted at least once. The software can also import vendor shipment notifications to notify retailers of missing products once an order has shipped. KORONA POS analyzes and recalculates ideal reorder levels based on purchase history, seasons, and trends to optimize order levels quickly.

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  • Streamlined checkout and payment experience: KORONA POS provides a streamlined checkout and payment experience by tracking every cash movement for full accountability. It knows exactly where discrepancies occurred so retailers can take proper action. The software also keeps payments secure for retailers and customers through EMV credit card capabilities, which is critical for avoiding payment fraud.
  • Customer loyalty programs and promotions: The software enables customer loyalty programs and promotions through gift cards, certificates, and membership cards customized to the retailer’s brand and style. This generates additional revenue streams while incentivizing customers to return. KORONA POS integrates with trusted partners like bLoyal, springbig, and Bottlecapps for advanced, tailored loyalty programs.
  • Comprehensive reporting and analytics: KORONA POS offers comprehensive reporting and analytics that transform sales metrics into digestible insights instead of just numbers. All data across locations is accessible through the cloud management system, allowing retailers to check performance remotely.
  • Unrivaled customer support: KORONA POS provides unrivaled customer support with product specialists who ensure proper hardware setup for sales and inventory management. Support staff have extensive product knowledge and are available via phone, chat, and email.
  • Third-Party integrations: The software integrates with third parties like WooCommerce for a seamless omnichannel experience. KORONA POS works closely with partners to ensure integration allows for smooth communication and operations.

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Can integrate with any processors
  • Ideal for high-risk retail businesses
  • Excellent customer support

Cons

  • Steep learning curve
  • Not great mobile features

KORONA POS Pricing

KORONA POS has two core monthly plans:

KORONA POS Pricing

Core

$59/mo

  • Basic cashier POS features
  • Processes transactions
  • Product reporting

Retail

$69/mo

  • Adds inventory management and more automation
  • More reporting customization

Add-on

From $10/mo to $50/mo

  • Optional add-on modules, including KORONA Ticketing, Plus, Invoicing, and more

Click here to see more details on KORONA POS’s pricing.

Schedule a KORONA POS Demo Today

Speak with a product specialist and learn how KORONA POS can power your business needs.

2. Toast POS: Best for Full-Dining Restaurants

Picturing showing Toast POS terminal as a quickbooks pos alternatives.

Toast POS is a cloud-based POS system built specifically for restaurants. Toast integrates with top food delivery services and accounting platforms. It can handle multiple locations and provides data insights to help restaurants optimize operations. With its restaurant-specific tools, flexible pricing, and excellent customer support, Toast POS is considered a leading alternative to QuickBooks POS for restaurants looking for a more tailored solution.

Key Features

  • Customer engagement tools: Toast POS empowers customer engagement through a range of tools, including loyalty programs, gift cards, email marketing, and online ordering. These features are designed to foster strong relationships with customers and promote repeat business. One standout functionality offered by Toast is Toast Tables. This integrated waitlist and reservation solution is a comprehensive tool crafted to elevate hospitality, streamline table management, and, ultimately, drive customer loyalty.
  • Kitchen display system (KDS): Toast’s point of sale system seamlessly integrates all ordering channels, including dine-in, online, and kiosk, streamlining operations by eliminating the need for paper tickets and consolidating orders into a centralized KDS. This innovative feature allows kitchen staff to view orders in real-time, with intuitive color coding, customizable layouts, and estimated preparation times for each dish. Moreover, in-app alerts promptly notify staff when orders are ready for pickup, reducing confusion and miscommunication while expediting service delivery.
  • Robust integration capabilities: Toast integrates with various third-party platforms, such as accounting software, online ordering services, and delivery providers. This lets you keep everything under a single platform and centralize data management. Toast is an all-in-one restaurant management platform that offers integrations with the most widely used restaurant software like Doordash, My Wine Guide, Favor Delivery, and many more.
  • Employee management: You can assign roles and permissions, track employee hours, and manage payroll within the Toast platform. This simplifies administrative tasks and helps ensure compliance with labor laws.
  • Reporting and analytics: Toast POS provides valuable insights into your business performance with detailed reports on sales, labor costs, inventory levels, and customer trends. These reports help you make data-driven decisions for staffing, promotions, and menu offerings.
  • TakeOut app for restaurants: This app, developed natively by Toast, helps restaurants access thousands of potential new guests and gives regulars easy reordering at their fingertips with a mobile ordering app for pickup or contactless delivery, commission-free. It allows guests to order takeout with the added convenience of never leaving their cars. You can send a food runner outside to hand the meal directly to the guest.

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Third-party delivery integrations
  • QR code ordering
  • Kitchen display system
  • Loyalty programs

Cons

  • No free trial
  • Offline functionality is not available
  • Poor customer service

Toast POS Pricing

Toast POS costs can vary depending on your specific needs and setup, but here’s a breakdown of the main cost components:

Toast POS Pricing

Quick start bundle

$0/mo

  • Highly limited features but comes with a hardware kit and can process sales

Core

$69/mo

  • Customer care
  • Installation support

Enterprise

$165/mo

  • Payroll and tipping
  • Automated Inventory
  • Employee benefits
  • Employee scheduling

3. Clover: Best for Service-Based Businesses

Clover POS's terminal considered one of the best quickbooks pos alternatives, especially for service-based businesses.

Clover POS is a versatile cloud-based system catering to diverse businesses. It offers sleek hardware options and a library of apps to customize the solution to your business’s needs. This includes handling payments, inventory, employee management, and even online ordering. From restaurants accepting tableside orders to retail shops tracking stock, Clover’s user-friendly interface and scalability can help your business thrive.

Key Features

  • Appointment management: Clover POS system offers an appointment and reservation management solution. With this feature, users can seamlessly schedule appointments, send automated reminders to clients, and process payments directly through the intuitive POS interface.
  • Invoicing and billing: With Clover POS, you can generate invoices instantly without the need for any point of sale hardware or software installation. Simply log in to your Clover Web Dashboard from any internet-connected PC or smart device, and you can immediately send invoice emails. This not only informs your customers about payments due but also provides a secure way for them to pay you directly online using their credit or debit cards.
  • Seamless team management features: Clover POS offers an employee management feature that allows you to easily define roles and set appropriate access levels for different types of employees. This streamlines operations and ensures secure access controls are in place. The point of sale system also includes customizable tip screens, making it simple for customers to reward staff for excellent service. Additionally, Clover POS provides detailed reporting capabilities within its employee management software. These reports provide valuable insights, allowing you to identify your top sales performers and development personnel.
  • Payments online with a virtual terminal: With the virtual terminal of Clover POS, you can accept credit and debit card payments without a physical Clover device. This feature allows you to request customer payments via email, enabling customers to pay online using their credit or debit cards. Whether for in-store orders, mail or telephone orders, or invoices, the virtual terminal takes care of all incoming payments. After transactions are processed, digital receipts are automatically emailed to customers.
  • Payment processing: With Clover POS, you can accept secure chip card payments. Whether you’re on your shop floor or out making sales on the go, Clover enables flexible payment processing via NFC-enabled cards as well as popular mobile payment services like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.
  • Clover Rapid Deposit: Clover Rapid Deposit allows businesses to access their sales funds in minutes, as opposed to the standard 1-3 business days. This can be a significant advantage for businesses that need immediate access to cash for various reasons, such as paying bills, seizing opportunities, and improving cash flow.

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Virtual POS terminal
  • Sleek hardware design

Cons

  • No free trial
  • Learning curve

Clover POS Pricing

Clover POS Pricing

From $0 to $136/per month for 36 months

  • Pricing depends on your industry and chosen features
  • Rates are tiered based ranging from 2.3% + $0.10 to 2.6% + $0.10 per transaction
  • Card information keyed in starts at 3.5% + 10¢ per transaction

4. Shopify POS: Best for Shopify Retailers

Shopify POS's terminal considered one of the best Quickbooks POS alternatives, specially for online businesses using Shopify.

Shopify POS is a point of sale system designed for retail businesses that use the Shopify eCommerce platform. It allows merchants to manage in-store and online sales through one integrated system.

The POS system works on iPads and other mobile devices, providing flexibility for retailers. It synchronizes with the Shopify online store, so inventory, customer information, and sales data are updated in real-time across all channels.

Key Features

  • Multichannel sales integration: Shopify’s retail POS empowers businesses to expand their reach across various channels. Whether selling online, in-store, or through social media platforms, this system consolidates sales operations for a unified and efficient multichannel retail experience.
  • Flexible order fulfillment: Achieve operational flexibility with Shopify’s retail POS system. Fulfill orders from any location, whether it’s your brick-and-mortar store, a pop-up shop, or an off-site event. You can manage and process orders to meet customer demands and ensure a consistent brand experience.
  • Comprehensive product variant management: You can showcase your product diversity effortlessly with Shopify’s comprehensive product variant management capabilities. From different sizes and colors to customizable options, provide your customers with a visually appealing and detailed shopping experience, enhancing their ability to find and purchase exactly what they desire.
  • Fast and intuitive checkout: Enhance customer satisfaction with a fast and intuitive checkout process. Shopify’s retail POS system ensures a smooth and efficient transaction experience, minimizing wait times and reducing cart abandonment. Simplify the path to purchase for your customers, boosting overall sales.
  • Multiple payment options: Cater to diverse customer preferences by accepting a wide range of payment methods. Whether it’s credit cards, digital wallets, or alternative payment options, Shopify’s retail POS system ensures that your customers can choose the payment method that suits them best, promoting convenience and increasing conversion rates.
  • Insightful inventory reporting: Gain valuable insights into your inventory with detailed reports provided by Shopify. Monitor stock levels, track product performance, and make informed decisions to optimize inventory management. Prevent stockouts and overstock situations, ensuring that your business operates efficiently and meets customer demand effectively.

Cons and Pros

Pros

  • Omnichannel retail
  • Seamless integration with Shopify payment
  • Robust inventory management features

Cons

  • Only eCommerce focused
  • Limited customization

Shopify POS Pricing

Shopify Retail is comprised of three primary pricing structures: Retail, Shopify Plus, and Entreprise Commerce.

Shopify POS Pricing

Retail

$60/mo

  • In-person selling tools
  • Inventory
  • Loyalty features

Shopify Plus

Starting at $2,300/mo

  • For high-growth businesses
  • Dedicated account manager
  • More integrations and customization

Enterprise Commerce

Quote-based

  • For enterprise organizations

5. Magestore POS: Best for Magento Merchants

Image illustrating Magestore POS's terminal as a quickbooks pos alternatives, specially for online businesses using Magento.

Magestore POS is a fast, scalable point of sale system designed for Magento (now Adobe Commerce) stores. It seamlessly integrates your online and physical stores, offering features like omnichannel inventory management, loyalty programs, and mobile-friendly checkout. Whether you run a fashion boutique or a toy store, Magestore POS can help you streamline operations and provide a smooth shopping experience for your customers.

Key Features

  • Seamless Magento integration: Magestore POS synchronizes your online and offline store data in real-time, including orders, customers, and inventory. Magestore POS is built directly on the Magento platform, meaning it doesn’t require any third-party plugins and inherits all the power of Magento. This allows for a smoother and more efficient integration experience.
  • Omnichannel features: This functionality allows customers to purchase online and pick up their orders at your physical store, creating a convenient and flexible shopping experience. Process orders from any channel, whether online or offline, with a centralized system for efficient management.
  • Robust reporting features: Manage inventory more efficiently. Record and adjust inventory levels always to keep top-selling products in stock. Recognize and reward your top employees. Identify the revenue and order value each sales staff contributes and compare between staff.
  • Backorder management: Magestore POS offers backorder management functionalities to help businesses streamline their processes and improve customer satisfaction when items are out of stock. Magestore POS automatically identifies out-of-stock items during the sales process, flagging them for backorder processing. The system lets you create purchase orders directly from the backorder list, streamlining the restocking process.
  • Magento website development: You can get a custom eCommerce solution based on the scope of your requirements and budget. Run a fast, mobile-optimized, SEO-friendly website to increase brand visibility and improve shopping experience. Turn your website into a lightning-fast Magento PWA for a better mobile experience at a lower cost.
  • Flexible POS hardware: Magestore provides web-based POS smoothly on your Mac/PC. It’s quick and easy to connect to several Bluetooth/USB-compatible peripheral devices. Businesses can turn the iPad into a professional retail POS. All POS hardware can be connected wirelessly to your iPad via Bluetooth or LAN. The receipt printers can connect to your computer (PC), Mac, or iPad via USB port, bluetooth, wireless, LAN, or Ethernet.

Cons and Pros

Pros

  • Seamless Magento integration
  • Omnichannel features
  • Robust reporting and analytics

Cons

  • Mobile App limitations
  • Steep learning curve
  • A bit expensive compared to other solutions

Magestore POS Pricing

Magestore POS Pricing

Magestore POS doesn’t have one-size-fits-all pricing for its inventory management software. The cost can vary depending on a few factors:

  • Number of stores
  • Business complexity
  • Level of support and services

Credit Card Fees: Find Better Rates Than QuickBooks POS

a retail cashier takes a customer credit card to process with a credit card reader

All point of sale systems have different policies regarding payment processing. QuickBooks POS has its own payment processing service – QuickBooks payments. These fees were locked in at either 2.4% plus 30 cents per swiped transaction for their users who paid no monthly fee and 1.6% plus 30 cents per swiped transaction for those who subscribed with a monthly fee.

Many modern all-in-one point of sale solutions, such as Square and Clover, have similarly non-negotiable transaction fees. For some businesses, this structure is worth paying for. For example, businesses that process few transactions but have a high average value will likely be more amenable to such an agreement.

However, these fees add up to huge amounts of lost revenue for businesses processing a higher volume of transactions. In this case, retailers should instead look for POS solutions that are credit card agnostic. For example, KORONA POS allows clients to shop around for the best processing rates available. Lowering processing rates and cost per transaction can save companies significant amounts of money.

The Best Quickbooks POS Alternatives: Wrap-Up

If you are confused or curious about how best to transition away from your now obsolete QuickBooks POS, think about switching to KORONA POS, Toast POS, Clover, Shopify POS, or Magestore POS. There is a good option for any type of business.

KORONA POS fully integrates with QuickBooks Online so that you can use the same trusted accounting tools with our POS software and eCommerce integration.

Our in-house technicians are equipped to help guide you on merging your database onto our award-winning, cloud-based system. Best of all, you can try our point of sale risk-free. Reach out today for a demo!

Schedule a KORONA POS Demo Today

Speak with a product specialist and learn how KORONA POS can power your business needs.

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Written By

Shane Ortale

As a history enthusiast, Shane loves reading and writing. He blogs about small businessmarketing and cloud based POS. He is also an avid bird watcher, and Liverpool FC fan.