Is there a free restaurant POS? Hidden costs and what to check
For a new café every lira counts, which is why people search for a free POS. Free options exist. But building, hosting and supporting software costs money, and that cost is covered somewhere. What matters is knowing up front what it costs you in total.
How do free systems make money?
- A limited free tier: free up to a number of tables, items or bills, paid after that.
- Hardware sales: the software is free but you must buy specific devices from the vendor.
- Payment commissions: card payments go through the vendor's payment service, which takes a cut.
- Add-on modules: basics such as stock, reports or integrations are paid separately.
- Advertising or data: venue or customer data may be used for marketing — read the contract.
Hidden cost items
What belongs in the total cost.
There is also an invisible cost: time. A slow, unstable or unsupported system loses orders in the rush. A few orders lost on a Saturday night can cost more than a paid system's monthly fee.
Free or paid? A simple calculation
- Add up everything you will pay over the next 12 months: subscription, hardware, commissions, modules, support.
- Do the same for a paid option, using free trials.
- Rehearse a busy service day on both; note mistakes and waiting times.
- Confirm in writing that you can take your data with you if you leave.
What to compare.
Use the trial well
Most paid systems offer a free trial, and a trial tells you more than a free system: you run it with your own menu, printer and staff.
ari adisyon has no setup fee and no lock-in; prices are public on the Pricing page, and the calculator shows the total with branches and add-ons. Try it for free and compare in your own venue.