Epos Now vs. Shopkeep

The Epos Now interfaces for the terminal and back-office are both straightforward and easy to use.

The terminal interface is designed in a fairly traditional way, with a left-hand pop-up sidebar for accessing analytics, customer management, and checkout. Users add products via a “block” menu. During checkout, it is possible to select customer profiles, process discounts, add customer credit, and so on.

The back-office dashboard, which is accessed via a browser (and can also be used to process sales), follows a similar layout. Users can select options from a navbar on the left of the screen which provides access to “Setup”, “Management”, “Reporting”, “Support”, “Integrations”, and so on.

If you’re looking for a system that is easy to use but doesn’t sacrifice functionality, then Epos Now is well worth giving a go.

"Cloud-based solution that can work on any device and any operating system."

"I like that it is user friendly and the back office functions make my paperwork so much easier to navigate."

"What I like most about the product is the simplistic layout."

Shopkeep is extremely easy to use, and inexperienced retailers in particular will have no trouble managing their inventory and processing orders.

The register screen, which is designed to run on an iPad (although you can buy a stationary register from Clover which is compatible with Shopkeep) follows a standard format, with block item listings, a button for saving sales for later, and “cash” or “credit” options. Further functionality is available from a side menu. The back-office dashboard is also very intuitive. A left-hand sidebar displays tabs to dedicated areas for analytics, inventory (items), marketing tools, staff permissions, and settings. The home-page also provides a “birds-eye” view of your business and shows important metrics like sales and transactions.

The one downside on the usability front is that dedicated onboarding and one-on-one support isn’t available on all plans, although you may be able to add this to your package when you speak to Shopkeep (all subscriptions are on a custom basis). That said, user reviews tend to state that setting up was straightforward, despite the lack of tailored customer service.

"I know this sounds crazy but I really don't have any negatives with this system."

"It was fairly simple to set up and use and fairly easy to train people on the system."

"This software was very easy to set up, update and use. "

We were very impressed with the feature-set from Epos Now. It’s an excellent POS solution for small and medium-sized businesses, with comprehensive checkout, inventory management, and analytics functionality. Users also have access to a large integrations library, a number of well-priced hardware packages, and 24/7 customer support.

Epos Now is compatible with iPad and Android tablets. Alternatively, you can use a tailor-made branded terminal. The back-office is accessed via a desktop computer (through which it is also possible to process sales). It is a fully cloud-based solution.

Inventory management tools include automated stock notifications and purchase orders, barcode scanning, bundled products, and ecommerce integrations. The customizable analytics dashboard, which is updated in real-time, provides a full overview of sales activity.

Additional features include “click and collect” and delivery tools, integration with a number of different payment providers, omnichannel reporting, tableside ordering, menu management, and more.

On the negative side of things, larger enterprises should be aware that more advanced features, such as self-order kiosks, in-depth reporting, warehouse management, etc., are not available. If you are looking for something more “heavy-duty”, other providers should be considered, although it still may be worth getting in touch to ask about enterprise plans.

Shopkeep offers more or less everything you would expect to find in a point-of-sale system. Features include inventory management, payment processing, barcode scanning, hardware packages, support for gift cards and loyalty programs, and discount options.

Both the browser-based back-office and iPad register dashboards are intuitive and easy-to-use, and set-up is generally very straightforward. This point has been confirmed by numerous user reviews online.

What’s more, Shopkeep offers in-depth analytics - though larger retailers may be looking for more advanced functionality - along with user permissions. There is no cap on the number of items or users that can be added to the system. Retailers can also take advantage of a “pocket” mobile app for keeping on top of sales.

Shopkeep is primarily an iPad system, so you will need to keep this in mind when thinking about your hardware set-up. That said, you can purchase a register kit from Clover, thus removing the need for an iPad, but this will incur additional costs.

The one big downside when it comes to features is the limited integrations library. Only three are provided - Quickbooks, Mailchimp, and BigCommerce. If you’re looking to build a fully-integrated tech stack, then you will have to look elsewhere.

Epos Now has an extensive integrations library of over eighty apps, likely because it’s easy for developers to build integrations and add them to the “AppStore”. One point worth mentioning, however, is that users may have to pay extra for additional functionality.

Most bases are covered when it comes to accounting, ecommerce (Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, etc.), loyalty programs, payments, and marketing. Notably, several niche apps for businesses in the hospitality space are provided, allowing for the use of kitchen screens, loyalty programs, menu planning, and more.

Finally, a Zapier integration means that users can integrate with third-party tools that aren’t natively supported.

Apps are accessible through the user interface once you’ve subscribed. Full information about all the integrations available isn’t published online. You should check directly if the apps you need are supported (and ask about additional costs) during the demo stage.

There isn’t a great deal to discuss when it comes to integrations. Shopkeep offers far fewer connectors than competing platforms. If you’re looking for a point-of-sale system that syncs seamlessly with your existing tech stack, then you will have to look elsewhere. For brick-and-mortar retailers (and restaurateurs) that operate mostly out of a single or multiple stores, this is unlikely to be a problem. If, however, you have a large online presence and rely on several apps, you won’t find the functionality you need.

Furthermore, no intermediary apps are supported, so you won’t be able to connect up your stack by using third-party tools like Zapier.

The one exception to this is if you run your store on BigCommerce, and are happy to use this platform as your primary hub for integrations. Still, some manual data input may be required.

In terms of the integrations on offer, Shopkeep syncs with Quickbooks, MailChimp, and BigCommerce. Shopkeep stipulates that users can build their own “ecommerce store”, but you will have to purchase a separate BigCommerce package in order to take advantage of this feature.

If you are looking for a slimmed-down solution, however, and only need access to accounting and mailing list functionality along with your own store, then Shopkeep provides a straightforward, high-quality solution.

Epos Now doesn’t publish extensive pricing information on its site, so you will need to get in touch directly to discuss options. Plans start at $49/month, with discounts for annual subscriptions and additional fees for extra registers. Epos Now offers customizable enterprise plans for larger businesses.

There is also a lower-priced “Epos Pocket” plan, which costs $44/month and allows users to take payments from a small handheld device.

In terms of payment processing, Epos Now integrates with several services, so fees and charges may vary.

Shopkeep works on a custom pricing model and you will need to get in touch with the company to discuss your needs. From our own research, we found that plans begin at around $49/month, with additional costs for extra registers. Remember that this is a solution tailored to smaller businesses.

Shopkeep has an in-house payment processing solution which charges 2.5% per transaction and an additional ten-cent processing fee. This isn’t bad by any means, but we would have liked to have seen greater support for third-party services. A free terminal is included in all plans.

Shopkeep also offers an iPad-compatible hardware kit. Like the POS plans, pricing is unique to each customer.

Epos Now provides 24/7 customer support via live chat. One-on-one onboarding training is included on all plans, making it an excellent choice for smaller businesses with limited technical experience. Users also have access to community forums and an interactive “product tour”.

On the downside, we did feel that the online help documentation could be more detailed. And there have been some negative reviews of customer service response times.

Shopkeep offers a streamlined but high-quality support package. Customer service is available 24/7, 365 days a year, via email. Extensive documentation and training materials are also offered to help users make the most of the platform.

While dedicated onboarding support isn’t advertised, it may be possible to purchase this when discussing your plan. No community support is provided.

Overall, we were very impressed with Epos Now. It’s an excellent solution for small and medium companies in the retail and hospitality sectors. It provides all the functionality required to run an integrated, user-friendly, and inexpensive point-of-sale system. The hardware packages are also among the best-priced that we’ve seen, and all customers have access to 24/7 support along with onboarding training.

If you’re thinking about opting for Epos Now, be sure to take advantage of the free demo. You should also ensure that there won’t be any hidden costs for integrations.

Overall, we were very impressed with Shopkeep. It’s a compact, well-designed, and cost-effective platform that’s aimed squarely at the small business market. Dedicated solutions for restaurants, food trucks, bars, and coffee shops, along with an option for retailers, make it an attractive solution to companies in these sectors.

The options to create an ecommerce store and sync up with Quickbooks and MailChimp are also added bonuses.

The one downside was the limited number of integrations. If you’re not looking for an extensive integrations library, then Shopkeep is definitely worth considering. If, on the other hand, you want a solution that will sync with your existing tech stack, along with providing the ability to use third-party payment processors, then you should consider alternatives.