Epos Now vs. Heartland Retail

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."

While the Heartland Retail user interface isn’t the most intuitive we’ve come across, it isn’t difficult-to-use by any means. The main POS dashboard is accessed via an iPad or Android app or via a browser (if you want to use a desktop computer to run your POS).

Both the tablet and desktop interfaces follow a fairly typical design. A top-of-the-screen menu links to dedicated areas for processing sales and payments, reporting, inventory management, customer relationship management, employee permissions, and so on.

Keep in mind that Heartland is best-suited to an iPad or Android tablet set-up. Alternatively, you can run the software using a computer browser. At the time of writing, we are not aware of an offline mode.

"It's mobile and in the cloud so we have access anywhere and anytime."

"Reports are entirely customizable and there are several metrics to choose from."

"It's easy for my seasonal employees to use, but not remarkably more or less than any other POS."

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.

Heartland doesn’t disappoint when it comes to features. It definitely ranks as one of the most feature-rich platforms we’ve reviewed, especially on the analytics and reporting front. It is recommended that Heartland be used with an iPad, but it’s also possible to run the software on an Android tablet (depending on the software version) or through a browser on a desktop computer.

Retailers will have access to an array of tools for managing inventory, organizing vendors and retail buyers, running advanced reports, storing customer details, setting employee permissions, and more.

In regards to the POS system itself, features include email receipts, gift cards and loyalty program discounts, a customer-facing display, and a mobile app.

Finally, enterprise users have access to price lists and customizable products, purchase order allocation, user interface training, training accounts, and the API.

As a slight negative, it’s also worth pointing out that advanced analytics are not available on the lowest-priced “Plus” plan, although limited reporting functionality is included.

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.

When it comes to integrations, Heartland doesn’t perform as well as some other solutions we reviewed. The integrations library isn’t terrible, but there could be a lot more on offer. What’s more, use of some integrations incurs extra costs.
We would like to point out, however, that if you are happy with the broader feature-set of the POS solution and the integrations library does meet your needs, then the limited number of options to sync with third-party apps is unlikely to be an issue. Judging from user reviews, Heartland also seems very responsive to requests for new integrations.

On the ecommerce front, BigCommerce, Shopify, Magento, and WooCommerce are all supported. Sales integrations include Salesforce, Mailchimp, and Annex Cloud. The main accounting integrations are Quickbooks and Oracle Netsuite. Unfortunately, a connector for Xero isn’t provided.

Another downside with the integrations library is that Heartland isn’t compatible with any “intermediary apps” like Zapier or Kosmos which would provide access to a large range of third-party tools.

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.

A short introduction to pricing ~100 words Heartland offers three plans. The “Plus” plan is $80/month per register, the “Professional” plan is $160/month per register, and the “”Enterprise” plan is priced on a custom basis. Heartland stipulates that it integrates with a variety of payment processors but doesn’t publish payment fees on its website, so it’s likely that you will be able to use your preferred payment processor but may have to pay additional fees.

While Heartland isn’t as inexpensive as some other solutions we’ve reviewed, it’s important to keep in mind that users are getting access to a pretty extensive feature-set.

We were also pleased to see that most functionality is available on the entry-level plan, with the exception of API access. If you opt for Heartland, you won’t be compelled to move onto a higher plan because certain essential features are lacking.

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.

Heartland offers a solid support package with email and live-chat services available on the basic plan from 8 AM to 9 PM EST. The mid-tier plan also includes phone support, and the enterprise plan has an “Elite” customer service package with a faster response time guaranteed.

Onboarding packages are included on all plans with the option to upgrade for more one-on-one time.

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.

Heartland Retail is one of those rare beasts - a point-of-sale solution that is genuinely suitable for retailers of all sizes, from mom-and-pop stores to enterprise chains.

It has an excellent set of features, one of the best analytics dashboards we’ve seen, and is reasonably priced. While there are cheaper alternatives available, it’s unlikely that you’ll have access to the same number of features.

The support package is also excellent, with onboarding and data-migration options for new users.

The one big downside is the limited integrations library, so be sure to check that you have access to all the connectors you require before subscribing.