Epos Now vs. Square 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."

Square for Retail is very easy to use. Everything from the back-office dashboard to the “smart” store builder is designed to streamline the process of taking and managing payments.

The POS register, which is usually accessed via an iOS tablet or Square’s in-house register, follows a typical block format, with an area that displays individual products and categories, a checkout box, and additional options like discounts, gift cards, popular items, and so on. It’s also possible to use your tablet to receive tips, send email receipts, check inventory at different locations, and so on.

The back-office is also designed in a traditional way, with a left-hand sidebar providing access to dedicated areas for managing sales, analytics and tracking, employee permissions, and more.

“Square is a great product that is a wonderful tool for small businesses and nonprofits like ours.

“It operates just like your mind works. It is so logical.”

“I liked that it was a convenient way to accept payments anywhere via my mobile cell phone through the Square App.”

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.

Square for Retail has a fairly comprehensive feature-set and comes with everything you would expect from a point-of-sale system. Keep in mind that you will only have access to all features on the $60/month “Plus” package. The free plan provides only limited functionality.

Square back-office is a browser-based app. The register interface is accessed via an iPad or the Square register. Support for Android tablets is not provided, but you can download a feature-limited Android app to take mobile payments.

Checkout features include saved carts, barcode scanning via the iPad camera or Square register, discounts, item searches, and exchanges. Payment functionality, which works on a straightforward, transparent fee structure, comprises next-day transfers, invoices, and both physical and digital gift cards.

You won’t find anything lacking on the inventory management front, either. Tools include unlimited products, low stock alerts, bulk inventory uploads, barcode printing, and more.

If you decide to use Square’s in-house ecommerce solution, you will also have access to a user-friendly store builder, automated inventory syncing, and integration with Instagram.

Finally, analytics reports cover sales, profit margins, vendor sales, and total costs.

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.

Integrations represent one area where Square could have performed better. If you’re looking for a POS system that syncs up seamlessly with your existing tech stack, you may be forced to look elsewhere. That said, Square does provide a small package of integrations, so you may find what you’re looking for. A Zapier integration is also available, so you can sync up with most apps, albeit with limited functionality.

Square performs best in the area of accounting and tax, where a large selection of integrations is offered, including Quickbooks, Xero, Shogo, Kahoo, OneUp, ZohoBooks, and more. A small number of connectors with analytics, team management, and restaurant apps are provided.

Square’s online payment processing tool also integrates with most well-known ecommerce platforms like WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Magento, and so on.

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.

Square has a straightforward, competitive pricing structure. We consider the free plan to be one of the best available to small and medium retailers. Three plans are offered: “Free”, “Plus”, and “Premium”.

The free plan is ideal for small shops and comes with a limited number of features. If you want to add extra team members, you will have to pay $35/month per store. The “Plus” plan, which most users will opt for, costs $60/month per location and includes the full feature-set and discounted payment processing fees.

Finally, the “Premium” plan, which is geared towards larger enterprises, operates on a custom pricing model and is available to sellers turning over in excess of $250,000 a month.

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.

Square customer support is available via phone, email, live chat, and social media. Users also have access to extensive documentation and an active seller community.

User reviews of the quality and speed of support are mixed, with many users talking positively about helpful staff and fast response times but complaining about receiving generic answers.

There are no custom onboarding packages, although the ease of setting up largely removes the need for them.

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 Square. It’s one of the easiest-to-use platforms we reviewed, and the “forever free” plan is arguably the best on the market. Small and medium-sized retailers that are looking for a streamlined, straightforward solution with transparent pricing will find a lot to like. The only real downsides are the limited integrations library and the expensive hardware, although this won’t be a problem if you’re using an iPad.

Larger store-owners will likely require more extensive functionality, especially when it comes to analytics and integrations. Nonetheless, it is still worth getting in touch to discuss options if you’re generating sales of over $250,000 per month.