Point-of-Sale System Comparison
Elementary POS vs. Loyverse: Which POS system Is Right for Your Business?
Choosing a POS is a strategic decision—not just “what rings up sales,” but what shapes your daily operations, costs, and room to grow. In this comparison, we look at Elementary POS and Loyverse through the lens of U.S. SMBs in restaurants, cafés, bars, food trucks, and small retail. You’ll find a quick-compare table, a deeper dive into the key areas that drive ROI, and clear guidance on who should pick which system.
Choosing the right POS system is a game-changing decision
Two popular names you’ll encounter are Elementary POS and Loyverse. Both offer modern, cloud-based solutions for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the U.S. But they are built on fundamentally different philosophies. Loyverse tempts you with a “free” entry point, building its functionality on a collection of paid add-ons. Elementary POS takes an all-in-one approach, delivering a comprehensive, growth-ready toolkit for a single, predictable price.
This comparison will cut through the marketing noise. We’ll dive deep into the five key areas that matter most to your bottom line: cost, features, hardware, scalability, and reliability. The goal is to give you a clear, honest picture so you can decide which system is the strategic partner your business truly needs.
Pricing & Total Cost of Ownership:
Predictability vs. Hidden Costs
The single biggest difference lies in the business model, and it directly impacts your budget.
Elementary POS
Elementary POS operates on a simple, transparent “all-in-one” flat-fee model. You pay one monthly or annual price, and you get everything in that plan. Crucially, this includes unlimited devices and unlimited items.
Need to add a tablet for tableside ordering? No extra charge. Hiring three seasonal workers for the holiday rush? Your bill doesn’t change. This approach gives you a predictable Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), making financial planning simple and removing any barriers to expansion.
Loyverse
Loyverse, on the other hand, uses a “freemium” model. The basic POS app is free, which sounds appealing. However, to run a serious business, you’ll quickly need to start purchasing paid add-ons.
- Need to manage your employees’ access and track their hours? That’s the Employee Management add-on for $25/month/store.
- Want to properly track ingredients, manage purchase orders, and get low-stock alerts? You’ll need the Advanced Inventory add-on for another $25/month/store.
- Need to integrate with other apps? That’s $9/month/store.
For a single-location restaurant, these essential tools can quickly add up to over $600 a year on top of the “free” system. If you expand, those costs multiply. Loyverse’s model can feel like a financial penalty for growth.
Hardware & Flexibility: Total Freedom vs. a Standard Ecosystem
Your initial hardware investment can be significant. A flexible POS system saves you money and gives you more control.
Elementary POS
Elementary POS runs on standard Android phones/tablets and supports all-in-one terminals (e.g., Sunmi/myPOS, Viva.com) that combine POS, receipt printer, and, in some models, payments—ideal for food trucks, kiosks, or tight counters. Setup is quick and keeps hardware costs low.
Loyverse
Loyverse supports iOS and Android devices with separate peripherals (printers, drawers, scanners). That’s flexible and familiar for iPad shops, but often means more separate pieces of gear to source and manage.
Operations, Support & Scalability
| Aspect | Elementary POS | Loyverse |
|---|---|---|
| Offline Mode | Robust and reliable. Keep selling, taking orders, and printing receipts even without an internet connection. Data syncs automatically when you're back online. | Available, but users report some feature limitations when offline. |
| Setup Speed | Extremely fast. Get up and running in under 24 hours thanks to an intuitive interface and simple configuration. | Fairly quick, but setting up paid add-ons and integrations can slow things down. |
| Customer Support | Efficient email support backed by a rich knowledge base. Focused on prevention through stable, reliable software. | 24/7 live chat support, but only for paying users. |
| Data Ownership | You own your data—100%. Easy access and export, with no vendor lock-in or hidden limitations. | Data is accessible, but terms may vary depending on third-party integrations. |
| Scalability | Built to scale. Unlimited devices, users, and locations make it easy to grow—from one food truck to a multi-location business. | Scalable, but costs rise with each added store or employee, which can limit growth. |
Essential tools for food service: All included or paid extras?
Features like mobile servers, QR code ordering (where guests order on their own), kitchen display systems (KDS), or order status screens are no longer a luxury—they’re a must-have for any efficient food service operation.
Elementary POS
Elementary POS offers all these features as native, fully integrated parts of the system. Included in your license—with no extra fees—you can use an unlimited number of mobile servers. Our in-house QR ordering solution means zero commissions to third parties. And any tablet can be easily turned into a kitchen or bar display.
Included in your plan (each available on unlimited devices):
Mobile Waiter,
Order Displays (for the kitchen or bar, Order Displays (for customers),
QR Table Ordering (guests order right from their table),
Customer Display,
Loyalty Program,
and recipe management with automatic inventory deduction.
Loyverse
Loyverse offers a free core POS with Back Office and a real-time Dashboard, plus companion apps for both front- and back-of-house. You can ring up sales offline (with certain limits), use a free Kitchen Display and Customer Display, and start with basic inventory and loyalty. For advanced workflows—like deeper inventory control, staff management, long-range reporting, or QR ordering—you typically add paid modules or connect third-party integrations
| Feature | Elementary POS | Loyverse |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile Waitstaff | Fully integrated on any Android phone or tablet—no extra setup needed. | Supported on mobile devices. |
| QR Ordering | Built-in feature. Customers scan a QR code, browse the menu, and order directly from their phones. Great for contactless service and boosting efficiency. | Not a native feature. Requires third-party integrations, adding complexity and extra costs. |
| Kitchen Display System | Fully supported on any Android tablet. Clear ticket view and prep timers help streamline kitchen operations. | Offers its own KDS app. |
| Order & Customer Displays | Fully supported. Includes order status displays (like at McDonald’s) and customer-facing displays at checkout. | Offers customer-facing displays. Order status screens are less standardized. |
| Loyalty Programs | Robust, built-in system. Set up points, rewards, and coupons—all from one dashboard. | Very basic. Advanced loyalty features require third-party, paid tools. |
| Inventory & Recipes | Fully integrated inventory management with ingredient tracking and auto-deductions via detailed recipes. | Available, but only as a paid add-on ($25/month). |
| Reporting & Data Export | In-depth reports, sales analytics, and clean dashboards. Easily export data (e.g., to CSV) for accounting or further analysis. | Reports available, but advanced analytics may be limited. |
Choose the Right Solution for You
Each business is unique. Find out when Loyverse is the right fit and when Elementary POS is the perfect choice for you.
Loyverse
Loyverse is a solid choice for individuals or micro-businesses looking for the fastest and simplest way to start recording sales—completely free of charge.
Simplicity
Is your top priority: You want a clean, easy-to-use system—especially if you're used to the Apple (iOS) environment.
You only need the essentials
You're just looking to ring up sales, print receipts, and keep basic track of your revenue. You don’t need inventory management, employee permissions, or marketing tools.
You’re not planning to scale anytime soon
You understand that as soon as you need anything beyond the basics—like staff accounts with limited access or advanced inventory features—you’ll need to switch to paid add-ons.
Elementary POS
Elementary POS is more than a check out system—it’s a scalable business platform designed for entrepreneurs who want all tools from day one, even with the free plan.
Transparent Pricing, No Hidden Fees
With Elementary POS, you get all the features you need—loyalty programs, handhelds, order screens, customer displays, mobile waitstaff, and more—for one fair, predictable price. No hidden fees. No costly add-ons. And because it runs on affordable Android devices, you can keep your hardware investment low while scaling up as your business grows.
You’re planning to grow
Start free with no limits on products or devices. As your business expands, upgrade to a paid plan that unlocks ALL advanced features—like QR ordering, kitchen display systems (KDS), and loyalty programs—for unlimited employees, all for one flat, transparent fee. No surprises, no per-user pricing.
You need pro tools right away
Even on the free plan, you get solid features like hardware flexibility (works on any Android device) and a reliable offline mode—so you're ready for real-world operations from day one.
Built-In loyalty that drives repeat business
A major advantage of Elementary POS is its seamlessly integrated loyalty program. It’s part of the system from the start—no third-party add-ons needed—so you can start rewarding your customers and building long-term relationships right away.
Ordering flow: QR, KDS, pickup & customer displays
Rychlý start nebo robustní systém? Váš čas je drahý. Čas vašeho personálu také. Systém, který vyžaduje dlouhé školení, zvyšuje chybovost a frustraci.
Elementary POS
QR/Remote ordering: - Built-in QR ordering—from scan to send, no extra vendors needed.
Kitchen & order displays (KDS / “Order” / Pickup): KDS/Order Display and Pickup Display are first-party, designed to coordinate Front of House ↔ Back of House and inform guests when orders are ready.
Loyverse
QR/Remote ordering: is typically done via third party integrations
Kitchen & order displays (KDS / “Order” / Pickup): Free KDS and Customer Display apps are available for iOS/Android
Ready to start?
Let’s find out how Elementary POS can help you with your business. Easy to use POS software for a fair price.
Check out other interesting features
With a customer display from Elementary POS, you’ll make sales more transparent and increase your customers’ confidence and satisfaction.
When you have a pickup display, customers know exactly when they can pick up their order. No more endless queues.
Keep track of everything you have in stock. No more paper records or complicated spreadsheets
Allow waiters to take orders right at the table. You’ll save a lot of time and unnecessary steps.
No matter where you are, with remote access through Elementary POS Office, you can efficiently manage your business from anywhere.
Build long-term relationships and reward your customer’s loyalty. The loyalty program is part of the Elementary POS system.