Look at how POS reviews compare tools and you will see three numbers: the monthly software fee, the per-transaction processing fee, and the hardware cost. “Free” POS software usually means free software with paid card processing. That framing matters when you read about the best point of sale software for small business, because open source POS is different: the software is free, but you still need a payment processor and hardware.
The real cost of a POS
| Cost | Cloud POS products | Self-hosted open source POS |
|---|---|---|
| Software | Free tier or monthly fee | No license fee |
| Card processing | Built in, charged per transaction | Separate: you choose a processor or terminal |
| Hardware | Often sold as a bundle | You buy printers, scanners, drawers yourself |
| Setup and support | Vendor support | You, or a freelancer |
As an illustration only, if a processor charged 2.5% and you took 20,000 in card sales in a month, the fees would be 500. Processing fees often exceed the software cost, so compare them before anything else.
Open source POS tools compared
| Tool | Best for | License | Stack | Stars | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open Source POS | Retail POS with inventory | MIT | PHP (CodeIgniter) | 4,443 | Oct 2026 |
| NexoPOS | Laravel POS with inventory | GPL-3.0 | PHP (Laravel), Vue | 1,278 | Oct 2026 |
| Lakasir | Simple POS for small stores | GPL-3.0 | PHP (Laravel) | 911 | Oct 2026 |
| ERPNext | POS built into ERPNext | GPL-3.0 | Python (Frappe), MariaDB | 40,232 | Oct 2026 |
| URY (restaurant POS for ERPNext) | Restaurant POS for ERPNext | AGPL-3.0 | TypeScript, Frappe | 388 | Oct 2026 |
| Odoo Community | POS app in Community | LGPL-3.0 (Community edition) | Python, PostgreSQL | 55,072 | Oct 2026 |
| Dolibarr ERP CRM | Basic POS inside Dolibarr | GPL-3.0 | PHP, MySQL/MariaDB/PostgreSQL | 7,732 | Oct 2026 |
Stars and dates are a snapshot from 16 October 2026. They show project activity, not quality.
Open Source POS
Retail POS with inventory. A web-based point of sale for small shops with sales, stock, receipts, quotes and reports. MIT licensed and actively maintained.
4,443 stars · MIT · repo updated Oct 2026
GitHub · Website
NexoPOS
Laravel POS with inventory. A web POS built with Laravel and Vue that includes inventory features.
1,278 stars · GPL-3.0 · repo updated Oct 2026
GitHub · Website
Lakasir
Simple POS for small stores. A straightforward open source POS aimed at simple needs, with stock and sales reports.
911 stars · GPL-3.0 · repo updated Oct 2026
GitHub · Website
ERPNext
POS built into ERPNext. ERPNext includes a point of sale, so sales and stock update the accounts automatically.
40,232 stars · GPL-3.0 · repo updated Oct 2026
Our guide to ERPNext · GitHub · Website
URY (restaurant POS for ERPNext)
Restaurant POS for ERPNext. An open source restaurant management and POS system built on top of ERPNext.
388 stars · AGPL-3.0 · repo updated Oct 2026
GitHub · Website
Odoo Community
POS app in Community. Odoo Community includes a Point of Sale app connected to its inventory and invoicing apps.
55,072 stars · LGPL-3.0 (Community edition) · repo updated Oct 2026
Our guide to Odoo Community · GitHub · Website
Dolibarr ERP CRM
Basic POS inside Dolibarr. Dolibarr includes a point of sale option for simple counter sales.
7,732 stars · GPL-3.0 · repo updated Oct 2026
Our guide to Dolibarr ERP CRM · GitHub · Website
Hardware and fiscal checklist
- Does it work with your receipt printer, barcode scanner and cash drawer?
- What happens to a sale when the internet drops?
- Do your local rules require fiscal printers or certified POS software for tax receipts?
- Can it export daily sales to your accounting software?
- Who answers the phone when the shop is busy and it breaks?
Test with your hardware first
POS problems show up at the counter, with a queue behind the customer. Run a week of mock sales with your real scanner and printer before going live.
A day-end routine at the till
- Count the cash drawer and record the total.
- Close the shift in the POS.
- Compare card totals with the card terminal report.
- Investigate any difference the same day.
- Export the day's sales for your accountant.
- Check that the backup ran.
Example: a bookshop with one till
An illustrative example, not a real company.
A bookshop has one till, about 3,000 titles and a few hundred sales a week. The owner wants sales to reduce stock and daily takings to reach the accountant.
She runs Open Source POS on a small server, connects a barcode scanner and a receipt printer, and uses a separate card terminal from her bank. The first week she runs mock sales while the old till stays in use. She sets daily exports to her accountant.
The software is free, and the real costs are the hardware and the card fees from her processor.
What usually goes wrong
- Forgetting that card processing is a separate cost.
- Not testing hardware before go-live.
- No plan for an internet outage.
- Ignoring local rules on fiscal receipts.
- Running the POS without backups.
Free self-hosted or paid cloud: how to decide
Paid cloud POS bundles software, hardware and payments, and offers support, which many shops value. Self-hosted POS suits owners who want control and are comfortable with technology. If a broken till would cost you a day of sales, weigh support carefully.
Linking the POS to stock matters. See our inventory guide. Self-hosted POS needs a reliable server and a backup plan. A VPS or hosting plan from Hostinger is a common starting point.
Need a server to host it?
Self-hosting a CRM needs a server. PHP and MySQL apps can often run on ordinary web hosting, while Docker, Node, Python or Java apps usually need a VPS. Check each project's requirements first. Hostinger offers both shared web hosting and VPS plans.
Affiliate disclosure: this is an affiliate link. If you buy through it we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. CRMs are listed independently of any hosting partner. Learn more.