Stellar POS vs
The Big Three
See how we compare to Toast, Square, and Clover — feature by feature, dollar by dollar. We built a better POS for independent operators.
Stellar POS
Toast
Square
Clover
| ✦ Stellar POS | Clover | Toast | Square | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing & Fees | ||||
| Monthly software fee (restaurant) | $49.99/moall features included | $84.95–$164.90/moStarter → Advanced | $110–$165/moPoint of Sale → Build Your Own | $0–$60/moFree plan has limitations |
| Platform transaction fee | ✓ 0%Use any payment processor | ✗ 2.3%–3.5%+ $0.10 per transaction | ✗ 2.49%–3.69%In-person card rate | ✗ 2.6%+ $0.10 per transaction |
| Annual cost estimate (100 orders/day @ $30 avg) | ~$600/yrSoftware only, no platform % | ~$2,030–$3,940/yr | ~$2,050–$4,030/yr | ~$3,285–$4,005/yrIncluding per-tx fees |
| Proprietary hardware required | ✗ NoAny Android tablet works | ✓ YesClover hardware only | ✓ YesToast terminal required | ~ PartialiPad or Square hardware |
| Contract requirement | ✓ Month-to-month | ✗ 3-year hardware lease | ✗ 2-year contract typical | ✓ Month-to-month |
| Core POS Features | ||||
| Table management & floor plan | ✓ Included | ~ Mid/Pro tier only | ✓ Included | ~ Limited |
| Kitchen Display System (KDS) | ✓ $9.99/screen add-on | ✗ Requires Clover KDS hardware | ~ $75+/mo add-on | ✗ No native KDS |
| Menu modifiers & combos | ✓ Included | ✓ Included | ✓ Included | ~ Basic only |
| Split check / partial tender | ✓ Included | ✓ Included | ✓ Included | ~ Partial support |
| Offline mode (no internet) | ✓ PAX LAN — full offline | ~ Limited offline | ✓ Offline mode | ~ Limited offline |
| Cash drawer & receipt printer | ✓ Any ESC/POS printer | ~ Clover peripherals preferred | ~ Toast peripherals only | ✓ Star Micronics supported |
| Advanced Features | ||||
| Loyalty / rewards program | ✓ Included | ✗ $14.95/mo add-on | ✗ Third-party integration | ~ Basic loyalty only |
| Inventory management | ✓ Included, with item tracking | ~ Mid/Pro plans only | ✓ Included | ~ Basic stock count only |
| QR code / online ordering | ✓ Included | ✗ Add-on required | ~ Higher tier only | ~ Limited |
| Table reservations | ✓ Included | ✗ Yelp/OpenTable required | ✗ OpenTable integration only | ✗ Not available |
| Staff clock-in & scheduling | ✓ Included | ~ Basic time clock only | ~ Add-on required | ~ Team plan add-on |
| Real-time sales reports & analytics | ✓ Dashboard + export | ✓ Included | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| Multi-Location & Scale | ||||
| Multi-location management | ✓ Built-in, consolidated dashboard | ~ Extra per-location fees | ~ Enterprise pricing | ~ Limited consolidation |
| Per-location pricing discount | ✓ 10% off extra locations | ✗ Full price each location | ✗ No discount | ✗ No discount |
| Cross-location reporting | ✓ Consolidated revenue view | ~ Manual export only | ~ Enterprise feature | ~ Basic only |
| Support & Onboarding | ||||
| Free trial (no credit card) | ✓ Yes — start immediately | ✗ Hardware purchase required | ✗ Sales demo only | ✓ Yes |
| Setup & onboarding | ✓ Self-serve + email support | ~ Reseller dependent | ~ Onboarding fee charged | ✓ Self-serve |
| User guide & documentation | ✓ Full illustrated guide | ✓ Extensive help center | ✓ Extensive help center | ✓ Extensive help center |
Competitor pricing verified June 2026. Rates may vary by region. Sources: clover.com, pos.toasttab.com, squareup.com.
See your real savings
Enter your monthly transaction volume to see estimated annual software costs side-by-side.
* Stellar uses flat monthly fee. Others charge % of each transaction.
Built differently
Any Android tablet
Don't pay $600–$1,400 for proprietary hardware. Stellar runs on any Android tablet you already own — or a new $150 Samsung.
Zero platform fees
Toast charges 2.49%+ per transaction. On $1M in revenue that's $24,900 extra. Stellar charges $0 — use your own payment processor.
Multi-location built-in
Expand to a second location for just $44.99/mo — 10% less than your first. One consolidated dashboard shows all your stores at once.
Works without internet
PAX payment terminals communicate over your local WiFi network — no internet required for card payments. Never lose a sale.
No contracts, ever
Month-to-month. Cancel anytime, no questions asked. No 2-year lock-in. No hardware lease. No early termination fees.
Start in minutes
Sign up, download the app, and start taking orders — no sales call, no hardware shipment, no installation appointment required.
They made the switch
"We were paying $140/month with Clover PLUS 2.5% per transaction. Switched to Stellar and saved over $1,200 in the first year alone."
"Toast wanted a 2-year contract and $800 for their terminal. Stellar let me start with my old tablet for free. The KDS alone saves us $900/year."
"We have 3 locations. Multi-location management is seamless and the 10% discount on extra stores is a nice bonus. Square never offered us that."
Ready to stop overpaying?
Switch to Stellar today.
Free trial. No credit card. No contract. Setup takes 5 minutes.