Softwr

Restaurants · head to head

7shifts vs Epos Now

7shifts logo

7shifts

Restaurants

Restaurant team management made easy

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Epos Now logo

Epos Now

Restaurants

Cloud point of sale for hospitality and retail sold with hardware finance and attached payment processing

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only 7shifts has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 7shifts pro plan pricing not published on the website; Epos Now hardware is often placed on a finance agreement with a third party, so cancelling the software subscription leaves the equipment payments running for the remainder of the term.
  • They diverge on capability: 7shifts covers Employee scheduling, Epos Now covers Cloud till software.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which 7shifts and Epos Now actually diverge.

Attributes where 7shifts and Epos Now differ
Attribute7shiftsEpos Now
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, Windows
Founded2014Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Restaurants).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in 7shifts

  • Employee scheduling
  • Time clocking
  • Team communication
  • Tip pooling
  • Labor compliance
  • Hiring
  • Toast
  • Square

Only in Epos Now

  • Cloud till software
  • Hardware bundles
  • Integrated payments
  • AppStore add ons
  • Stock and product management
  • Multi site reporting

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

7shifts

  • Point of Salenot Epos Now
  • Order Managementnot Epos Now
  • Inventory Controlnot Epos Now
  • Staff Schedulingnot Epos Now

Epos Now

  • A single site cafe or bar wanting a low upfront cost till system installed quicklynot 7shifts
  • An independent needing basic stock, staff and sales reporting without an implementation projectnot 7shifts
  • An operator running both a small retail line and a food offer on one systemnot 7shifts
  • A business replacing a mechanical till that has no reporting or remote access at allnot 7shifts

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

7shifts

  • Pro plan pricing not published on the website
  • No feature comparison details between free and Pro tiers shown

Epos Now

  • Hardware is often placed on a finance agreement with a third party, so cancelling the software subscription leaves the equipment payments running for the remainder of the term.
  • Software, hardware finance and card processing are three separate agreements with different notice periods, which makes a clean exit difficult and is the source of most published complaints.
  • The vendor makes its margin on payment processing, so the low advertised software price is offset by a card rate that costs far more across a year of trading.
  • Sales is telesales led and buyers report pressure to sign quickly, which is a poor fit for a decision involving multi year finance commitments.
  • Useful capability is spread across paid add ons in the application store, so the functional system a restaurant actually needs costs considerably more than the entry subscription.

Pricing, plan by plan

7shifts

Free
  • CompFree
    • Basic scheduling
    • 1 location
  • Appetizer$29.99/month
    • Scheduling
    • Time clocking
  • Entree$69.99/month
    • Tip pooling
    • Labor compliance
  • The Works$135/month
    • Full features
    • Task management

Epos Now

On request
  • Epos Now$undefined/year
    • Software subscription quoted per till
    • Hardware frequently supplied under a separate finance or lease agreement
    • Card processing contracted separately and priced by negotiated rate

Which should you pick?

Choose 7shifts if

  • You need employee scheduling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want time clocking.
7shifts review

Choose Epos Now if

  • You need cloud till software.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows.
  • You also want hardware bundles.
Epos Now review

Questions people ask

Is 7shifts or Epos Now better?
Neither clearly leads. 7shifts starts at Free and Epos Now at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, 7shifts or Epos Now?
7shifts has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for 7shifts and On request for Epos Now.
Does 7shifts or Epos Now run on more platforms?
7shifts runs on Web, Ios, Android. Epos Now runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows.
Can I use 7shifts for free?
Yes. 7shifts has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Epos Now starts at On request.
What is 7shifts best used for?
7shifts is most often used for point of sale, order management, inventory control, staff scheduling. Of those, point of sale and order management are not what Epos Now is typically brought in for.
What can 7shifts do that Epos Now cannot?
7shifts covers Employee scheduling, Time clocking, Team communication, Tip pooling. Epos Now covers Cloud till software, Hardware bundles, Integrated payments, AppStore add ons.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

7shifts: What does 7shifts' free plan include?

The free plan includes basic scheduling and communication features. No credit card is required, and users can trial all features free for 14 days with no upfront commitment.

Source
Epos Now: Is the hardware bought or leased?

Frequently financed through a third party agreement rather than bought outright. Ask explicitly which it is and read the term before signing.

7shifts: Is there flexibility in billing between monthly and annual plans on 7shifts?

Yes, 7shifts allows you to choose between monthly and annual plans with no up-front commitment required. You can switch between billing frequencies as your business needs change.

Source
Epos Now: Can I cancel the software and keep trading?

You can stop the subscription, but a separate hardware finance agreement continues to its own end date, and processing is contracted separately again.

7shifts: How do I upgrade from the free plan to the Pro plan?

7shifts offers a Pro plan as an upgrade from the free version, but specific pricing and features are not published on the main website. Contact their sales team or book a demo to learn about Pro plan costs and capabilities.

Source
Epos Now: Do I have to use their card processing?

It is the commercial basis of the pricing. Using another acquirer, where permitted, changes the software quote.

Epos Now: Is it suitable for a busy full service restaurant?

It handles straightforward hospitality service. Complex coursing, large table management and high volume kitchens are better served by restaurant specific systems.

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