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Restaurants · head to head

Aloha POS vs MarginEdge

Aloha POS logo

Aloha POS

Restaurants

Industry-leading restaurant POS solution

From
$150/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
MarginEdge logo

MarginEdge

Restaurants

Restaurant back office for invoice processing, food cost and inventory tracking

From
$350/monthly
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Aloha POS high upfront hardware costs ($1,000+ per terminal) make it expensive to deploy across multiple locations; MarginEdge no free trial or freemium option available, requiring full commitment upfront at $350 per month minimum
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Aloha POS and MarginEdge actually diverge.

Attributes where Aloha POS and MarginEdge differ
AttributeAloha POSMarginEdge
Starting price$150/month$350/monthly
PlatformsWindows, AndroidWeb
Founded1988Unknown

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), 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 Aloha POS

  • Table management
  • Order management
  • Labor scheduling
  • Inventory control
  • Enterprise reporting
  • Loyalty programs
  • NCR Back Office
  • Third-party delivery

Only in MarginEdge

Nothing recorded that Aloha POS does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Aloha POS

  • Point of Salenot MarginEdge
  • Order Managementnot MarginEdge
  • Inventory Controlnot MarginEdge
  • Staff Schedulingnot MarginEdge

MarginEdge

  • Restaurant management and financial trackingnot Aloha POS
  • Food cost control and inventory management for restaurantsnot Aloha POS

Where each one falls short

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

Aloha POS

  • High upfront hardware costs ($1,000+ per terminal) make it expensive to deploy across multiple locations
  • User interface is dated with functionality from 2005-era design, requiring training for staff familiar with modern applications
  • Network connectivity issues cause terminals to lose access to central database when Wi-Fi drops, leading to transaction failures
  • Requires proprietary terminals unlike competitors that run on standard iPads or Android tablets
  • Complex customization requires expensive professional services and cannot be configured by restaurant staff

MarginEdge

  • No free trial or freemium option available, requiring full commitment upfront at $350 per month minimum
  • High monthly per-location cost makes adoption expensive for multi-unit restaurant groups
  • Additional Toast API integration requires extra $50 per month per location, increasing total cost

Pricing, plan by plan

Aloha POS

$150/month
  • Essentials$150/month
    • POS
    • Basic reporting
  • Professional$250/month
    • Advanced features
    • Labor management
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Custom pricing
    • Full suite

MarginEdge

$350/monthly
  • MarginEdge$350/monthly
    • Unlimited invoice processing
    • Unlimited bill payments for U.S. locations
    • Unlimited email support
  • MarginEdge + Freepour$500/monthly
    • All MarginEdge features
    • Smart scale technology for liquor inventory management
    • Freepour adds $150 per month to base subscription

Which should you pick?

Choose Aloha POS if

  • You need table management.
  • You work on Windows, Android.
  • You also want order management.
Aloha POS review

Choose MarginEdge if

Nothing in the data separates MarginEdge from Aloha POS on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

MarginEdge review

Questions people ask

Is Aloha POS or MarginEdge better?
Neither clearly leads. Aloha POS starts at $150/month and MarginEdge at $350/monthly, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Aloha POS or MarginEdge?
Aloha POS starts at $150/month and MarginEdge at $350/monthly.
Does Aloha POS or MarginEdge run on more platforms?
Aloha POS runs on Windows, Android. MarginEdge runs on Web.
What is Aloha POS best used for?
Aloha POS 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 MarginEdge is typically brought in for.
What can Aloha POS do that MarginEdge cannot?
Aloha POS covers Table management, Order management, Labor scheduling, Inventory control.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Aloha POS: What are the hardware options for Aloha POS?

Aloha offers two main products: Aloha Essentials POS which runs on Windows servers at your location, and Aloha Cloud POS which operates on Android-based mobile terminals connected to cloud systems. Hardware costs approximately $1,000 per terminal or available through subscription.

Source
MarginEdge: What is the pricing structure and billing frequency for MarginEdge?

MarginEdge costs $350 per month per location with monthly or annual billing. Annual billing includes a 10 percent discount resulting in $420 annual savings. No long-term contracts are required and customers may cancel anytime.

Source
Aloha POS: What features does Aloha include for restaurant operations?

Aloha includes kitchen automation, table management, staff rosters, payment processing, inventory tracking, reporting, customer loyalty programs, and employee time tracking.

Source
MarginEdge: How much does the Freepour add-on cost and what does it include?

The Freepour bundle adds $150 per month to the base subscription, making the total $500 per month per location. It includes smart scale technology for automated liquor inventory management. Annual billing saves $600 per year when bundled with Freepour.

Source
Aloha POS: Is Aloha POS available as a subscription?

Yes. NCR Aloha offers an all-in-one monthly subscription model that includes software, hardware, payment processing, and 24/7 customer support. Upfront implementation costs vary based on specific needs.

Source
MarginEdge: Are there any additional fees beyond the monthly subscription?

Yes, if you use the Toast API or Toast Restaurant Management Suite, there is an additional $50 per month per location charge. Discounts are available for multi-unit restaurant groups and accounting firms through custom pricing.

Source
Aloha POS: What are the network requirements for Aloha POS?

Aloha Essentials requires a stable network connection between terminals and the Windows server. Network disruptions cause terminals to lose access to the central database, resulting in transaction failures and payment errors.

Source
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