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Restaurants · head to head

Aloha POS vs Oracle MICROS Simphony

Aloha POS logo

Aloha POS

Restaurants

Industry-leading restaurant POS solution

From
$150/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Oracle MICROS Simphony logo

Oracle MICROS Simphony

Restaurants

Enterprise cloud point of sale for large restaurant, hotel and stadium food service operations

From
On request
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; Oracle MICROS Simphony the software subscription is a minor part of total cost; proprietary workstations, reseller implementation and configuration services usually dominate the first year budget.
  • They diverge on capability: Aloha POS covers Table management, Oracle MICROS Simphony covers Enterprise menu hierarchy.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Aloha POS and Oracle MICROS Simphony actually diverge.

Attributes where Aloha POS and Oracle MICROS Simphony differ
AttributeAloha POSOracle MICROS Simphony
Starting price$150/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWindows, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, Windows
Founded1988Unknown

Identical on both: 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 Oracle MICROS Simphony

  • Enterprise menu hierarchy
  • Offline terminal operation
  • Hotel property integration
  • Kitchen display and order routing
  • Inventory and recipe management
  • Reporting and analytics

What people use each for

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

Aloha POS

  • Point of Salenot Oracle MICROS Simphony
  • Order Managementnot Oracle MICROS Simphony
  • Inventory Controlnot Oracle MICROS Simphony
  • Staff Schedulingnot Oracle MICROS Simphony

Oracle MICROS Simphony

  • A hotel group that needs restaurant, bar and room service charges posting to the guest folionot Aloha POS
  • A stadium or arena running dozens of concession stands under one menu and tax structurenot Aloha POS
  • A casino or resort with many outlets, complex comps and strict audit requirementsnot Aloha POS
  • A large chain that requires terminals to keep trading and settling cards during a network outagenot 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

Oracle MICROS Simphony

  • The software subscription is a minor part of total cost; proprietary workstations, reseller implementation and configuration services usually dominate the first year budget.
  • Deployments are project work measured in months with specialist configuration, so a single site opening in six weeks cannot realistically be put on it.
  • Support runs through Oracle service requests or a reseller rather than direct chat, and resolution pace reflects enterprise support processes rather than restaurant urgency.
  • Hardware is proprietary and replacement units are priced at enterprise levels, so a broken terminal is not solved by buying a tablet locally.
  • The interface and administration tools are dense and dated compared with cloud native competitors, which lengthens training for high turnover front of house teams.

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

Oracle MICROS Simphony

On request
  • Simphony$undefined/year
    • Subscription quoted per workstation per month by tier
    • Proprietary MICROS workstation and tablet hardware quoted separately
    • Implementation and configuration delivered by Oracle or a reseller and billed as a project

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 Oracle MICROS Simphony if

  • You need enterprise menu hierarchy.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows.
  • You also want offline terminal operation.
Oracle MICROS Simphony review

Questions people ask

Is Aloha POS or Oracle MICROS Simphony better?
Neither clearly leads. Aloha POS starts at $150/month and Oracle MICROS Simphony at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Aloha POS or Oracle MICROS Simphony?
Aloha POS starts at $150/month and Oracle MICROS Simphony at On request.
Does Aloha POS or Oracle MICROS Simphony run on more platforms?
Aloha POS runs on Windows, Android. Oracle MICROS Simphony runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows.
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 Oracle MICROS Simphony is typically brought in for.
What can Aloha POS do that Oracle MICROS Simphony cannot?
Aloha POS covers Table management, Order management, Labor scheduling, Inventory control. Oracle MICROS Simphony covers Enterprise menu hierarchy, Offline terminal operation, Hotel property integration, Kitchen display and order routing.

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
Oracle MICROS Simphony: Is Simphony the same thing as MICROS?

Simphony is the cloud generation of the MICROS POS line. Oracle acquired MICROS Systems in 2014 and Simphony is the product it sells now.

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
Oracle MICROS Simphony: Can it run offline?

Yes. Workstations continue taking and settling orders through a network outage, which is one of the main reasons large venues still choose it.

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
Oracle MICROS Simphony: Do I buy it directly from Oracle?

Usually through an Oracle hospitality reseller, who also performs the implementation and often provides first line support.

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
Oracle MICROS Simphony: Is it suitable for a single independent restaurant?

Rarely. The implementation cost and administration overhead only make sense at estate scale or where hotel property integration is required.

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