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Food & Restaurant · head to head

Aloha POS vs Square for Restaurants

Aloha POS logo

Aloha POS

Food & Restaurant

Industry-leading restaurant POS solution

From
$150/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Square for Restaurants logo

Square for Restaurants

Food & Restaurant

Restaurant POS system that works for you

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Square for Restaurants has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Aloha POS high upfront hardware costs ($1,000+ per terminal) make it expensive to deploy across multiple locations; Square for Restaurants the Square KDS and Square Kiosk apps are not available on the free plan
  • They diverge on capability: Aloha POS covers Order management, Square for Restaurants covers Menu customization.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Aloha POS and Square for Restaurants actually diverge.

Attributes where Aloha POS and Square for Restaurants differ
AttributeAloha POSSquare for Restaurants
Starting price$150/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, AndroidWeb, Ios, Android
Founded19882018

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Food & Restaurant).

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

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

Only in Square for Restaurants

  • Menu customization
  • Split checks
  • Offline mode
  • Real-time reporting
  • Kitchen display
  • Caviar
  • DoorDash
  • Postmates

Both cover

  • Table management
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Aloha POS

  • Point of Sale
  • Order Management
  • Inventory Control
  • Staff Scheduling

Square for Restaurants

  • Point of Sale
  • Order Management
  • Inventory Control
  • Staff Scheduling

Both are used for point of sale, order management, inventory control, staff scheduling, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

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

Square for Restaurants

  • The Square KDS and Square Kiosk apps are not available on the free plan
  • KDS and Kiosk are billed per device per month on top of the plan, so cost scales with terminals rather than locations
  • Restaurants processing over $250,000 a year are moved to custom pricing rather than the published rates

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

Square for Restaurants

Free
  • FreeFree
    • POS
    • Menu management
    • Basic reporting
  • Plus$60/month
    • Advanced features
    • Live sales
    • Seat management
  • PremiumFree
    • Custom pricing
    • Dedicated support

Which should you pick?

Choose Aloha POS if

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

Choose Square for Restaurants if

  • You need menu customization.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want split checks.
Square for Restaurants review

Questions people ask

Is Aloha POS or Square for Restaurants better?
Neither clearly leads. Aloha POS starts at $150/month and Square for Restaurants at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Aloha POS or Square for Restaurants?
Square for Restaurants has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $150/month for Aloha POS and Free for Square for Restaurants.
Does Aloha POS or Square for Restaurants run on more platforms?
Aloha POS runs on Windows, Android. Square for Restaurants runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Square for Restaurants for free?
Yes. Square for Restaurants has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Aloha POS starts at $150/month.
What is Aloha POS best used for?
Aloha POS is most often used for point of sale, order management, inventory control, staff scheduling.
What can Aloha POS do that Square for Restaurants cannot?
Aloha POS covers Order management, Labor scheduling, Inventory control, Enterprise reporting. Square for Restaurants covers Menu customization, Split checks, Offline mode, Real-time reporting. Both handle Table management, Web support.

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
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
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
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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