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Restaurants · head to head

Epos Now vs Oracle MICROS Simphony

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
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: 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.; 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: Epos Now covers Cloud till software, 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 Epos Now and Oracle MICROS Simphony actually diverge.

Attributes where Epos Now and Oracle MICROS Simphony differ
AttributeEpos NowOracle MICROS Simphony

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), platforms (Web, iOS, Android, Windows), 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 Epos Now

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

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.

Epos Now

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

Oracle MICROS Simphony

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

Where each one falls short

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

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.

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

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

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 Epos Now if

  • You need cloud till software.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Windows.
  • You also want hardware bundles.
Epos Now 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 Epos Now or Oracle MICROS Simphony better?
Neither clearly leads. Epos Now starts at On request 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, Epos Now or Oracle MICROS Simphony?
Epos Now starts at On request and Oracle MICROS Simphony at On request.
Does Epos Now or Oracle MICROS Simphony run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, Windows, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Epos Now best used for?
Epos Now is most often used for a single site cafe or bar wanting a low upfront cost till system installed quickly, an independent needing basic stock, staff and sales reporting without an implementation project, an operator running both a small retail line and a food offer on one system, a business replacing a mechanical till that has no reporting or remote access at all. Of those, a single site cafe or bar wanting a low upfront cost till system installed quickly and an independent needing basic stock, staff and sales reporting without an implementation project are not what Oracle MICROS Simphony is typically brought in for.
What can Epos Now do that Oracle MICROS Simphony cannot?
Epos Now covers Cloud till software, Hardware bundles, Integrated payments, AppStore add ons. Oracle MICROS Simphony covers Enterprise menu hierarchy, Offline terminal operation, Hotel property integration, Kitchen display and order routing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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