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Restaurants · head to head

Epos Now vs PAR Brink POS

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
PAR Brink POS logo

PAR Brink POS

Restaurants

Cloud point of sale for enterprise quick service chains and their franchisees

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.; PAR Brink POS the suite was assembled by acquisition, so loyalty, ordering, back office and POS still carry separate data models and administration consoles rather than one unified system.
  • They diverge on capability: Epos Now covers Cloud till software, PAR Brink POS covers Enterprise menu and price control.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Epos Now and PAR Brink POS actually diverge.

Attributes where Epos Now and PAR Brink POS differ
AttributeEpos NowPAR Brink POS
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, WindowsWeb, Android, Windows

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), 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 Epos Now

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

Only in PAR Brink POS

  • Enterprise menu and price control
  • Drive through and speed of service
  • Open integration interfaces
  • Loyalty through Punchh
  • Back office through Data Central
  • Hardware range

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 PAR Brink POS
  • An independent needing basic stock, staff and sales reporting without an implementation projectnot PAR Brink POS
  • An operator running both a small retail line and a food offer on one systemnot PAR Brink POS
  • A business replacing a mechanical till that has no reporting or remote access at allnot PAR Brink POS

PAR Brink POS

  • A franchisor standardising the point of sale across hundreds of franchised locationsnot Epos Now
  • A quick service brand where drive through timing and speed of service reporting drive operationsnot Epos Now
  • A chain that wants POS, loyalty and back office contracted through a single vendornot Epos Now
  • A brand needing documented interfaces so its own developers can build ordering and delivery integrationsnot 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.

PAR Brink POS

  • The suite was assembled by acquisition, so loyalty, ordering, back office and POS still carry separate data models and administration consoles rather than one unified system.
  • Pricing and contracting assume estate scale, which leaves an individual franchisee paying enterprise rates without enterprise negotiating leverage.
  • Hardware and implementation are separate line items that typically exceed the first year of software subscription at a new site.
  • Roll outs are project managed over months, so a brand needing a system live at a site opening in a few weeks will struggle.
  • PAR is a listed company under margin pressure and has raised prices as it consolidates its acquisitions, which makes renewal costs harder to forecast across a long franchise agreement.

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

PAR Brink POS

On request
  • Brink POS$undefined/year
    • Priced per site per month under a franchisor or corporate agreement
    • Terminals, kitchen displays and drive through hardware quoted separately
    • Implementation and roll out delivered 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 PAR Brink POS if

  • You need enterprise menu and price control.
  • You work on Web, Android, Windows.
  • You also want drive through and speed of service.
PAR Brink POS review

Questions people ask

Is Epos Now or PAR Brink POS better?
Neither clearly leads. Epos Now starts at On request and PAR Brink POS at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Epos Now or PAR Brink POS?
Epos Now starts at On request and PAR Brink POS at On request.
Does Epos Now or PAR Brink POS run on more platforms?
Epos Now runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows. PAR Brink POS runs on Web, Android, Windows.
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 PAR Brink POS is typically brought in for.
What can Epos Now do that PAR Brink POS cannot?
Epos Now covers Cloud till software, Hardware bundles, Integrated payments, AppStore add ons. PAR Brink POS covers Enterprise menu and price control, Drive through and speed of service, Open integration interfaces, Loyalty through Punchh.

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.

PAR Brink POS: Who chooses Brink, the franchisor or the franchisee?

Almost always the franchisor, as an estate standard. The franchisee implements and pays for it.

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.

PAR Brink POS: Does PAR supply loyalty as well as POS?

Yes, through Punchh, which PAR acquired. It is licensed separately from the POS.

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.

PAR Brink POS: Is it suitable for an independent restaurant?

Not really. The value is in central control across many sites, which an independent does not need and still pays for.

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.

PAR Brink POS: Does it work offline?

Terminals continue to operate through network interruptions, which matters in drive through environments where a stall is measured in seconds.

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