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Restaurants · head to head

Epos Now vs Tock

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
-
Tock logo

Tock

Restaurants

All-in-one reservation and events platform

From
$199/month
Rated
-

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.; Tock tock To Go pickup/delivery takes a 3% cut of orders from restaurants, with the separate $5 to $10 delivery charge passed to the consumer, per a case study reproduced on the vendor's own site (Internet Archive capture, 25 December 2022)
  • They diverge on capability: Epos Now covers Cloud till software, Tock covers Reservations.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Epos Now and Tock actually diverge.

Attributes where Epos Now and Tock differ
AttributeEpos NowTock
Starting priceOn request$199/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, WindowsWeb, Ios, Android
FoundedUnknown2014

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 Epos Now

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

Only in Tock

  • Reservations
  • Prepaid bookings
  • Event ticketing
  • Experiences
  • Table management
  • CRM
  • Toast
  • Square

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

Tock

  • Point of Salenot Epos Now
  • Order Managementnot Epos Now
  • Inventory Controlnot Epos Now
  • Staff Schedulingnot 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.

Tock

  • Tock To Go pickup/delivery takes a 3% cut of orders from restaurants, with the separate $5 to $10 delivery charge passed to the consumer, per a case study reproduced on the vendor's own site (Internet Archive capture, 25 December 2022)

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

Tock

$199/month
  • Basic$199/month
    • Reservations
    • Basic features
  • Plus$699/month
    • Events
    • Prepaid
    • Marketing
  • ProFree
    • Custom pricing
    • Full features

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.

Choose Tock if

  • You need reservations.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want prepaid bookings.

Questions people ask

Is Epos Now or Tock better?
Neither clearly leads. Epos Now starts at On request and Tock at $199/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Epos Now or Tock?
Epos Now starts at On request and Tock at $199/month.
Does Epos Now or Tock run on more platforms?
Epos Now runs on Web, iOS, Android, Windows. Tock runs on Web, Ios, Android.
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 Tock is typically brought in for.
What can Epos Now do that Tock cannot?
Epos Now covers Cloud till software, Hardware bundles, Integrated payments, AppStore add ons. Tock covers Reservations, Prepaid bookings, Event ticketing, Experiences.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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