Best Restaurant POS Software in Australia (2026 Guide)

What Makes a Restaurant POS Different?#

A restaurant POS (point of sale) system is fundamentally different from a retail POS. Retail is simple: scan item, take payment, done. Restaurants deal with:

• Table management — assigning orders to tables, splitting bills, moving guests
• Kitchen communication — sending orders to different stations (grill, bar, dessert)
• Menu modifiers — extra cheese, no onion, medium-rare, dairy-free
• Course sequencing — entrées before mains, holding dessert until requested
• Split billing — dividing a table's bill by item, equally, or custom amounts
• Tipping — integrated tipping functionality
• Real-time inventory — 86'd items need to disappear from the menu immediately

If you try to run a restaurant on a generic POS, you'll spend more time fighting the software than serving customers.

Key Features to Look For#

Essential for Every Restaurant#

• Table management — visual floor plan showing table status (available, occupied, reserved, ready to bill)
• Kitchen Display System (KDS) — replace paper dockets with a screen in the kitchen that organises and prioritises orders
• Menu management — easy-to-update menus with categories, modifiers, and pricing changes
• Split billing — customers expect this; your POS must handle it smoothly
• Integrated payments — tap-and-go EFTPOS integrated into the POS, not a separate terminal
• Reporting — daily sales, popular items, peak hours, and staff performance
• GST handling — Australian POS must calculate and report GST correctly

Nice to Have#

• Online ordering — direct ordering through your website (avoiding UberEats commission)
• QR code ordering — customers scan a code at their table and order from their phone
• Reservation management — or integration with platforms like OpenTable or ResDiary
• Loyalty programs — reward repeat customers
• Multi-location support — if you have or plan to have more than one venue
• Inventory management — track ingredient usage and flag low stock
• Staff scheduling and time tracking — manage rosters within the POS

Top Restaurant POS Systems in Australia#

1. Square for Restaurants#

Best for: Cafes and small restaurants wanting simplicity

Square is one of the most recognisable names in payments, and their restaurant-specific POS is solid for smaller operations.

Key features:

• Table management and floor plans
• Menu management with modifiers
• Kitchen display system (paid add-on)
• Integrated Square payments (no third-party terminals)
• Online ordering built in
• Free plan available

Pricing:

• Free plan — basic POS with 1.6% transaction fees
• Plus plan — $89/month per location, adds KDS, course management, and advanced features
• Hardware — Square Terminal from $299, Square Register from $1,299

Verdict: Great entry point with a genuine free plan. The transaction fee model means you pay as you earn. However, you're locked into Square's payment processing with no choice of provider.

2. Lightspeed Restaurant#

Best for: Multi-location restaurants and high-volume venues

Lightspeed is a premium POS that targets established restaurants needing advanced features and scalability.

Key features:

• Advanced floor plan management
• Kitchen display system
• Detailed reporting and analytics
• Menu engineering tools (identify profitable items)
• Integration with delivery platforms (Uber Eats, DoorDash, Menulog)
• Multi-location management
• Table-side ordering with handheld devices

Pricing:

• From $79/month for the base plan
• Advanced plans up to $289/month
• Hardware costs vary — iPad-based setup

Verdict: Powerful and feature-rich, but the cost adds up quickly with hardware and add-ons. Best suited for restaurants doing serious volume or managing multiple venues.

3. Kounta (now Lightspeed K)#

Best for: Australian hospitality businesses wanting a local solution

Kounta was a beloved Australian-born POS that was acquired by Lightspeed. It's now branded as Lightspeed K-Series but retains much of its original functionality and Australian focus.

Key features:

• Intuitive table and order management
• Kitchen printing and KDS
• Built for Australian tax and tipping conventions
• Integration with Xero and MYOB
• Delivery platform integrations
• Offline mode (keeps working if internet drops)

Pricing:

• Included in Lightspeed Restaurant plans (from $79/month)
• Legacy Kounta customers may have different pricing arrangements

Verdict: If you liked Kounta, the Lightspeed K-Series is its evolution. The Australian DNA is still there — GST handling, local integrations, and a support team that understands the Australian market.

4. Poster POS#

Best for: Budget-conscious cafes and small eateries

Poster is a cloud-based POS that targets smaller hospitality venues with competitive pricing.

Key features:

• Table management
• Kitchen tickets
• Menu management
• Basic inventory tracking
• Works on tablets and phones
• Offline mode

Pricing:

• From $45/month
• Hardware: BYO iPad or Android tablet

Verdict: Good value for money for simple setups. Lacks the advanced features of Lightspeed or Square's ecosystem, but covers the basics well for a neighbourhood cafe or small restaurant.

5. OneBookPlus#

Best for: Cafes and small food businesses wanting POS with all-in-one business management

OneBookPlus combines POS capabilities with invoicing, bookings, CRM, and marketing — making it uniquely suited for food businesses that need more than just a till.

Key features:

• Order and payment processing
• GST-compliant receipts and invoices
• Customer loyalty and repeat-visit tracking
• Email and SMS marketing to customers
• Online booking integration
• Expense tracking and financial reporting
• Stripe payment integration

Pricing: Free plan available. Paid plans from $29/month.

Verdict: Ideal for cafes and small restaurants that want to manage their entire business — not just their till — from one platform. The integrated CRM means you can track customer preferences, send targeted promotions, and manage finances without juggling multiple subscriptions.

Quick Comparison Table#

Choosing the Right POS for Your Restaurant#

You're a small cafe or takeaway shop#

Start with Square (free plan) or OneBookPlus (free plan). Both give you what you need without upfront software costs. Choose Square if POS is your primary need; choose OneBookPlus if you also want invoicing, CRM, and marketing.

You're an established restaurant with high volume#

Lightspeed Restaurant gives you the advanced features, multi-location support, and detailed analytics that serious restaurants need.

You're budget-conscious and need basics#

Poster POS covers the fundamentals at the lowest monthly cost.

You want one platform for everything#

OneBookPlus uniquely combines POS with complete business management — invoicing, bookings, customer marketing, and financial tracking — so you're not paying for five different subscriptions.

Get Started#

The best POS is the one that fits your operation today and grows with you tomorrow. OneBookPlus offers a free plan that combines ordering, payments, invoicing, and customer management for cafes and small restaurants. Start your free trial and see how an all-in-one approach simplifies your restaurant.