Open Source Point of Sale

Open Source Point of Sale is a self-hosted checkout and operations system built on PHP with MySQL or MariaDB. It is best suited to retailers and restaurants comfortable managing their own server. The broad feature set costs nothing, but server upkeep and a required visible footer signature are meaningful compromises.

Overview

Beyond checkout, the system brings inventory, receivings, expenses, cash-up, gift cards, customer rewards, and restaurant tables into one web-based application. Support for multiple locations and users with permission controls makes it relevant to businesses with more than one counter or staff role. That breadth is a strong proposition at no software cost, provided the business can take responsibility for installation and maintenance.

The software is licensed under MIT terms, with an additional requirement to retain its visible footer signature on every page. That may be acceptable for internal use, but it limits branding control wherever customers encounter the interface. Optional Google reCAPTCHA protects the login page against brute-force attacks, and the project describes the software as GDPR ready.

Key features

Sales, stock, and tax

The register logs transactions and supports quotations and invoicing. Stock management covers both individual items and kits, with an extensible list of attributes. VAT, GST, customer, and multi-tier taxation provide flexibility for different tax setups; businesses should still make sure the supported rules match their own requirements.

Store operations and customer-facing tasks

Expense logging, cash-up, and receivings address routine back-office work, while gift cards and rewards add customer loyalty tools. Restaurant tables extend the system beyond conventional retail. It can print or email receipts, invoices, and quotations, and generate and print barcodes. Barcode scanning is supported, though hardware support is through third parties, so businesses should confirm their equipment arrangements before relying on a particular setup.

Users, reporting, and integrations

Multiple users can be managed with permissions, and reports cover sales, orders, expenses, and inventory status. The features page also names MailChimp integration and SMS messaging. These capabilities make the product more than a cash register, although the stated feature set does not establish how any particular business's processes will map to it.

Pricing

Open Source Point of Sale costs nothing. The free plan is the MIT-licensed software itself, with no paid tier or quota described. Its important condition is not a seat or transaction cap: the visible footer signature must remain on every page. That trade-off may suit operators prioritizing cost and control over branding, but it is a poor fit for businesses requiring a fully branded interface.

Free does not mean managed hosting. The system is web-based and uses PHP with MySQL or MariaDB, so the business must arrange a supported server and take responsibility for keeping it running. The installation guide lists PHP 8.2 to 8.4, MySQL 5.7 or MariaDB 10.x, and Apache 2.4 as supported server software.

Platforms

The product supports Linux, macOS, and Windows, as well as web access and self-hosting. Its server requirements make it a practical choice for teams able to manage compatible hosting; those seeking a hosted service rather than server administration should look elsewhere.

Who it's for

This is a strong candidate for retailers or restaurants that want inventory, transactions, tax handling, reporting, and day-to-day operations in a single no-cost system, especially when multiple locations or user permissions matter. It is less suitable for businesses that want a vendor-managed server, need complete control over page branding, or cannot accommodate third-party hardware support.

Installation can be set up in different ways, with methods described in the project's INSTALL.md. Security maintenance also matters: versions 3.4.2 and later receive security patches, while earlier versions do not. The security policy says vulnerability reports receive a response within 48 hours and confirmed issues are patched within a few days, depending on complexity. Staying on a supported version is therefore important for any business running the system.

Pros and cons

• Pros: No software charge, with stock, sales, tax, reporting, expenses, and receivings in one system; useful breadth for retail and restaurant operations.
• Pros: Multiple locations, user permissions, barcode generation and scanning, and customer rewards support more involved store workflows.
• Cons: Self-hosting requires compatible PHP and database server software, plus ongoing server responsibility.
• Cons: The visible footer signature must remain on every page, restricting branding control.
• Cons: Hardware support comes through third parties, so equipment fit needs consideration.

Alternatives

For another free, self-hosted option, RetailPOS is worth comparing: it is Apache 2.0 licensed and spans Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, web, and Windows as well as self-hosting. Loyverse is a freemium choice with a free POS plan and a 31-day sales history; choose its Unlimited sales history plan at $5 a month if retaining more than that history is important.

Posnic POS offers a free Community Edition and publishes its desktop application source under AGPL-3.0-only. uniCenta oPOS is another freemium option, with a BASE subscription at £72 a year. Erply is a paid alternative whose Growth Plan costs $1,000 a month and includes three stores and unlimited users. NCR Voyix POS is a paid option for grocery, convenience and fuel, department, and specialty retail; pricing requires contacting NCR Voyix. The paid Oracle Retail Xstore Point-of-Service Engage and Oracle Retail Xstore Point-of-Service are additional options to consider; Oracle invites retailers to request a demo for the latter.

Compare more choices in Retail POS Software and Point-of-Sale Software.

Verdict

Choose Open Source Point of Sale if you want a broad retail or restaurant toolkit without a software fee and can manage its server. Its main advantage is the range of stock, checkout, tax, and operational functions in one system; its main drawback is the combination of hosting responsibility and a footer signature you cannot remove. Look elsewhere if either constraint conflicts with your technical resources or branding needs.