RetailPOS

RetailPOS is a free, open-source point-of-sale system for physical shops that also sell online. It suits independent retailers and multi-register stores able to manage self-hosting or arrange deployment support. Its strongest case is keeping checkout working offline while syncing store activity with an e-commerce platform.

Overview

Rather than treating a till and an online shop as separate systems, RetailPOS syncs inventory, orders and customers with platforms such as Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Magento, Sylius, Wix, PrestaShop, Squarespace and Commercefull. That makes it a practical fit for retailers who need store sales and online stock to stay aligned; shops seeking only a standalone checkout may not need that breadth.

Offline operation is a meaningful safeguard for stores with unreliable connectivity. RetailPOS stores data in SQLite, continues to operate offline and queues orders for automatic syncing once connectivity returns. Self-hosting and version upkeep remain responsibilities for the retailer or its deployment partner.

Key features

Checkout, payments and hardware

Barcode scanning, receipt printing, cash drawers and terminal payments cover core in-store checkout needs. Hardware can connect by USB, Bluetooth, camera or network, but support is third-party, so retailers should confirm their equipment works with their setup. Card payment options include Stripe Terminal, Stripe NFC tap-to-pay, Square and Worldpay.

The contact page says payment terminal SDKs handle card data and RetailPOS does not touch raw card data. That does not remove the need to review PCI compliance for the store's region before launch.

Inventory, reporting and staff access

Inventory tools include product variants, low-stock alerts, manual adjustments and an audit trail, with stock syncing to the e-commerce platform. Daily, weekly and monthly sales summaries, payment breakdowns, cashier rankings and CSV export give managers useful operational views without implying a broader analytics suite.

Six login methods and role-based access for Admin, Manager and Cashier provide a defined way to separate staff responsibilities. In server-and-client mode, registers on a local network sync orders, inventory and settings, making the system more suitable for shops with several tills than a single-register-only tool.

Pricing

Free and open source: free, billed No monthly fees; Apache 2.0 · self-hosted. There is no free trial because the software has a free plan. The absence of monthly fees is attractive to retailers comfortable running their own deployment; it does not include a stated hosted service, and N17 offers integration, deployment and custom development support. Bug reports, feature requests and questions go through GitHub.

Platforms

RetailPOS supports Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows, web and self-hosted use. This range allows stores to consider different device and deployment setups, but the supported-version policy matters: version 2.0.x receives security updates, while versions below 2.0 do not. Retailers should plan to stay on the supported branch.

Who it's for

Independent retailers with an e-commerce storefront are the clearest fit, particularly those needing inventory sync and offline checkout. Multi-register shops can use local-network server-and-client mode to coordinate tills. Developers and agencies may also value its open-source, self-hosted model and the option of custom development support. It is less compelling for a retailer who wants a managed hosted service or does not want responsibility for deployment, hardware compatibility and version updates.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Offline checkout queues orders for later sync, reducing dependence on uninterrupted connectivity.
• Pros: E-commerce syncing spans several named platforms, while inventory tools include variants, low-stock alerts and an audit trail.
• Pros: The free Apache 2.0 self-hosted plan has no monthly fees, and local-network multi-register mode syncs orders, inventory and settings.
• Cons: Self-hosting and third-party hardware support mean stores must take responsibility for deployment and equipment fit.
• Cons: Security updates cover version 2.0.x only; older versions are unsupported.
• Cons: Retailers must assess regional PCI compliance before launch, even though the product says it does not handle raw card data.

Alternatives

Choose Loyverse if Android, iOS or web access and a freemium option with a free trial better suit your setup; its Loyverse POS plan has a 31 days sales history limit, while Unlimited sales history costs $5 a month, billed $5/month per store; $50/year.

Posnic POS is another free-plan option, with a published AGPL-3.0-only desktop application and Linux, macOS, web, Windows and self-hosted platforms. Consider it if those platform and licensing details are a closer fit.

uniCenta oPOS is an alternative with a free plan and broad platform coverage; its BASE subscription is £6 a year, billed per month charged yearly (£72).

For a paid retail system, Erply offers a Growth Plan at $1,000 a month, with 3 stores, 100,000 queries per month, unlimited users and 2,000 AI actions per month.

NCR Voyix POS is a paid retail option covering grocery, convenience and fuel, department and specialty retail; pricing is custom.

Oracle Retail Xstore Point of Service is a paid alternative with no public price; Oracle invites retailers to request a demo.

Cegid Retail is another paid option with custom pricing.

Lightspeed Restaurant is a paid alternative whose Starter plan is $69 a month and includes a customizable POS, menu manager, floor plans, Advanced Insights, offline mode and 24/7 support.

Browse more options in Retail POS Software or Point-of-Sale Software.

Verdict

RetailPOS is a strong choice for independent shops and multi-register retailers that want a no-monthly-fee, self-hosted POS tied to their online inventory and need checkout to continue during outages. Choose it for that combination of offline resilience and e-commerce synchronization; look elsewhere if you need managed deployment, and keep the supported-version policy and regional compliance review central to rollout.