Buyer's guide 2026
There's no single 'best' POS for every restaurant. The right choice depends on your size, service style, budget, and what you need beyond order-taking. This guide covers what to look for, who the main UK players are, and how to evaluate them honestly.
Disclosure: this guide is published by TablePort, which is one of the providers mentioned. Information is based on publicly available data as of early 2026. Features and pricing change; verify with each provider before deciding.
What to weigh before you sign
Why operators pick TablePort
One platform
Most providers sell you a POS, then bolt on the rest at extra cost. TablePort ships every restaurant-grade module on day one: one bill, one dataset, one place to look when something breaks mid-service.
Hardware freedom
No proprietary terminals, no hardware lease, no Toast-approved-this-or-that. Use any iPad or Android device. Connect to your existing receipt printers, cash drawers, and card readers.
Direct line
Custom workflow? Often delivered within days, not roadmap cycles. We're early-stage on purpose, and that means every customer is someone we know by name.
What's included
Modules
All-in-one
POS, reservations, KDS, stock, scheduling, loyalty, kiosk: one platform.
Onboarding
Live in a weekend
From signup to first service, with white-glove migration support.
Terms
Month to month
No setup fee, no contract, no hardware lock-in. Cancel any time.
TablePort vs the category
| Feature | TablePort | Most UK POS |
|---|---|---|
Hardware Run on what you already own, or buy from anywhere. | Any iPad or Android tablet | Often proprietary or approved-list only |
Reservations + floor plan Booking, walk-in, waitlist, linked to the POS. | Add-on or separate vendor | |
Kitchen Display System | On any screen, no extra hardware | Often a paid module |
Staff scheduling + time tracking | Usually requires a third-party tool | |
Stock + inventory | Higher-tier plan or add-on | |
QR order & pay Guests browse, order, and pay without flagging staff. | Often a separate product | |
Kiosk mode | Turn any tablet into self-service | Dedicated hardware or unsupported |
Loyalty + gift cards | Built in, no per-customer fee | Add-on, sometimes third-party |
UK compliance VAT bands, tipping legislation, allergen labelling. | Built for UK from the ground up | Often a US product, UK as afterthought |
Contract | Month to month, cancel anytime | 12–36 month terms common |
Setup | Free, white-glove migration | Paid onboarding common |
Custom development | Often same-week from the engineering team | Feature-request queue |
"Most UK POS" reflects the common posture of Toast, Square, Lightspeed, and similar mid-market providers. Individual platforms differ; see the head-to-head pages below for specifics.
Where we're honest
A buyer's guide that only flatters its publisher is marketing, not a guide. Here's where the larger platforms genuinely win.
Customer references at scale.
Toast and Square serve hundreds of thousands of locations. If you need thousands of UK references before signing, we're not there yet.
Integration marketplaces.
Lightspeed and Toast have 100s of pre-built integrations. Our marketplace is growing; we build custom integrations where it matters.
Built-in financial services.
Toast offers payroll, capital loans, and banking. We don't. You'll use separate providers for those.
24/7 phone support.
We're direct and fast, but we're a small team. If round-the-clock call-centre support is non-negotiable, a larger provider may suit you better.
Honest answers
Can't find what you're looking for? Talk to us.
30 days free. No card required. White-glove migration if you're switching from Toast, Square, or Lightspeed.