Epos Now vs. Shopify POS: Point of Sale System Comparison

Purchasing a point of sale system is one of the most crucial decisions you'll make for your business. But with so many to choose from, and so many different factors to consider, making the right choice for your business is not easy. That's why, rather than letting you bury yourself in research, we've compiled a comparison page to weigh up the pros and cons of two popular choices: Shopify POS and Epos Now.

Shopify are best known for their ecommerce platform, but have branched out into the POS industry, and many businesses are putting their trust in their technology. Epos Now, though, have been developing their point of sale solutions for fifteen years, and are trusted by 80,000+ businesses across the world. Let's see how they weigh up against each other!

Epos Now

Shopify POS

Compatibility

iOS, Android, Windows

iOS and Android

Features

80+

40+ (Retail focus)

Native EPOS system

Yes

Advanced Inventory

Yes

Hospitality Features

Yes

Retail Only

Stock Room Transfers

Yes

Paid (POS Pro)

Staff Roles & Permissions

Yes

Paid (POS Pro only)

Easy access

Thanks to our cloud-based software, you can access our systems from anywhere with an internet connection.

Easy payments integration

Epos Now Payments, our first-party payment processing service, allows you to process payments at one fixed rate.

Industry expertise

At Epos Now, we've been POS experts for over a decade. Our expertise helps you reach success and build a better business.

Benefits of Epos Now vs Shopify in customer support

Users have reported issues with Shopify's customer support, which comes mostly in livechat form, making it hard for people that want to speak to a human advisor. Customer reviews have reported issues with Shopify, with their appstore review score coming in at only 2.9 stars.

Epos Now offers you support at speed in a form that suits you, including over-the-phone, livechat, but also written and video guides on every part of your system.

We maintain a fully in-house team with 24/7 support hours available, so you're always covered.

Advantages of Epos Now vs Shopify POS systems

To cater to businesses worldwide, Epos Now developed a system with every feature a large or small business could need, including must-haves retail essentials like Click&Collect, complex inventory management, and integrations retailers love like loyalty programs.

The Shopify POS software package cannot run on Windows, and has been developed as a secondary service alongside their original ecommerce site. Meanwhile, Epos Now works with Windows, iOS, and Android, giving users the flexibility to use the software that suits them.

Differences between Epos Now vs Shopify POS hardware

Epos Now's hardware packages offer a fantastic variety of options to suit all retail POS system and hospitality POS system needs, helping to fuel business growth. These include fixed, countertop terminals, mobile tablets and all in one POS and card payment devices. The software will also work on your personal devices, giving you full control over how you trade and manage your business.

Meanwhile, Shopify POS has roughly half the number of features compared to Epos Now. They are retail specialists, and their ecommerce platform is very popular, so they are not suitable for the hospitality industry. Plus, Epos Now partner with Shopify ecommerce, so you can use Epos Now for your point of sale, with Shopify's ecommerce platform integrated into one system if you prefer.

More industry-specific advantages of Epos Now over Shopify POS

Smart Inventory Management

Epos Now takes the pressure off your team with intelligent inventory management features. Automate stock tracking and manage your inventory quickly and efficiently with user-friendly software that saves you valuable time every day.

Purchase Orders

With supplier and brand purchase ordering, an overview of previous deliveries, and simple goods receipt management, replenishing your inventory is quick and easy. That leaves you with more time to focus on what really matters—your customers.

Simplified Order Management

With Epos Now's user-friendly POS software, you can process orders quickly and efficiently, regardless of the device you're using. The system can be learned in a short time and helps you reduce waiting times while serving customers faster.

Omnichannel Selling Made Simple

Whether you're looking to offer self-service, table ordering, online sales or delivery services, Epos Now's flexible customisation options allow you to reach customers across all major sales channels and create a seamless shopping experience.

Manage Multiple Locations Efficiently

Easily manage multiple locations with Epos Now's Enterprise solution. Organise your staff, inventory and services by location or region, while keeping every aspect of your business under centralised control.

Detailed Downloadable Reports

Monitor the performance of every location with comprehensive sales reports covering employee performance, product performance, and daily and hourly sales. This gives you the insights you need to make informed business decisions based on real-time data.

"Would I recommend Epos Now? 100%. I talk about it, and I think there’s about another five in the town that have taken the system!"

Siven Cook

Pets Paradise, Norfolk, UK

FAQ about switching from Shopify POS to Epos Now

If you'd like to know anything else about how Epos Now can help your business, reach out to our team or read our frequently asked questions.

What are the main differences between Epos Now and Shopify?

While the two products may look similar on a surface level, Epos Now and Shopify POS have very different origins that mean the programs, features, and experience of those using them are actually very different.

Shopify is an ecommerce platform first, with a lot of their business coming from that industry, while Epos Now began as a POS provider, and has developed other sides of the platform, including card payments, loyalty and booking programs, as well as ecommerce, all to help those businesses using their point of sale system. Shopify's integrations are also not as extensive as Epos Now, who have 100+ integrations available to their users to let them adapt their system to suit their needs.

Is Epos Now customisable?

Absolutely! With over a dozen years in the POS industry, Epos Now has developed a point of sale with enough flexibility to cater to every corner of the retail and hospitality sectors. This includes partnering with third party programs business owners love, like Sage and Xero accounting software, or working to create an adaptable system ready to tackle the problems businesses face today.

Today, Epos Now features mobile POS terminals, an ecommerce platform to rival Shopify, and a wider range of hardware compatibility including weighing scales for grocers and convenience stores, kitchen display screens for restaurants, label printers, portable scanners, and an API integration that allows businesses to adapt their software to do whatever they require, taking customisable to a whole new level!

Which system is better for inventory management?

When comparing Epos Now and Shopify POS features, Epos Now is a clear winner on inventory management. Every package comes with full inventory functionality, including a complex product matrix ready for products in different sizes, colours, and types. It has numerous solid and liquid measures you can use to track stock, with master products so that your ingredient levels correct when you sell a meal in a restaurant.

With staff management that allows or denies inventory access, purchase ordering from supplies to make accepting new stock a one-click task, and integration between stock levels on multiple channels (not to mention localised stock for enterprise businesses), Epos Now's inventory software is perfect for businesses looking to manage complex inventory without compromising on an affordable price.