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PayPal Point of Sale (Zettle) alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Nov 8, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rankAll POS systems

Top picks

  • SumUp logo

    Best overall

    SumUp

    UK subscription: Payments Plus, £19/month

  • Square POS logo

    Best free option

    Square POS

    Starting price: $49/month per location (Square Plus)

Common reasons people leave PayPal Point of Sale (Zettle): payment Links are temporarily closed to new sellers, and tied to a PayPal Business account. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces PayPal Point of Sale (Zettle), then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. SumUp currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingVerified priceOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1SumUp logoSumUpPaidPayments Plus, £19/monthNoiOS, Android, Web4 of 468.8
2Square POS logoSquare POSFree plan + paid$49/month per location (Square Plus)NoiOS, Android, Web7 of 764.8
3Clover logoCloverPaid$16/month for 36 months or $349 upfront (Basic retail system)NoAndroid, iOS, Web8 of 861.8
4Toast logoToastPaid—NoAndroid, iOS, Web4 of 455.3
5Shopify logoShopifyPaid—NoWeb, iOS, Android4 of 451.2
  1. SumUp logo

    1. SumUpTop pick

    Best for: Sole traders and small shops that want cheap card readers and no monthly fees

    PaidiOS, Android, Web

    68.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from PayPal Point of Sale (Zettle)

    Slightly cheaper UK pay-as-you-go rate and a free business account with next-day payouts.

    Pros

    • No monthly fee on the pay-as-you-go plan
    • Card readers are bought once, not rented
    • Free business account with next-day payouts

    Cons

    • Pricing and products differ by country
    • POS features are lighter than restaurant-focused systems
    • Lower rates require a monthly subscription
    Visit SumUp Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is SumUp a good PayPal Point of Sale (Zettle) alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    UK transaction fee
    1.69% (pay-as-you-go)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026sumup.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Monthly minimums
    None
    Checked Nov 8, 2026sumup.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Payouts
    Next day to SumUp Business Account
    Checked Nov 8, 2026sumup.com(opens source in a new tab)
    UK subscription
    Payments Plus, £19/month
    Checked Nov 8, 2026sumup.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Square POS logo

    2. Square POS

    Best for: Small cafes, food trucks and shops that want a POS with no monthly fee to start

    Free plan + paidiOS, Android, Web

    64.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from PayPal Point of Sale (Zettle)

    Free POS with stronger inventory and staff tools, especially in the US.

    Pros

    • Free plan with no monthly fee, only processing charges
    • Pricing and hardware are listed openly and sold online
    • Takes offline card payments for up to 24 hours
    • Connects to Square's payroll, banking and online store

    Cons

    • Payments must run through Square's own processing
    • Kitchen display and kiosk software cost extra per device
    • Offline payments that fail later are the seller's loss
    Visit Square POS Compare with PayPal Point of Sale (Zettle)Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Square POS a good PayPal Point of Sale (Zettle) alternative?

    Verified facts

    7 of 7 verified
    Free plan
    Yes, Square Free at $0/month
    Checked Nov 8, 2026squareup.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Plus plan
    $49/month per location
    Checked Nov 8, 2026squareup.com(opens source in a new tab)
    In-person card fee
    2.6% + 15¢ (Free plan)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026squareup.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Offline mode
    Offline payments for up to 24 hours
    Checked Nov 8, 2026squareup.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Hardware
    Sold separately
    Checked Nov 8, 2026squareup.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting price
    $49/month per location (Square Plus)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026squareup.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Premium plan
    $149/month per location
    Checked Nov 8, 2026squareup.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Clover logo

    3. Clover

    Best for: Restaurants and shops that want bank-backed POS hardware with an app market for add-ons

    PaidAndroid, iOS, Web

    61.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from PayPal Point of Sale (Zettle)

    Countertop hardware and fuller POS features for growing shops.

    Pros

    • Hundreds of third-party apps in the Clover App Market
    • Packages tailored to restaurants, retail and service businesses
    • Virtual Terminal takes payments from a browser with no device
    • Widely sold through banks and retailers, with local support options

    Cons

    • Terms and fees can differ depending on the bank or reseller you buy from
    • Processing fees are charged on top of the monthly software fee
    • Accounts need credit approval before you can start
    Visit Clover Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Clover a good PayPal Point of Sale (Zettle) alternative?

    Verified facts

    8 of 8 verified
    Pricing model
    Monthly software fee plus processing
    Checked Nov 8, 2026clover.com(opens source in a new tab)
    App market
    Hundreds of third-party apps
    Checked Nov 8, 2026clover.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Virtual Terminal
    Yes, browser-based payments
    Checked Nov 8, 2026clover.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Where to buy
    Clover.com, banks and retailers
    Checked Nov 8, 2026clover.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting price
    $16/month for 36 months or $349 upfront (Basic retail system)
    Checked Nov 3, 2026clover.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Standard plan
    $1,899 hardware + $84.95/month (retail)
    Checked Nov 3, 2026clover.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Advanced plan
    $2,648 hardware + $104.90/month (retail)
    Checked Nov 3, 2026clover.com(opens source in a new tab)
    In-person card fee
    2.3% + 10¢ to 2.6% + 10¢ per transaction
    Checked Nov 3, 2026clover.com(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Toast logo

    4. Toast

    Best for: US restaurants that want POS, payments, online ordering and payroll from one vendor

    PaidAndroid, iOS, Web

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from PayPal Point of Sale (Zettle)

    Built for restaurants and cafés, with kitchen display screens, table management and online ordering beyond Zettle's retail focus.

    Pros

    • Built only for restaurants, from counter service to fine dining
    • Handhelds let servers take orders and payments at the table
    • Online ordering, loyalty and payroll available in the same system
    • Open APIs and a partner program for third-party integrations

    Cons

    • Card processing is tied to Toast, so you can't shop around for rates
    • Most pricing needs a sales quote and hardware is a separate cost
    • Mainly available in the US and a handful of other countries
    Visit Toast Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Toast a good PayPal Point of Sale (Zettle) alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    API
    Standard, analytics and custom API access
    Checked Nov 8, 2026doc.toasttab.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Partner integrations
    Toast Partner Integrations program
    Checked Nov 8, 2026doc.toasttab.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Headquarters
    Boston, Massachusetts
    Checked Nov 8, 2026central.toasttab.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Mobile app
    Toast Now app for support
    Checked Nov 8, 2026central.toasttab.com(opens source in a new tab)
  5. Shopify logo

    5. Shopify

    Best for: Most merchants who want a reliable hosted store that can grow from first sale to enterprise

    PaidWeb, iOS, Android

    51.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from PayPal Point of Sale (Zettle)

    Shopify POS shares one product catalogue and stock count with a Shopify online store, so counter and web sales stay in sync.

    Pros

    • Fast, trusted checkout with Shop Pay
    • Largest ecommerce app and theme ecosystem
    • Built-in POS and multichannel selling

    Cons

    • Apps and plan upgrades push monthly costs up
    • Extra fees when using third-party payment gateways
    • Deep checkout customisation reserved for higher plans
    Visit Shopify Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.341
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Shopify a good PayPal Point of Sale (Zettle) alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free trial
    3 days
    Checked Nov 8, 2026shopify.com(opens source in a new tab)
    App Store
    21,000+ apps
    Checked Nov 8, 2026shopify.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Themes
    200+ pre-built
    Checked Nov 8, 2026shopify.com(opens source in a new tab)
    US ecommerce share
    About 10% of US ecommerce sales
    Checked Nov 8, 2026shopify.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best PayPal Point of Sale (Zettle) alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

SumUp logo

Best PayPal Point of Sale (Zettle) alternative for most people

SumUp

Slightly cheaper UK pay-as-you-go rate and a free business account with next-day payouts.

Square POS logo

Best PayPal Point of Sale (Zettle) alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Square POS

Free POS with stronger inventory and staff tools, especially in the US.

Clover logo

Best PayPal Point of Sale (Zettle) alternative for iPhone and Android

Clover

Countertop hardware and fuller POS features for growing shops.

Toast logo

Best PayPal Point of Sale (Zettle) alternative for working in the browser

Toast

Built for restaurants and cafés, with kitchen display screens, table management and online ordering beyond Zettle's retail focus.

PayPal Point of Sale (Zettle) alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to PayPal Point of Sale (Zettle)?

SumUp ranks first right now. Slightly cheaper UK pay-as-you-go rate and a free business account with next-day payouts. Square POS and Clover follow it in our ranking.

PayPal Point of Sale (Zettle) vs SumUp: what's the difference?

Both PayPal Point of Sale (Zettle) and SumUp are paid products. Both run on iOS, Android and Web.

Is PayPal Point of Sale (Zettle) free?

PayPal Point of Sale (Zettle) is a paid product. Card reader: £29 excl. VAT (new business users); Terminal: £149 excl. VAT; Additional card reader: £69 excl. VAT. Checked on PayPal Point of Sale (Zettle)'s own site, November 2026.

How much do PayPal Point of Sale (Zettle) alternatives cost?

Verified prices for the top-ranked PayPal Point of Sale (Zettle) alternatives: SumUp, Payments Plus, £19/month; Square POS, $49/month per location (Square Plus); Clover, $16/month for 36 months or $349 upfront (Basic retail system). Each price was checked on the app's own site; see each card below for the date and source.

Is there a free alternative to PayPal Point of Sale (Zettle)?

Yes. Square POS (free plan + paid) has a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to PayPal Point of Sale (Zettle)?

None of the 5 alternatives in this list is open source.

Why do people switch from PayPal Point of Sale (Zettle)?

The complaints we hear most: payment Links are temporarily closed to new sellers; tied to a PayPal Business account; lighter feature set than restaurant-focused POS systems.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces PayPal Point of Sale (Zettle), reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.