THE SHORT ANSWER
It depends on what you need.
Pick the row that sounds like you.
| If you need | Look at | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Free, one counter on Windows | Aronium | Free to start with no time limit, but the free version is one register. |
| Free, starting on a phone | Loyverse | The core app is free, with small optional add-ons. |
| Free and tax-ready | Veira | Advertised as free, with KRA eTIMS and M-Pesa built in. |
| One-time licence on Windows | SimbaPOS | From US$249 per user once, with 24/7 support listed. |
| Lowest monthly price with direct M-Pesa | Uzapoint | About KSh 1,500 to KSh 4,000 per counter per month. |
| Hotel or lodge with support in the fee | JiPOS | A one-time licence plus a yearly fee that lists 24/7 support and hosting. |
| A restaurant that also takes online orders, runs riders and wants any device | Orderly | One app for orders, kitchen, riders, payments, stock and staff, with an assistant and a phone app that saves sales offline. |
BEFORE YOU BUY
Nine things to check.
Mobile money and cards
Can your customers pay the way they already do, and is every payment matched to the right order?
Devices
Does it run on the phones, tablets and computers you already own, or does it need special hardware?
Offline
What happens when the internet drops in the middle of lunch?
Kitchen screen
Do orders reach the kitchen without paper and shouting?
Online ordering
Can you sell from your own page and app without paying a commission?
Delivery
Can you send orders to your own riders and see where they are?
Reports
Can you see sales, voids and stock on your phone, from home?
Moving over
Who moves your menu, and how long will it take?
Support
Who picks up when something breaks on a Friday night?
THE OPTIONS
At a glance.
| Option | Runs on | Price model | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orderly | Any phone, tablet, computer or TV, plus a desktop app | Free to start, then KSh 5,000, KSh 10,000 or KSh 25,000 a month per branch | A restaurant that also takes online orders, runs riders and wants everything in one app |
| SimbaPOS | Windows desktop | From US$249 per user, one-time (Capterra) | One Windows POS with a one-time price |
| Aronium | Windows; free version is one register | Free; Networking about US$10 per store per month | A free single counter |
| Loyverse | Phone and tablet apps, web back office | Free core; add-ons US$5 to US$25 per store per month | Starting free |
| Uzapoint | Cloud, mobile and web | About KSh 1,500 to KSh 4,000 per counter per month | A low monthly price with direct M-Pesa |
| JiPOS | Cloud hosted with terminals | KSh 65,000 once plus KSh 15,000 a year for the smallest plan | Hotels and lodges that want support in the yearly fee |
| Veira | Android app | Advertised as free | A free, tax-ready receipt |
Already on one of these?
Pick it and I will show you the honest difference.
Choosing a POS: your questions
A restaurant POS (point of sale) is the system that takes the order, tells the kitchen, takes the payment and records the sale. A good one also tracks stock and staff, runs delivery and shows you the day on your phone.
It ranges from free (Aronium, Loyverse, Veira) to about KSh 1,500 to KSh 4,000 per counter per month (Uzapoint, per a third-party guide) to one-time licences from about KSh 65,000 (JiPOS) or US$249 per user (SimbaPOS). Orderly POS is free, and paid plans are KSh 5,000, KSh 10,000 or KSh 25,000 a month per branch. Prices change, so confirm with each provider.
A desktop POS lives on one computer. A cloud POS lives online, so you can open it on a phone, tablet, computer or TV, and see sales from anywhere. Orderly is a cloud POS with a desktop app too.
No. Orderly runs on any phone, tablet, computer or TV you already own. If you want a counter, a tablet or a printer, you can buy them from the Orderly shop.
Yes. Run both side by side for a day or a week. Switch on a quiet morning when you trust the new one.
Setting Orderly up takes minutes. I bring your menu across with AI and you check it. Most owners go live within a day.
With Orderly, the Manager app on your phone saves your sales and sends them when the internet comes back. Ask any provider you are comparing how they handle it.
Orderly takes M-Pesa, Airtel Money, Apple Pay, card, cash and bank. Uzapoint and Veira also list M-Pesa, and Loyverse reaches it through payment partners. Ask each provider how it works.
See if we're your best bet.
Ask your own AI who is best. One tap, and the question is already written.
Where these facts come from. SimbaPOS · Aronium · Loyverse · Uzapoint (M-Pesa POS guide) · JiPOS · Veira. Checked 10 October 2026. "Ask them" means we have not checked it, and "Not listed" means we could not find it in what we checked. Prices change and plans differ, so confirm with each provider. Spot a mistake? WhatsApp +254 747 888 254 and we will fix it.