A Simple POS for Small Restaurants and Cafés (Free, or $7 per Month)
Short answer: A small restaurant needs a POS that takes orders by table or name, sends kitchen tickets, prints tax-ready bills and records how each bill was paid, running on a tablet it already owns. It can skip inventory suites, loyalty programs and proprietary terminals until it clearly needs them. DeskoPOS is free for one counter and $7 per month (₹499 in India) for three.
The short list that matters
- Fast order entry by category, with item notes.
- Kitchen tickets that only send new items.
- Dine-in and takeaway, plus delivery if you do it.
- Correct, tax-ready bills.
- Payment recorded by mode: cash, card, mobile or wallet.
- A day-end summary you can read in a minute.
What you can skip at first
Full inventory and recipe costing, loyalty programs, custom reporting suites and branded terminals. They are useful at scale, but they add setup time and cost. Start simple; add them when a specific problem demands it.
Keep hardware cost near zero
A browser-based POS runs on any modern tablet, laptop or desktop. Add a receipt printer when you want printed bills and kitchen tickets. Avoid systems that require their own terminal, because the terminal becomes the most expensive part of the deal and ties you to one vendor.
Pricing that stays predictable
DeskoPOS Starter is free: 1 counter, dine-in and takeaway, cash and UPI. Growth is $7 per month outside India (₹499 per outlet per month in India) for 3 counters, all order types, all payment modes and QR table ordering. Chain pricing is custom for multi-outlet brands.
Try before you decide
Run three test orders in the live demo: a table that adds items twice, a takeaway, and a split payment. If it feels natural, it will hold up at rush hour. For a deeper checklist see how to choose restaurant POS software.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest POS for a small restaurant?
A browser-based POS with a free plan on a tablet you already own. DeskoPOS Starter is free for one counter.
How much is DeskoPOS outside India?
The Growth plan is $7 per month internationally, with 3 counters, all order types, all payment modes and QR table ordering.
Does a small restaurant need inventory management in its POS?
Not at first. Fast ordering, kitchen tickets, correct bills and payment tracking matter more. Add inventory tools when stock losses become a real problem.