Best Android POS Systems (2027)

Some of these run on the Android phone in your pocket. Others only run on hardware the vendor sells you. This page sorts the eight by which one they are, what Android version they need, and what the hardware costs.

Reviewed by CanComCo, Partner Experience Manager. Last updated November 2026.

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  • Best free: Loyverse. Free, and it runs on Android 7 or later, so older tablets still work.
  • Best for your own phone: PayPal POS. $0 per month on Android 8 or later.
  • Best vendor hardware: Clover. Compact from $349, Flex from $749, both on Android 13.
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Illustration: staff member taking a contactless payment on an Android phone at a shop counter

Top Android POS Systems at a Glance

  • Best free

    Loyverse

    Free, with no monthly fee, and it runs on Android 7 or later. If your tablets are a few years old, this is the one that still installs. Loyverse sells no Android hardware of its own.

    Free

    Get Loyverse
  • Best for your own phone

    PayPal POS

    No monthly fee, and the app runs on Android 8 or later. Pair it with the $199 PayPal Terminal when you want dedicated hardware. It takes PayPal payments only.

    $0/mo. Terminal $199.

    Get PayPal POS
  • Best vendor hardware

    Clover

    Clover builds its own Android devices. The Compact starts at $349, the Flex at $749, and the Mini at $849 or $45 per month. Clover Flex 4 and Compact run Android 13.

    Compact $349. Flex $749. Mini $849 or $45/mo.

    Get Clover

Why Android Support Matters for Your POS

Android phones and tablets come in more sizes and price points than Apple devices. If your POS does not support Android, you buy iPads or a vendor's terminal just to run the software. That is a hardware bill you did not plan for.

Picture a shop where every staff member already carries an Android phone. A POS that only runs on iPad means buying an iPad for each station. Or a restaurant that wants rugged Android handhelds for table service, running a POS that supports Apple devices only. The POS decides the hardware, not the other way around.

One thing to understand before you shop. Android POS covers two different products. Some vendors let you install an Android POS app on a phone or tablet you already own. Others sell you their own Android device and the app only runs on that. Both are Android. Only one saves you the hardware purchase.

What to Look for in an Android POS System

  • 1. Whether the app runs on your own Android phone or tablet

    This is the first question, and the answer splits this list. Loyverse, Shopify POS, PayPal POS and Erply install on devices you already own. Toast does not support your own Android devices at all. Clover only reaches your phone through Clover Go.

  • 2. The minimum Android version and which devices work

    Every app sets a floor. Erply runs on Android 6 or later, Loyverse on Android 7, PayPal POS on Android 8, Shopify POS on Android 10. Check your oldest device against that number before you commit, because the oldest device is the one that will fail.

  • 3. Vendor Android hardware and its price

    If you want a device built for the job, four vendors here sell one: Clover from $349, Hike's Handheld at $625, Toast with hardware from $0 for a first device, and PayPal's Terminal at $199. Loyverse and Erply sell no Android hardware, so an Android POS machine from the vendor is not on offer with either.

  • 4. Whether you get the same features as the iPad or desktop version

    Vendors build for one platform first. Ask which features are missing on Android before you sign, because a feature parity gap is hard to discover from a demo.

  • 5. Whether it works with your card readers, printers and scanners

    An Android POS terminal is only as useful as the gear it talks to. If you need an Android POS with barcode scanner support or a particular printer, get a supported device list in writing. Square states a minimum of Android 7.0 or later for its card readers, which is a different number from the app's own requirement.

  • 6. Offline mode on Android

    If the Wi-Fi drops mid-service, does the app keep taking orders? Ask each vendor for this answer in writing. None of the eight published a clear offline-on-Android position we can cite here.

Compare Android POS Software Side by Side

POS system Starting price Own Android phone Own Android tablet Minimum Android version Vendor Android hardware Hardware price Offline on Android
LoyverseBest free Free Yes Yes 7.0 No Not applicable Not stated
PayPal POS $0/mo Yes Not stated 8.0 Yes, PayPal Terminal $199 Not stated
Shopify POS Basic $39/mo Yes Yes 10, rising to 13 in 2027 Not stated Not stated Not stated
Erply From $49 per store, billed annually Yes Yes 6.0 No Not applicable Not stated
Square $0/mo (Square Free) Yes Not stated 7.0 for card readers Not stated Not stated Not stated
Clover Compact $349 Clover Go only Not stated Android 13 on Flex 4 and Compact Yes Compact $349, Flex $749, Mini $849 or $45/mo Not stated
Hike From $59/mo, billed annually Vendor pages conflict Not stated Not stated Yes, Hike Handheld $625 Not stated
Toast Hardware from $0, first device only No No Android 7 and 8 devices retired Yes From $0 for the first device Not stated

Features and prices verified November 2026. Not stated means the vendor has not published the detail, not that the feature is missing.

Loyverse: Best for older Android tablets and the tightest budget

Loyverse is free and runs on Android 7 or later, the lowest floor on this list after Erply. If you have a drawer of three or four-year-old tablets, this is the app most likely to install on all of them. No monthly fee means no decision to justify, so you can test it on a Saturday.

The trade-off is hardware. Loyverse sells no Android devices. You bring your own phones and tablets, and you source your own card reader, printer and scanner. For a business that already owns the gear, that is a feature. For one starting from nothing, it means assembling a kit yourself.

Treat Loyverse as the Android POS app for small business owners who want to spend nothing to find out whether an Android POS fits.

Pros

  • Free
  • Runs on Android 7 or later
  • Installs on phones and tablets you already own

Cons

  • No Android hardware sold
  • You source readers, printers and scanners yourself
  • Offline behavior on Android not published

Pricing: free.

Get Loyverse

PayPal POS: Best for selling on your own Android phone with no monthly fee

PayPal POS costs $0 per month and runs on Android 8 or later. For a market stall, a pop-up, or a shop with one till, that combination is hard to beat: install it on the phone you own and start taking payments.

If you want a dedicated device, the PayPal Terminal is $199, a one-time cost rather than a subscription. PayPal has not published which operating system the Terminal runs, so if you need Android on the device itself and not just on your phone, ask before you order.

The real constraint is payments. PayPal POS works with PayPal payments only. If you already process through another provider, or you want the freedom to switch, this one locks that door. For a seller happy inside PayPal, the zero monthly fee is the strongest offer on this page.

Pros

  • $0 per month
  • Runs on Android 8 or later
  • Optional $199 Terminal, bought once

Cons

  • PayPal payments only
  • Terminal operating system not published
  • Tablet support not stated

Pricing: $0/mo. PayPal Terminal $199.

Get PayPal POS

Shopify POS: Best for retailers on newer Android phones and tablets

Shopify POS runs on Android 10 or later, which covers phones and tablets bought in roughly the last five years. If your staff carry recent Android devices, the app installs on what is already in their pockets, and the POS ties straight into the Shopify store you run.

Three conditions matter. The app needs Google Play Services, so it will not run on a device without them. It is not available on Amazon Fire tablets, which rules out the cheapest tablets on the market. And from 2027, Shopify POS requires Android 13 or later, so a device that works today may stop working within a year. Check your fleet against 13, not against 10.

For a retailer already on Shopify, this is the natural Android retail POS system. For anyone else, the $39 per month Basic plan buys the whole platform, not just the POS.

Pros

  • Runs on Android 10 or later
  • Works on phones and tablets
  • Ties into your Shopify store

Cons

  • Needs Google Play Services
  • Not available on Amazon Fire tablets
  • Android 13 required from 2027

Pricing: Basic $39/mo.

Get Shopify POS

Erply: Best for chains running older Android tablets

Erply's app runs on Android 6 or later, the lowest requirement on this page. For a chain with mixed-age tablets across several stores, that matters more than any feature list, because the alternative is replacing hardware store by store.

Pricing runs from $49 per store, billed annually, which suits a multi-site operation where the cost scales with locations rather than devices. Add a store and you add one line.

Erply sells no Android hardware. You keep the tablets you have, which is the point, but if a device dies you replace it yourself rather than ordering from the vendor. Plan a spares policy before you roll out across sites.

Pros

  • Runs on Android 6 or later
  • Per-store pricing suits chains
  • Works on tablets you already own

Cons

  • No Android hardware sold
  • Annual billing
  • Offline behavior on Android not published

Pricing: from $49 per store, billed annually.

Get Erply

Square: Best for Android phones with Tap to Pay

Square Free costs $0 per month, and on Android 9 or later you can take contactless payments with Tap to Pay, using the phone itself as the reader. No dongle, no terminal, no hardware order. For a business taking payments away from a counter, that removes the whole hardware question.

Two gaps to note before you plan a rollout. Square has not stated whether its Android tablet support matches its phone support, so if your plan is tablets at the counter, confirm it first. And the Android version Square publishes, 7.0 or later, applies to its card readers, not to the app, so treat it as the floor for hardware rather than for the software.

Square suits a seller who wants the lowest possible entry cost on a phone and who can work around the unanswered tablet question.

Pros

  • $0 per month
  • Tap to Pay on Android 9 or later
  • No card reader needed for contactless

Cons

  • Android tablet support not stated
  • The published Android 7.0 minimum covers card readers, not the app
  • Vendor Android hardware not stated

Pricing: $0/mo (Square Free).

Get Square

Clover: Best for businesses that want purpose-built Android hardware

Clover builds its own Android devices rather than leaving you to source them. The Compact starts at $349, the Flex at $749, and the Mini at $849 or $45 per month. Clover Flex 4 and Compact run Android 13, which is current enough to carry a few years of updates.

Understand what you are buying. Your own phone only reaches Clover through Clover Go, a separate product, so this is not an Android POS app you install on the handset in your pocket. You are buying a Clover device, and the Android underneath it is an implementation detail rather than a choice you get to make.

One more thing worth knowing: Clover devices are not Google Play certified. If your plan involves installing other Android apps alongside the POS, check that each one will run before you commit.

Pros

  • Purpose-built Android hardware
  • Flex 4 and Compact run Android 13
  • Three price points from $349

Cons

  • Your own phone works only through Clover Go
  • Devices not Google Play certified
  • Hardware cost up front

Pricing: Compact $349. Flex $749. Mini $849 or $45/mo.

Get Clover

Hike: Best for retailers who want an Android handheld with a printer built in

The Hike Handheld costs $625 and puts a receipt printer inside the device. For a retailer running a queue-busting setup, or a counter with no room for a separate printer, that is one less box and one less cable.

Software runs from $59 per month, billed annually, so the first-year commitment is real. Price the handheld and the subscription together rather than separately.

Two unknowns. Hike's own pages conflict on whether the POS runs on an Android phone, and the company has not published a minimum Android version. If you are buying the Handheld, neither question blocks you. If you planned to run Hike on staff phones, get the answer in writing before you pay, because the vendor's own documentation does not settle it.

Pros

  • Handheld with a built-in printer
  • Purpose-built for retail
  • One device instead of two

Cons

  • Vendor pages conflict on Android phone support
  • Minimum Android version not published
  • $625 hardware plus annual billing

Pricing: from $59/mo billed annually. Hike Handheld $625.

Get Hike

Toast: Best for restaurants that want Toast's own Android hardware

Toast builds its own Android hardware for restaurants, and hardware starts at $0 for the first device. For a restaurant opening a single location, that entry point is the lowest on this page, with the cost moving into the processing agreement instead of the purchase.

Be clear about the constraint. Your own Android devices are not supported. You run Toast on Toast hardware, which makes this an Android restaurant POS system in the sense that the vendor's devices run Android, not in the sense that you bring your own.

Older Toast devices running Android 7 or 8 have been retired. If someone offers you second-hand Toast hardware, check the Android version before you buy, because a retired device is a device that stops getting updates.

Pros

  • Hardware from $0 for a first device
  • Built for restaurant service
  • Vendor supplies and supports the devices

Cons

  • Your own Android devices not supported
  • Older Android 7 and 8 devices retired
  • Tied to Toast hardware

Pricing: hardware from $0, first device only.

Get Toast

Which Android POS Fits Your Situation

Your staff already carry Android phones

Go with Shopify POS or PayPal POS. Shopify runs on Android 10 or later, PayPal POS on Android 8 or later. Check your oldest handset against those numbers, then pick Shopify if you sell through a Shopify store and PayPal POS if you want no monthly fee. Either one gives you an Android mobile POS system without buying a single device.

You run a restaurant and want rugged hardware from one vendor

Go with Clover or Toast. Clover Flex 4 and Compact run Android 13, with the Compact from $349 and the Flex from $749. Toast builds its own Android hardware starting at $0 for the first device. Neither runs on phones you already own, so you are buying a device either way.

You run a small business on older Android tablets

Go with Loyverse or Erply. Loyverse runs on Android 7 or later and costs nothing. Erply's app runs on Android 6 or later and starts at $49 per store, billed annually. Erply suits several locations, Loyverse suits one. An Android tablet POS on hardware you already own is the cheapest route into either.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use the Android phone I already own?

With four of these, yes. Loyverse needs Android 7 or later, PayPal POS Android 8, Shopify POS Android 10, and Erply Android 6. Square runs on Android phones and offers Tap to Pay on Android 9 or later. Toast does not support your own Android devices. Clover reaches your phone only through Clover Go, and Hike's own pages conflict on the answer.

What Android version do I need?

It depends which one you pick, and the floors range from 6 to 10. The number that will bite you is Shopify's: it needs Android 10 today and Android 13 from 2027, so a phone that works now may not work next year. Hike has not published a minimum version at all.

Does an Android POS work on a tablet as well as a phone?

Loyverse, Shopify POS and Erply run on both. Square, PayPal POS, Clover and Hike have not stated tablet support, so confirm it before you buy tablets for the purpose. Shopify POS does not run on Amazon Fire tablets.

Do I have to buy the vendor's hardware?

Not with Loyverse or Erply, which sell no Android hardware. PayPal offers the $199 Terminal as an option. With Clover, Hike and Toast, hardware is the product: Clover from $349, the Hike Handheld at $625, and Toast hardware from $0 for a first device.

Will it work with my card reader, printer and scanner?

Ask each vendor for a supported device list. Square publishes a minimum of Android 7.0 or later for its card readers, which is a separate requirement from the app's. Hike's Handheld has a printer built in, so there is no separate printer to connect. If you need an Android POS with payment processing from a specific provider, confirm that too: PayPal POS takes PayPal payments only.

Does an Android POS work offline?

None of the eight published a clear offline-on-Android position we can cite here. If your Wi-Fi is unreliable, make this a written question for the vendor before you sign.

Does it have the same features as the iPad version?

Vendors build for one platform first, and feature gaps on the second platform are common. None of the eight published a parity statement we can cite, so ask which features are missing on Android before you commit, including anything you depend on such as an Android POS with inventory management.

Our Verdict on Android POS Systems

If you want to run on the Android devices you already own, Loyverse is the one to try first, because it is free and it installs on Android 7 or later, so it works on the oldest fleet here. If you want hardware built for the job, Clover is the pick, with the Compact at $349 and the Flex at $749, both on Android 13. Between those two sits PayPal POS, at $0 per month on Android 8 or later, if you process through PayPal and want the option of a $199 Terminal later.

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