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Compare Epos Now vs Aloha: pricing, features, pros, cons, and which is right for your business.

Epos Now vs Aloha

Updated October 2026 · Restaurant POS Software software comparison

Epos Now

Epos Now

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Low-cost iPad and tablet restaurant POS with in-house flat-rate card processing

★ 4.6 26 reviews
Aloha

Aloha

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Feature-deep restaurant POS from NCR Voyix for full-service and multi-location operators

★ 3.7 224 reviews

At a Glance

Criteria Epos Now Aloha
Overall Rating ★ 4.6
26 reviews
★ 3.7
224 reviews
Starting Price Contact vendor Contact vendor
Pricing Model Quote Only Quote Only
Free Trial No No
Deployment cloud, mobile cloud, hybrid, mobile
Best For Freelancer, Smb Smb, Mid Market, Enterprise

Strengths & Weaknesses

Epos Now
Aloha
Pros
✓Low upfront cost — the hardware bundle headline (around $349) undercuts restaurant-native rivals
✓Deep full-service workflows — complex modifiers, multi-tier check splitting, multiple revenue centers, check transfers
✓Transparent flat card processing at 2.6% + 10¢ with free refunds and no long-term processing contract
✓Centralized menu management publishes one menu across POS, online, kiosk, and delivery, pushed across locations
✓Runs on your own iPad or Epos Now tablet kit — not locked to fully proprietary hardware
✓Reporting and multi-location management are a genuine strength for enterprise and multi-unit operators
✓Ingredient-level inventory with automated purchase orders and low-stock alerts
✓Processor-flexible heritage — historically less locked-in than closed-loop POS like Toast or SpotOn
✓KDS groups tickets by course and order type to speed the line during a rush
✓Built-in redundancy keeps in-store operations running through connectivity drops (cloud-to-edge)
✓In-house payments plus accounting, loyalty and reservation integrations in one platform
✓Long track record and large installed base, now backed by NCR Voyix, a public company
Cons
✗Reporting depth is the dominant gap — basics are covered but data-driven operators outgrow it
✗Payment-processing friction — payout timing and processor issues are the top recurring complaint
✗Fees draw recurring complaints even with the flat published processing rate
✗Customer and tech support draw steady criticism for slow, hard-to-resolve responses, especially post-sale
✗Integrations can bring gaps or friction connecting some third-party tools
✗Complexity and a dated UI make it steep to learn and feel legacy next to newer cloud POS
✗The mobile app experience is a repeated gripe in reviews
✗Fee friction cited by reviewers across cost and add-ons
✗Software subscription is sold by quote with no public monthly price
✗Runs on NCR Voyix purpose-built hardware rather than off-the-shelf iPads
✗General retail-and-hospitality platform — restaurant workflows are broader but shallower than restaurant-only rivals
✗Quote-only — no public software, processing, or hardware pricing to compare up front

Who uses restaurant software — and what each person does with it

🧑‍🍳 Owner / GM

Watches sales, food cost, labor and prime cost across shifts and locations on one dashboard — sees which menu items and dayparts actually make money.

📋 Floor manager

Builds the schedule against forecasted sales, approves shift swaps, seats the floor and clears the waitlist, and pulls the daily close from the POS.

🍽️ Server / FOH

Fires orders from the POS or a handheld, splits and adjusts checks, takes payment tableside, and the kitchen sees the ticket instantly on the KDS.

👨‍🍳 Kitchen / BOH

Works tickets on the kitchen display with station routing and timers, marks items 86'd, and depletes inventory automatically as dishes sell.

The flow the software runs end to end: guest orders (dine-in, online or delivery) → ticket fires to the KDS → items depleted from inventory → payment captured at the POS → sales, food and labor cost post to reporting and accounting → schedule and purchasing adjust to the numbers. Each stage hands off to the next without re-keying.

Who Should Choose Which?

Choose Epos Now if…
  • Your team fits the freelancer or smb profile
  • You prioritise peer-verified quality — higher rating (4.6 vs 3.7)
  • Your preferred deployment is cloud or mobile
  • Low upfront cost — the hardware bundle headline (around $349) undercuts restaurant-native rivals
Choose Aloha if…
  • Your team fits the smb or mid market or enterprise profile
  • Your preferred deployment is cloud or hybrid or mobile
  • Deep full-service workflows — complex modifiers, multi-tier check splitting, multiple revenue centers, check transfers

Our Verdict

Epos Now
Epos Now edges ahead with a higher overall rating (★ 4.6 vs ★ 3.7) and stronger review volume (26 vs 224 verified reviews) .

Epos Now targets freelancer/smb businesses with quote only pricing . Its strongest selling points include low upfront cost — the hardware bundle headline (around $349) undercuts restaurant-native rivals and transparent flat card processing at 2.6% + 10¢ with free refunds and no long-term processing contract.

Aloha targets smb/mid_market/enterprise businesses with quote only pricing . Its key advantages include deep full-service workflows — complex modifiers, multi-tier check splitting, multiple revenue centers, check transfers and centralized menu management publishes one menu across pos, online, kiosk, and delivery, pushed across locations.

Both tools are reviewed independently — see the full reviews below to dig into integrations, implementation timelines, and user sentiment.

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