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Compare Lavu vs Focus POS: pricing, features, pros, cons, and which is right for your business.

Lavu vs Focus POS

Updated October 2026 · Restaurant POS Software software comparison

Lavu

Lavu

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iPad restaurant POS with in-house Lavu Pay processing and direct online ordering

★ 4.2 259 reviews
Focus POS

Focus POS

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Dealer-installed restaurant POS for full-service, bars, and multi-segment operators

At a Glance

Criteria Lavu Focus POS
Overall Rating ★ 4.2
259 reviews
No data
Starting Price Contact vendor Contact vendor
Pricing Model Quote Only Quote Only
Free Trial No No
Deployment cloud, mobile cloud, on prem, hybrid, mobile
Best For Smb, Mid Market Smb, Mid Market, Enterprise

Strengths & Weaknesses

Lavu
Focus POS
Pros
✓Runs on off-the-shelf Apple iPads — not locked to proprietary hardware, so you can buy replacements anywhere
✓Deep full-service and bar mechanics: split checks, open tabs, transfers, graphic floor plan, pool-table timer
✓In-house Lavu Pay processing is integrated with the POS and accepts payments offline during an internet drop
✓Local-dealer install and in-person support — a real strength for busy FSR and nightclub operators
✓Dual Pricing / cash-discount program offsets card-processing fees by shifting them to card-paying guests
✓Processor-flexible: payments run through dealer relationships, not a single vendor-locked card rate
✓MenuDrive direct online ordering syncs dine-in, takeout, and delivery to one report set, avoiding marketplace commissions
✓Hybrid architecture keeps the POS running on local terminals plus cloud reporting via myFocus
✓Ease of use, support, and reporting are the dominant praise across reviews
✓Strong security controls — fingerprint ID, liquor age verification, camera integration, anti-theft reporting
✓24/7 live support from real people included
✓Flexible buying: traditional license or monthly Focus-as-a-Subscription with free upgrades
Cons
✗Price and fees draw recurring complaints; no published rate means you must request a quote to compare
✗No public pricing — every quote requires a dealer demo, so comparison shopping is slow
✗Setup, onboarding, and migration run long and costly for some operators
✗Payment-processing friction is the recurring complaint in the (thin) third-party reviews
✗Occasional bugs reported in reviews
✗Onboarding and support quality vary by local dealer rather than a uniform vendor SLA
✗Hardware friction cited by some reviewers
✗Hybrid Windows-terminal lineage with cloud layered on, not a natively-cloud system
✗Integration gaps noted; the live integrations catalog is not enumerable since the integrations page now redirects
✗Too few third-party reviews to establish an authoritative rating
✗Support quality is uneven — a top strength for many but a friction point for others
✗No self-serve, month-to-month online sign-up that newer cloud POS offer

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 Lavu if…
  • Your team fits the smb or mid market profile
  • Your preferred deployment is cloud or mobile
  • Runs on off-the-shelf Apple iPads — not locked to proprietary hardware, so you can buy replacements anywhere
Choose Focus POS if…
  • Your team fits the smb or mid market or enterprise profile
  • Your preferred deployment is cloud or on prem or hybrid or mobile
  • Deep full-service and bar mechanics: split checks, open tabs, transfers, graphic floor plan, pool-table timer

Our Verdict

Lavu
Lavu edges ahead with a higher overall rating (★ 4.2 vs ★ ) .

Lavu targets smb/mid_market businesses with quote only pricing . Its strongest selling points include runs on off-the-shelf apple ipads — not locked to proprietary hardware, so you can buy replacements anywhere and in-house lavu pay processing is integrated with the pos and accepts payments offline during an internet drop.

Focus POS targets smb/mid_market/enterprise businesses with quote only pricing . Its key advantages include deep full-service and bar mechanics: split checks, open tabs, transfers, graphic floor plan, pool-table timer and local-dealer install and in-person support — a real strength for busy fsr and nightclub operators.

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

Free · No credit card

Book a vendor demo

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  • Choose a preferred date + time slot
  • 30-minute product walkthrough
  • Custom pricing based on your seat count
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