On this page
Key takeaways
- One store with five employees paid $114 to about $259 each month on Square, Lightspeed, Shopify or Clover once scheduling, payroll and commissions were added.
- Payroll is the add-on that grows: Square Payroll and Homebase Payroll both charge $6 for each person paid.
- MazalPOS Growth is $169 per location per month with schedules, the staff app, commissions, payroll totals and the online store included, and no charge for each employee.
- Card processing is separate on every system: 2.3% to 2.6% plus 10¢ or 15¢ in person.
The short answer
For one retail location with five employees that needs a register, schedules, a time clock, commission tracking, payroll and an online store, the four best known POS systems cost between $114 and about $259 each month once the add-ons are counted, before card processing. Square Plus with Square Payroll was the lowest at $114. Lightspeed Retail Basic with a payroll app came to $168, Shopify Grow with POS Pro and a payroll app to $257, and Clover Standard with a payroll app to $259.
MazalPOS Growth is $169 per location per month for the same store, with schedules, the MazalTeam staff app, commissions, payroll totals and the online store in the plan. Essentials is $99 per location per month without payroll, commissions or the online store. Every number below links to the page we read it from.
How we priced it
We picked one common case: a single retail store with five employees on payroll. The store wants a register, inventory, staff schedules, a time clock, commission tracking, payroll, an online store on the same stock, and a phone app for the team. For each system we chose the lowest plan that covers most of that list, then added what the vendor sells separately or points to as a partner app.
- Prices were read on October 18, 2026, from each vendor’s own pricing page: Square, Square Payroll, Shopify, Clover and Lightspeed. Third-party app prices come from Homebase’s pricing page.
- Where a page shows yearly billing first, we used the yearly price and say so.
- Free trials and promotions, such as months of free payroll, are left out. They end, and the regular price is what you pay after.
- Card processing is listed on its own, because it is a percentage of sales, not a monthly fee.
The cost table
| System and plan | Base plan | Scheduling | Payroll, 5 paid | Commissions | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square Plus | $49 | Included | $65 (Square Payroll) | Included | $114 |
| Shopify Grow + POS Pro, billed yearly | $178 | Free app (Homebase) | $79 (Homebase) | Paid app | $257 + app |
| Clover Standard, hardware over 36 months | $180 | Included | $79 (Homebase) | Not priced | $259 + app |
| Lightspeed Retail Basic, billed yearly | $89 | Free app (Homebase) | $79 (Homebase) | Not listed | $168 |
| MazalPOS Growth | $169 | Included | Totals included | Included | $169 |
US dollars for each month, one location, five employees, read from each vendor’s pricing page on October 18, 2026. Payroll is Square Payroll at $35 + 5 × $6, or Homebase Payroll at $49 + 5 × $6. All five include an online store. MazalPOS totals hours and commission but does not file payroll taxes. Card processing, hardware (except Clover’s bundle), taxes and promotions are not included.
What each system adds on top
Square
Square Free costs $0, but Square’s retail pricing page puts shift scheduling, timecards and commissions tracking in Square Plus at $49 each month or Square Premium at $149 each month. Payroll is a separate product: Square Payroll lists $35 each month plus $6 for each person paid. Square Payroll pays your team and files payroll taxes, which is real work you would otherwise pay someone for.
Shopify
Shopify’s plans are priced for the online store: Basic at $29, Grow at $89 and Advanced at $359 each month on yearly billing. For a real register, Shopify sells POS Pro at $89 for each location every month. Shopify does not offer its own payroll or staff scheduling, so those come from apps in its app store. Homebase is free for one location and up to 10 employees, and Homebase Payroll is $49 each month plus $6 for each employee paid.
Clover
Clover sells hardware and software together. Its retail Standard plan is $180 each month for 36 months, or $1,899 up front plus a monthly software fee, and includes shift management and a branded website. Clover’s pricing page lists payroll integrations as an optional add-on without a price, so we used Homebase Payroll.
Lightspeed
Lightspeed Retail Basic is $89 each month on yearly billing, with one register included and Lightspeed eCommerce built in. Scheduling and payroll come through partners such as Homebase, and commission tracking is not listed on the pricing page.
What MazalPOS costs for the same store
MazalPOS has two published plans, both priced per location: Essentials at $99 per month and Growth at $169 per month, month to month, with 14 days free and no card.
- Essentials: the register on an iPad or any computer, inventory, customers, reports, card and cash payments, full staff scheduling, and the MazalTeam staff app with clock-in and time-off requests.
- Growth adds the online store on the same inventory, commissions on every sale, payroll totals for each pay period (the 1st to the 15th and the 16th to the end of the month), and multi-location, so the store and the website run as one connected system.
Be clear on one difference: MazalPOS adds up hours and commission for each pay period, but it does not pay your team or file payroll taxes. If you want that done for you, Square Payroll or a payroll service is still part of your stack. If your accountant or bookkeeper already runs payroll, the totals from MazalPOS are what they need.
What changes as your team grows
Most payroll products charge for each person paid. Square Payroll and Homebase Payroll both list $6 for each employee every month, so going from five to ten employees adds $30 each month on either one. Homebase’s free Basic plan also stops at 10 employees and one location. MazalPOS does not charge for each employee: the plan price stays the same whether you have three people or thirty.
A second location doubles the per-location plans on every system in this report, including MazalPOS. Ask each vendor what a second register costs too: Lightspeed includes one register per location and charges for more.
Card processing is a separate line
Every system here takes a percentage of each card sale. The in-person rates listed on the pricing pages on October 18, 2026, were:
- Square: 2.6% + 15¢ on Free, 2.5% + 15¢ on Plus, 2.4% + 15¢ on Premium.
- Shopify: 2.6% + 10¢ on Basic, 2.5% + 10¢ on Grow, 2.4% + 10¢ on Advanced.
- Clover: 2.6% + 10¢ on Basic, 2.3% + 10¢ on Standard and Advanced.
- Lightspeed: 2.6% + 10¢ on every plan.
On $40,000 of card sales a month, a 0.3% difference is $120 each month, more than most of the add-ons above. Always compare processing on its own quote, with your own average sale.
How to check your own quote
- List every job your team does in the system: ringing up, scheduling, clocking in, commissions, payroll, the website.
- For each job, write the plan, add-on or app that covers it, and its price for your number of employees.
- Check whether the price is yearly or monthly billing, and what happens when a promotion ends.
- Get the processing rate in writing, for in person and online.
- Keep your time records either way: the U.S. Department of Labor requires employers to record hours worked each workday and workweek for non-exempt employees.
For the full list of costs to check, read how much a POS system costs for a small business, compare Square for stores with employees, or see what is in each plan on the pricing page.
Common questions
In our October 2026 check, one location with five employees paid from $114 each month on Square Plus with Square Payroll to about $259 each month on Clover Standard with a payroll app, before card processing. MazalPOS Growth is $169 per location per month with schedules, the staff app, commissions and payroll totals included.
The base plan rarely includes everything a team needs. Scheduling, time clocks, commission tracking and payroll are often in a higher plan, a separate product or a third-party app, and payroll is usually charged for each person paid.
No. Card processing is a percentage of each sale, so it is a separate line on every system. In person, the vendors list 2.3% to 2.6% plus 10¢ or 15¢ per tap, dip or swipe, depending on the plan.
No. MazalPOS is priced per location: Essentials at $99 per month and Growth at $169 per month, with 14 days free and no card. Adding employees does not change the plan price.
No. MazalPOS adds up hours and commission for each pay period so the numbers are ready for your payroll service or accountant. Square Payroll and Homebase Payroll are payroll services that pay your team.
Sources
Written by the MazalPOS team. We build and support the register, online store and staff app that stores from Las Vegas to Honolulu run on. Questions about this guide? Talk to a real person.
