A free alternative to iPOS for a one-person café or shop
iPOS is food-and-beverage software built for staffed restaurants and chains: table and floor service, kitchen tickets, shifts, memberships and multi-outlet management. Its pricing is arranged by quote with their sales team rather than listed openly. For one person at the counter of a café or small shop, that is far more system, and more cost, than the job needs. Solo POS is 0đ with pricing stated plainly, runs entirely on your phone offline, and covers selling, stock, cost prices, a cash book, daily reports and household-business tax paperwork.
Pricing and feature facts last verified
Side by side
| Solo POS vs iPOS | Solo POS | iPOS |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 0đ | By quote (not publicly listed) |
| Free plan | Yes, the whole app | No (demo / quote only) |
| Online account required | No | Yes |
| Where your data lives | On your phone | Vendor cloud |
| Works with no internet | Yes, including reports | Cloud platform, needs a connection |
Competitor prices, checked
Taken from each vendor’s own public pricing page on the date above. Plans change, so check the source before deciding.
In fairness
When iPOS is the better choice
Choose iPOS when you run a restaurant or café chain with waitstaff, a kitchen, table and floor management, table-side ordering and several outlets. iPOS is purpose-built for F&B operations at that scale; Solo POS is built for one person behind a single counter.
Questions people ask before switching
Is Solo POS a good iPOS alternative for a small café?
For a one-person café or shop, yes. Selling, stock, cost prices, the cash book, daily reports and HKD tax paperwork are all there for 0đ, without the restaurant-scale features a solo counter does not use.
How much does iPOS cost compared with Solo POS?
iPOS does not publish a price for its POS; you request a quote from their sales team (hotline 1900 4766). Solo POS is 0đ, with its pricing listed openly and no subscription.
Does Solo POS have restaurant features like iPOS?
No, and that is deliberate. iPOS handles table service, kitchen tickets and shifts for staffed F&B. Solo POS is built for one owner ringing up sales at a counter, so it stays simple.
Can Solo POS run offline, unlike a cloud F&B platform?
Yes. Solo POS keeps its database on the phone and works with no connection, including reports. iPOS is a cloud platform that needs internet to sync.
Try it on tomorrow’s first sale.
Install it, add a few products, and ring up a real customer. Nothing to configure, nothing to pay.
Available on the App Store and Google Play.