In today’s competitive small business landscape, choosing the right Point of Sale (POS) system can significantly impact operational efficiency and profitability. eHopper has emerged as a notable contender in the POS market, particularly for small retail stores, restaurants, and grocery businesses seeking affordable solutions. What makes eHopper stand out is its unique pricing structure, which includes a free plan option alongside paid tiers with more advanced features. This flexibility allows businesses to start with minimal investment and scale up as they grow. According to Forbes Advisor, eHopper earned an impressive 4.7 out of 5 stars rating, making it a top choice for small businesses on a budget. Whether you’re looking to process in-store transactions, manage inventory, or establish an online presence, understanding eHopper’s pricing plans is essential to determine if it’s the right fit for your business needs.
eHopper offers a tiered pricing structure with several plans designed to accommodate businesses of different sizes and needs. At the foundation is the Essential plan, which is completely free but limited to one POS, 50 products, and 300 transactions per month. This makes it ideal for very small businesses or those just starting out. For businesses requiring more robust features, eHopper offers the OmniChannel plan at $39.99 per month (or $35.99 with annual billing), which includes two licenses, unlimited products, unlimited transactions, and additional features like table management and e-commerce capabilities. For those looking for middle-ground options, eHopper also offers the Freedom plan at $24.99 per month ($20.99 with annual billing) and the Restaurant plan at $29.99 per month ($24.49 with annual billing). Each plan is priced per device, meaning larger operations with multiple registers will need to factor in additional costs. It’s worth noting that eHopper provides substantial discounts for annual billing commitments, though there are no refunds if you decide to cancel before your contract ends.
eHopper’s Essential plan stands out in the POS market as a genuinely free option that still provides core functionality. This plan includes basic inventory management, customer management, tip management, and modifier management. U.S. customers enjoy free processing through eHopper’s cash discount or credit surcharge program, which passes processing fees on to customers. The Essential plan is ideal for businesses with limited inventory and transaction volume, as it restricts users to 50 products and 300 transactions per month.
Despite being free, the Essential plan includes several valuable features for small operations:
However, the Essential plan does have significant limitations. Support is limited to online documentation and a knowledge base, with no direct customer service. It also lacks advanced features like table management, e-commerce integration, pre-authorization, EBT acceptance, and QuickBooks integration. For businesses planning to grow quickly or needing these additional features, one of eHopper’s paid plans would be more suitable.
The Freedom plan at $24.99 monthly serves as a middle-tier option, providing unlimited products and transactions while allowing businesses to use either eHopper’s payment processing or third-party processors. This plan is ideal for retail businesses that don’t need table management but require more inventory capacity than the Essential plan offers. The Restaurant plan at $29.99 monthly is specifically designed for food service businesses, featuring table management and Kitchen Display System integration. This specialized option helps restaurants manage orders, track table status, and streamline kitchen operations more efficiently than with a general retail POS system. Both plans benefit from annual billing discounts, reducing costs to $20.99 and $24.49 respectively for businesses willing to commit to yearly contracts. These plans remove the transaction and product limitations of the Essential tier while adding industry-specific features that growing businesses require.
While eHopper and other traditional POS systems handle transactions and basic operations, modern restaurants face a critical challenge that standard solutions don’t address: managing phone orders efficiently without overwhelming staff. Loman AI revolutionizes restaurant operations by providing a 24/7 AI for restaurants phone agent that seamlessly integrates with existing POS systems like Square, Toast, and Clover. Unlike eHopper’s table management features or Toast’s kitchen display systems, Loman focuses specifically on capturing revenue from phone orders that restaurants often miss due to busy staff or after-hours calls. The system learns each restaurant’s menu, policies, and customer preferences, delivering order accuracy that matches or exceeds human performance while reducing wait times and improving customer satisfaction. Loman’s POS integration means orders flow directly into existing systems like eHopper, eliminating manual entry errors and streamlining kitchen operations.
Loman AI addresses operational challenges that traditional POS systems cannot solve independently, particularly the labor shortage affecting the restaurant industry in 2025. While eHopper requires staff to answer phones and input orders manually, Loman handles these tasks automatically, freeing employees to focus on food preparation and in-person customer service. The system’s built-in analytics provide insights beyond what standard POS reporting offers, tracking call patterns, order preferences, and customer behavior to help restaurants optimize their operations. Fast implementation means restaurants can be live within a day, compared to the weeks often required for comprehensive POS system deployments. For single locations or multi-unit operations, Loman scales effortlessly without the per-device licensing fees that make traditional POS systems expensive as businesses grow.
eHopper’s premium offering, the OmniChannel plan, provides a comprehensive solution for growing businesses at $39.99 per month (or $35.99 with annual billing). This plan removes the limitations of the Essential plan by offering unlimited products and transactions, making it suitable for businesses with larger inventories or higher sales volumes. The OmniChannel plan includes two licenses, allowing businesses to run multiple registers without additional licensing fees. A standout feature of the OmniChannel plan is its e-commerce functionality, which gives businesses a free mobile-friendly website that syncs with the in-store POS system. This integration enables omnichannel selling capabilities, allowing inventory and sales data to flow seamlessly between online and offline channels. The plan also adds table management features that are essential for restaurants, a menu builder, pre-authorization capabilities, and EBT payment acceptance.
Back-office functionality is significantly enhanced with the OmniChannel plan. The comprehensive feature set includes advanced capabilities that growing businesses require:
Perhaps most importantly, OmniChannel plan subscribers receive implementation and training support, along with email, chat, and phone customer service, addressing a major limitation of the free Essential plan.
One of eHopper’s most distinctive features is its approach to payment processing. For U.S. customers, eHopper offers free processing through either a cash discount program or a credit surcharge program. The cash discount program encourages customers to pay with cash by offering a discount on their total purchase. Conversely, the credit surcharge program adds a fee to credit card transactions, effectively passing the processing cost to customers who choose to pay with credit cards. While this free processing option can save businesses money, it’s important to note that credit surcharges are not legal in all states. Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, and Oklahoma currently prohibit credit surcharges, though the cash discount program remains available nationwide.
For businesses that prefer traditional payment processing, eHopper supports numerous third-party processors including Evo Payments International, GoDaddy Payments, Nuvei, North American Bank, TSYS, First Data, Global, and Elavon. This flexibility allows businesses to shop around for the best processing rates or continue using their existing processor when switching to eHopper. When evaluating processing options, businesses should consider not just the direct costs but also the potential impact on customer experience and satisfaction. While passing processing fees to customers can improve margins, it might also affect purchasing behavior or customer perception if not implemented thoughtfully.
eHopper offers flexibility when it comes to hardware, allowing businesses to use their existing equipment or purchase new devices directly from eHopper. The system works on Android tablets, Windows PCs, and proprietary POS hardware like the Poynt smart terminal. This cross-platform compatibility gives businesses options based on their preferences and budget constraints. Unlike some competitors that lock users into proprietary hardware ecosystems, eHopper allows businesses to use compatible third-party hardware. This can represent significant cost savings, especially for businesses that already own tablets or computers. However, eHopper notes that while you can use non-certified devices, they don’t guarantee performance on these systems.
For businesses starting from scratch, eHopper sells compatible hardware including terminals, cash drawers, receipt printers, barcode scanners, and customer-facing displays. Businesses that sign up for eHopper’s merchant services may qualify for a free terminal, though this typically involves a lease agreement rather than ownership of the device. It’s worth noting that eHopper does not work on iOS devices, which may be a limitation for businesses that prefer Apple products.
When comparing eHopper to its competitors, several key differences emerge in pricing structure and value proposition. Understanding how eHopper stacks up against major players helps businesses make informed decisions based on their specific needs and budget constraints. The competitive landscape reveals distinct advantages and trade-offs for each platform.
Here’s how eHopper compares to leading POS competitors:
In terms of overall value, eHopper stands out for budget-conscious businesses and those looking for omnichannel capabilities at a lower price point. Square provides better value for businesses that need to process payments on the go, while Lightspeed offers superior features for businesses with complex inventory needs willing to pay a premium price. When evaluating total cost of ownership, businesses should consider not just the monthly subscription fees but also processing costs, hardware requirements, and potential additional fees for add-on features.
The implementation experience varies significantly depending on which eHopper plan you choose. Essential plan users are largely on their own, with access only to a knowledge base and online documentation. This self-service approach may be sufficient for tech-savvy business owners with simple needs, but it can be challenging for those requiring more guidance or facing complex setup scenarios. OmniChannel plan subscribers, however, receive considerably more support, including implementation assistance, training, and account setup help. This plan also includes ongoing support via email, chat, and phone channels. Users report mixed experiences with eHopper’s support team, with some praising their responsiveness while others note occasional difficulties reaching representatives or getting timely resolutions to technical issues.
The implementation process itself is relatively straightforward. After signing up, users can access the Back Office web-based application to configure their business settings, add products, set up employees, and customize the POS interface. The POS application must then be installed on each device where it will be used. One notable limitation is that changes made in the Back Office must be manually synchronized with the POS app, creating an extra step that can lead to discrepancies if employees forget to perform the synchronization. Training resources include video tutorials, written documentation, and a community forum.
Determining whether eHopper is the right POS solution for your business requires evaluating your specific needs, budget constraints, and growth projections. eHopper is particularly well-suited for small retail stores, restaurants, and grocery businesses with straightforward operations and limited product catalogs. The free Essential plan offers an excellent entry point for very small businesses or startups operating on minimal budgets, especially those comfortable with passing processing costs to customers through the cash discount or credit surcharge programs. For growing businesses with more complex needs, the OmniChannel plan provides a good balance of features and affordability. Its omnichannel capabilities make it especially valuable for businesses looking to expand into online sales while maintaining integration with their physical store operations.
However, eHopper may not be ideal for businesses requiring sophisticated inventory management for thousands of SKUs, those heavily dependent on iOS devices, or enterprises needing extensive third-party integrations. Businesses planning rapid growth might eventually outgrow eHopper’s capabilities and face migration challenges down the road. Before committing, take advantage of eHopper’s 14-day free trial to test the system’s functionality and user experience. Begin with a month-to-month subscription to ensure the system meets your needs before considering a long-term contract with its associated early termination fees.
Restaurant success in 2025 requires more than just a capable POS system; it demands a comprehensive technology approach that addresses all operational challenges. While eHopper provides solid foundational POS capabilities, modern restaurants benefit from specialized solutions that complement traditional systems. The combination of eHopper’s affordable POS functionality with dedicated tools for specific challenges creates a more robust operational framework. For restaurants serious about maximizing revenue while controlling costs, integrating eHopper with specialized solutions like Loman AI for phone order management provides comprehensive coverage of both in-store and remote customer interactions.
eHopper represents a solid choice for small restaurants seeking affordable POS functionality with room for growth, particularly those willing to implement alternative payment processing approaches to minimize costs. However, restaurants should carefully evaluate their complete operational needs, considering specialized solutions for challenges that traditional POS systems don’t address effectively. For establishments looking to optimize both in-store operations and phone order management, combining eHopper’s cost-effective POS capabilities with Loman AI’s specialized restaurant phone system creates a comprehensive solution that addresses the full spectrum of customer interaction points. This integrated approach ensures restaurants can maintain operational efficiency while capturing revenue opportunities that might otherwise be missed due to staffing limitations or system constraints.
Loman AI offers restaurants a fast-to-implement, scalable solution that works seamlessly with existing POS systems like eHopper, making it ideal for single locations, chains, or franchises seeking improved efficiency and enhanced customer experience without the complexity of traditional system overhauls.
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