Clover vs Revel Systems
Side-by-side comparison — pricing, features, ratings, use cases. Find which Pos Systems fits you best.
🔍 Independently researched ·
📊 Data-driven
32/100
—
Small to medium retail and restaurant businesses that want an all-in-one POS with integrated payments, inventory, and em
💰 Pricing
Pricing not publicly available
Fee notes:
- Credit card processing: 2.3% + $0.10 per transaction for most plans; interchange-plus pricing available on request.
- Hardware costs: Clover Starter $349, Clover Flex $499, Clover Mini $399 (prices may vary).
- Early termination fee may apply if contract is canceled before 12 months.
- Paper statement fee: $5/month unless electronic statements are selected.
- ACH payment processing: 1% + $0.50 per transaction (if enabled).
⚠ Watch for:
- Early termination fee up to $200 or remaining monthly fees if canceled before contract term.
- Hardware purchase may be required upfront; leasing options have interest charges.
- PCI compliance fee: $25/month if you don't complete annual self-assessment questionnaire.
- Chargeback fees: $25 per chargeback.
🔧 Features
✓ Fiserv Owned✓ Smb Focus✓ Countertop Portable✓ Loyalty
📋 Assessment
💪 Strengths
- Integrated hardware and software ecosystem: Clover offers a seamless experience across countertop stations, handheld devices, and virtual terminals. All your devices sync in real time, so inventory and sales data are always up to date. This is a huge advantage if you operate both a physical storefront and an online shop, or if you do pop-up events and need a portable unit. The hardware is reliable and built to withstand daily use, with a sleek design that doesn't look out of place on a modern counter.
- Feature-rich base plans: The Standard and Advanced plans include built-in inventory management with purchase orders, employee time tracking with PIN codes, and a basic customer loyalty program. Many competitors charge extra for these features or offer them as add-on apps. For most SMBs, this reduces the need for third-party apps, saving both time and money. The inventory alerts when stock is low and allows for category management, which is particularly useful for retail.
- App Market and customization: Clover's App Market is extensive, with specialized apps for salons, barbershops, food trucks, and more. You can add features like online ordering, delivery integration, and advanced reporting. This allows you to tailor the system to your niche without buying a completely different POS. For example, a salon can use an app to manage appointments and client notes, while a fast-casual restaurant can add kitchen display screen functionality.
- Flexible form factors: With options like the compact Clover Flex for mobile payments, the countertop Station Duo for retail, and the Clover Go for the simplest card-accepting needs, you can choose the right device for your business. You can also mix and match: use a Station for the main checkout and a Flex for tableside payments or a line-busting scenario. This flexibility is rare in a single POS vendor.
- Integrated payment processing and merchant services: Since Clover is owned by Fiserv, its payment processing is robust and includes predictable flat-rate pricing options. You get fast funds, chargeback management, and fraud protection. The system is designed to work seamlessly with its own processors, so you don't have to worry about compatibility issues.
⚠ Watch out for
- Proprietary hardware can be pricey: Compared to a DIY setup with an iPad and Square Reader (which can be free or under $100), Clover's hardware costs are steep. The Station Duo runs around $1,299, and the top-of-line Station Pro is over $1,600. While you can lease to reduce upfront costs, you'll pay more over time. If you're on a tight budget, this might be a dealbreaker.
- Costs for essential features can add up: While base plans are decent, some features that many businesses consider essential require paid apps. For instance, advanced reporting (beyond basic sales summaries) costs $3.99/month per device, and age verification for age-restricted products is a paid add-on. Over a year, these small fees add up, making Clover more expensive than the sticker price suggests.
- Complex and occasionally opaque pricing structures: Clover has multiple software tiers and processing rate plans. The tiered pricing is hard to compare across resellers, and you may be locked into contracts or early termination fees. For small business owners who want simplicity, the sales process can be confusing, and you might end up paying more than you expected.
- Inconsistent customer support: Clover uses a network of resellers, and the support you get depends on the reseller you buy from. Some provide excellent, dedicated support, while others are slow to respond. Clover's own support line is available, but wait times can be long. Reviews often cite frustration with being bounced between the reseller and Clover corporate without a quick resolution.
- Proprietary ecosystem can lock you in: If you want to switch to a different POS later, you'll likely need to buy new hardware. Clover's hardware is not compatible with other software, and migrating your data (like inventory history) to a new system is often painful. This lack of portability is a consideration for long-term flexibility.
🎯 Best for
Small to medium retail and restaurant businesses that want an all-in-one POS with integrated payments, inventory, and employee tools, especially if they prefer a proprietary but polished hardware ecosystem.
🚫 Who should skip
Very small or low-volume businesses on a tight budget, or power users who want to use their own hardware and avoid lock-in to a single vendor.
📚 Learning curve
Moderate — the interface is intuitive, but setting up hardware, configuring taxes, and understanding the contract and fee structure take time.
🧑⚖️ Verdict
Clover is a fantastic choice for SMBs that want a single, integrated POS system for both in-person and online sales, appreciate the wide range of hardware options, and are willing to pay for the convenience. However, if you’re a micro-business with a few transactions a day, or you’re averse to long-
45/100
$99 starting
Multi-location restaurant and retail businesses that need highly customizable reporting, ingredient-level inventory, and
★ Best
💰 Pricing
Starting at $99 (subscription)
Fee notes:
- Pricing varies based on add-ons and hardware.
- Payment processing fees: typically 2.6% + 10¢ per transaction (standard retail).
- Optional delivery integration may incur additional fees.
⚠ Watch for:
- Hardware costs are separate; iPad, cash drawer, printer, etc. must be purchased.
- Some add-ons (e.g., advanced loyalty or dedicated support) may increase monthly fee.
- Early termination fees may apply if you cancel within contract period.
🔧 Features
✓ Ipad Based✓ Restaurant Retail✓ Enterprise✓ Delivery Management
📋 Assessment
💪 Strengths
- Ingredient-level inventory and recipe costing: Revel lets you build recipes with specific ingredients and quantities, automatically deducting inventory as items are sold. This provides real-time food cost tracking and profit analysis per menu item, which is indispensable for full-service restaurants with complex modifiers. For example, you can see exactly how much a burger costs to make and how profit margins are affected by price changes.
- Highly customizable reporting engine: Unlike competitors that offer pre-built reports, Revel’s reporting tools allow you to create custom reports on sales, labor, and inventory without needing a separate BI platform. You can filter by date, location, employee, and even menu category, giving operators deep insight into performance and helping identify trends or issues.
- Enterprise-grade multi-location management: Revel is built for scale. You can manage multiple locations from one back office, push menu updates centrally, and assign role-based access controls to staff. This is a major time-saver for franchise owners and restaurant groups, ensuring consistency across sites while maintaining security.
- Delivery management with third-party integrations: Revel integrates deeply with services like Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub, allowing you to manage orders from these platforms directly in the POS. It also offers its own Revel Delivery service for native orders, helping restaurants handle high delivery volume efficiently without manual entry.
- Offline mode and reliable hardware: Revel’s offline mode ensures that you can continue taking payments and recording orders even if the internet drops. This is critical for fast-paced environments. The supported hardware is enterprise-grade, such as the Revel tablets and thermal printers, built to withstand daily use.
⚠ Watch out for
- Opaque pricing and higher total cost: Revel does not publish transparent pricing; you must request a quote. Starting at $99/mo is the base subscription, but hardware, installation, and onboarding fees push the initial investment significantly higher. Long-term contracts are typically required, and ongoing costs can be double or triple that of simple cloud POS systems.
- Complex and lengthy implementation: Setting up Revel is not a plug-and-play experience. It requires professional installation, data migration, and extensive configuration of your menu, inventory, and reporting. This can take weeks and often involves hiring a certified Revel reseller or consultant, increasing both time and cost. Your staff may need extra training to adapt.
- Dated user interface: While functional, the UI lacks the polish and intuitiveness of modern iPad counterparts like Toast or Square. The interface can feel clunky, with a steep learning curve for new staff. Buttons are small, navigation is not always logical, and it doesn’t leverage the iPad’s multitouch capabilities as effectively as newer systems.
- Limited built-in payment processing options: Revel requires you to choose a payment processor, and while it supports many, the system is often tied to specific processors that may charge higher transaction rates. Unlike competitors that offer integrated payment processing with competitive rates, Revel’s flexibility can lead to confusion and higher fees if not negotiated carefully.
🎯 Best for
Multi-location restaurant and retail businesses that need highly customizable reporting, ingredient-level inventory, and centralized management across franchises.
🚫 Who should skip
Small single-location businesses or those with a limited budget should skip Revel, as its cost, complexity, and contract requirements outweigh the benefits compared to simpler cloud POS systems.
📚 Learning curve
Steep — Revel's powerful back-office and reporting setup is not intuitive for first-time users, and staff training on the interface is often required.
🧑⚖️ Verdict
Revel Systems is the right choice for multi-location restaurants and franchises that need deep inventory controls and extensive reporting. Single-location or tech-savvy small businesses may find it too expensive and complex compared to modern alternatives. If you want a powerful back-end and can han
📊 Use Case Suitability
Higher score = better fit. Scores from editorial review.
Use CaseCloverRevel Systems
Retail Store Checkout90—
Clover's countertop terminals, inventory tracking, and barcode scanning make it
Table-Side Restaurant Ordering85—
The portable Clover Flex and Duo devices allow waitstaff to take orders and proc
Pop-Up Shops and Markets78—
Clover's battery-powered handheld options work well for temporary events, though
Loyalty and Marketing Programs72—
Clover offers built-in loyalty tools and app integrations, but advanced campaign
Multi-Location Retail or Restaurant Chains70—
Clover supports multi-location reporting and inventory management across stores,
Multi-location restaurant franchise management—92
Revel provides centralized menu management, real-time sales reporting, and inven
Full-service restaurant with complex menu modifiers—88
Supports unlimited modifiers, course-based ordering, and ingredient-level invent
Quick-service restaurant with third-party delivery integrations—85
Built-in delivery management and integrations with DoorDash, Uber Eats, and othe
🧭 Which One Should You Pick?
Choose Clover if...
- You are: Small to medium retail and restaurant businesses that want an all-in-one POS with integrated payments, inventory, and em
- 👍 Integrated hardware and software with multiple form factors (countertop, handheld, virtual) from one
- 👍 Feature-rich base plans include inventory, purchase orders, employee management, and loyalty, so mos
- 👍 App marketplace offers many specialized add-ons for niche industries like salons, bars, and food tru
- ⚠ Trade-off: Proprietary hardware is more expensive than using an iPad with Square or a low-c
Choose Revel Systems if...
- You are: Multi-location restaurant and retail businesses that need highly customizable reporting, ingredient-level inventory, and
- 👍 Ingredient-level inventory and custom recipe costing allow precise food cost tracking and profit ana
- 👍 Highly customizable reporting engine that can create specific sales, labor, and inventory reports wi
- 👍 Enterprise-grade features include multi-location management, centralized menu updates, and role-base
- 💰 From $99/mo
- ⚠ Trade-off: Pricing is opaque and typically requires a contract; hardware and software costs
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Is Clover really free to use?
The Price shown as 'Free' refers to the base software download, but Clover requires proprietary hardware and a paid service plan. You'll pay monthly software fees, payment processing rates, and hardware costs unless you lease or finance.
Can I switch to Clover from Square easily?
You can migrate customer and item data to Clover via CSV import or with assistance from a Clover reseller, but the process isn't fully automated. You'll also need to purchase or lease new hardware, and you may incur early termination fees on your previous POS contract.
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