Top 10 Open Source Restaurant Management Systems (RMS)

If any system becomes modified according to specific needs with licensing or source code like (GPL, GNU) violation and can be shared with others without burden, it is called an open source system. Remember an open source restaurant management system is not a free POS system. However, many software providers offer free software. 

Therefore, a few restaurant software providers have designed their open-source software as well. They may have different types of premium packages besides the open source restaurant management systems. There are some specialties of open-source software like transparency, security, cost-effectiveness, flexibility, and customization.  

What is Open Source Restaurant Management Systems (RMS)?

If a restaurant software allows one to edit options, modify, and customize by ownself which is called an open source restaurant management system (RMS). To do that, source code is given to customize and modify. Open source RMS requires technical expertise for setup and customization. 

This system is developed with open-source licenses. This open source software can be freely used, modified, and distributed. Open-source RMS includes restaurant billing, inventory, online ordering, table booking, report generation, and others. 

It is noted that whatever you do requires customization or modifications. All the necessary options are there just need to modify and customize. Open-source RMS options provide flexibility and it is cost effective for small restaurants. 

This solution can be an excellent choice for the startup restaurant owner. So, customize the open source RMS how you want and use it for restaurant operations.   

List of Open Source Restaurant Management Systems 

Open-source restaurant management system users can edit something, share it with others, and successfully manage business activity. Most software providers offer premium or subscription-based restaurant software. However, there are some open-source RMS you may choose for your restaurant management. Let’s see the list of free restaurant management software.

1. Floreant POS

Floreant POS system is an open-source and free restaurant management software. It is one of the best open source restaurant management systems. It can be used for restaurant billing, order processing, restaurant inventory management, menu management, and others. Floreant POS restaurant management system has been designed to manage small and medium restaurant chains. It has some comprehensive features that are sufficient to manage a restaurant.

It is easy to set up and takes around 90 seconds to be fully prepared. They have been performing in the market since 2009 and they have been performing with their dedication as well. The great news is, it can run without internet connections. So, a user may have full right to install and use this open source restaurant management software.   

Features

• POS billing system.
• Work offline.
• Online ordering.
• Customer account payments system.
• Advanced reporting system.

2. Samba POS

SambaPOS is an open source and free restaurant POS software. There is no barrier for the users to install this software for restaurant operations. SambaPOS supports multiple languages like English, Italian, Arabic, Spanish, Indonesian, Chinese, German language, and others. Indeed, SambaPOS supports 23 languages in around 123 countries.  

There are more than 131,209 restaurant owners who use SambaPOS. They offer very advanced features that can significantly cope with restaurant management. This POS system can be used in different restaurant businesses, such as food trucks, fine dining, casual dining, fast food, bars and nightclubs, cafes and bakeries, etc. So, you may choose this best restaurant management software for managing your restaurant business.

Features

• Complete customization.
• Advanced reporting.
• Better integration system.
• Process tracking.
• A La Carte, Delivery, and Takeaway system.

3. UniCenta POS

UniCenta POS is another best open source restaurant management system. This software helps thousands of restaurant owners to manage their restaurant well. It has some comprehensive features: POS billing system, inventory management system, online order management, and others. This POS system can be used in different platforms, such as restaurants, hotels, motels, manufacturing, online shops, and others.

It can be used to manage retail, hospitality, and mixed. This POS system supports different operating systems like Windows, Linux, MAC, etc. There are some comprehensive features like Add-ins, web reporting, and others. It is a massive privilege to use this software at no cost. So, see the features, understand your restaurant needs, and choose the best restaurant POS software.  

Feature

• POS billing.
• Web reporting.
• Easy customization.
• Order management.
• Supports multiple operating systems.

4. TastyIgniter POS

TastyIgniter POS is an open source online ordering and restaurant management software. It has been designed for easy food-serving businesses like cloud kitchens, food trucks, coffee shops, and other commercial restaurants. This restaurant POS system can be used for different types of restaurants like food trucks, fine dining, casual restaurants, and other commercial restaurants. 

It offers comprehensive and cost-effective features like menu management, online ordering, restaurant billing, table reservations, etc. This platform gives access to source code to modify and customize according to their specific requirements. So, you may think it is the best restaurant management software for your restaurant business.   

Features

• POS billing system.
• Multiple restaurant management.
• Easy online ordering system.
• Online restaurant table booking.
• Multiple payment gateway.

5. AccuPOS

AccuPOS is another open source business management software. It is an advanced POS system that can be used for managing different types of business. AccuPOS offers advanced restaurant POS software designed for efficiency and ease of use. Their systems support Android devices and integrate with popular accounting software.

Mobile ordering, customizable interfaces, time tracking, and detailed reporting, make it suitable for various restaurant types. With award-winning customer support, AccuPOS ensures seamless operation before, during, and after service. However, let’s see the restaurant POS system features at a glance.

Features

• Advanced payment processing.
• Accounting integration.
• Inventory management.
• Barcode scanning system.
• Online ordering.

6. eHopper POS

eHopper POS is another powerful customizable restaurant management software. It is an open source platform and 100% free credit card processing. People don’t need to pay commissions and monthly costs for this software. There is no setup cost as well. eHopper POS has a very active community to support online. It can be used in different operating systems Windows, Android, and others.

It has many comprehensive features that can significantly change a restaurant's overall growth. So. Run your restaurant business with this all in one and attractive restaurant POS system. So, take a look at some common features that you require for restaurant management.

Features

• POS billing system.
• Inventory management.
• Kitchen display system (KDS).
• Table management.
• Online ordering.

7. Point of Success POS

Point of Success POS is a free and open source restaurant POS software. It can be the best restaurant software depending on your requirements. Point of Success offers comprehensive POS software for restaurants, emphasizing reliability, speed, and rich features. It supports various types of dining establishments, including pizzerias, fine dining, bars, cafes, fast food, and franchises.

It is noted that ERP systems can be integrated with this software. Those software allows integration and customization of restaurant ERP systems that can integrate with the POS system. The software allows for customized menus, integrated credit card processing, and flexible hardware options. With a focus on user-friendly design and excellent customer support, Point of Success aims to enhance restaurant operations and improve customer service. For more details, visit Point of Success.

Features

• POS billing system.
• Online order.
• Order tracking.
• Efficient and user-friendly interface.
• Sufficient data protection.

8. Taverner POS

Taverner POS is a free and open source POS system. It is free downloadable. It can be used in different sectors like restaurants, retail store management, menu modifiers, back-of-restaurant management, and others. It can be used for managing different shapes of restaurants, but it is the best for medium and big-range restaurant management. 

It is easy to install in the system and offers smooth operation. It has been designed to think about the people who are looking for free and open source billing software. So, feel free to think about this software for your restaurant operation.  

Features

• Restaurant billing.
• Back of house management.
• Menu management.
• Online ordering.
• Easy payment gateway.

9. PayPal Zettle

PayPal Zettle POS is free downloadable on smartphones tablets and iOS. This POS system enables you to get the same comprehensive features such as getting payment on your phone, checkout, easy order management, managing restaurant inventory, getting the actual sales metrics, and many more. It has been specially designed for mobile and tablet users. You can use it as a restaurant management app.

So that you can manage restaurant tasks using simple devices. So, you can control everything from one place. It enables multiple payment gateways to remove customer payment hassles. So, if you are looking for hassle-free billing software then PayPal Zettle POS can be your best choice.

Features

• Easy billing.
• Multiple payment gateway.
• Online ordering.
• Table booking.
• Inventory management.

10. Chromis POS

Chromis POS is an open source restaurant POS system. Chromis is a free and open-source Point of Sale (POS) software. It was designed for commercial use. Initially, it was developed to address user needs for a kitchen screen option. Chromis POS evolved from previous projects like Openbravo POS and Unicenta oPOS.

The software is available with its source code. It is available on SourceForge and GitHub as well. It has some comprehensive features and fixes to user feedback to ensure practical and updated functionality. Chromis POS is available for Windows, MacOS, and Linux, with dedicated installers for each platform. So, you may think about your restaurant management and operation.

Features

• Restaurant billing.
• Order management.
• Customer management.
• Inventory management.
• Kitchen display system.

Is Restaurant Point Of Sale Software Free?

No, all the restaurant POS software is not free and open source. Most popular restaurant POS systems have a subscription plan or package (monthly, yearly, and lifetime). Indeed, it depends on the POS software provider's business policy. 

In most cases, the vendor offers POS for restaurants free hardware with subscription-based packages for specific modules. Therefore most of the providers offer free trials for a specific time like 15 days and 30 days. If a user feels better then they may go for a long run.   

Difference Between Free and Open Source Restaurant Management Software

Open source and free software are almost the same and have a bit of dissimilarities. However, take a look at the difference between open source and free restaurant management software.  

Final Thought

Open-source software vendors provide source code to customize and edit to the users. In that case, a user can modify it by themselves. I have referred to the 10 best open source restaurant management systems for those who have low investment in restaurant startups. At the restaurant startup level, it may be the best way to choose this software for managing your restaurant. It is noted that if you reach a better notch in the future then you may go for a premium package for further operation.