How much does restaurant POS software cost in India? A buyer’s checklist
The real cost of restaurant POS software is the subscription plus hardware, setup, add-ons and support. Compare vendors on the total per outlet per year, not on the headline price — and ask what is included before anyone visits.
The five parts of the total cost
- Software subscription — what you pay to use the POS, usually per outlet or per device, monthly or yearly.
- Hardware — the computer, printers and phones or tablets the system runs on.
- Setup — loading your menu, configuring taxes and printers, and getting staff started.
- Add-ons — modules sold separately, such as inventory, a kitchen screen or a waiter app.
- Support — who helps when something stops working during service, and when they are available.
Questions to ask every vendor
- Is the price per outlet or per device? How many devices are included?
- Is it billed monthly or yearly, and what is the total for one year?
- Are inventory, the kitchen screen and the captain (waiter) app included, or extra?
- Is there a setup or onboarding fee? Will someone come to the outlet on go-live day?
- Is support included? Which hours, and on which channels — phone, WhatsApp, email?
- Can I export my sales data, and what happens to my data if I stop using the software?
- Is there a trial or a money-back period if it doesn’t suit my outlet?
The hardware you will typically need
Most modern restaurant software runs in a browser and on phones, so you rarely need a special POS machine. What you need depends on how you work:
- A computer or laptop at the counter — for billing, and to run the printer software if the system uses one.
- A thermal printer for kitchen order tickets (KOTs) and bills. Busy kitchens often keep a separate KOT printer.
- Phones or tablets for captains and waiters, if orders are taken at the table.
- A stable internet connection, since cloud software needs it to sync orders and bills.
A worksheet to compare vendors
| Cost item | Vendor A | Vendor B | Vendor C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subscription for one year (per outlet) | |||
| Extra devices or users | |||
| Inventory / kitchen screen / waiter app add-ons | |||
| Setup or onboarding fee | |||
| Support plan | |||
| Total for year one |
Red flags
- The price is only shared after a sales visit.
- Important modules — inventory, the kitchen screen, the waiter app — turn up as extras late in the conversation.
- Per-device charges that grow every time you add a phone for a captain.
- No clear answer on how to get your data out.
What HostAir costs
HostAir publishes its prices. The QR Menu plan is free. The Restaurant plan is ₹10,000 and Stay + Dine (for hotels with a restaurant) is ₹15,000, per outlet per year. Inventory, the kitchen screen and the captain app are included in both paid plans.
There is no setup fee — we load your menu, and in Jodhpur, Jaipur and Udaipur our team comes to your outlet on go-live day. 24×7 support on WhatsApp, phone and email. For multiple outlets or a chain, ask us for Enterprise pricing.
Frequently asked questions
- Is monthly or yearly billing cheaper?
- Compare the total for twelve months. Yearly plans are often priced lower overall, but check what is included in each before deciding.
- What does a “per outlet” price mean?
- You pay once for each restaurant location, regardless of how many staff use it there — check whether devices or users are limited.
- How do I compare two quotes fairly?
- Put every cost for the first year into the same worksheet — subscription, devices, add-ons, setup and support — and compare the totals per outlet, not the headline prices.
- Should I see a demo before paying?
- Yes. Ask for a demo using your own menu and a written list of what is included, so the price you are quoted matches what you will actually use.
- What should I check about my data before signing?
- Ask whether you can export your sales and invoice data, in what format, and what happens to it if you stop using the software.