If you've searched for "free POS software", this page will save you time. We'll tell you what a free program does, what it doesn't, what the paid ones really cost in Spain, and in which cases the free one is perfectly fine for you.
Yes, we sell POS software. And even so we're going to tell you when you don't need us, because we'd rather you knew now and not after paying.
What free POS software does
It records the payment. And little more.
That's not an insult: for a great many businesses, recording the payment is exactly what's needed. The problem appears when you discover what it doesn't do, usually at the worst moment:
- It doesn't tell you if you're making money. You know what you've invoiced, not what you've taken home. With no margins per product, you decide by eye.
- It doesn't really control stock. Either it doesn't track it, or it does so in such a basic way that you end up counting by hand anyway.
- There's no one on the other end. When it fails on a Saturday at ten at night, you search a forum. No one will pick up the phone.
- There are no automatic backups. The day the hard drive gives up, it all goes: sales, cash-ups, customers.
- There are no guaranteed updates. And this, with what's coming, is the serious one.
Verifactu: this is where free runs out
This is the point that changes everything and that hardly anyone explains to you.
From 1 January 2027 (companies) and 1 July 2027 (other obliged parties), your invoicing system has to comply with the Verifactu regulation. The penalty for using one that doesn't comply reaches €50,000 per financial year (article 201 bis of the General Tax Act).
Complying isn't just "issuing a receipt". The program has to generate unalterable records, chained with a digital fingerprint and submittable to the Tax Agency. Someone develops and maintains that, and that someone charges for it.
A free program will rarely be certified, let alone updated every time the rules change — which they've done twice already.
And there's a technical detail that's always ignored: installing a program with Verifactu means linking it to the Tax Agency. It's not downloading an .exe and clicking next. It's a fiscal configuration that has to be done properly.
Note: if you've read somewhere that Verifactu came into force in 2025 or 2026, that information is out of date. The deadlines were extended by Royal Decree-Law 15/2025. We explain it in full in our POS and Verifactu guide.
What POS software really costs in Spain
These are the ranges the Spanish market works with today. We deliberately don't name names: prices change every season and depend on the distributor, and we'd rather you checked each one yourself before deciding.
| Type of program | Usual price | Small print |
|---|---|---|
| Local, one-off payment | €200–400 once | Updates are usually paid separately after the first period |
| Cloud, basic plan | €30–40/month | No internet, no charging |
| Cloud, mid plan | €60–95/month | You move up a plan when you add features |
| Cloud, high plan | up to €175/month | Extra modules separate |
| With an upfront fee | +€1,200 before you start | And up to €30/hour for the installation |
| Chollobar | €29/month · or €13.25/month paying yearly | No upfront fee, no commissions, no plans |
Prices exclude VAT, are indicative and were checked in July 2026. The market average is between €40 and €80 a month, that is, between €480 and €960 a year. High plans top €2,000 a year.
Always check the current price on each manufacturer's website: they change often.
The "free" trick you'll see out there
Searching for "free POS software" you'll come across three things, and it's worth recognising them:
1. The one that puts FREE in the title and charges. You go in, and the program costs €29 or €39 a month. The "free" was the bait.
2. The genuinely free one, but cut down. It works, but with no reports, no support and no certification. And as soon as you need something serious, you have to pay.
3. The free one that's paid for elsewhere. The program costs nothing, but they take a percentage of every sale you charge by card. If you invoice €15,000 a month, that "free" can end up costing you more than any in the table above. Do the multiplication before you sign.
When a free program is fine for you
We tell you even though we sell the opposite. A free program can serve you perfectly if:
- You sell very few lines and know them by heart.
- You work alone, with no employees to keep track of.
- You don't move inventory or you control it at a glance.
- You're starting out and every euro counts.
- And —this isn't negotiable— you've sorted Verifactu before 2027.
If you recognise yourself in that list, save the money. Seriously.
What free really costs you
And if you don't recognise yourself, do this sum before deciding:
- The stock that's lost for want of stock control. In a bar, a few bottles a month already top €13.
- The margin you don't adjust for not knowing which product leaves you what. Two mispriced dishes a year cost more than the licence.
- The shortfall you don't see. With no reports per employee, you don't find out.
- The afternoon lost fighting a configuration on a forum.
- The 2027 change, when you have to migrate under pressure and enter the data all over again.
€159 a year is 43 cents a day. Stop losing stock just once and you've covered it.
A management program isn't an expense: it's the only tool that tells you where you're making and losing money. If it were free, it'd be because it's worth nothing.
What to look at before choosing, whichever it is
- Verifactu certification. Ask for it in writing. It's the one thing that isn't negotiable.
- Does it work without internet? Almost the whole market is cloud. If your line drops on a Saturday, you can't charge. Programs installed on your own machine keep working.
- Are there commissions per sale? Multiply by your real turnover, not the brochure's.
- Do you pay per terminal? Bar and terrace can be two licences without them telling you.
- Does the plan go up as you grow? Several charge more as you add features.
- Are updates included? With Verifactu they're not optional: if the Tax Agency changes something, you either update or you break the rules.
- Who installs it for you? And how much do they charge per hour if you get stuck?
- Work it out over 3 years, not the first month's price.
Frequently asked questions
Does free POS software really exist?
Yes, genuinely free versions exist. What almost never comes free is Verifactu certification, support and updates. And many "free" ones charge a sales commission or are trial versions with the price hidden.
Does a free program comply with Verifactu?
Rarely, and even less so maintained over time. Certifying and updating costs whoever develops it money. Before you trust it, ask for the Tax Agency certification in writing.
How much does POS software cost in Spain?
The market average is between €40 and €80 a month. There are some from €20 and up to €175 depending on the plan. Some add an upfront fee of over €1,200 before you start.
Is a one-off payment or a monthly fee better?
The one-off works out better long term if it includes updates. With Verifactu that small print matters a lot: a program that isn't updated stops being legal. Always ask what happens with updates after the first year.
What happens if I lose internet?
It depends where the program lives. If it's in the cloud, you stop charging. If it's installed on your machine, you carry on working and it syncs when you reconnect. Most of the market is cloud.
Can I carry on with my usual cash register?
Until 2027, yes. After that you need a system that complies with Verifactu, and most old registers can't be adapted. If yours is a few years old, plan on replacing it.
Our option, and why
Our program costs €29/month + VAT, or €159/year + VAT (€13.25 a month). It's certified for Verifactu, works without internet, charges no sales commission, doesn't move up a plan when you grow, and we install and configure it for your sector.
And we don't sell you a 30-day trial, because linking your business to the Tax Agency is serious work that makes no sense to do only to undo a month later. We show it to you in a demo, and when you subscribe, the first month is on us.
See the POS software with Verifactu · book a demo on WhatsApp · 622 872 311
And if you don't have equipment yet, see the complete POS bundles or start with the POS and cash register guide.
Market price ranges checked in July 2026. They're indicative and vary by manufacturer, distributor and promotion. Always check the current price on each brand's website before deciding.