Free POS Software for Retail: Odoo Community POS Explained
Free, open-source POS software for retail shops: what Odoo Community's point of sale does, how it links to stock and purchasing, and the costs of hosting and hardware.
Many free POS apps are free because they make money from card fees, or they lock your data into their platform. An open-source POS is different. You own the software and the data, and it's linked to a proper ERP.
What Odoo Community POS does
Odoo's Point of Sale is part of Odoo Community. It runs in a browser and covers:
- Checkout with barcode scanning, discounts and several payment methods
- Returns and refunds
- Offline mode, so you keep selling if the internet drops
- Loyalty points, coupons and promotions
- Customer lookup at the till
- Cash control with opening and closing balances
Why linking to an ERP matters
A standalone POS knows what you sold. It doesn't know what you need to buy. Odoo's POS shares its data with:
- Inventory, so every sale reduces stock at that store
- Purchase, so reorder rules suggest what to buy
- Invoicing, so sales post to your accounts
- eCommerce, so your online store sells the same stock
That's the difference between a till and a retail system. See the Odoo POS retail guide for setup details.
Several shops
Each store gets its own POS and stock location on one database. You can move stock between stores and see sales by store without merging spreadsheets.
What it costs
The software is free. Budget for:
- Hosting, paid to your provider
- Hardware: printers, scanners, cash drawers and card terminals
- Payment fees from your card provider
- Product import, if you have a large catalogue
Free setup from ERP Builders
We set up Odoo Community POS, inventory and purchasing for free. Hosting and hardware aren't included. See free open-source retail ERP and POS, or free restaurant POS if you run a restaurant.
Frequently asked questions
Is Odoo POS free?
Yes. Point of Sale is part of Odoo Community, which is free and open source.
Does free POS software work offline?
Odoo's POS keeps taking sales if the internet drops and syncs when the connection returns.
What hardware do I need?
A computer or tablet with a browser, plus a receipt printer, barcode scanner and cash drawer if you want them. Card terminals depend on your payment provider.
Written by
ERP Builders Team · ERP consultants and engineers
Articles written and reviewed by the ERP Builders delivery team — functional consultants, solution architects and developers who implement, integrate and support ERP systems.
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Next step
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