Open Source Point of Sale is a web based point of sale system.
- MIT
- PHP
- Docker
- Actively maintained
Point of Sale comparison
Open Source POS vs NexoPOS: which should you self-host in 2026?
Pick Open Source Point of Sale (OSPOS) for a proven, all-in-one web POS with stock, invoicing, gift cards, rewards and restaurant tables in the free core; pick NexoPOS for a modern Laravel and Vue POS with a module system and marketplace add-ons for restaurants, multi-store and more.
Both are open source and run on your own server. Below: a side-by-side of license, stack and features, live GitHub activity, and our verdict on who should pick which.
Laravel and Vue point-of-sale system with registers, receipts, inventory, procurement, customers and reports, extensible with modules.
- GPL-3.0
- PHP
- Actively maintained
Head-to-head
Open Source POS vs NexoPOS, side by side
Hand-checked differences first, then live numbers from GitHub, refreshed with every catalog update.
| Aspect |  Open Source POS |  NexoPOS |
|---|---|---|
| License | MIT with an added condition: the opensourcepos.org footer signature must stay visible and unmodified | GPL-3.0 for the core; marketplace modules are distributed separately |
| Language/stack | PHP 8.2 to 8.4 on CodeIgniter 4 with a Bootstrap UI | PHP 8.2+ on Laravel with Vue.js and Tailwind CSS |
| Database | MySQL 5.7 or MariaDB 10.x | MariaDB 10.11 or MySQL 8.4 |
| Built-in features | Stock and item kits, multi-tier taxes, receipts, quotations and invoices, gift cards, rewards, restaurant tables, SMS, barcode printing | Products, taxes, registers, payments, refunds, inventory and procurement, customer groups, rewards and coupons, barcode and scale barcode support |
| Install options | Release zip on Apache or Nginx, or the official Docker Compose setup (with an Nginx and Let's Encrypt variant) | Self-host on PHP with Composer, scheduled tasks and a queue worker; also an all-in-one NexoPOS for Windows package and cloud hosting |
| Extending | Fork and modify the code | Module system with a marketplace (restaurant, multi-store, booking, rental, printing and more) |
| GitHub stars | 4,420 | 1,269 |
| Commits, last 12 months | 290 | 401 |
| Last commit | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
| Latest release | 3.4.2Oct 2, 2026 | v6.2.4Oct 2, 2026 |
| Main language | PHP | PHP |
| Official Docker image | Yes | No |
| Repository | opensourcepos/opensourcepos | Blair2004/NexoPOS |
Swipe the table sideways to see both apps. GitHub figures come from the public API. Highlighted values are the higher of the two.
Verdict
OSPOS is the safer default for a single shop: everything from receipts, quotations and invoices to gift cards, rewards and restaurant tables is in the free core, it has an official Docker setup with HTTPS, and it is known to run on a Raspberry Pi. NexoPOS has the more modern interface and a cleaner path to growth through modules, but features such as restaurant (Gastro) and multi-store (MultiStore) are distributed separately through the NexoPOS Marketplace, so price out the modules you need first. Note that OSPOS's MIT license requires the opensourcepos.org footer to stay visible on every page.
Best for
Choose Open Source POS for
Single shops wanting a complete, free POS core with Docker install.
Best for
Choose NexoPOS for
Retailers and restaurants who want a modern UI and can add marketplace modules.
Deploy either in minutes
Not sure yet? Spin up a small VPS or a managed instance, try both for a week, and keep the one that fits.
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Can I try them before installing?
Yes. OSPOS runs a public demo at demo.opensourcepos.org that resets when new code is merged. NexoPOS offers cloud hosting and a Windows package to try it locally.
Do they work with receipt printers and barcode scanners?
Both support barcodes and printed receipts. OSPOS keeps a supported-hardware page on its wiki, and NexoPOS offers a separate Nexo Print Server for direct ESC/POS thermal printing on Windows.
Which is better for a restaurant?
OSPOS includes restaurant tables in its core. NexoPOS adds tables, kitchen screens and waiter workflows through its Gastro module. For a restaurant-first system, also look at URY, which is built on ERPNext.
Which is more popular on GitHub, Open Source POS or NexoPOS?
Open Source POS has 4,420 GitHub stars against 1,269 for NexoPOS. Over the last twelve months Open Source POS received 290 commits and NexoPOS received 401, so NexoPOS is the more actively developed of the two right now. Stars measure interest, not fit, so weigh them against the differences above.