POS System Comparison 2026 — DiKAS vs. the Competition¶
Which POS system fits your hospitality business? Here you will find a comparison of the most important providers in Germany — transparent, with prices and feature scope.
Cost Comparison at a Glance¶
Monthly Software Costs¶
| Provider | Basic | Standard | Premium | TSE included? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DiKAS | 39 € | 79 € | 169 € | Yes |
| helloCash | 0 € | 8.90 € | 24.90 € | +7.90 € |
| SumUp | 0 € | 39 € | 49 € | Yes |
| ready2order | 25 € | 39 € | 59 € | +9.90 € |
| orderbird | 29 € | 49 € | 79 € | Yes |
| Lightspeed | 69 € | 189 € | 399 € | Yes |
| Gastronovi | 59 € | 99 € | 199 € | Yes |
| Vectron | Purchase model | — | — | one-time 99–149 € |
Hidden Costs — Transaction Fees¶
The monthly base fee is often only part of the costs. Many providers charge percentage-based fees per card payment:
| Provider | Fee per card payment | At 30,000 € card revenue/month |
|---|---|---|
| DiKAS | 0 % (own terminal via ZVT) | 0 € |
| SumUp | 1.39 % | 417 € |
| Zettle (PayPal) | 1.39 % | 417 € |
| orderbird | 0.89–1.19 % | 267–357 € |
| Lightspeed | 1.09–1.39 % | 327–417 € |
| ready2order | external (SumUp/Zettle) | 267–417 € |
| Gastronovi | external | variable |
| Vectron | external | variable |
Calculation example: A restaurant with 30,000 € card revenue per month pays SumUp 417 € monthly in transaction fees alone — with DiKAS: 0 €.
Total Cost of Ownership over 3 Years (TCO)¶
Scenario: Restaurant with 1 POS and 30,000 € card revenue/month.
| Provider | Software (36 mo.) | Hardware | Card fees (36 mo.) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DiKAS Professional | 2,844 € | 0 € (BYOD) | 0 € | 2,844 € |
| ready2order Gastro | 2,124 € | 499 € | ~3,240 € | 5,863 € |
| Vectron | 1,440 € | 2,500 € | ~3,240 € | 7,180 € |
| Gastronovi Suite | 5,364 € | 1,000 € | ~3,240 € | 9,604 € |
| orderbird PRO | 2,124 € | 699 € | 9,612 € | 12,435 € |
| Lightspeed Essential | 6,804 € | 999 € | 11,772 € | 19,575 € |
Feature Comparison¶
POS & Table Management¶
| Feature | DiKAS | orderbird | ready2order | SumUp | Lightspeed | Gastronovi | Vectron |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graphical table management | Yes | Yes | Yes | Basic | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Course control | Yes | Yes | — | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Split payment | Yes | Yes | Yes | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Transfer table | Yes | Yes | — | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Reservations | Yes | Via integration | — | — | Via integration | Yes | Basic |
| Kitchen display (KDS) | Yes (real-time) | Basic | — | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Kitchen printer | Yes | Yes | — | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multiple printers / stations | Yes | Yes | — | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Offline capability | Yes | Limited | Limited | — | Limited | Limited | Yes |
Payment Methods & Terminals¶
| Feature | DiKAS | orderbird | ready2order | SumUp | Lightspeed | Gastronovi | Vectron |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Debit card (ZVT) | Yes | PAYONE | external | own | own | external | external |
| Freely selectable terminal | Yes | — | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| Vouchers | Yes (full) | Basic | Basic | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Customer credit | Yes | — | — | — | Add-on | — | Yes |
| Customer points | Yes | — | — | — | Add-on | — | Yes |
| House tab (on account) | Yes | Yes | — | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Split (multiple payment methods) | Yes | Yes | Yes | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cash machines | Yes | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Articles & Product Groups¶
| Feature | DiKAS | orderbird | ready2order | SumUp | Lightspeed | Gastronovi | Vectron |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hierarchical groups (3+ levels) | Yes | 2 levels | 2 levels | Basic | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Article options (extras) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Basic | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Option templates | Yes | — | — | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing rules (time/area) | Yes | — | — | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Deposit management | Yes | — | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| Allergens (EU-14) | Yes | Yes | — | — | Yes | Yes | Basic |
| Article images | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | — |
| Stock & inventory | Yes | — | Basic | — | Yes | Yes | Basic |
| AI-assisted import | Yes | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Customer Management & CRM¶
| Feature | DiKAS | orderbird | ready2order | SumUp | Lightspeed | Gastronovi | Vectron |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customer database | Yes | Basic | Yes | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Customer groups | Yes | — | — | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Customer credit | Yes | — | — | — | Add-on | — | Yes |
| Loyalty points | Yes | — | — | — | Add-on | — | Yes |
| Customer invoices | Yes | — | — | — | — | Partial | — |
| Subscriptions (recurring) | Yes | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Dunning process (3 levels) | Yes | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| SEPA direct debit | Yes | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Bank import & reconciliation | Yes | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Email templates | Yes | — | — | — | — | — | — |
DiKAS is the only POS system with full B2B accounting: customer invoices, subscriptions, 3-level dunning process, SEPA direct debit, and automatic bank reconciliation.
Tax & Compliance¶
| Feature | DiKAS | orderbird | ready2order | SumUp | Lightspeed | Gastronovi | Vectron |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSE (KassenSichV) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| DATEV export (full) | Yes | Yes | Yes | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| DSFinV-K export | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| GDPdU export | Yes | — | — | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Expense management | Yes | — | — | — | — | Yes | — |
| Hospitality receipts | Yes | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Hardware Integration¶
| Feature | DiKAS | orderbird | ready2order | SumUp | Lightspeed | Gastronovi | Vectron |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESC/POS receipt printer | Yes | Yes | Yes | integrated | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Kitchen printer (multiple) | Yes | Yes | — | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cash drawer | Yes | Yes | Yes | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| NFC/RFID reader | Yes | — | — | — | — | — | Yes |
| Draught systems (tap systems) | Yes | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cash machines (VNE/Cashmatic) | Yes | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| BYOD (your own device) | Yes | — (iPad) | Yes | — | — (iPad) | Yes | — |
Deployment & Operating Model¶
| Feature | DiKAS | orderbird | ready2order | SumUp | Lightspeed | Gastronovi | Vectron |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud / SaaS | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial |
| Self-hosted (on-premise) | Yes (Docker) | — | — | — | — | — | Yes |
| Data sovereignty | Yes | — | — | — | — | — | Yes |
| REST API (120+ endpoints) | Yes | — | Yes | Limited | Yes | Yes | Limited |
| Real-time updates (SignalR) | Yes | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Android app (offline) | Yes | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Disco / Nightclub Module¶
DiKAS is the only POS system with integrated club management:
| Feature | DiKAS | All other providers |
|---|---|---|
| Guest check-in/check-out | Yes | — |
| Card-based guest accounts | Yes | — |
| Entry groups with rules | Yes | — |
| Cloakroom/coat check | Yes | — |
| Guest handover (bridge) | Yes | — |
| Counter booking onto card | Yes | — |
| Daily log with guest counts | Yes | — |
| 10 specialized POS pages | Yes | — |
Not a single one of the top 10 providers offers an integrated disco module.
DiKAS Unique Selling Points¶
1. No Transaction Fees¶
DiKAS communicates via the open ZVT protocol with any debit card terminal — Ingenico, Verifone, CCV, and others. You negotiate the terms directly with your acquiring partner. DiKAS charges 0 % fees per card payment.
2. Your Own Server Is Possible¶
As the only modern POS system, DiKAS can run on your own server (Docker). Your data never leaves your network. Also available as a cloud solution.
3. Runs on Any Device¶
No iPad requirement, no special hardware purchase. DiKAS runs in the browser on PC, tablet, and smartphone. Also as an Android app for fully offline-capable operation.
4. Full Accounting¶
The only POS system with: customer invoices, subscriptions, 3-level dunning process, SEPA direct debit, automatic bank import and reconciliation, DATEV export with 7 modes.
5. Draught System Integration¶
Automatic beverage tap systems (Gruber, Addimat, Hogatron) are controlled directly. The waiter orders a beer → the tap system pours automatically. Area-based control: different systems for different service areas.
6. Real-Time Kitchen System¶
Kitchen display with SignalR real-time updates, course control for multi-course menus, area-based printer control (different printers per service area), consolidated order ticket, and station ticket.
Which System Is Right for Whom?¶
| Business type | Recommendation | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Snack bar / food truck | SumUp or DiKAS Starter | SumUp: free with low card volume. DiKAS: cheaper from 30,000 € card revenue. |
| Café / bakery | ready2order or DiKAS Starter | Both BYOD, both inexpensive. DiKAS has more features. |
| Restaurant | DiKAS Professional | Table management, kitchen printer, course control, no transaction fees. |
| Bar / pub | DiKAS Professional | Customer credit, vouchers, loyalty points — all included. |
| Beer garden / tavern | DiKAS Professional | Draught system integration, area-based printers, pricing rules per area. |
| Fine dining restaurant | DiKAS Professional or Gastronovi | DiKAS: course control, 3 kitchen stations. Gastronovi: recipe costing, HACCP. |
| Club / discotheque | DiKAS Disco | The only POS system with a disco module. No competitor. |
| Catering / business customers | DiKAS Enterprise | Customer invoices, dunning process, SEPA, subscriptions — no other system offers this. |
| Multi-location | DiKAS Enterprise or Lightspeed | DiKAS: CouchDB replication. Lightspeed: most comprehensive reporting. |
| Data sovereignty | DiKAS Enterprise | The only modern system with an on-premise option (Docker). |
Frequently Asked Questions About Switching¶
Can I import my articles from another system?¶
Yes. DiKAS has an intelligent article import with CSV detection, column heuristics, and optional AI support (OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Ollama). Articles from Excel, CSV, or other formats are mapped automatically.
Do I have to buy new hardware?¶
No. DiKAS runs on any device with a browser (BYOD). Your existing tablets, PCs, or smartphones can be used as a POS. ESC/POS printers and ZVT terminals are connected over the network.
How long does setup take?¶
A simple business (snack bar, café) is set up in under an hour. A restaurant with table management, kitchen printer, and payment methods in 2–3 hours. Demo data is pre-installed.
Is there a contract commitment?¶
No. DiKAS can be cancelled monthly. No setup fees, no hidden costs.
About DiKAS¶
DiKAS has been developed since 2006 and, since 2015, has been maintained by Weidev as an independent company. Over 20 years of experience in hospitality IT, over 1,500 automated tests, and a modern tech stack (.NET 10, Angular 20, CouchDB/SQLite).
As of March 2026. Prices and features are based on publicly available information from the providers.