Online and offline POS software can do much the same counter work. The real difference is where your data lives, and that decides who can reach it, who protects it and what happens when the internet goes down.
How they differ
| Online POS | Offline software | |
|---|---|---|
| Where data is kept | On a server | On your shop computer |
| Internet needed | Yes, always | No, for daily counter work |
| Check sales from home | Yes, from any device | Usually not |
| Backup | Handled by the provider | Your responsibility |
| If the computer breaks | Log in from another one | Depends on your last backup |
| Running cost | Yearly or monthly fee | Usually lower |
Choose online if
- You want to see today's sales when you are not in the shop
- Someone else runs the counter for you
- You want to work from a phone or tablet as well as a computer
- You would rather not think about backups
Choose offline if
- Internet at your shop is poor or unreliable, and that is unlikely to change
- You only ever work from one computer in one shop
- You are comfortable taking regular backups yourself
- You want the lowest running cost
The question people forget: what if the internet goes down?
With online software, a mobile hotspot is usually all you need, because a POS screen uses very little data. Keep a phone with a data pack at the counter. If there is truly no connection, write the bills by hand and enter them later. Agree that routine with your staff before you need it.
And what if the computer dies?
This is the real risk with offline software. Hard disks fail, and shop computers get viruses. If your only copy of two years of dues is on that one computer, it can all go at once. Copy your backup to a USB drive or online storage at a fixed time every week, keep it away from the shop computer, and try restoring it once so you know it works.
What we offer
We make both. ePOS is our online POS, and we also have offline shop software in English and Bangla. Tell us how your shop works and we will tell you honestly which one fits.