Comparison · Updated 18 July 2026
Stoki vs Loyverse — which POS is right for your SA small business?
Honest 2026 comparison across pricing, SA compliance, POS features, AI, WhatsApp, and offline support. Written by Stoki — we'll flag every place Loyverse wins as clearly as we flag the reverse.
TL;DR
- Loyverse wins for hardware-connected retail (multi-terminal cafés, restaurants with kitchen printers, shops with barcode scanner + cash drawer setups) and for owners who want a battle-tested global POS with a wide ecosystem.
- Stoki wins for any SA small business that also needs SARS compliance (VAT201, PAYE/UIF/SDL), a credit book for informal debtors, airtime PIN dispensing, an AI advisor, or a WhatsApp bot — i.e. most South African SMMEs.
- Both are free at the entry tier. You can run them side-by-side — Loyverse at the till, Stoki for the books and advisor.
Feature-by-feature comparison
| Feature | Loyverse | Stoki |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Free forever — unlimited items + sales | Free forever for first store · 120-day Business trial |
| Point of sale (till) | Excellent, POS-first product | Full POS with VAT-aware receipts, weighables, airtime |
| Inventory / stock | Strong — categories, variants, stock alerts | Full inventory + wastage + expiry alerts + stocktake |
| SA VAT201 compliance | Not supported | Native — auto-generated block 1-15 export✓ |
| PAYE / UIF / SDL payroll | Not supported | Native — EMP201 export, payslips✓ |
| Credit book (informal debtors) | Not supported | Native — track who owes what, WhatsApp reminders✓ |
| WhatsApp bot | Not supported | Ask questions, log sales, get answers on WhatsApp✓ |
| AI business advisor | Not supported | Grounded in your data + SA economy (SARB, fuel, SARS)✓ |
| AI voice adapts to owner | N/A | Kasi · Plain · Professional · Technical — one setting✓ |
| Airtime PIN dispensing | Not supported | Sell airtime + data as inventory items✓ |
| B2B invoicing | Not native | PDF invoices + WhatsApp/email delivery✓ |
| Offline support | Yes (queues + syncs) | Offline-first PWA — sales queue during load-shedding |
| Multi-store | Yes on free tier | Yes — separate ai_tone / VAT status per store |
| Hardware ecosystem | Wide — many printers, scanners, cash drawers✓ | Bluetooth thermal printer + phone camera scanner |
| SA market context | Global product — no SA specificity | Built for SA — SASSA, load-shedding, kasi✓ |
| Pricing (paid tier) | Employee mgmt + kitchen printing extras ~USD/month | ZAR pricing, SA billing (Ozow), no forex fees✓ |
| Cost of goods / margin tracking | Yes | Yes — plus AI margin-erosion alerts✓ |
| Language support | English + global languages | English + Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Afrikaans (rolling) |
Who wins for whom?
Choose Loyverse if…
- Your primary need is a rock-solid POS with a wide hardware ecosystem (barcode scanners, cash drawers, receipt printers, kitchen printers, customer displays).
- You run a restaurant / café with kitchen ticket routing and multi-terminal service.
- You don't need SA-specific tax reporting (you handle VAT201 / PAYE elsewhere with an accountant, Xero, or Stoki).
- You don't give store credit to informal customers.
- You prefer a global product with English-speaking support and a large community.
Choose Stoki if…
- You run a South African small business — spaza, food stall, salon, transport operator, mobile trader, general dealer, contractor, or a growing formal SMME.
- You need SARS compliance built in — VAT201 export, PAYE / UIF / SDL, EMP201.
- You give store credit to regulars and need a credit book that WhatsApps reminders to debtors.
- You want an AI advisor that knows the SA economy (SARB rates, fuel prices, SARS deadlines, load-shedding) and grounds every answer in your numbers.
- You want to run your business from WhatsApp — record sales, ask questions, get answers.
- You sell airtime / data as inventory items.
- You want a product that adapts its voice to how you talk (kasi, plain, professional, or technical accounting).
- You want SA billing (ZAR, Ozow) rather than USD forex fees.
Run both?
You don't have to pick. A common SA setup: Loyverse at the till (for the hardware ecosystem and multi-terminal café workflow), Stoki for the books, VAT, payroll, credit book, and AI advisor. Export your daily sales from Loyverse and log them in Stoki as a summary line — you get the best of both without switching hardware.
Pricing
Both Loyverse and Stoki offer a genuinely free tier with unlimited sales — you can run either without paying anything ever. Differences appear in the paid tiers:
- Loyverse: free POS + inventory. Paid add-ons (employee management, kitchen printing, advanced inventory) billed in USD — around US$5-25 per store per month, incurring forex fees on SA bank cards.
- Stoki: free forever for your first store. 120-day Business trial for every new account. Pro / Business tiers billed in ZAR via Ozow (no forex fees). Payroll, invoicing, VAT201, and the AI advisor unlock at Pro.
Frequently asked questions
Is Loyverse free in South Africa?
Yes. Loyverse's POS + inventory apps are free forever, including on the SA App Store and Play Store. Paid add-ons (employee management, kitchen printing) are billed in US dollars.
Is Stoki free in South Africa?
Yes. Stoki is free forever for your first store, with a 120-day Business trial that unlocks payroll, multi-store, and advanced AI features for every new account.
Which is better for a spaza shop — Stoki or Loyverse?
Stoki. Loyverse is a well-built global POS but has no credit book (informal debtors), no airtime PIN dispensing, no VAT201, no SARS/PAYE support, and no WhatsApp bot — all critical for SA township traders. Loyverse wins if your only need is a POS + inventory and hardware compatibility.
Does Loyverse support VAT201 or PAYE for South Africa?
No. Loyverse is a global product and does not generate SARS-compliant VAT201 or EMP201 reports. If you are VAT-registered or employ staff in SA, you would need a second tool (Xero, Sage, or Stoki) for compliance.
Can Loyverse work on WhatsApp?
No. Loyverse has no WhatsApp integration. Stoki has a WhatsApp bot that lets you record sales, ask about your business, and get AI answers grounded in your data — right from WhatsApp.
Does Loyverse have an AI advisor?
No. Loyverse is a traditional POS + inventory product with reporting. Stoki has an AI business advisor grounded in your store's data plus SA-specific economic context (SARB rates, fuel prices, SARS deadlines, load-shedding).
Should I migrate from Loyverse to Stoki?
If your only need is a POS and Loyverse is working for you, keep it — no need to switch. Consider Stoki when you need SA compliance (VAT201, PAYE), a credit book for informal debtors, an AI advisor, or WhatsApp integration. You can also run both — Loyverse at the till, Stoki for the books and advisor — and export sales between them.
Can I try Stoki without leaving Loyverse?
Yes. Stoki is free for your first store and does not need any hardware. You can trial it as a companion to your existing Loyverse setup — use Stoki for VAT201, payroll, and the AI advisor while keeping Loyverse at the till.
Try Stoki free
Free forever for your first store · 120-day Business trial · No card required
Get started at stokiapp.com →Last updated 18 July 2026. Loyverse features are based on their published product docs at the time of writing. If we've got something wrong, email hello@stokiapp.com and we'll fix it.