Posnic
Offline-first open source POS and billing software for retail shops and restaurants, with local checkout and server-hosted online/offline workflows.
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Fetched · September 15, 2026★ 4Latest: v1.6.1Updated: September 14, 2026
README
<div align="center"> <img src="builds/512-posnic.png" alt="Posnic" width="120"> # Posnic **Free open source POS and billing software with public source, local checkout and online/offline workflows.** An offline-first POS for retail shops and restaurants. The primary API and database run on the shop computer or on a server you control; electronic payments, optional cloud services, downloads and integrations can still need a network. Posnic's own source is AGPL-3.0-only. Release packages also bundle separately licensed components, including MongoDB Community Server under SSPL-1.0. Review the [package notices](THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.md) and [reproduced package evidence](https://www.posnic.com/assets/posnic-package-license-evidence.json) before making a package-level licence statement. [](https://github.com/Posnic/POS/actions/workflows/ci.yml) [](https://github.com/Posnic/POS/actions/workflows/release.yml) [](https://github.com/Posnic/POS/releases) [](https://github.com/Posnic/POS/releases/latest) [](docs/DEVELOPMENT.md#running-the-tests) [](docs/DEVELOPMENT.md#running-the-tests) [](docs/API.md) [](LICENSE) [](THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.md) [](https://github.com/Posnic/POS/releases/latest) ### [⬇ Download for Windows](https://github.com/Posnic/POS/releases/latest) · [macOS](https://github.com/Posnic/POS/releases/latest) · [Linux](https://github.com/Posnic/POS/releases/latest) ### [▶ Try the live demo](https://demo.posnic.io) — nothing to install, resets on the hour Log in as `admin` / `admin`, `manager` / `manager` or `cashier` / `cashier` — the login page has one-tap buttons for all three. It is a real supermarket shop with a week of sample trading, running the same code as this repository; ring up sales, break things freely, and the whole shop is restored on the hour. Outbound email, SMS and password changes are switched off there. [Website](https://www.posnic.com/) · [Product facts](https://www.posnic.com/posnic-facts) · [Package evidence](https://www.posnic.com/assets/posnic-package-license-evidence.json) · [CodeMeta metadata](codemeta.json) · [Citation metadata](CITATION.cff) · [Roadmap](docs/ROADMAP.md) · [Contributor quickstart](docs/CONTRIBUTOR_QUICKSTART.md) · [User guide](docs/USER_GUIDE.md) · [Developer guide](docs/DEVELOPMENT.md) · [Architecture](docs/ARCHITECTURE.md) · [API](docs/API.md) · [Discussions](https://github.com/Posnic/POS/discussions) </div> --- ## Posnic in use  This synthetic cash sale was completed and reopened during the bounded [offline workflow verification](https://www.posnic.com/posnic-facts). The published test notes state what was blocked, what passed and what the result does not prove. ## Why Posnic Posnic runs its primary database and API on the till itself. In a bounded v1.3.0 Windows test, one synthetic cash sale completed and reopened while external hosts were blocked inside Electron. This does not prove an operating-system-wide outage, complete shift, payment-terminal path, power-loss recovery or every workflow. Review the [versioned evidence and limitations](https://www.posnic.com/posnic-facts). - **Free local edition.** The v1.3.0 desktop packages have no trial clock and have a zero software price. Posnic's own source is AGPL-3.0-only; packaged dependencies retain their own licences. Hardware, support, backups, optional services and downtime can still create operating costs. - **Local data path.** The local edition needs no Posnic account, and its published privacy policy says it sends no analytics or telemetry to Posnic. See [PRIVACY.md](docs/PRIVACY.md). - **Posnic source under AGPL-3.0-only.** Read it, change it, self-host it and fork it under the licence terms. Review each bundled component separately. ### Using Posnic in a real business or pilot? Share a bounded [deployment evidence report](https://github.com/Posnic/POS/issues/new?template=deployment_evidence.yml), including failures, workarounds, or why a trial stopped. The form records the exact version, relationship, observation window, workflows and limitations while letting you refuse marketing reuse. Read the [adoption evidence policy](docs/ADOPTION_EVIDENCE.md) before posting private or production information. ### Reviewing Posnic independently? Use the public [review brief](https://www.posnic.com/assets/posnic-independent-review-brief.txt) and [24-control protocol](https://www.posnic.com/assets/posnic-independent-review-protocol.csv) with the exact release, package filename and SHA-256 you tested. Review access does not require payment, positive coverage, a backlink or advance approval. Publish failures, conflicts and untested areas beside successful results. An independent evaluator can submit a bounded public result through the [deployment evidence form](https://github.com/Posnic/POS/issues/new?template=deployment_evidence.yml) without granting marketing reuse. ## Features | | | |---|---| | **Selling** | Fast keyboard and touch billing, barcode scanning, returns, part payments, held bills, quick sale | | **Stock** | Items, variants, categories, purchases, supplier returns, inventory logs, low-stock alerts | | **Customers** | Customer accounts, categories with their own pricing, outstanding balances | | **Tax** | GST invoices, IGST and CGST/SGST, HSN codes, GST reports for filing | | **Restaurants** | Kitchen order tickets, table management, kiosk and customer displays | | **Hardware** | Documented paths for thermal printers, barcode scanners, cash drawers, weighing scales and second displays; verify the exact device in the [hardware matrix](docs/HARDWARE_MATRIX.md) | | **Reports** | Sales, purchases, inventory, expenses, profit, staff activity — all exportable | | **Branches** | Multiple outlets, per-branch stock, staff roles and permissions | ## Install Posnic installs two ways, both free and both the same AGPL-3.0 software. **Most shops want the desktop app.** | | **Desktop** | **Your own server** | |---|---|---| | Install | Download and run | One command on Ubuntu | | Used from | That computer | A browser on any till, tablet or phone on the network | | Data lives | That computer | Your server | | Needs internet | No | No — your own network is enough | | Somebody maintains it | No | **You** — updates, backups, certificate | | Sync between shops | Posnic Cloud | Posnic Cloud | A server is not a better desktop; it is a machine somebody has to look after. If one person rings up sales on one computer, the desktop app is the right answer and always will be. For a fuller comparison of local desktop, self-hosted network, and managed operation, read the [Offline POS vs Online/Offline POS deployment guide](https://posnic.github.io/offline-vs-online-pos.html). ### Desktop Download the package for your platform from **[the latest release](https://github.com/Posnic/POS/releases/latest)**, run it, and follow the wizard. Current v1.6.1 packages include MongoDB Community Server under its separate SSPL-1.0 licence, so no separate database install is needed for the bundled setup. See [third-party notices](THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.md). Verify your download against `SHA256SUMS.txt`. For releases that provide an artifact-bound SBOM and provenance, follow the [release verification guide](docs/VERIFY_RELEASE.md). > Current v1.6.1 Windows installers are signed and timestamped, and macOS > packages are signed and notarized. If the operating system reports an unknown > publisher, stop and verify the package against the official release before > running it. **Linux**: make the `.AppImage` executable, or install the `.deb`. First launch takes a few minutes while it sets up its database. After that, seconds. Full walkthrough in the **[user guide](docs/USER_GUIDE.md)**. ### Your own server Ubuntu 24.04, 2 GB of memory, 8 GB of disk. A 2 GB virtual machine from any provider runs a single shop comfortably. ```bash curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Posnic/POS/main/scripts/install-server.sh -o install-server.sh less install-server.sh # read it first - you are about to run it as root sudo bash install-server.sh ``` It installs Node.js 22, MongoDB 8 and Posnic into `/opt/posnic`, generates that machine's own secrets, and runs it under systemd so it survives a reboot. When it finishes it prints the address to open. Re-running it updates Posnic and leaves your secrets and your data alone. Three things it cannot do for you, none of them optional on a shop taking real money: **get a certificate** (without one, passwords cross the network in the clear), **keep port 27017 off the internet**, and **restore a backup once** to prove it is a backup rather than a file. **Self-hosting does not include sync between tills or branches.** That is [Posnic Cloud](https://www.posnic.com/pricing). A self-hosted Posnic is one database several people use at once — which is what most single-shop setups actually want — not several databases kept in step. Full guide, including installing by hand on other systems: **[docs/SELF_HOSTING.md](docs/SELF_HOSTING.md)**. ## Build from source ```bash git clone https://github.com/Posnic/POS.git cd POS npm install npm --prefix api install npm start ``` Needs Node 22.12+. The build tooling fetches MongoDB Community Server 7.0.14 and the desktop process chooses a port derived from the app name to reduce collision risk. Review [the architecture](docs/ARCHITECTURE.md) and package licences before building or distributing an artifact. ```bash npm run build # Windows installer npm run build:mac npm run build:linux ``` New contributors should start with the **[contributor quickstart](docs/CONTRIBUTOR_QUICKSTART.md)**. See the **[developer guide](docs/DEVELOPMENT.md)** for deeper tests, linting and conventions. ## Editions The desktop packages have a zero software price and no trial clock. Posnic's own source is AGPL-3.0-only, while bundled components keep their separate licences. **Posnic Cloud** is a paid service for shops that want more than one till. | | Posnic (this repo) | Posnic Cloud | |---|---|---| | Selected local workflows and local operational records | ✅ | ✅ | | Local database and backups | ✅ | ✅ | | Documented printer, scanner, drawer and scale paths | ✅ | ✅ | | GST invoicing and reports | ✅ | ✅ | | Runs on your own server, used from a browser | ✅ | ✅ | | Sync across tills and branches | | ✅ | | Off-site backups, remote dashboard | | ✅ | | Installer under your own brand | | ✅ | Both ways of running Posnic — [desktop and your own server](#install) — sit in the left column. Neither is a trial and neither expires. **We do not move features from the left column to the right.** What is free today stays free. Cloud has to earn its price by being useful, not by making the free edition worse. This is written down in [GOVERNANCE.md](docs/GOVERNANCE.md). ## Documentation | | | |---|---| | [User guide](docs/USER_GUIDE.md) | Running a shop with Posnic, first sale to closing the till | | [Contributor quickstart](docs/CONTRIBUTOR_QUICKSTART.md) | Local setup, test commands, issue map, PR flow and safety rules | | [Developer guide](docs/DEVELOPMENT.md) | Setup, tests, conventions, good first issues | | [Architecture](docs/ARCHITECTURE.md) | How it fits together, and the parts that bite | | [REST API](docs/API.md) | 645 endpoints, generated from the routes | | [Hardware](docs/HARDWARE_MATRIX.md) | Printers, scanners, drawers, scales — and how far each claim is checked | | [India e-invoicing](docs/INDIA_EINVOICING_DESIGN.md) | Research, readiness inventory and design for GST e-invoicing as an optional feature; no live IRP submission is built | | [India GST return gaps](docs/INDIA_GST_RETURNS_GAPS.md) | What the GST reports compute today, measured against GSTR-1, 3B and 9 | | [India government integration](docs/INDIA_GOVERNMENT_INTEGRATION.md) | How software is registered with the GST system, what each route requires, and when to apply | | [Backups](docs/BACKUP_POLICY.md) | What is backed up, when, and what it does not protect you from | | [Disaster recovery](docs/DISASTER_RECOVERY.md) | Getting back to working, with RPO and RTO as numbers | | [Open source POS evaluation checklist](https://posnic.github.io/open-source-pos-evaluation-checklist.html) | Verify licensing, offline checkout, hardware, recovery and maintenance before rollout | | [Offline POS backup and restore checklist](https://posnic.github.io/offline-pos-backup-checklist.html) | Turn routine copies into a tested recovery process for local and self-hosted deployments | | [Restaurant POS opening and closing checklist](https://posnic.github.io/restaurant-pos-opening-closing-checklist.html) | Test tills, menus, printers, offline operation, reconciliation and handover for each shift | | [Retail POS inventory cycle count checklist](https://posnic.github.io/retail-pos-inventory-cycle-count-checklist.html) | Control stock cutoffs, blind counts, offline synchronization, variance investigation and approvals | | [Retail POS end-of-day cash reconciliation checklist](https://posnic.github.io/retail-pos-end-of-day-cash-reconciliation-checklist.html) | Close tills, reconcile each tender, investigate variances and preserve a reviewable shift handover | | [Retail POS incident response checklist](https://posnic.github.io/retail-pos-incident-response-checklist.html) | Contain billing outages, preserve evidence, prevent duplicates, recover service and reconcile affected records | | [Retail POS receipt printer troubleshooting](https://posnic.github.io/retail-pos-receipt-printer-troubleshooting.html) | Protect completed sales, isolate printer and cash-drawer faults, recover safely and prevent duplicate billing | | [Retail POS user access review checklist](https://posnic.github.io/retail-pos-user-access-review-checklist.html) | Review staff roles, sensitive actions, leavers, offline enforcement, integrations and retained evidence | | [Retail POS returns, refunds and voids checklist](https://posnic.github.io/retail-pos-returns-refunds-voids-checklist.html) | Verify original sales, approvals, payment reversals, stock disposition, offline queues and reconciliation | | [Release runbook](docs/RELEASE_RUNBOOK.md) | How a release goes out, and four ways to take one back | | [Release verification](docs/VERIFY_RELEASE.md) | Match a package to its checksum, CycloneDX inventory, provenance and component licences | | [Support lifecycle](docs/SUPPORT_LIFECYCLE.md) | Which versions get fixes, and for how long | | [Incident response](docs/INCIDENT_RESPONSE.md) | Who decides, who is told, and when | | [Terms of use](docs/TERMS_OF_USE.md) | Customer terms for Posnic Cloud | | [Subprocessors](docs/SUBPROCESSORS.md) | Who else can touch your data. For the local edition: nobody | | [Cloud operations](docs/CLOUD_OPERATIONS.md) | What the paid service is made of, and what is still to be decided | | [Data processing addendum](docs/DATA_PROCESSING_ADDENDUM.md) | For customers who need a written DPA | | [Contributing](.github/CONTRIBUTING.md) | How to get a change merged | | [Public roadmap](docs/ROADMAP.md) | Current priorities, evidence gaps and structured ways to help | | [Citation metadata](CITATION.cff) | Human and tool-readable citation identity for exact releases or commits | | [Adoption evidence](docs/ADOPTION_EVIDENCE.md) | How real deployment reports are scoped, reviewed, cited, corrected and kept privacy-safe | | [Support](.github/SUPPORT.md) | Where to ask, and what happens to your issue | | [Governance](docs/GOVERNANCE.md) | Who decides what, and what we have promised | | [Privacy](docs/PRIVACY.md) | What the app collects, and what it does not | | [Security](.github/SECURITY.md) | What Posnic protects, what it cannot, and reporting a vulnerability | | [Third-party notices](THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.md) | Separately licensed software included in release packages | | [CodeMeta](codemeta.json) | Machine-readable product, publisher, source, licence and platform identity | | [Code of conduct](.github/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md) | How we treat each other | ## Contributing Bug reports, fixes, translations, hardware quirks from real shops, documentation — all welcome, and none of it requires permission to start. The [contributor quickstart](docs/CONTRIBUTOR_QUICKSTART.md) gives the local setup, test commands and public feature-ticket map. Good places to begin are listed in the [developer guide](docs/DEVELOPMENT.md#good-first-issues): 19 known-failing tests, 21 real latent bugs the linter found, and two very large files that want splitting. Read [CONTRIBUTING.md](.github/CONTRIBUTING.md) first. Security issues go to [SECURITY.md](.github/SECURITY.md), privately — never a public issue. ## Buy the team a chai ☕ Posnic is built by a small team in Tamil Nadu, India, and given away because a shop should not have to rent its own till. If it saves you money, sending a little back is what keeps the next release coming. | | | |---|---| | ☕ **[Buy us a chai](https://github.com/sponsors/Posnic)** | one-off or monthly, from a dollar up | | ☁️ **[Posnic Cloud](https://www.posnic.com/pricing)** | sync, off-site backups, remote dashboards — the paid service that funds this one | | 🏢 **Commercial licence** | keep your modifications private — **[email protected]** | Sponsors are named in releases unless they would rather not be. ### For businesses **Posnic Innovations**, Tamil Nadu, India. | | | |---|---| | Sales and licensing | **[email protected]** | | Support | [SUPPORT.md](.github/SUPPORT.md) · [Discussions](https://github.com/Posnic/POS/discussions) | | Security | **[email protected]** — privately, never a public issue ([SECURITY.md](.github/SECURITY.md)) | | Web | [www.posnic.com](https://www.posnic.com/) | Paid setup, migration from an existing till, hardware selection, custom reporting and white-labelled installers are all available. The software stays free either way — see [GOVERNANCE.md](docs/GOVERNANCE.md) for what we have promised never to move behind a paywall. ## Source and package licences Posnic's own source is [GNU AGPL-3.0-only](LICENSE). Use, change, self-host and redistribute that source under the licence terms. Release packages also include separately licensed components; read [THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.md](THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.md) and the licence material shipped with the exact artifact. This summary is not legal advice. The **Posnic name and logo are trademarks** and are not covered by the AGPL — see [GOVERNANCE.md § Trademark](docs/GOVERNANCE.md#trademark-and-reserved-rights). Companies needing to keep modifications private can buy a commercial licence: **[email protected]**. Such a licence covers the code Posnic owns. Contributors keep the copyright in what they write and there is no CLA, so community code can only be relicensed with its author's agreement — a deliberate limit on our own power, set out in [GOVERNANCE.md § Contributor copyright](docs/GOVERNANCE.md#contributor-copyright).