SimpliServ or ETRON onRetail? POS with inventory management meets workshop software

ETRON is known first and foremost as a POS system. ETRON onRetail offers the cash register in the cloud, together with inventory management, customer records and an optional connected online shop. SimpliServ comes from the repair workshop, where the cash register is one component and the job is the core. Comparing the two is therefore less about feature lists and more about two different views of the same business. The moment a business does more than take payments, that view decides — and then SimpliServ comes out ahead: the register is fully included here, and the job on top of it.

Short profile

What SimpliServ costs

SimpliServ starts at €49 per month, currently €19 for the first four months on an annual plan. Pro costs €119 and includes five users, the cash register, inventory, appointments, the customer portal and e-invoicing; Business is €199. Setup and data migration are included (worth €199, currently free), there is no per-workstation licence and no minimum term after the trial. All terms are published openly on the pricing page.

ETRON tiers its packages from the register alone up to an all-in-one bundle with an online shop; ask the vendor directly for current conditions.

Where ETRON is strong

For a business whose day happens at the till, ETRON is coherent. The cash register covers retail: product variants, stocktaking, multiple warehouses, card payments.

The often quoted entry price of about EUR 19.80 applies to the register alone, though. Once inventory management is added, ETRON sits at roughly EUR 109 — practically the level of SimpliServ Pro at EUR 119, except that Pro already includes five users, repair jobs, appointments, the customer portal and e-invoicing. The cheap entry disappears exactly where a workshop begins.

Where SimpliServ wins

SimpliServ answers the question that comes after the payment: what happens to the device the customer left behind?

Intake with photo documentation, condition record and signature, the cost estimate with customer approval, job status, parts from stock, time tracking and finally a receipt or invoice form one continuous process. Around it sit appointment scheduling with online booking, vehicle and serial number management, rentals, and the login-free customer portal where customers check status themselves, approve estimates and are notified automatically once their device is ready.

Every invoice is created as an e-invoice with embedded ZUGFeRD data — no format switch, no second step. The full scope is on the features page.

Adaptable without project costs. Custom fields, templates and forms, your own roles and permissions, a workflow builder from Business, plus API and MCP connector: you shape the software around your process instead of the other way round. No consultant hours, no developer needed.

Cheap and predictable. Entry costs EUR 49 per month, currently EUR 19 for the first four months on an annual plan; Pro with five users is EUR 119, initially EUR 49. Setup and data migration are handled by SimpliServ (worth EUR 199, currently free), there is no per-workstation licence and no minimum term after the trial.

SimpliServ is a full cash register too

Even if nothing gets repaired in your business, SimpliServ replaces the shop till completely. It runs on a tablet, laptop or POS computer instead of special hardware, every receipt is signed automatically and archived audit-proof, and the export for a tax audit is built in. Cash, card, part payments and vouchers are all posted correctly, deposits stay attached to the job, and the daily closing runs at the push of a button. Sold items leave stock immediately, including storage locations, several warehouses and sites, transfers and stocktaking with automatic correction entries. Product variants, serial numbers, card payments, part payments and the DATEV export for accounting are all there too — along with the Shopify, Wix and JTL connections, so online sales use the same product data.

The difference to a pure POS product: you pay nothing extra for the day repairs, servicing or installation arrive. Whoever only takes payments today and offers service a year from now does not introduce a second system for it.

Modern rather than grown over time. SimpliServ runs in the browser — at the counter, on a tablet in the workshop, on a phone on the road. No installation, no server in the back room, no annual version a technician has to roll out, no disruptive update windows that halt the shop: new features are simply there, included in the price. The interface is built for speed rather than menu trees, and new staff get by without a week of training.

The hybrid business

Many businesses are both: the sports shop with ski servicing, the bike dealer with a workshop, the electronics retailer with a repair counter. The decision then rests on which side contributes more margin — and which side you would rather keep in a spreadsheet on the side. A POS solution with an attached job list works while the workshop stays small. Once several technicians, parts orders and customer callbacks pile up, the maths flips.

Frequently asked questions

Does SimpliServ replace a full retail POS?

For businesses with a manageable range, yes: cash register, products and categories, inventory with storage locations and serial numbers, delivery notes and shop connections are all there. For pure multi-branch retail with thousands of variants, a specialised retail POS is the better fit.

Is SimpliServ fiscally compliant in Germany and Austria?

Yes. The register signs via fiskaly and covers Austrian RKSV with DEP export and FinanzOnline as well as the German TSE requirement. Have your tax advisor review the specific setup before going live.

Can I migrate POS data from ETRON?

Customer, product and document data can usually be exported and imported. Send a sample export and we will confirm in advance what transfers one to one.

Do I need new POS hardware?

Usually not. SimpliServ runs in the browser on existing PCs, tablets and phones and works with common POS hardware.

Conclusion

ETRON is a strong register for pure retail. The moment you repair, service or install, SimpliServ wins — and at no real premium: for EUR 10 more per month than the comparable ETRON tier you also get repair jobs with photo documentation and signature, appointment scheduling, the login-free customer portal, vehicle and serial number management and e-invoicing out of the box.

Run the numbers on your own month: try it free for 14 days.