FloCafe runs directly on the business's own computer. Orders, customers, receipts, and backups are stored in a local SQLite database, allowing counter service and kitchen displays to continue operating without an internet connection. No hosted or cloud account is required for core POS operation. Optional integrations—such as Google Drive backup, WhatsApp bill delivery, and cloud-connected reporting—can be enabled when needed.
Get FloCafe
Download the latest installer from GitHub Releases, or install through your platform's app store:
Releases include Windows installers, macOS DMGs, and Linux AppImage, .deb,
.rpm, and Snap packages. For Linux package-specific installation and update
behavior, FUSE setup, printing permissions, and tray behavior, see Linux
installation and support.
System requirements
| Requirement | Minimum |
|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10+, macOS 12+, or a current supported Linux distribution — 64-bit only (x64 or arm64) |
| Memory | 4 GB RAM |
| Storage | 500 MB free space, plus room for local backups |
Node.js is only required to develop FloCafe, not to run a packaged release.
FloCafe does not build or publish 32-bit installers. A terminal that can only
run a 32-bit OS can still be used from a lightweight browser, without
installing the desktop app locally:
- Companion screen or POS terminal: open the Server App or the browser POS,
both served over LAN.
- KDS station: open the KDS URL listed in the app's About dialog (macOS:
the application menu; Windows and Linux: Help). The KDS is a separate
LAN-served display on its own port, configurable through
KDS_PORT; it is
not served from the Server App or the browser POS.
App Store and Microsoft Store installs should be removed through the relevant store or operating system.
# macOS
curl -fsSL https://github.com/FreeOpenSourcePOS/FloCafe/releases/latest/download/uninstall-macos.sh -o uninstall-macos.sh
chmod +x uninstall-macos.sh
./uninstall-macos.sh
# Windows PowerShell
irm https://github.com/FreeOpenSourcePOS/FloCafe/releases/latest/download/uninstall-windows.ps1 -OutFile uninstall-windows.ps1
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\uninstall-windows.ps1
Both scripts ask whether to keep application data. Do not choose their data-purge options unless you intend to remove the local database and backups.
Key features
Also in the box
- Offline-first architecture: Local SQLite storage with auto-migrating schema and fail-closed safety.
- Granular roles & permissions: Owner, Manager, Cashier, Server, and Chef roles with context-aware access policies.
- Multi-language support: 25 localized languages with full bidirectional RTL rendering (Arabic, Persian, Urdu).
- 131 Country profiles: 109 world currencies with localized phone parsing, number formatting, and timezone handling.
- Country tax packs: Signed regional tax pack integration and manual rule engine.
- Automated database backups: Pre-migration automatic snapshots, manual exports, and optional Google Drive sync.
- Customer loyalty & CRM: Customer directory, purchase histories, and point redemption.
- Cash drawer management: Cash pulse on checkout and end-of-shift cash drawer reconciliations.
- Daily sales & accounting export: Audit-ready CSV/Excel reporting with financial reconciliation identities.
Project status
FloCafe is actively developed and already used in real deployments. Core customer data and upgrade safety are treated carefully, including explicit database migrations and recovery mechanisms. Some internal and extension-facing architecture is still evolving, so implementation details and internal contracts may change as the project matures.
Offline-first by design
Core POS operation and local data are offline-first. Order entry, billing, KDS coordination, and receipt printing do not depend on internet access or external cloud services.
- Data location: The SQLite database and local backups reside in the operating system user-data directory, separate from installed application binaries. Standard in-place application updates do not remove them. As a best practice, create a manual backup before reinstalling, moving to a new machine, or changing distribution channels.
- Pre-migration backups: FloCafe automatically creates a timestamped database backup before running schema migrations.
- Optional network features: Services such as Google Drive backups, WhatsApp bill delivery, and cloud reporting communicate over the network only when explicitly configured and enabled by the store owner.
Languages and regional support
FloCafe includes UI translations for:
- English
- Spanish
- French
- Brazilian Portuguese
- Russian
- Filipino
- Turkish
- Persian (Farsi), including RTL support
- Arabic, including RTL support
- Urdu, including RTL support
- German
- Italian
- Japanese
- Simplified Chinese
- Traditional Chinese (Taiwan)
- Korean
- Bahasa Indonesia
- Dutch
- Hindi
- Bengali/Bangla
- Albanian
- Vietnamese
- Thai
- Nepali
UI language is independent of store country and regional settings, and tax calculation rules remain a separate concern. For details on contributing translations or adding languages, see the Internationalization and translation guide.
FloCafe ships with 131 country profiles covering 109 currencies. Each profile sets a default currency, locale, and setup timezone; store owners can override the timezone during setup or later in Settings.
| Country | Currency | Default timezone |
|---|
| India (IN) | INR | Asia/Kolkata |
| Argentina (AR) | ARS | America/Argentina/Buenos_Aires |
| United States (US) | USD | America/New_York |
| Canada (CA) | CAD | America/Toronto |
| United Kingdom (GB) | GBP | Europe/London |
| Thailand (TH) | THB | Asia/Bangkok |
| Singapore (SG) | SGD | Asia/Singapore |
| Malaysia (MY) | MYR | Asia/Kuala_Lumpur |
| Indonesia (ID) | IDR | Asia/Jakarta |
| Philippines (PH) | PHP | Asia/Manila |
| Vietnam (VN) | VND | Asia/Ho_Chi_Minh |
| Australia (AU) | AUD | Australia/Sydney |
| New Zealand (NZ) | NZD | Pacific/Auckland |
| United Arab Emirates (AE) | AED | Asia/Dubai |
| Saudi Arabia (SA) | SAR | Asia/Riyadh |
| South Africa (ZA) | ZAR | Africa/Johannesburg |
| Morocco (MA) | MAD | Africa/Casablanca |
| Kenya (KE) | KES | Africa/Nairobi |
| Nigeria (NG) | NGN | Africa/Lagos |
| Brazil (BR) | BRL | America/Sao_Paulo |
| Mexico (MX) | MXN | America/Mexico_City |
| Chile (CL) | CLP | America/Santiago |
| Uruguay (UY) | UYU | America/Montevideo |
| Paraguay (PY) | PYG | America/Asuncion |
| Japan (JP) | JPY | Asia/Tokyo |
| South Korea (KR) | KRW | Asia/Seoul |
| China (CN) | CNY | Asia/Shanghai |
| Hong Kong SAR China (HK) | HKD |
Tax support
FloCafe includes a generic calculation engine and supports signed, versioned country tax packs for regional rules, tax categories, and rounding policies. Country coverage is expanding through the catalog, and availability varies. Operators can also configure manual tax rules and rates locally.
Notice: FloCafe is software, not legal or tax advice. Tax packs and configuration tools do not by themselves certify compliance with local regulations. Operators remain responsible for verifying the requirements that apply to their business.
For pack authoring, validation, and schema details, see the Tax packs developer guide.
Development
Setting up a local development environment requires Node.js 22 or later:
git clone https://github.com/FreeOpenSourcePOS/FloCafe.git
cd FloCafe
npm install
npm run dev
npm run dev builds the frontend and backend, then launches Electron.
Architecture
Electron main process
├── Express API and WebSocket server :3001
├── Standalone kitchen-display server :3002
├── Server / waiter app server :3003
└── SQLite database, migrations, and printing
↕ HTTP and WebSocket
Next.js renderer
└── React UI and Zustand client state
For detailed developer workflows, coding standards, branch conventions, and testing procedures, see CONTRIBUTING.md.
Contributing
Contributions are welcome. Please check CONTRIBUTING.md before starting work:
- Small bug fixes, documentation improvements, and focused tests can be started freely.
- New features, database schema changes, and architectural refactors require maintainer discussion and approval before implementation.
If FloCafe is useful to you, consider starring the repository.
Help and documentation
License
FloCafe is open-source software licensed under the MIT License.
