Lightspeed vs Shopify vs Square 2024: A Complete Comparison

Lightspeed vs Shopify vs Square: For many retailers, it’s the ultimate point of sale showdown. All three POS providers have excellent hardware and software to offer. Plus, they all promise exceptional ease of use, fantastic functionality, and a decent level of scalability for growing brands.

So, how do you choose between three leading POS providers? We’ve explored the software features, hardware, customer support and pricing of each service, to simplify your decision.

By the time you’re finished reading, you’ll know exactly which point of sale solution will give your company the tools it needs to grow.

LightSpeed vs Shopify vs Square at a Glance

	Lightspeed POS	Square POS	Shopify POS
Features	All-in-one solution for customer, inventory, order, and employee management, with payment processing, omnichannel selling, and marketing integrations.	Comprehensive but easy-to-use platform for omnichannel sales, order, inventory, purchase order, customer, and employee management.	Versatile selection of tools for inventory, order, customer, and employee management, with in-depth analytics, reporting, marketing, and omnichannel sales tools.
Best for	Advanced in-person sales tools, exceptional hardware, and fantastic onboarding and customer support options.	Beginners in search of simple and cost-effective point-of-sale solutions, with access to omnichannel selling and specialist industry tools (restaurants).	Companies looking for an omnichannel sales platform with access to a powerful website builder, cross-channel inventory syncing and payment processing.
Pricing	Starting at $89 per month for the lean package, with access to POS software, account manager, and a single hardware register.	Free software for beginners, with access to specialist plans for restaurants and advanced vendors.	Shopify POS Lite included with most Shopify subscriptions. POS Pro available for $89 per month or with Shopify Plus.
Transaction fees	Starting at 2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions, with variable pricing based on payment method.	Starting at 2.6% plus 10 cents for card-present transactions, and 2.9% plus 30 cents for not-present transactions.	Ranging from 2.4% to 2.9% with a flat 30 cents additional fee. Pricing depends on your Shopify ecommerce plan.
Hardware pricing	Variable. Pricing isn’t listed on the website but is offered on a per customer basis.	Starting at $10 for a magstripe reader, or $29 for a card reader.	Starting at $59 for a simple Wisepad card reader.
Payment processing	Cash, credit, debit, gift card, credit accounts, and invoicing options.	Contactless payments, mobile payments, cash, credit, debit, gift card, and invoicing options.	Credit cards, debit cards, invoicing, online payments, and contactless or mobile wallet transactions.
Customer support	In-person support in local offices, dedicated account managers, onboarding services, self-service resources, and phone, chat, and email support.	Self-service resources such as FAQs and guides, specialist support, plus phone, chat, and email service.	Live chat, email, self-service, and phone support in some area. Dedicated expert support is also available.

LightSpeed vs Shopify vs Square: An Introduction

Let’s start with a quick overview of all three POS solutions. Square, Shopify, and Lightspeed are all powerful cloud-based point of sale platform vendors. They also support omnichannel selling, with integrations to online stores and marketplaces.

Lightspeed is a convenient ePOS platform which benefits heavily from exceptional customer support, one-on-one account management, performance boosting insights, and a multilocation dashboard. The company offers a broad POS service for everyday retailers, as well as tools for hospitality companies.

Square POS, powered by the Square payment processing company, is an intelligent, and easy-to-use point of sale platform, available for retailers and restaurants.

It offers comprehensive inventory and product management, as well as ultra-secure and fast-paced payment processing.

Finally, Shopify POS, created for users of the Shopify platform, is an industry-leading point of sale solution, supporting mobile POS, inventory and order management, automation, and marketing.

The toolkit even comes with powerful analytics, reports, and dashboards.

Square vs Shopify vs LightSpeed: Software Features

In today’s versatile digital world, the first thing you’re likely to consider when choosing a POS system is the software functionality. As mentioned above, all three tools offer flexible cloud-based functionality, and easy-to-use feature set, and an all-in-one dashboard for business management.

Square POS Software Features

Square is one of the top providers of POS solutions, simply because its solution is so intuitive and easy to use. Small businesses and growing companies alike can easily create gift cards, custom checkout experiences for in-person and online transactions, and even loyalty programs.

Square also offers dedicated solutions for specific industries. Square for Restaurants, for instance, includes menu management and tableside ordering tools.

Compared to other POS vendors like Lightspeed, Square’s system is also extremely straightforward, and affordable. However, there are fewer advanced features available on the basic plan.

Key features include:

• Payment processing: Credit card, debit card, gift card, online invoicing and mobile wallet options, as well as custom payment solutions such as split tenders.
• Security: Built-in security and PCI compliance, with fraud protection, extensive chargeback support, and data protection tools.
• Custom checkout: Customizable checkout experiences with templates, categories, item information, modifiers, and multiple payment options.
• Customer profiles: In-depth insights into customers, with segments for customer reviews, notes, tags, and purchasing details.
• Integrations: Comprehensive integrations for social media channels, ecommerce platforms, accounting tools like Xero and fulfillment platforms. An open API is also available.
• Fulfillment: In-depth insights into orders, shipping processes, delivery, pickup and other fulfillment options for all business needs.
• Employee management: Scheduling tools, admin and staff accounts, performance insights and comprehensive metric tracking.
• Inventory management: End-to-end product and inventory tracking, order insights, rapid purchase order solutions and low-stock reports.

Shopify POS Software Features

Like Square, Shopify is a comprehensive point of sale system, ideal for brick and mortar stores with an existing online presence. The main defining feature of Shopify POS is its deep integration with the Shopify website builder and ecommerce platform.

Companies can track online sales and inventory across multiple channels, integrate with marketplaces like Amazon and Ebay, sell through social media, and more.

Plus, there are real-time dashboards for analytics within the point-of-sale system, and an easy-to-use dashboard for iOS, Android, and other operating systems, so you can access your feature set anywhere.

Key features include:

• Omnichannel sales: Support for sales in-store, and online, through your Shopify website, marketplaces, social media, and other channels.
• Inventory management: Complete order management and inventory insights with unlimited products, categories, and variants, as well as demand forecasting.
• Fulfillment tools: Integrations with Shopify’s fulfillment network, shipping and delivery insights, and pick-up in-store options.
• Payment processing: Integrated Shopify payments with transparent transaction fees, options for gift cards, credit cards, debit cards, and mobile wallets.
• Marketing: Marketing tools through integrations with Google Merchant center, email, and social media, as well as customer reviews and loyalty programs.
• Employee management: In-depth employee management tools with custom roles and permissions, and sales attribution.
• Reports and analytics: Real-time and historical insights into sales, trending products, customer preferences, finances, taxes, and more.
• Customer profiles: Extensive customer profiles with tags, marketing preferences, contact details, and contact options.

Lightspeed POS Software Features

Lightspeed offers a range of Point of Sale solutions for different business types, primarily focusing on restaurants, retail, and golf companies. The point of sale solution includes a comprehensive back-end with unified commerce tools, exceptional visibility, and expert support.

Lightspeed allows you to track orders, monitor real-time updates, and automate your marketing strategy, all in the same place.

You can even segment customers based on data, and communicate with clients across various channels. The platform also offers extensive integrations with ecommerce, accounting, and fulfillment tools.

Key features include:

• Inventory management: Reduce stockouts with instant purchase orders, low stock alerts, instant inventory syncing, and rapid visibility into multiple locations.
• Payments: Built-in payment processing for credit cards, debit cards, mobile wallets, gift cards, and custom payment solutions.
• Integrations: Integrations with ecommerce tools and accounting services, as well as an open API for developers to create custom automations.
• Omnichannel: Support for in-store and online selling, marketplace integrations, social selling, and various other options.
• Customer management: Customer profiles with insights into sales history, preferences, and CRM integrations. Loyalty programs are also available.
• Capital: Finance your company’s growth instantly with dedicated capital from the Lightspeed team, available on-demand.
• Multi location management: Integrate multiple stores for rapid insights into orders and transactions across a range of environments.
• Employee management: Track employee sales, performance, schedules, and metrics, and assign accounts to each employee in minutes.

Square POS vs Shopify POS vs Lightspeed POS: Hardware Solutions

While it’s possible to run your online and offline business with nothing but the right POS software, an iPhone, and a simple card reader, many organizations will need specialist hardware to succeed. Fortunately, all three vendors offer a range of valuable hardware options.

Starting with Square, businesses can access a variety of straightforward, or more advanced tools. There are simple credit card readers, like the $10 magstripe reader which can plug into your phone or tablet, or the full Square card reader for $29.

Square also offers the Square Register, Square Terminal, and a variety of kits, with free returns and a warranty included.

Lightspeed also offers a wide selection of hardware options, sourced from third-party vendors. Options range from Bluetooth cash-drawers and receipt printers, to stands for your iPad, barcode scanners, and complete kits.

Unfortunately, you will need to contact the team to access pricing information, though some Lightspeed plans include registers.

Shopify doesn’t have quite as many POS hardware options available as Lightspeed and Square, however its tools are extremely intuitive.

The WisePad card reader is ideal for small businesses, at $49, with chip, tap and contactless payment processing. There’s also the Shopify POS Go mobile POS system for $399, which simplifies fast-paced selling.

LightSpeed vs Shopify vs Square: Ease of Use

Though the simplicity of Lightspeed, Square, and Shopify will depend heavily on the add-ons and integrations you access, as well as the type of POS service you purchase, all three tools are quite intuitive.

Shopify has a simple and straightforward interface, which is likely to be familiar to anyone already using the Shopify ecommerce ecosystem.

There are countless tools available to access within the dashboard, and everything is easy to navigate. Plus setting up your POS takes a matter of minutes, making it ideal for people with limited time.

Square is one of the easiest tools to implement into a store environment on the market today. The interface is intuitive, depending on the hardware you order with your bundle.

You can also quickly add all of the accessories and add-ons you need to your ecosystem. The restaurant platform is a little more advanced than the retail POS app, however.

Lightspeed is a little more complicated to set up for in-store and ecommerce businesses. The number of advanced plans and add-ons available, as well as open API integrations means it may take a while for organizations to implement all the tools they need.

However, there are FAQs available on the website, as well as onboarding support offered by the LightSpeed team.

Shopify vs Square vs LightSpeed: Customer Support

While Square, Lightspeed, and Shopify POS are all relatively easy to use, you may still need extra support from time to time. The good news is that all three vendors offer a huge number of valuable self-service resources for guidance and education.

There are FAQs and blogs available for retail stores and pop-up shops, insights into the POS features on each website, and community platforms on social media available from each vendor.

Shopify offers customer support through live chat or email, and you can hire Shopify experts for extra guidance with your ecom store or POS solution.

Square offers phone support, alongside chat and email options, and user reviews suggest the company is incredibly fast and responsive, regardless of the monthly fees you might pay for your plan.

Finally, Lightspeed offers phone, chat, and email support, with a dedicated account manager on every plan, 24/7 guidance, and free training resources.

Lightspeed vs Square vs Shopify: Pricing Plans

While the price you pay in total for your POS solution will depend on the hardware you choose, as well as advanced plan options and add-ons, each service also has other fees to consider.

Some vendors require companies to pay a monthly fee to access software, and all three of these companies apply transaction fees to payments processed through the platform.

Square Pricing

Square is one of the cheapest POS solutions overall, offering access to hardware starting at $10, and a free plan for POS software. However, you will need to pay more if you want an advanced plan, such as Square for Restaurants, which starts at $69 per month.

Transaction fees on Square start at 2.5% plus 10 cents for card-present payments, and 2.9% plus 30 cents for online and card-not-present transactions. Keyed-in transactions cost 3.5% plus 15 cents, and prices can vary depending on your location.

Lightspeed Pricing

Thanks to its advanced features, Lightspeed is a little more expensive than Shopify and Square. There’s no free plan available, and the hardware fees aren’t listed on the website, you’ll need to contact the team directly.

However, a register is included in most plans.

Transaction fees start at 2.6% plus 10 cents, which makes the solution relatively similar to most vendors. However, there are lower fees available depending on your location and sales volume. On a monthly basis, plans include:

• Lean: $89 per month: All the retail POS features you might need, 1 register, integrated payments, B2B catalog options, and a dedicated account manager.
• Standard: $149 per month for all the features of Lean, plus accounting and ecommerce integrations.
• Advanced: $269 per month for all the features of Standard, plus advanced reporting, omnichannel loyalty tools and more.
• Enterprise: Custom pricing for all the features of Advanced, plus API consultation and support, premium customer service and personalized consultation.

Shopify Pricing

Shopify includes Shopify POS Lite in most of its ecommerce plans, while Shopify POS Pro is included in the Shopify Plus package. Processing fees range from 2.4% to 2.9% with a 30 cents extra fee, depending on your payment method and location.

Hardware from Shopify ranges from simple solutions like a card reader for $59 to comprehensive tools like the Shopify Go POS for $399. Notably, each of the pricing plans from Shopify comes with its own fees for payment processing.

You can start with the “Starter Package” for $5 per month, offering 1 POS account, but the transaction fees are high. Other plans include:

• Basic Shopify: $39 per month with Shopify POS Lite included, 2 staff accounts, 1,000 inventory locations, unlimited products and basic reports.
• Shopify: $105 per month for all the features of the Basic plan, plus standard reports, 5 staff accounts, and more features for ecommerce businesses.
• Advanced Shopify: $399 per month for all the features of Shopify, plus 15 staff accounts, custom reports, and more ecommerce tools and add-ons.
• Shopify Plus: Starting at $2,000 per month with Shopify POS Pro included, advanced integrations, lower processing fees, and extensive customer support.

The Pro plan for Shopify POS can also be added to any Shopify package for $89 per location, per month.

Lightspeed vs Shopify vs Square: Final Verdict

Lightspeed, Shopify, and Square are all excellent POS solutions, ideal for taking card payments online, offline, and through mobile devices. Alongside payment processor features, you’ll be able to access inventory, customer, and employee management tools, rich analytics, and even solutions for marketing and customer loyalty.

Square is likely to be the best option for companies in search of an easy-to-use and low-cost POS solution, thanks to its free plan and intuitive dashboard.

Alternatively, Lightspeed retail or Lightspeed omnichannel may be an excellent solution for growing companies with advanced needs. Lightspeed also offers exceptional customer service and support.

Overall however, Shopify offers the most flexible POS solution, with countless integrations and add-ons, as well as a host of valuable built-in features. Even the Lite version of the software is extremely powerful, and all POS systems integrate seamlessly with your online platforms.

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