5 Best Lightspeed Alternatives

April 27, 2023

When it comes to POS options, Lightspeed is one of the top dogs. But does that mean it’s the best option? We’re not so sure. For many small to medium businesses owners, Lightspeed can be a little bit too expensive, especially for what it offers. So let’s have a look at some of the best lightspeed alternatives on the market, many of which are much more affordable, and provide an equally if not better POS solution.

Firstly, let’s have a look at Lightspeed and what it actually offers. 

lightspeed alternatives. oliver pos, shopify, shopkeep, square,

With their beginner plans starting at $89/month, Lightspeed is a POS that aims to be an all-in-one operating system for both retail and restaurants. Today, we’ll just be focusing on Lightspeed Retail. Lightspeed boasts an all-in-one system because it includes tools to manage your business such as accounting tools, inventory management tools, and more. But Lightspeed has its downfalls, too. Lightspeed is one of the priciest POS options, and especially can be costly if you need more advanced features, such as analytics, which is only offered in their most expensive plan ($289./month). According to some, Lightspeed’s integration with third-party apps leaves something to be desired, and likewise, doesn’t integrate very well with eCommerce platforms such as WooCommerce, Shopify, or Big Commerce. So, Lightspeed might not be your best option if you’re on a budget, if you need third party integrations, or if you already have an eCommerce site.

Pros

-Great support

-Great inventory management

Cons

– Expensive

– No eCommerce integration

– No integrations

What about the Lightspeed alternatives? Let’s go through some POS systems that may better suit your budget and your shop’s needs. 

1. Oliver POS

Oliver POS is the most cost-effective of the Lightspeed alternatives, including a free plan with a vast array of features (including analytics), and affordable advanced plans. One of the defining features of Oliver POS is its ability to integrate with third-party apps and custom development

Pros

-Free Plan

-Affordable

-Intuitive

-Excellent integrations

-Third party payment processors

Cons

-No built-in payment processor

-Only available on WooCommerce

2. Square for Retail

Square is another top dog alongside Lightspeed. But again, does this really mean it’s one of the best? How does it compare as a Lightspeed alternative? 

Square POS is certainly a more affordable option than lightspeed, with their POS software being free. They offer a more advanced POS starting at $60/month per location. The catch is that you pay for every transaction, which can become quite costly. They offer custom pricing for businesses that process a lot of sales. Luckily they have a built in payment processor, so you don’t have to worry about integrating with third party payment processes. Especially because word on the street is, Square isn’t the best at third-party integrations, including eCommerce integration. 

Pros

-Intuitive

-Cost-Effective

-Built in Payment Processor

Cons

-Integrations are not great

-Free plan is limited

-iPad only

3. Shopify POS

A great option if you have a Shopify store – and only if you have a shopify store, because it doesn’t integrate with any other eCommerce platform. Their prices are pretty affordable, starting at $20/month. It’s very intuitive and makes selling from your online store and your retail store a piece of cake. However, Shopify POS does have some downsides- some basic features are only available in their advanced plan, such as stock adjustments and inventory management tools. It can also get a little pricey if you want to integrate with third-party payment processors.

Pros

-Connects your eCommerce store

-Intuitive

-Lots of integrations

Cons

-Only available with shopify

-Some basic features are only available on advanced plan

-Higher fee when using payment processors

4. Shopkeep POS

Shopkeep is a  decently priced POS Lightspeed alternative starting at $49/month, with an intuitive interface and all the basic POS features, such as inventory management and barcode scanning. They offer their own payment systems, too! The only downside to this is that they do not integrate with any other payment system. Another downside is their limited number of integrations.

Pros

-Easy to use

-Runs on your iPad

Cons

-Not many integrations

-No alternatives for payment processing

-Support is limited 

5. Clover POS

Clover is a great option for small businesses. It’s one of the most affordable options on this list, starting at a simple 9.95/month. However, despite its affordable subscription cost, Clover can only be used on its own hardware. On top of that, you must also use their payment processors. So the price may be deceiving. But don’t get me wrong. Clover still has an intuitive interface, as well as a number of excellent features such as inventory management and analytics. Clover also offers a library of integrations. 

Pros

-Lots Integrations

-Intuitive & functional

-Can add to your existing website

Cons

-No third party payment processors

-No third party hardware

-Fee for every transaction

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