Square vs Lightspeed: What’s the Best POS?

To start, Square’s base POS system is completely free; you only need to pay if you want advanced functions. Lightspeed, on the other hand, only offers a 14-day free trial, but from there, you will have to pay a minimum monthly fee of $69.

Square and Lightspeed payments also have very comparable processing rates, so there is little difference there. Lightspeed, however, will let you pair your POS with a third-party merchant account, but monthly POS payments will increase if you opt for this.

Square offers more affordable hardware options, including a free magstripe reader with every account. Not only that, but Square recently introduced tap to pay on iPhone, so you don’t need any additional hardware to start accepting payments. Lightspeed, in contrast, does not reveal its hardware pricing, and you have to meet a sales consultant to get a custom quote. Reportedly, systems start at $1,400 and go up from there.

While Square is the cheaper option for monthly POS and hardware fees, Lightspeed could be the better deal if you are a high-volume or high-risk retailer.

Square does not allow you to integrate with a third-party merchant account, whereas Lightspeed does, at a slightly higher monthly POS fee. For businesses that do a lot of transactions, you may be able to get cheaper payment processing rates with a third-party processor and save in the long run. Additionally, the ability to add the merchant account of your choice means that you could find one to process high-risk sales.

Square offers an intuitive, feature-rich checkout with tools for managing customers, taking all payment types, processing returns/exchanges, managing BOPIS purchases, and making sales on the go. Where Square really sets itself apart, however, is that there is an Afterpay integration for in-store sales, and the POS app has much better ratings among users than its Lightspeed counterpart. You also can’t forget that Square’s offerings are completely free, you just pay processing fees.

Square makes checkout easy for employees and customers. (Source: Square)

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Even Square’s mobile sale options are easy to use. (Source: Square)

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With images and prompts to help you through, Square’s checkout is nearly foolproof. (Source: Square)

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Where Square lacks age verification tools or the ability to process high-risk sales, Lightspeed can support those functions, making it a better choice for liquor stores, smoke shops, vape shops, and other age-restricted, high-risk item sales.

Unlike Square, Lightspeed is also able to handle work orders. This makes it a better fit for retailers that offer repairs or boutiques that provide tailoring services. The register can also accommodate special orders, for example, if you need to order a custom part or hard-to-find item. Finally, the Lightspeed register can also track warranties for specific sales, so you can see at a glance if a customer’s purchase is still under warranty.

Like Square, Lightspeed syncs online and in-person sales. (Source: Lightspeed)

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Lightspeed’s checkout tends to have more functions, but a busier interface.
(Source: Lightspeed)

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Lightspeed does have a mobile POS app for on-the-go sales. (Source: Lightspeed)

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Lightspeed ranks No. 1 in our list of the best POS inventory systems. It’s the most powerful option on the market, with tools for managing massive numbers of SKUs, viewing in-depth reports on your inventory’s performance, and more. It can track inventory by unit or volume—a great help when dealing with foodstuffs or selling by individual item or case. It also includes 40+ reports and custom reporting options so you can have a strong understanding of your stock and performance.

As with Square, Lightspeed offers low-inventory alerts, vendor management, and integrated purchase ordering. Additionally, setting Lightspeed apart, the POS has over 3,000 product catalogs integrated into your user dashboard, making it easy to shop and order stock without ever leaving your Lightspeed account. Not only that, but if you do B2B sales, you can apply to get your products hosted in the catalog.

Lightspeed Supplier Market lets you search multiple supplier catalogs and place orders without ever leaving your POS account. (Source: Lightspeed)

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As you add detailed information to your product pages, you can also print labels for your items. (Source: APPSeCONNECT)

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Create product variants based on colors, size, or other custom variables to help speed up the product entry process. (Source: Lightspeed)

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While its tools are not as in-depth, Square is no slouch in the inventory management category. For most retailers that don’t need high-level, high-volume inventory management tools, Square is a great option. Plus, the system is free and can handle the inventory management tasks that most businesses need.

Square’s inventory system works well for most small businesses. (Source: Square)

Lightspeed makes it easy to take special orders and tracks to the ingredient level. You can keep open tabs, transfer those tabs from bar to table or between servers, and group or split payments as needed. If you sell alcohol, Lightspeed’s age verification tools ensure you stay compliant with state and local laws. With Lightspeed’s upsell reminders, you can nudge your staff to mention those extras that go great together.

Overall, Lightspeed’s superior inventory and reporting make it better for larger operations and quick-service restaurants. In addition, if you have a hotel, Lightspeed integrates with hotel PMS so that you can manage room service.

Lightspeed can scale up as your business increases, taking you from a single sandwich shop to a chain. (Source: Lightspeed)

Square has a few things going in its favor. As always, the fact that Square offers its basic restaurant POS system for free makes it a great choice for businesses just starting out. Plus, it has great tools for cafes, pizzerias, bakeries, and food trucks.

Square for Restaurants is easy to set up and use. (Source: Square)

Square Appointments is Square’s appointment management POS, perfect for salons and other beauty services, as well as professional services, like home improvement or health and fitness. Square Appointments lets you and your clients book appointments at the POS or on your online booking page, sends automated SMS reminders, handles recurring appointments, and even charges cancellation or no-show fees.

The software includes notes for client profiles and team management. Plus, you still get Square’s powerful POS system, our top choice for the best POS for salons and spas.

Learn more about pricing and features in our full Square Appointments review.

Square Appointments lets you create booking channels on lots of different platforms. (Source: Square)

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​​View your schedule and get live updates as customers make new appointments. (Source: Square)

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Chat with customers and send appointment reminders. (Source: Square)

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If you have a golf course or business with similar needs, you should consider Lightspeed Golf. The software lets you manage and set up tee times for up to 54 holes and many play types. It also allows you to follow your customers from the course to the restaurant, letting you keep a single tab running for all services. If you are managing a golf course or similar kind of operation, then Lightspeed is a better choice.

Lightspeed is good for managing a golf course. (Source: Lightspeed)

Square’s online store comes completely free with every POS account (whereas Lightspeed’s only becomes available with plans starting at $149/month). The online store builder is easy to use, with tons of themes and industry-specific templates to choose from. From there, your store integrates seamlessly with your POS, syncing all sales, inventory, and customers across channels.

Your POS also comes equipped with shipping tools and local delivery options. Plus, with Square restaurants, you can integrate with online delivery platforms to manage orders made through UberEats or Postmates right from your POS dashboard.

Square has a great list of social media and alternate sales channel integrations, enabling you to manage sales and orders from all your sales channels in one place. Additionally, unlike Lightspeed, Square includes an Etsy store integration—a key sales channel for modern sellers.

Square has tons of customizable themes that you can use to build your site. (Source: Square)

If you sell extensively on eBay or Amazon or are looking for a more customizable website builder, then Lightspeed is going to be a better option. While Square will meet the needs of most sellers at a much lower price, it lacks eBay and Amazon integrations. Additionally, Lightspeed has more customization options in its website builder, if you need more branding or highly specific tools.

You’ll find Square at the top of our list of the best mobile POS apps. The versatility, ease of use, and price make Square’s mobile apps a great choice for selling crafts at the flea market or running a booth at the mall. It also works offline, recording and storing transactions to sync to the cloud when you have connectivity back.

Square’s app syncs with the POS system, so you get all the advantages of Square no matter where you are. Overall, it’s an excellent system, as shown by its high ratings among users in both the Google and Apple app stores.

Square is a free, fully-featured POS app. (Source: Google Play)

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​​Square lets you take your business on the go with their mobile hardware.
(Source: Square)

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Square lets you take your business on the go with their mobile hardware.
(Source: Square)

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If you are a restaurant using the Lightspeed Restaurant O series, then Lightspeed is a better option. The Lightspeed Restaurant app is designed with restaurants in mind, while Square’s mobile apps are most popular with retailers and appointment-based businesses.

Lightspeed’s mobile app includes tools, such as bar tabs and table management. Plus, Lightspeed has a separate self-order kiosk app to turn any iPad into a customer-facing ordering screen.

Lightspeed’s app is designed for restaurants.
(Source: Google Play Store)