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Lightspeed Retail vs Shopify POS: inventory on a term against cancel-anytime Basic
Updated Oct 15, 2026
Both charge 2.6% + 10¢ per in-person card sale. Lightspeed Retail Basic costs $89 a month billed annually or $109 monthly and includes inventory management, on a term with an early termination fee. Shopify POS Basic costs $29 a month paid yearly or $39 monthly with a full online store, and can be cancelled anytime, but its POS page puts inventory in POS Pro, $89 a month per location.
At a glance, by our score
- Lowest price
#2 Shopify POS
Shops that also sell online: in-person sales on the $29-a-month Basic plan, cancel anytime
8.2/10Very goodOur scoreVisit Shopify POSOn shopify.com #6 Lightspeed Retail
Retail stores: inventory and a basic online store on Basic, $89 a month billed annually
5.4/10PoorOur scoreVisit Lightspeed RetailOn lightspeedhq.com
Shopify POS's lowest monthly price is lower than Lightspeed Retail's, checked Sep 27, 2026 and Oct 9, 2026.
Side by side
| Criterion | Lightspeed Retail | Shopify POS |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 5.4/10PoorOur score #6 of 8 | 8.2/10Very goodOur score #2 of 8 |
| Card rate (30%) | 9.3 / 10 | 9.3 / 10 |
| Monthly software fee (25%) | 1.1 / 10 | 7.1 / 10 |
| Contract (15%) | 0.0 / 10 | 10.0 / 10 |
| Cheapest card reader (15%) | 7.4 / 10 | 8.4 / 10 |
| Included on the entry plan (15%) | 8.0 / 10 | 6.0 / 10 |
| Price from | $109 / month | $39 / month |
| Best for | Retail stores: inventory and a basic online store on Basic, $89 a month billed annually | Shops that also sell online: in-person sales on the $29-a-month Basic plan, cancel anytime |
| Visit | Visit Lightspeed RetailOn lightspeedhq.com | Visit Shopify POSOn shopify.com |
Who should pick which
- Lightspeed Retail: Retail stores: inventory and a basic online store on Basic, $89 a month billed annually
- Shopify POS: Shops that also sell online: in-person sales on the $29-a-month Basic plan, cancel anytime
At a glance
| Lightspeed Retail | Shopify POS | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry plan | Basic | Basic |
| In-person card rate | 2.6% + 10¢ | 2.6% + 10¢ |
| Fee on a $30 card sale | about $0.88 | about $0.88 |
| Monthly software fee | $89 billed annually, $109 monthly | $29 paid yearly, $39 monthly |
| Cheapest card reader | Mobile Tap v2 $79 | Tap & Chip $49 |
| Contract | renewing term; rest of the term if you cancel early | none; cancel anytime |
| Inventory tracking | yes | in POS Pro, $89 a month per location (pages conflict) |
| Online store or ordering | basic eCom | full-featured online store |
| Offline payments | beta, Smart Terminal only (counted as no) | yes, on compatible readers |
| Customer directory or loyalty | customer directory; loyalty from Core | simple customer profiles |
| Employee timecards | time clock | none built in |
Entry plans from Lightspeed's pricing page and Shopify's pricing page, read Sep 27, 2026.
Price
The card rate is the same: 2.6% + 10¢ in person, about $0.88 on a $30 sale.
The software fee differs a lot. Paid yearly, Lightspeed Basic is $1,068 and Shopify Basic $348, a gap of $720 a year. Paid monthly, it is $109 against $39, a gap of $70 a month. Shopify also offers new sign-ups $1 a month for the first 3 months.
The gap narrows if you need inventory on Shopify: its POS pricing page puts inventory management in POS Pro, $89 a month per location. Basic paid yearly plus POS Pro comes to $118 a month, against Lightspeed's $89 billed annually.
Readers: Lightspeed's Mobile Tap v2 is $79 (hardware store); Shopify's Tap & Chip is $49 (hardware store).
Where they differ
- Contract. Shopify's pricing FAQ says you can "simply cancel your account". Lightspeed's service agreement charges an early termination fee, the recurring fees for the rest of the term, and needs 30 days' notice before the next billing date.
- Inventory. Lightspeed ticks inventory management on Basic. Shopify's pages conflict: the main pricing table marks it Included on Basic, the POS pricing page puts it in POS Pro. We use the worse reading.
- Online store. Shopify lists a full-featured online store on every plan. Lightspeed Basic has "a limited number of eCom features" (eCom help); the full version starts at Core.
- Offline card payments. Shopify's are an optional feature on compatible readers (help centre). Lightspeed's are a beta, on the Smart Terminal only, that "may not be available in your account or area" (help centre).
- Staff. Lightspeed has a time clock with time card reports. Shopify points to Gusto and other apps for time tracking (staff management).
Support is alike: 24/7 chat on the entry plan, with phone support only on the top plan (Plus) for both.
Who should pick which
Pick Lightspeed Retail if you run an established shop that wants inventory and a time clock on the entry plan, and you are ready to sign up for a term.
Pick Shopify POS if you sell online first and in person second, want the lower fee and the freedom to cancel, and either don't need in-store inventory tools or will pay for POS Pro.
See both in our POS ranking.