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Lightspeed Retail vs Square: $89 a month with inventory against a $0 plan without it
Updated Oct 15, 2026
Square Free costs $0 a month and charges 2.6% + 15¢ per in-person sale, with no contract, but inventory tracking and timecards start at Square Plus, $49 a month. Lightspeed Retail Basic costs $89 a month billed annually or $109 monthly, charges 2.6% + 10¢, and includes inventory and a time clock, on a term with an early termination fee.
At a glance, by our score
- Top scoreLowest price
#1 Square POS
A $0-a-month plan at 2.6% + 15¢ in person, no contract, and a free first magstripe reader
8.9/10Very goodOur scoreVisit Square POSOn squareup.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
Square POS's lowest monthly price is lower than Lightspeed Retail's, checked Oct 9, 2026 and Oct 9, 2026.
Side by side
| Criterion | Lightspeed Retail | Square POS |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 5.4/10PoorOur score #6 of 8 | 8.9/10Very goodOur score #1 of 8 |
| Card rate (30%) | 9.3 / 10 | 8.2 / 10 |
| Monthly software fee (25%) | 1.1 / 10 | 10.0 / 10 |
| Contract (15%) | 0.0 / 10 | 10.0 / 10 |
| Cheapest card reader (15%) | 7.4 / 10 | 10.0 / 10 |
| Included on the entry plan (15%) | 8.0 / 10 | 6.0 / 10 |
| Price from | $109 / month | $0 / month |
| Best for | Retail stores: inventory and a basic online store on Basic, $89 a month billed annually | A $0-a-month plan at 2.6% + 15¢ in person, no contract, and a free first magstripe reader |
| Visit | Visit Lightspeed RetailOn lightspeedhq.com | Visit Square POSOn squareup.com |
Who should pick which
- Lightspeed Retail: Retail stores: inventory and a basic online store on Basic, $89 a month billed annually
- Square POS: A $0-a-month plan at 2.6% + 15¢ in person, no contract, and a free first magstripe reader
At a glance
| Lightspeed Retail | Square POS | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry plan | Basic | Square Free |
| In-person card rate | 2.6% + 10¢ | 2.6% + 15¢ |
| Fee on a $30 card sale | about $0.88 | about $0.93 |
| Monthly software fee | $89 billed annually, $109 monthly | $0 per location |
| Cheapest card reader | Mobile Tap v2 $79 | first magstripe reader free; chip reader $59 |
| Contract | renewing term; rest of the term if you cancel early | none; cancel anytime |
| Inventory tracking | yes | not on Free (from Square Plus, $49) |
| Online store or ordering | basic eCom | online site and ordering page |
| Offline payments | beta, Smart Terminal only (counted as no) | yes, if the device reconnects within 24 hours |
| Customer directory or loyalty | customer directory; loyalty from Core | customer directory; loyalty from Plus |
| Employee timecards | time clock | not on Free (from Plus) |
Entry plans from Lightspeed's pricing page and Square's pricing page, read Sep 27, 2026.
Price
Square Free is $0 a month per location; Lightspeed Basic is $89 a month billed annually ($1,068 a year) or $109 billed monthly, for one location and one register.
Per sale, Lightspeed is cheaper: 2.6% + 10¢ against Square's 2.6% + 15¢, about $0.88 against $0.93 on a $30 sale.
A fairer match for a retailer who needs stock tracking is Square Plus: $49 a month per location at 2.5% + 15¢, with inventory tracking and timecards, a free 30-day trial and no contract. That is $40 a month less than Lightspeed Basic billed annually.
Readers: Square's first magstripe reader is free and its chip reader $59 (hardware); Lightspeed's Mobile Tap v2 is $79 (hardware store).
Where they differ
- Contract. Square: "No locked-in contracts. Upgrade or cancel anytime" (POS page). Lightspeed's service agreement charges the recurring fees for the rest of the term if you cancel early, and needs 30 days' notice. Its help centre adds there are no pro-rated refunds.
- Inventory and staff. Lightspeed Basic ticks inventory management and has a time clock. Square Free has low-stock alerts but not inventory tracking or timecards; both start at Plus.
- Offline. Square includes offline payments on every plan, declined unless the device reconnects within 24 hours. Lightspeed's offline card payments are a beta on the Smart Terminal only (help centre); we count them as not available.
- Support. Lightspeed Basic has 24/7 chat. Square Free has chat and email, with phone support for the first 90 days; Plus keeps phone support 6am-6pm PT on weekdays.
- Loyalty. Lightspeed's starts at Core, $149 a month billed annually; Square's at Plus.
Who should pick which
Pick Lightspeed Retail if you run an established shop that wants inventory, a time clock and the lower per-sale fee in one plan, and you are ready to commit to a term.
Pick Square if you want to start at $0, keep the option to leave at any time, and move to Plus when you need inventory tracking or timecards.
See both in our POS ranking.