WHICHpos › Guides › Lightspeed vs Shopify POS
Lightspeed vs Shopify POS (October 2026): which costs less for your store, with the math
The short answer
Shopify POS costs less in most setups and is far stronger if you also sell online. Lightspeed Retail goes deeper on complex in-store inventory. Both charge 2.6% + 10¢ per in-person card sale on their base plans, so card fees come out even, and card fees are about three-quarters or more of every total.
For one register at $20,000 a month in card sales, three years cost $25,560 on Shopify Basic + POS Pro and $27,548 on Lightspeed Core. The gap grows with registers: $69,768 vs $76,164 for three, using the $59 a month per extra register that reviewers report (Lightspeed doesn't publish it). Before you sign, know that Lightspeed charges $400 a month (or up to 0.58% of volume for bigger stores) if you keep your own processor.
Quick verdict
Pick by how you sell, not by the monthly fee. Both base plans charge the same card rate, so software, hardware and lock-in decide the rest.
| If you… | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sell online as well as in store | Shopify POS | One catalog and one stock count for store and website, built in |
| Run several registers in one store | Shopify POS | Priced per location; Lightspeed adds an unpublished fee per extra register (about $59/mo reported) |
| Manage suppliers, serial numbers, special orders and house accounts | Lightspeed Retail | Supplier catalogs, serial add-on, layaway, customer-specific pricing, built-in loyalty |
| Want to keep your own card processor | Neither is ideal | Lightspeed charges $400 a month; Shopify works but without integration in store |
| Need a scale at the counter | Neither natively | Both rely on third-party add-ons |
Plans and prices side by side
Lightspeed starts at $89 a month billed annually with one register. Shopify's store plans start at $29 a month on a yearly plan, but a real store also needs POS Pro, so budget $96 a month for one location ($29 + $67), plus $67 for each extra location.
| Plan | Billed monthly | Billed annually / yearly | What's included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightspeed Basic | $109† | $89 | 1 register, POS, inventory, purchase orders, Lightspeed Payments (as reported) |
| Lightspeed Core | $179† | $149 | Adds loyalty, mobile scanner app, advanced reports, accounting and eCom integrations (as reported) |
| Lightspeed Plus | $339† | $289 | Adds API access, workflows, custom roles, forecasting (as reported) |
| Lightspeed extra register | Not published · about $59/mo reported | Extra locations: not published · $69/mo reported for a second store; reports differ on further stores | |
| Shopify Basic | $39 | $29 | Online store + POS for casual selling, 10 inventory locations |
| Shopify Grow | $105 | $79 | 5 staff accounts, lower card rates |
| Shopify Advanced | $399 | $299 | 15 staff accounts, lowest standard rates |
| Shopify POS Pro (add-on) | $89 per location | $67 per location* | Unlimited staff logins, roles, in-store inventory, exchanges anywhere, retail reports |
Verified October 20, 2026 on lightspeedhq.com and shopify.com. †Lightspeed publishes only the annual price ("save up to 18%"); the monthly prices are third-party reported and match that discount. The page also has a "Save with Lightspeed Payments" toggle, so the displayed prices may assume Lightspeed Payments. *Shopify's $67 is a 12-month term for retailers new to POS Pro, billed monthly; Shopify says the yearly subscription, "including the 25% discount", auto-renews, so we keep $67 for all 36 months.
| Card rates | In person | Keyed | Online |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightspeed Payments (all plans) | 2.6% + 10¢ | 2.6% + 30¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ (reported) |
| Shopify Payments, Basic | 2.6% + 10¢ | 3.5% + 10¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Shopify Payments, Grow | 2.5% + 10¢ | 3.5% + 10¢ | 2.7% + 30¢ |
| Shopify Payments, Advanced | 2.4% + 10¢ | 3.5% + 10¢ | 2.5% + 30¢ |
Lightspeed's plan table also shows an unexplained "1.5%" card-present figure with no per-transaction fee; its own Payments page lists 2.6% + 10¢. We use the Payments page and suggest asking Lightspeed sales in writing.
Monthly and 3-year cost for 1 register, 3 registers and 3 stores
Shopify is cheaper in all three setups we priced: by about $1,988 at one register, $6,396 at three registers, and $2,292 to $8,052 at three stores, depending on what Lightspeed charges per extra store. Card processing dominates every total.
| Setup | Hardware (once) | Software / mo | Card fees / mo | 3-year total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 register · Lightspeed Core (annual) | $1,664 | $149 | $570 | $27,548 |
| 1 register · Shopify Basic + POS Pro (yearly) | $1,584 | $96 | $570 | $25,560 |
| 3 registers, 1 store · Lightspeed Core + 2 extra registers ($59/mo reported) | $4,992 | $267 | $1,710 | $76,164 |
| 3 registers, 1 store · Shopify Basic + POS Pro | $4,752 | $96 | $1,710 | $69,768 |
| 3 stores · Lightspeed Core, each store on its own plan | $4,992 | $447 | $1,710 | $82,644 |
| 3 stores · Lightspeed Core + $69/mo per extra store (reported by a competing vendor) | $4,992 | $287 | $1,710 | $76,884 |
| 3 stores · Shopify Basic + POS Pro × 3 | $4,752 | $230 | $1,710 | $74,592 |
This head-to-head includes a barcode scanner in both stacks ($149 Lightspeed, $209 Shopify). Our POS price comparison prices the same registers without one, which is why its one-register totals are lower: $25,351 for Shopify and $27,399 for Lightspeed.
Card fees: $20,000 × 2.6% + 500 sales × $0.10 = $570 a month; at $60,000, $60,000 × 2.6% + 1,500 × $0.10 = $1,710.
1 register: Lightspeed $149 × 36 + $1,664 + $570 × 36 = $27,548. Shopify ($29 + $67) × 36 + $1,584 + $570 × 36 = $25,560.
3 registers: Lightspeed ($149 + 2 × $59) × 36 + 3 × $1,664 + $1,710 × 36 = $76,164. Shopify $96 × 36 + 3 × $1,584 + $1,710 × 36 = $69,768.
3 stores: Lightspeed ($149 + 2 × $69) × 36 + 3 × $1,664 + $1,710 × 36 = $76,884. Shopify ($29 + 3 × $67) × 36 + 3 × $1,584 + $1,710 × 36 = $74,592.
If each Lightspeed store pays the full Core price: $149 × 3 × 36 + 3 × $1,664 + $1,710 × 36 = $82,644.
We compare Lightspeed Core with Shopify Basic + POS Pro because reviewers put loyalty, accounting and eCom integrations on Lightspeed Core and up. Pick plans that way and Lightspeed is never cheaper. At one register, though, Lightspeed Basic comes in at $25,388, slightly under Shopify, if you can live without those integrations.
Using your own payment processor: Lightspeed's $400 a month vs Shopify's online-only fee
Lightspeed charges you for keeping another processor. Shopify doesn't charge in store, but you lose the integration.
Lightspeed
Lightspeed's switch page says it charges "an additional $400 a month for lower volume merchants" or "up to 0.58% of monthly transaction volume for higher volume merchants until you switch". Its Service Agreement, last updated February 26, 2026, goes further: where Lightspeed Payments is offered and you're eligible, customers "must use Lightspeed Payments unless otherwise agreed to by Lightspeed in writing". (The switch page with the $400 figure was last updated in February 2024.) On annual plans, the fee is assessed at renewal.
At $20,000 a month, $400 is 2 points of your volume. To come out ahead, your own processor would have to charge 0.85% all-in. That's below what card networks charge before any processor markup, so at this volume the switch never pays.
Break-even: (Lightspeed Payments $570 − $400 fee) ÷ $20,000 = 0.85% effective rate. At $60,000, Lightspeed Payments costs 2.85% effective; the higher-volume fee of up to 0.58% ($348) means an outside processor would need to beat 2.27% (or 2.18% if Lightspeed classes you as lower volume and charges $400).
Lightspeed decides which tier you fall into. It also says it will "meet or beat your existing third-party payment processing rates", so ask for that in writing before you decide. Lightspeed Payments also runs only on terminals bought from Lightspeed; "payment terminals purchased through third-party vendors are not supported."
Shopify
Shopify's 2% (Basic), 1% (Grow), 0.6% (Advanced) or 0.2% (Plus) fee applies when an order is paid through a third-party payment provider, which mostly means online. In store, Shopify's integrated card readers need Shopify Payments.
You can still use another processor's terminal at the counter. The sale is then recorded with a custom payment type and marked as paid in Shopify POS. Shopify says manual payment methods carry no transaction fee, and a Shopify staff reply says the third-party fee doesn't apply to these sales; confirm it for your plan. The cost is double entry: your cashier types each amount into the terminal and then records it in Shopify.
Inventory: where Lightspeed wins
Lightspeed Retail handles the back-office side of a store better: suppliers, serials, special orders and customer accounts.
- For suppliers, the plan table lists purchase orders, PO Sync, a supplier catalog, Lightspeed Wholesale and NuORDER.
- A paid add-on (price not published) prompts the cashier for the serial number at the sale. We found no native serial tracking in Shopify; merchants use apps.
- Customer accounts support on-account sales, customer-specific pricing, a customer portal and ACH payment of account balances in the US (August 2026).
- Special orders, layaway and quotes work at the register, and min/max replenishment can be updated by spreadsheet.
- Loyalty is built in, in store and online. We found no native points program in Shopify POS; merchants add one with an app.
Shopify has closed part of the gap. Purchase orders and stock transfers are now native in Shopify admin and not locked to POS Pro. Counting, receiving and sending stock inside the POS app still need Pro. On variants Shopify is ahead: up to 2,048 per product (with 3 options, as reported), against Lightspeed's 3 options and 200 variants per family.
Selling online: where Shopify wins
Shopify was built as an online store, and its POS shares the same catalog, stock count, customers and gift cards. Nothing needs syncing.
Lightspeed offers its own built-in eCom (a basic version comes with the Basic plan). Some Lightspeed retailers run a Shopify website and connect it to Lightspeed instead (see below). If online is more than a side channel for you, that setup costs more and adds a moving part.
Feature table
| Capability | Lightspeed Retail (X-Series) | Shopify POS |
|---|---|---|
| Variants | 3 options, 200 variants per family | Up to 2,048 variants per product |
| Serial numbers | Yes, paid add-on | Not native (apps) |
| Purchase orders | Yes, plus PO Sync and supplier catalogs | Yes, native in admin (not Pro) |
| Stock transfers | Yes; transfer requests approved in POS | Yes; send/receive in POS needs Pro |
| Low-stock / reorder | Min/max replenishment | Low-stock alerts via Shopify Flow |
| Omnichannel | Built-in Lightspeed eCom, or Shopify connector app | Native: one catalog and inventory |
| Loyalty | Built in | Apps; "loyalty insights" with Pro |
| Label printing | Zebra ZD410/ZD411 (also on iPad since Aug 2026), DYMO 550 | Label printers $209–$499; free barcode label app |
| Scales | Third-party (Hyperspace, US) | None on the hardware list; third-party apps |
| Offline | Cash and parked sales; cards only on Smart Terminal; no gift cards or loyalty offline | Offline cards on compatible readers within limits; no swipe, Tap to Pay or manual entry |
| Age verification | Third-party app (Hyperspace, US) | Third-party apps |
| Registers / locations | 1 register included; extras not published | Priced per location; 10 locations on Basic–Advanced |
| Processor choice | Lightspeed Payments, or $400/mo (up to 0.58%) | Shopify Payments for integrated readers; external terminal as manual payment |
From each vendor's help center and pricing pages, October 2026. Shopify's lack of native serials, scales, loyalty points and age checks is based on its compatible-hardware list and third-party reports.
Two 2026 changes most comparisons miss
- Shopify POS Go is being retired. Shopify says it "will stop working as a mobile POS device on May 26, 2027" and will then only work as a countertop terminal. The Verifone Victa Mobile ($399) replaces it. If a page still recommends the POS Go, it's out of date.
- Shopify's Stocky app is gone. Stocky stopped working after August 31, 2026. Purchase orders, transfers and low-stock alerts now live natively in Shopify admin. That also removes a reason POS Pro used to be required for buying stock.
Hardware costs
A comparable single-register setup costs about the same: $1,664 for Lightspeed and $1,584 for Shopify. Shopify has cheaper ways in, from a $49 reader to a $10 Victa Mobile with POS Pro yearly.
| Lightspeed stack | Price |
|---|---|
| iPad 11-inch (Lightspeed store) | $449 |
| Lightspeed Stand with Payments | $199 |
| Smart Terminal V2, Retail (US) | $449 |
| 16-inch cash drawer | $129 |
| Epson TM-m30III receipt printer* | $289 |
| Zebra DS2208 scanner* | $149 |
| Total | $1,664 |
| Shopify stack | Price |
|---|---|
| iPad 11-inch (same price, for a like-for-like stack) | $449 |
| Eddy tablet stand | $149 |
| POS Terminal | $349 |
| OmniLink receipt printer | $289 |
| CD4 cash drawer | $139 |
| Engage 2D G2 scanner | $209 |
| Total | $1,584 |
| Budget: Tap & Chip reader ($49) + dock ($40) instead of POS Terminal | $1,324 |
| With POS Pro yearly: Victa Mobile for a $10 activation fee instead of POS Terminal | $1,245 |
Lightspeed and Shopify US hardware stores, October 20, 2026. *Lightspeed's US price for the Epson printer wasn't listed, so we use Shopify's price for the same model; the scanner price is third-party reported. Lightspeed hardware carries a 30-day limited warranty, and discounted hardware is "conditional upon Customer using … Lightspeed Payments" for 24 months.
Contracts and cancelling
Lightspeed is the stickier contract. Shopify's yearly prices are 12-month commitments; its monthly prices are billed month to month.
- Lightspeed's term is whatever your order form says, and it "will automatically renew for a duration equal to the Initial Term". To leave, give notice 90 days before the term ends. Leave early and you owe the recurring fees for the rest of the term. Lightspeed can change fees on 30 days' written notice, and renewals are billed at then-current prices.
- Shopify offers monthly billing on Basic, Grow and Advanced; yearly billing saves about 25% for a 12-month commitment. POS Pro's $67 price is a 12-month term billed monthly. Shopify Plus runs on 1- or 3-year terms.
Lightspeed and Shopify in Canada
Lightspeed's Canadian retail pricing page lists the same plans in US dollars: 89 / 149 / 289 USD a month. Shopify prices Canada in Canadian dollars.
| Canada (CAD) | Monthly | Yearly | In-person rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify Basic | CA$49 | CA$37 | 2.6% + 0¢ credit · Interac 15¢ flat |
| Shopify Grow | CA$132 | CA$99 | 2.5% + 0¢ |
| Shopify Advanced | CA$517 | CA$389 | 2.4% + 0¢ |
| Shopify POS Pro | CA$119 per location | — | |
| Lightspeed Retail Basic / Core / Plus | 89 / 149 / 289 USD (annual) | 2.6% + 10¢ (US page) | |
Two Canadian details matter at the counter. Shopify's Tap & Chip reader is US-only; in Canada the WisePad 3 (CA$69), POS Terminal and Victa Mobile do the job. And neither system can take Interac debit offline: Shopify says so outright, and Lightspeed's offline payments exclude Interac in Canada.
Can you use Lightspeed with a Shopify store?
Yes. Lightspeed sells its own X-Series POS app on the Shopify App Store, so a Shopify website can run alongside Lightspeed at the counter. It is priced per location: $89 a month ($828 a year), $149 ($1,428) or $269 ($2,388).
That pairing makes sense if you need Lightspeed's inventory depth and Shopify's website. Count both subscriptions, plus Shopify's online fees, when you compare it with Shopify POS alone.
Where JET fits for a retail counter
JET POS, made by the company that publishes WHICHpos, works differently. You pay once for the station, the JET Retail software costs $0 a month, and you bring any processor.
On the same one-register store, a Topaz 2.0 ($1,299) plus a $349 allowance for the card terminal your processor supplies, with card fees modeled at 2.6% + 10¢, comes to $22,168 over three years, against $25,560 for Shopify and $27,548 for Lightspeed Core. JET's figure has no barcode scanner (the Lightspeed and Shopify stacks above include one) and no monthly account or PCI fees, which some processors add on top of the rate. An interchange-plus quote could lower the card fees further.
JET: $1,299 station (cash drawer and receipt printer included) + $349 terminal allowance + $570 × 36 = $22,168.
JET also offers something neither of these sells: an integrated weighing scale ($349.95) that is NTEP and Measurement Canada approved, for grocers, delis and bulk stores. Read our JET POS review or see current prices at jetpos.ai.
JET is the wrong pick in a few cases. It runs on Android only, so iPad shops should look elsewhere. If you sell only a little, the up-front station doesn't pay back: Square Free with its $1,189 Register Kit costs less over three years below about $10,200 a month in card sales (at $40 sales), and a $54 to $59 card reader on your phone (SumUp or Square) is cheaper still if you don't need a full register. If online sales are a big part of your business, Shopify's single catalog for store and web is the stronger choice. JET is built for the counter.
Frequently asked questions
Is Lightspeed better than Shopify for retail?
For complex in-store inventory, usually yes: Lightspeed Retail has supplier catalogs, a serial-number add-on, special orders, layaway, customer accounts with customer-specific pricing and built-in loyalty. Shopify POS is the better pick if you also sell online, because the store and the website share one catalog and one stock count.
Which is cheaper, Lightspeed or Shopify?
At one register the entry setups are close: over three years we get $25,388 for Lightspeed Basic and $25,560 for Shopify Basic + POS Pro (yearly); Shopify Basic without POS Pro is $23,148 but is built for casual selling. The fairer match, Lightspeed Core, costs $27,548. With more registers Shopify pulls ahead, because it charges per location and Lightspeed charges an unpublished fee per extra register (about $59 a month reported).
Does Lightspeed charge a fee if you don't use Lightspeed Payments?
Yes. Lightspeed says it charges "an additional $400 a month for lower volume merchants" or "up to 0.58% of monthly transaction volume for higher volume merchants" until you switch. Its February 26, 2026 Service Agreement adds that eligible customers "must use Lightspeed Payments unless otherwise agreed to by Lightspeed in writing".
Does Shopify POS work with a third-party payment processor?
Online, yes, with a transaction fee of 2% (Basic), 1% (Grow), 0.6% (Advanced) or 0.2% (Plus). In store, Shopify's integrated card readers require Shopify Payments; you can use another processor's terminal, but the sale is recorded as a custom payment type and marked as paid. Shopify says manual payment methods carry no transaction fee, and a Shopify staff reply says the third-party fee doesn't apply to these sales; confirm it for your plan. Staff also enter the amount twice.
Do you need Shopify POS Pro?
For a real store, usually. The POS included in every plan is built for casual selling. POS Pro ($89 per location a month, or $67 on a 12-month term for retailers new to Pro) adds unlimited staff logins, roles, in-store inventory counts and receiving, exchanges at any location and retail reports.
How many registers does a Lightspeed plan include?
One. Lightspeed lists additional registers and extra locations on its pricing page without a price; third-party reviews report about $59 a month per extra register.
Can you use Lightspeed with a Shopify store?
Yes. Lightspeed sells an X-Series POS app on the Shopify App Store that connects the two, priced per location at $89, $149 or $269 a month ($828, $1,428 or $2,388 a year).
What happens to my Shopify POS Go?
Shopify says the POS Go is deprecated and "will stop working as a mobile POS device on May 26, 2027". After that it only works as a countertop payment terminal. The Verifone Victa Mobile ($399) replaces it.
Do Lightspeed and Shopify POS work offline?
Partly. Lightspeed keeps cash sales and parked sales going offline, takes cards offline only on its Smart Terminal, and can't redeem gift cards or loyalty offline. Shopify takes offline card payments on compatible readers within limits you set, but not swipe, Tap to Pay or manual entry, and Canadian stores can't take Interac offline.
Is Lightspeed priced in Canadian dollars in Canada?
Not for retail. Lightspeed's Canadian retail pricing page shows the same 89 / 149 / 289 USD a month. Shopify prices Canada in CAD: Basic CA$49 a month (CA$37 yearly) and POS Pro CA$119 per location.
Keep reading
Sources
Every price and rate on this page was checked on October 20, 2026 against the pages below. Something out of date? Tell us and we fix it with a visible note.
- Lightspeed: Retail POS pricing (US)
- Lightspeed: Retail POS pricing (Canada)
- Lightspeed: Lightspeed Payments for Retail (rates)
- Lightspeed: Switch to Lightspeed Payments (third-party processing fee)
- Lightspeed: Service Agreement (last updated February 26, 2026)
- Lightspeed hardware store (US)
- Lightspeed X-Series: Using Retail POS offline
- Lightspeed X-Series: Offline payments on the Smart Terminal
- Lightspeed X-Series: Weight scale integration (Hyperspace)
- Lightspeed X-Series: Serial numbers
- Lightspeed X-Series POS app on the Shopify App Store
- Shopify: Pricing (US)
- Shopify: POS pricing
- Shopify: POS Pro yearly offer
- Shopify: POS features
- Shopify Help: Shopify Payments (manual payment methods)
- Shopify Help: Card payments and external terminals
- Shopify Help: Offline payments
- Shopify Help: Stocky
- Shopify Hardware: Card readers (US)
- Shopify Hardware: Accessories (US)
- Shopify Hardware: Verifone Victa Mobile (POS Go deprecation notice)
- Shopify: Pricing (Canada)
- Shopify Changelog: 2,048 variants per product
- Merchant Maverick: Lightspeed Retail review (reported monthly prices and extra-register fee)
- KORONA: Shopify POS vs Lightspeed (reported extra-location fee)