Retail Content Producer https://technologyadvice.com/blog/author/mbrophy/ We help B2B tech buyers manage the complex & risky buying process. Tue, 30 Jul 2024 15:12:11 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.5 https://assets.technologyadvice.com/uploads/2021/09/ta-favicon-45x45.png Retail Content Producer https://technologyadvice.com/blog/author/mbrophy/ 32 32 5 Best Salon POS Systems for 2024 https://technologyadvice.com/blog/sales/best-salon-pos/ Mon, 01 Jul 2024 20:17:24 +0000 https://technologyadvice.com/?p=125854 Are you in the market for a salon POS system? See our list of the best software based on pricing, features, and our hands-on experience.

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At TechnologyAdvice, we start by defining business needs, determining the essential features required, and selecting a wide array of platforms to evaluate. We then evaluate each solution on the list based on its features, considering the platform’s usability, integration capabilities, customization options, mobile access, and other relevant functionalities. Of course, pricing, customer support, and reviews are also important considerations. 

We rely on an internal algorithm to calculate star ratings based on many factors. I also used my first-hand experience managing busy spas and working the front desk at salons to find the best salon POS systems. 

The specific criteria I considered include: 

  • Pricing: POS software with low, transparent setup and ongoing fees and low payment processing fees received the highest scores. I also considered the overall value each software offers for its price. 
  • Hardware: What systems does the software operate on? Does it require proprietary POS hardware, or can you use your existing desktop, smartphone, or tablet? If the software does come with proprietary hardware, is it affordable and easy to set up and use?
  • Software features: In addition to standard POS features like payment processing, customer relation management (CRM), sales, and marketing tools, I also evaluated appointment scheduling, calendar management, and reporting and analytics. 
  • Support and reliability: I considered the quality, availability, and modes of customer support. I also considered the overall uptime and reliability of the software. 
  • User experience: I evaluated several important factors, including ease of use, appointment booking, checkout speed, online access, and software interface. 
  • User scores: Finally, I considered average user scores from sites like Capterrra, G2, and SoftwareAdvice to get a well-rounded view of how businesses and employees from dozens of businesses view the software.

Salon point-of-sale (POS) systems are a type of point-of-sale software designed for managing appointments, booking and charging clients, tracking retail products, and handling employee commissions. The best salon POS systems also streamline client communications, connect to marketing channels, and help optimize schedules with flexible and sophisticated calendar and appointment management tools.  

Choosing the right POS for your salon business is crucial. It will streamline your day-to-day operations, allowing you to focus on your clients and your craft. 

Top salon POS software 

The best salon POS systems on the market include: 

All of the solutions that made our list are cloud-based and offer online booking with a customizable website builder, multi-staff calendar options, chair-side checkout tools, tip and commission tracking, and both retail and back bar supply tracking. 

Expert score

Monthly fee from

Transaction fee

Fresha logo.

Fresha

4.35

$0

2.19% + $0.20

Square logo.

Square

4.35

$0

2.6% + $0.10*

GlossGenius logo.

GlossGenius

4.22

$24

2.6%

3.96

$139

Custom quote

Vagaro logo.

Vagaro

3.95

$30

Starting at 2.2%

*Higher fees apply for online and card-on-file transactions 

Read more: Best POS Systems  

Fresha logo.

Fresha: Best overall salon POS

Overall Reviewer Score

4.35/5

Pricing

5/5

Hardware

3.5/5

Salon software features

4.79/5

Support and reliability

3.75/5

User experience

4.38/5

User scores

4.67/5

Pros

  • Forever-free plan
  • Unlimited appointments, employees, and inventory items
  • Low payment processing fees
  • Customer-facing marketplace
  • Automated marketing campaigns

Cons

  • Minimal integrations, including no accounting
  • No group booking capabilities
  • No client chat capabilities

Why I picked Fresha

Whether you’re managing a small team of stylists or multiple salon locations, Fresha has all the basics you need in an affordable, user-friendly package. Unlike Square, Vagaro, and others on this list, you can schedule unlimited appointments for unlimited team members in multiple locations, all for free. 

Its user-friendly interface, customer-facing business directory, low price point, and detailed booking features earned Fresha the top spot.

Fresha is popular salon software with a forever-free plan that includes online and in-person appointment booking, calendar management, native payment processing and point of sale, back bar and retail product tracking, reporting and analytics, and promotional tools. In addition to an unbeatable price point, Fresha also has a clean, modern user interface that is easy to navigate. 

The software is accessible from any browser or through dedicated iOS and Android apps available for smartphones and tablets. In addition to tools for businesses, Fresha also has a customer-facing booking app, similar to Square, that allows clients and prospective clients to find and book with your business.

  • Online booking: While every POS on this list has online booking capabilities, Fresha’s stands out for its proprietary marketplace and integrated Facebook, Instagram, and Google bookings. 
  • Detailed insights: More than 45 built-in reports across sales, appointments, finances, clients, inventory, and team. Plus, you can customize existing reports, build new ones, share data with your team, and export data as needed. Thirty-eight reports are included in the free plan; however, seven reports, custom team access, and report customizations are paid add-ons. 
  • Automated marketing: Set up segmented and automated email, text, and multichannel campaigns. Create and track deals and promo codes. Implement dynamic pricing that automatically adjusts your service prices, charging different amounts during more or less busy hours.
  • Low processing fees: Fresha charges 2.19% + $0.20 per transaction. Most POS systems charge around 2.6% per transaction. Fresha also has options to automate no-show and cancellation fees, save customer payment information on file, and receive next-day deposits.
  • Forever-free software: Unlimited appointment bookings, team members, emails, locations and venues, clients, reporting, and more. 
  • Payment processing: 2.19% + $0.20 for in-person and online transactions. 
  • New client fee (marketplace bookings only): 20% one-time commission, minimum fee of $6 per client. 

Add-ons:

  • Automated notifications: 20 free monthly texts, $0.02 per text afterward. Unlimited free email and in-app notifications.   
  • Marketing campaigns: $0.08 per text, $0.02 per email. 
  • Insights: $9.95 per month per team member for advanced reports and customizations. 
  • Team Pay: $7.95 per month per team member for payroll processing that tracks wages, tips, and commissions and allows for easy direct deposits.
Square logo.

Square Appointments: Best hardware options

Overall Reviewer Score

4.35/5

Pricing

4.38/5

Hardware

4.75/5

Salon software features

4.17/5

Support and reliability

3.75/5

User experience

4.38/5

User scores

4.67/5

Pros

  • Diverse and affordable hardware options
  • Free plan
  • Free online booking site
  • Plus plans to grow with your business
  • Square Go customer app

Cons

  • Variable support quality
  • Limited support hours
  • Google Calendar sync only available in paid plans

Why I picked Square Appointments

Square is an extremely popular and highly rated POS. Its touch-screen interface is incredibly intuitive, requiring minimal training, and is ideal for fast-paced salon environments. 

The other options on this list offer either a mobile card reader or a countertop terminal. Square offers both and everything in between, including a large touch-screen register with a customer-facing display, a sleek iPad stand, a handheld mobile terminal, and a mobile card reader. You can also simply opt to accept Tap to Pay directly from your smartphone. 


One of the best parts about using Square is that you have access to the entire Square ecosystem, including payroll, shifts, team management, banking, online store, inventory tracking, and more. This, along with the excellent hardware options, user-friendly software, and low price point, makes Square’s POS solutions not just great for salons but also one of the best POS systems for most small businesses.

Square’s ubiquitous card readers and checkout screen aren’t just for payment processing—Square also offers a top-notch appointment-based POS system for salons, spas, and beauty businesses. Square Appointments is an industry-specific POS with built-in payment processing, booking and calendar management, a free online booking site, automated reminder and messaging, client and employee management, and a decent number of software integrations.

  • Online booking: Every Square account comes with a free online booking site or option to add booking functionality to your existing site. Customers can book 24/7 and you can control whether to automatically accept appointments or to review and approve them first.  
  • Client portal: Save client data, including payment information, contact details, history, and messages. 
  • Client messaging: Easily text and email customers directly from Square POS, including for appointment booking and payments. Square Appointments also comes with Square Assistant, an AI chat tool that helps clients confirm, cancel, and reschedule appointments at any time of day. 
  • Diverse payment options: In addition to in-person, online, and card-on-file payments, Square also has free invoicing tools and comes with Afterpay, Cash App, and Tap to Pay.  
  • Flexible hardware: Square Appointments is available as an app on iOS and Android and through Square’s proprietary hardware devices. Square Terminal (a mobile touch screen POS), Square Register (a countertop POS with a client-facing display), and Square Stand (a countertop setup for iPads).
  • Forever-free plan: $0 includes POS, appointment booking, online booking and website, automated messages, product tracking, and basic reporting. 
  • Plus plan: $29 per month and includes all free features plus multi-location management, advanced scheduling options like waitlisting and processing time, custom notifications, and automated cancellation policies. 
  • Premium plan: $69 per month and includes all free and Plus features, plus resource management and booking options, staff scheduling and commission tracking, and custom contracts.  
  • In-person transaction fee: 2.5%–2.6% + $0.30 
  • Online transaction fee: 2.9% + $0.30 
  • Card-on-file transaction fee: 3.5% + $0.15
  • Afterpay transactions: 6% + $0.30
GlossGenius logo.

GlossGenius: Best mobile-first salon POS

Overall Reviewer Score

4.22/5

Pricing

4.38/5

Hardware

3.5/5

Salon software features

3.96/5

Support and reliability

4.38/5

User experience

4.38/5

User scores

4.73/5

Pros

  • All-in-one pricing
  • Custom website builder
  • Automated marketing tools
  • User-friendly client-facing tools
  • Excellent user reviews

Cons

  • Need to use GlossGenius’s payment processing
  • Calendar and schedule not as easy to navigate

Why I picked GlossGenius

The other software on this list are designed with browser-based dashboards and countertop payment terminals. GlossGenius, however, is mobile-first. 

GlossGenius’s mobile-first approach makes it a practical solution for busy stylists on the go. Its automated marketing tools (which can also be handled right from the app) help keep your schedule booked and busy. The easy booking tools and automated reminders help guarantee a great guest experience. 

Perhaps most importantly, GlossGenius has excellent reviews from stylists, salon owners, and clients alike, proving it is adaptable and user-friendly software.

GlossGenius is all-in-one software designed specifically for salons. It’s popular with solo stylists and larger salons alike. Stylists, in particular, like GlossGenius because it is easy to manage their entire business, including designing their website, right from the mobile app. 

In addition to visually pleasing mobile-first websites with online booking, GlossGenius offers automated reminders, including nudges to rebook, built-in payment processing with free same-day payouts, client management tools, and reporting on sales, expenses, and deductions.

  • Website builder: Customizable templates and ability to showcase portfolios and lots of images, create a detailed and bookable services page, and built-in search engine optimization (SEO) tools. 
  • Marketing tools: Text and email marketing, automated prompts for clients to leave reviews, and easy social media sharing. 
  • Online booking: Clients can book directly from your website without having to sign-in. Collect deposits and/or cards-on-file, set custom booking rules, and easily toggle online booking on and off as needed. 
  • Built-in payment processing: One flat fee for all payments, with payouts as quick as 30 minutes. Custom tipping options, prompts for reviews and re-books, and retail sales right from checkout.
  • Standard: $24/month. Includes website, online booking, calendar and scheduling, unlimited appointment confirmations, client management, and reporting. 
  • Gold: $48/month. Includes Standard features plus waitlisting, multiple team members and staff calendars, commission reporting, and AI marketing tools.  
  • Transaction fee: 2.6% for in-person, online, and card-on-file payments. 
  • Contactless and chip card reader: $49.

Note: The card reader comes in over a dozen different designs and patterns, which is completely unique to GlossGenius.

Meevo logo.

Meevo: Best enterprise salon software

Overall Reviewer Score

3.96/5

Pricing

2.19/5

Hardware

3.75/5

Salon software features

5/5

Support and reliability

4.38/5

User experience

4.38/5

User scores

4.07/5

Pros

  • Robust, enterprise-level software
  • Customizable and configurable features
  • Real-time access to tips without processing fees
  • Excellent reporting
  • Easily manage memberships and walk-ins

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Requires excellent internet speed and bandwidth

Why I picked Meevo

As software built for large salons, multi-location businesses, enterprise corporations, and franchises, Meevo has the booking and reporting tools to manage it all. Whether you offer salon services or various treatments, Meevo can handle it. 

Unlike the other options on this list, like Square and Fresha, which are designed for small businesses, Meevo is exclusively designed for larger businesses. As such, its reporting is significantly more detailed and its feature set is designed to support an extensive client base as well as many different service providers. 

Meevo has more cutting-edge technology than the other solutions on this list (like the ability to book appointments via voice and a waitlist tool that automatically texts clients to fill openings). It also has much more granular controls, from the ability to book appointments down to five-minute intervals to providing individual employees access to itemized reports and register functions.

Meevo, specifically its parent company Millennium, has provided software for the salon industry since 1987 and is a well-known industry name. In addition to salons, Meevo supports spas, massage studios, medical spas, and beauty bars. 

It’s an incredibly robust system that has evolved extensively over the years, primarily focusing on business operations, client management and marketing, and detailed booking tools.

  • Appointment booking: Book in increments as small as five minutes, automatically fill schedule gaps with smart waitlist functionality, and embed online booking onto your website. Also features drag-and-drop appointment scheduling, color-coding based on services and providers, and a proprietary AI ad voice assistant to book appointments using voice recognition. 
  • Marketing suite: Includes a drag-and-drop email builder with client segmentation and A/B testing. Also allows you to automate campaigns, manage online listings and reviews on third-party sites directly from the POS, and post to social media directly from Meevo. 
  • Reporting: More than 150 pre-built reports, including key KPIs, client retention data, payroll, sales, and more. Dashboards provide graphs and visualizations. Plus, see reports on the go with a designated reporting app and options to automatically email reports at designated intervals, like at the end of each day. 
  • Security controls: Extremely customizable access settings, down to specific tasks and reports. Control or allow for off-premise access to certain functions. Get optional real-time notifications for actions like refunds. Detailed time-stamped activity logs track all actions performed in the software by employees.  
  • Meevo Academy: Extensive onboarding and training videos and courses tailored by role so new employees can quickly learn the system.
  • Up to 5 employees: $139/month. 
  • Up to 10 employees: $179/month. 
  • Up to 15 employees: $269/month. 
  • Up to 25 employees: $419/month. 
  • Unlimited employees: $529/month. 
  • Enterprise: Custom quote. 

Can add additional employees to any plan for $20/month/employee. 

Add-ons 

  • QuickBooks integration: $37/month.
  • Walk-in manager: $27/month.
  • Docs & Forms: $29/month.
Vagaro logo.

Vagaro: Best for booth and chair rentals

Overall Reviewer Score

3.95/5

Pricing

3.44/5

Hardware

3.25/5

Salon software features

5/5

Support and reliability

3.75/5

User experience

3.75/5

User scores

4.53/5

Pros

  • Automated rent collections
  • Online marketplace with no referral fee
  • Syncs with iCal, Google, and Outlook
  • Native loyalty program
  • Detailed reporting

Cons

  • Expensive hardware
  • Expensive add-ons

Why I picked Vagaro

More than ever, stylists are choosing to be their own boss, which means salon owners need software that can manage scheduling and renting out chairs and booths to independent contractors. Unlike the other options on this list, Vagaro has these tools built in. Business owners can set up automatic payments. If you offer product sales commissions, payments can be automatically deducted from rent fees.

Aside from rental tools, Vagaro also has robust appointment scheduling, embedded payment processing, and a popular customer-facing marketplace that doesn’t charge commission fees (unlike Fresha).

Vagaro is cloud-based appointment scheduling and point-of-sale software designed for beauty, wellness, and fitness businesses. This fully featured system helps handle scheduling, client accounts, marketing, payroll, and more. The software itself is robust, including features like booth rentals, loyalty programs, recourse booking, and individualized appointment notes in its base plan. However, Vagaro also stands apart for its online marketplace, which every business using Vagaro POS can take advantage of for no extra cost.

  • Booth rental tools: In addition to automatic recurring payments, Vagaro has onboarding communication, including rental agreement templates, options to require bank information for ACH payments, and automated 1099 forms. 
  • Online marketplace: Vagaro has a popular online directory that claims to have five appointments booked every second. Salons using Vagaro software get a free listing on the marketplace. Unlike Fresha, there is no commission fee for new customers who book through the marketplace.  
  • Versatile appointment calendar: Book by employee or resource/chair, custom appointment times in increments of 15 minutes, a waitlist feature to fill cancellations, and sync with Apple, Google, or Outlook calendars. 
  • Branded mobile app: Though expensive, Vagaro does offer businesses customized mobile apps that offer clients a complete branded experience to book appointments, track services, purchase products and packages, manage their profile, and receive notifications.
  • $30/month for one calendar and location.
  • Add an additional $10/month for each additional bookable employee, capped at $90/month for 7+ calendars. 
  • Multiple locations require a custom Enterprise quote. 
  • Transaction fees: Starting at 2.2%.

Add-ons: 

  • Text marketing: Starting at $20/month.
  • Live stream: Starting at $10/month.
  • Check-in app: $10/month.
  • Online forms: $10/month.
  • Prominent Marketplace listing : $10/month.
  • Online shopping cart: $10/month.
  • Branded app: $200/month.
  • Website builder: $20/month.
  • Payroll: $34/month + $5/employee.
  • QuickBooks & Xero integrations: $30/month.

Key components of salon POS

Having experience in the industry, I know how important it is for your POS system to have flexibility and a 360-view of business operations—including resource booking, backbar products, and commission tracking. 

Plus, advanced calendar tools and appointment reminders can save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in front desk labor costs and missed appointment opportunities. 

Support hours are especially important, as salons are typically open after normal business hours and on Saturdays. 

In addition to the customers’ and the business owners’ experience, a good salon POS will also have employee management and employee-facing tools like calendar management and settings, the ability to view appointments and schedules from personal and off-site devices, and overall customization options. 

Read more: Types of POS Systems 

Benefits of using a salon POS

Using a dedicated salon POS allows for appointment booking, client management, and payment processing to happen all within the same system. This makes streamlining operations like cancellation and no-show fees, appointment reminders, and reporting easier. In short, the benefits are: 

  • Efficiency: Faster appointment scheduling and fewer manual processes for tasks like appointment reminders and confirmations. 
  • Cost savings: It reduces the need for multiple systems, minimizes manual errors and time in payment processing, and provides deeper insights for better operational and marketing efficiency in the long run.  
  • Scalability: Cloud-based POS systems are designed to scale easily as your business grows with more employees, clients, and locations. POS systems are also typically adaptable with new features and integrations. 
  • User-friendly online booking: Allows clients to book online 24/7 and sync to the appointment book within the POS. 
  • Better client management: Save customer information, including payment information, appointment history, and preferences, allowing for personalized service and marketing. 
  • Actionable reporting and analytics: Insights into sales trends, employee performance, VIP customers, and more. 
  • Easy employee management: Manage staff schedules, tip and commission payouts, performance metrics, and access levels. 
  • Better inventory management: Track bar product usage and stock levels and retail sales and trends, perform inventory counts, and manage reorders. 

Read more: POS Data 

FAQs

A salon POS system is software built specifically for salons to help them with payment processing, appointment booking, and client management. Essentially, it is what salon professionals use to manage their businesses.

Some salon POS systems are free to use. However, enterprise salon software can cost $500+ monthly.

The post 5 Best Salon POS Systems for 2024 appeared first on TechnologyAdvice.

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fresha square logo glossgenius meevo Vagaro_Logo fresha fresha appointment book Fresha’s appointment book is streamlined and user-friendly. Source: Fresha fresha card reader Fresha’s card reader accepts contactless and PIN payments. Source: Fresha fresha dashboard Fresha’s dashboard offers an at-a-glance view of the day’s sales and appointments. square logo square appointments calendar view Square Appointments calendar view on iPad and iPhone. Source: Square square terminal Square Terminal is an all-in-one touchscreen POS device that can book appointments, process payments, and print receipts. Source: Square square register Square Register is a countertop touchscreen POS with a customer-facing display. Source: Square glossgenius glossgenius app Book appointments, manage your website, and view your schedule right from your phone. Source: GlossGenius glossgenius notes Add client notes on-the-go for later. Source: GlossGenius glossgenius card reader Choose from over a dozen different prints and colors for your contactless card reader. Source: GlossGenius meevo meevo front desk view Front desk view of Meevo with customizable tiles for easy access to go-to features. Source: Meevo meevo color-code appointments Color-code appointments based on service, employee, and more. Source: Meevo meevo dashboard Customize reporting dashboards to show different data and visualizations. Source: Meevo Vagaro_Logo vagaro paydesk Vagaro Pay Desk has front desk and client-facing touch-screens. Source: Vagaro vagaro marketplace Vagaro’s marketplace allows new clients to discover and book with your business and allows businesses to run promotions. Source: Vagaro vagaro appointment book Vagaro’s appointment book is color-coded and easy to navigate. Source: Vagaro
Lightspeed vs Shopify: Best POS System in 2024 https://technologyadvice.com/blog/sales/lightspeed-vs-shopify/ Wed, 27 Mar 2024 19:27:01 +0000 https://technologyadvice.com/?p=121107 Lightspeed vs Shopify are known as top POS systems, but which one is best? Learn about pricing, integrations, features, and more.

The post Lightspeed vs Shopify: Best POS System in 2024 appeared first on TechnologyAdvice.

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Key takeaways

  • Lightspeed is perfect for brick-and-mortar operations and handling complex inventories
  • Shopify excels with omnichannel sales and scaling ecommerce businesses 
  • You can use both: Certain versions of Lightspeed Retail POS integrate with Shopify ecommerce

Shopify is a household name for powering online businesses. Lightspeed is quickly gaining market share among retail point-of-sale (POS) systems, especially after acquiring ShopKeep and Vend in recent years. 

Both offer native ecommerce, POS, payment processing, order management, marketing, customer, and employee management tools for retailers. The main difference is Lightspeed was a POS first, expanding into ecommerce later. Shopify was an ecommerce platform first. It comes down to which is your primary sales channel of focus. 

If it’s ecommerce, consider Shopify. If brick-and-mortar is your bread and butter and online sales are just a bonus, you might prefer Lightspeed.

Looking for more retail POS solutions? Check out our Retail POS Systems Buyer’s Guide.

Lightspeed: Best for brick-and-mortar 


Pros

  • Matrix inventory management
  • Best-in-class real-time analytics 
  • Customizable workflows and dashboards
  • Multi-location and channel visibility 
  • Flexible ecommerce options 
  • Automated marketing 

Cons

  • Complex interface 
  • Basic native ecommerce functionality 
  • Pricey software fees
  • Requires a longer-term contract  
Logo of Lightspeed

Our Rating: 3.81/5

  • Inventory management: Arguably Lightspeed’s best feature, its inventory tools, make it easy to track variations, reorder points, sales trends, on-hand counts, and even reorder stock directly from the POS.  
  • Reporting and analytics: Lightspeed has highly customizable and detailed reporting. The information is also displayed visually, making it easy to spot trends. It has prompts that help guide you through what the data means so you can take action and make informed decisions based on the information. 
  • Multi-location visibility: Lightspeed can track stock across multiple locations, including storefronts, warehouses, and online orders. You can transfer stock between locations and have real-time visibility across locations, so you can still fulfill customer orders even if one location is out of stock. 
  • Dedicated 24/7 support: Lightspeed offers 24/7 phone, email, and chat support. Certain plans have dedicated account managers, customized implementation plans, and access-level role training.  

Pricing: 2.81 out of 5

Hardware: 3.75 out of 5 

Software: 4.17 out of 5 

Support and reliability: 4.38 out of 5 

User experience: 3.75 out of 5 

User reviews: 4.03 out of 5 

Lightspeed is a POS and payments platform powering retailers of all sizes, from startups to enterprises. Unlike most modern POS systems, including Shopify, which are solely app-based, Lightspeed is browser-based, meaning you can run the software on a computer at your checkout counters. 

However, Lightspeed Retail also has an iPad app to ring sales and help customers on the go. 

Ecwid, which Lightspeed acquired in 2021, powers Lightspeed’s connected ecommerce platform. Lightspeed eCom allows you to build a no-code “instant site” in a few minutes, sell on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, or sell on Amazon and Google Shopping. 

If Ecwid doesn’t suit your e-commerce needs, Lightspeed Retail integrates with Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and more.

Where Lightspeed blows Shopify—and all other comparable POS systems—out of the water is with its inventory management and analytics features. 

Read more: What are the Different Types of POS Systems 

Shopify: Best for ecommerce and omnichannel  


Pros

  • Incredibly user-friendly
  • Sophisticated AI tools 
  • Built to scale 
  • Best-in-class social media selling tools 
  • Advanced omnichannel customer journeys 
  • Shop Pay one-click checkout 

Cons

  • Limited customizations, especially with POS 
  • Limited offline functionality 
  • Lackluster customer support 
Shopify logo.

Our Rating: 4.12/5

  • Omnichannel selling: Shopify has excellent tools to facilitate customer journeys across in-store, mobile, online, and social media. Options include buy online, pickup in-store; buy in-store, ship to customer; browse in-store, buy online with virtual carts; local pickup and delivery; and buy online, return in-store. 
  • Streamlined checkout: Customizable tiles and hot keys on a touch-screen interface make it easy to ring orders quickly in a fast-paced retail environment. 
  • Customer engagement tools: Built-in customer profiles, email marketing, rewards programs, chat tools, tags, and filters, product review prompts, and integrated social media campaigns make engaging with customers straightforward and possible directly through Shopify. 
  • Shipping and fulfillment: Because Shopify was first designed for ecommerce, its order management, shipping, and fulfillment workflows are streamlined and easy to follow. Plus, certain Shopify accounts come with significant shipping discounts. You can manage all shipping and label printing right from Shopify.

Pricing: 2.81 out of 5

Hardware: 4.75 out of 5 

Software: 4.44 out of 5 

Support and reliability: 3.75 out of 5 

User experience: 4.38 out of 5 

User reviews: 4.57 out of 5 

Since its launch in 2006, Shopify has powered more than 7 million websites and ~$886 billion in sales. The platform is so popular that it’s basically a household name. You can’t say the same for most business software. 

Shopify invests a lot of resources in developing and improving its ecommerce platform. Annually, Shopify issues Summer and Winter Editions, each with hundreds of product updates. Lately, Shopify has launched AI tools and improved its inventory tools, online checkout pages, store builder, dashboard capabilities, and more. 

In other words, if you want a solution that offers the latest and greatest ecommerce tools, Shopify is your best choice. In addition to ecommerce, Shopify has two point-of-sale systems: a free Starter POS app and a more advanced Retail POS app. The latter features omnichannel tools like local delivery and pickup fulfillment options; buy online, return in-store; and ship-from-store sales. 

Another huge bonus of using Shopify is its deep partnerships with platforms like TikTok and Meta for seamless social sales. 

How are Lightspeed and Shopify different? 

Logo of Lightspeed Shopify logo.
User Interface Slightly complex Streamlined & easy to use
Detailed Inventory Tracking Excellent Average
Reporting and Analytics Excellent Average
Value for Money Average Excellent
Website Builder Basic Excellent

On the surface, Lightspeed and Shopify both offer retail POS systems and online store builders for selling products in-store, online, on-the-go, via social media, and through marketplaces like Amazon. 

However, each product’s user interface, workflow, and specific features function differently. The through line in Lightspeed was designed for brick-and-mortar and added ecommerce functionality later. Shopify is the opposite—it was designed for ecommerce and later added POS functionality.

Here are some of the key differences: 

Omnichannel sales

Lightspeed operates with store sales in mind, so it truly excels at multi-store and multi-location sales tracking. It also has an unrivaled omnichannel loyalty program that bridges in-store, online, SMS, and email and is highly customizable. 

On the other hand, Shopify is unparalleled in creating a seamless customer experience between online and in-store. Ship from store; buy online, return in-store; buy online, pickup in-store; email cart from store, browse online, buy in-store; and buy online with local delivery are just some examples of the omnichannel customer journeys Shopify enables.  

Scalability 

Lightspeed and Shopify both have enterprise solutions. And, both are SaaS solutions that offer developer APIs. 

However, Shopify is specifically designed to support businesses scaling to multimillion-dollar ventures. If that is your ambition, you’ll likely quickly outgrow Lightspeed’s native ecommerce tools. Shopify also has a network of Shopify Experts to help you build and optimize your store, and thousands of apps so you can customize your solution.   

Compatibility with other business types 

Shopify is built for retail and is best suited for retail. This includes ecommerce, wholesale, dropshipping, international sales, direct-to-consumer, and headless commerce stores. Anything outside of a retail or merch operation will likely not find the industry-specific tools you need. 

Lightspeed, on the other hand, has dedicated software to support a variety of restaurant types, including hotels, quick service, full service, and cafes. 

Read more: Best Restaurant POS Systems

Lightspeed’s retail POS is also popular with specialty shops like bike and jewelry stores because it has native tools for managing repair and work orders, parts, and warranties (which Shopify doesn’t offer natively). Interestingly, Lightspeed also has a solution built specifically for golf courses: public, private, resorts, and more.  

Lightspeed vs Shopify: Pricing 

Logo of Lightspeed Shopify logo.
Monthly fee (POS) $89–$269 per register 89
Monthly fee (POS, with annual payment) $69–$199 79
Additional registers $59 per month 0
Additional locations $69 for second location, discounts for additional $89 per location
Monthly fee (ecommerce) $0–$82.50 $29–$299
In-person transaction fee 2.6% + 10 cents* 2.6% + 10 cents*
Online transaction fees 2.9% + 30 cents* 2.9% + 30 cents*
Card reader Quote-based From $49

*Discounts available with certain plans or high processing volumes

On the surface, Lightspeed and Shopify are comparable in terms of the monthly software fees and payment processing fees you will pay. However, Shopify is cheaper for most businesses and generally offers a better value for money. Namely, Shopify does not charge for additional registers with its Pro POS. Most other POS systems on the market, including Lightspeed, do charge per register. 

Let’s say you have a boutique with two registers and an online store and opt for an annual POS subscription. Here’s how the monthly subscription fees will roughly break down for each: 

  • Lightspeed: $178 for the Standard plan, including ecommerce at $119, plus $59 for the second register. 
  • Shopify: $108 for the Pro plan at $79 and Basic ecommerce for $29. The second register is included with POS Pro.

For bigger businesses, the difference is even more noticeable. Let’s look at how much each will cost you per month if you have three retail locations, each with four registers, and an online store, still on an annual contract:  

  • Lightspeed: $1,128 for the Advanced POS plan—including a customer loyalty program and advanced reporting, and ecommerce—for $199. It’s $398 in fees for your two other locations and $531 for your nine additional registers.  
  • Shopify: $536 for three locations of POS Pro at $79 each (unlimited registers included) and Advanced ecommerce, which makes up the bulk of these fees. This cost will be significantly lower if you opt for a lower ecommerce subscription tier. 

Shopify and Lightspeed both have the same standard processing fees: 2.6% + 10 cents for in-person sales and 2.9% + 30 cents for online sales. However, Lightspeed offers custom rates for businesses processing over $250,000 annually. 

While Shopify doesn’t offer custom rates, you get a discount with certain plans. For example, with a Shopify ecommerce plan (about $50 more than the Basic ecommerce plan), you would receive a 1% discount for in-person sales and a 2% discount for online sales. 

As mentioned above, both platforms allow you to use third-party payment processors. However, Shopify will impose an additional 0.5–2% transaction fee, depending on your plan. Note that Shopify only allows third-party processors with its ecommerce software. Shopify POS is only compatible with Shopify Payments. With Lightspeed, you can use a third-party processor for both POS and ecommerce. However, you’ll pay a slightly higher monthly fee. 

Now, let’s take a look at hardware options and fees. 

Lightspeed vs Shopify: Hardware 

Lightspeed and Shopify both offer mobile and countertop POS solutions. However, there are a few key differences: 

  • Shopify POS is app-based 
  • Lightspeed POS is browser- and app-based 

Shopify POS is available only on Shopify devices, as well as Apple and Android smartphones and tablets. Specifically, Shopify POS is available on: 

  • iPhone 7 or higher (iOS 15+)
  • iPad Air Gen 2 or higher
  • iPad Gen 5 or higher
  • iPad mini Gen 4 or higher
  • All iPad Pro models (iPadOS 15+)
  • Android devices (Android 10.0+).

Shopify also has a proprietary mobile POS terminal called Shopify POS Go. This handheld, all-in-one terminal runs Shopify POS software, has a built-in card reader and barcode scanner, an all-day battery life, and can accept contactless payments. Read more: What is a POS Terminal?

Shopify POS Go features a large touchscreen on the front and a card reader and handle strap on the back.
Shopify POS Go enables easy mobile sales. (Source: Shopify’s Amazon Storefront)

Lightspeed, on the other hand, can be accessed via Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox browsers on any computer running Windows 8.1 or higher or Mac OS X 10.15 or higher. Certain versions of Lightspeed Retail can also be accessed via iPad on iOS 15.5 or higher. 

Both systems offer mobile and countertop card readers, tablet stands, cash drawers, barcode scanners, receipt printers, label printers, and assorted accessories. 

Read more: Best POS Hardware for Business

Lightspeed vs Shopify: POS capabilities 

Lightspeed and Shopify POS have the same core functionalities. They both allow you to ring orders, create customer profiles, see inventory levels in real-time, view sales reports, and process payments. 

However, their interfaces and user experience are very different. Lightspeed, again, is browser-based and has a lot more form fields and data collection options. There are also more clicks and screens to navigate through in the checkout process. This is ideal if you need detailed customer information, want to track work orders, or need a high level of customization. 

Lightspeed's checkout screen featuring 12+ buttons and settings.
Lightspeed’s POS interface is useful but not as streamlined as Shopify’s.

Shopify, on the other hand, is app-based and the checkout screen operates via customizable tiles or hotkeys. Processing orders is much faster, and everything is done via touch screen. While the tiles themselves are customizable, the workflow is not as detailed as Lightspeed’s. 

Both Shopify and Lightspeed offer back-office management tools like reporting, analytics, customer management, order management, and more in browser-based dashboards. 

Read more: POS Data Guide for POS Analytics

Lightspeed vs Shopify: Ecommerce site builders 

Logo of Lightspeed Shopify logo.
Free themes/templates 30 13 (dozens more paid options)
Social media sales integrations Facebook, Instagram, TikTok Facebook, Instagram, TikTok
SEO tools Basic Advanced
International sales 14 languages, multiple currencies, 20 languages, multiple currencies,
Maximum digital file size 25GB 5GB

Both Shopify and Lightspeed ecommerce:

  • Sync seamlessly with its POS
  • Can be used to sell physical items, digital products, and subscriptions 
  • Have strong automatic tax calculation tools
  • Make social media sales easy 

Shopify was built for ecommerce and is a more robust online sales platform than Lightspeed. Shopify lets you create more full and feature-rich websites than Lightspeed’s basic site builder. For example, Shopify has a drag-and-drop site builder that enables you to customize the look of your page, the sections you have on your site (including adding elements like a blog or sales promotions), thousands of more apps, and significantly better search engine optimization (SEO) tools. 

That said, Lightspeed’s system is incredibly easy to use. If Lightspeed’s POS tools are a better fit for your needs, and you don’t mind a basic storefront, Lightspeed’s ecommerce solution will be just fine. It allows you to create a basic storefront displaying products, company information, and contact information. 

However, you’ll likely be happier with Shopify if you need anything more than that. 

Lightspeed vs Shopify: Ease of use 

When comparing Shopify vs Lightspeed for ease of use, Shopify’s app-based system is simpler to navigate. Creating a sophisticated online store through Shopify’s website builder is also incredibly easy. Lightspeed’s interface is a little more complex, and there are more decisions to make when it comes to ecommerce—specifically, whether you want to use Lightspeed’s basic ecommerce tools or connect a third party (like Shopify or BigCommerce). 

However, Lightspeed does have much more granular inventory controls. So, suppose ease of use for your business means having a wealth of data at your fingertips or lots of visibility and control over product variants and work orders. In that case, you might find Lightspeed easier in practice because Shopify won’t give you the same level of visibility. 

Which is best? 

If you regularly need to manage work orders like assembly, repairs, parts, or warranties in-store, Lightspeed is best for you. Otherwise, Shopify is likely the better choice. It is cheaper, the POS is easier to use, and its ecommerce and omnichannel offerings are significantly stronger. 

However, Lightspeed POS excels at managing work orders and tracking detailed brick-and-mortar inventory. 

That said, certain versions of Lightspeed Retail integrate with Shopify ecommerce. So, if you have brick-and-mortar shops with complex inventories, like jewelry or bike stores, and also plan to do significant ecommerce sales, you may want to consider Lightspeed for POS and Shopify for ecommerce. 

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Featured Partners: POS Systems

FAQs

Yes, certain versions of Lightspeed Retail POS integrate with Shopify ecommerce. 

Lightspeed is best for brick-and-mortar stores with complex inventories or product assortments or retailers needing to handle parts, work orders, or repairs. However, It is generally suitable for most brick-and-mortar retail operations. 

Shopify’s POS system is not as robust as Lightspeed’s. However, Shopify launches hundreds of new features and product upgrades twice a year, including improvements to its POS system. So, Shopify is steadily catching up to Lightspeed in terms of POS capabilities. 

The post Lightspeed vs Shopify: Best POS System in 2024 appeared first on TechnologyAdvice.

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Lightspeed_logo Lightspeed Retail’s iPad Lightspeed Retail’s iPad interface is much more streamlined than the desktop version. (Source: Lightspeed) Work order for an earring repair Specific versions of Lightspeed can manage work orders, special orders, and layaways. (Source: Lightspeed) Lightspeed’s main inventory management screen Lightspeed makes it easy to track on-hand products, set reorder points, and place orders directly from the POS. (Source: Lightspeed) Reporting dashboard Lightspeed offers optional Advanced Marketing tools, including loyalty programs, email marketing, SMS, and more, all with detailed tracking reports. (Source: Lightspeed) Sales reports in Lightspeed Lightspeed’s sales reports are highly visual and customizable, making it easy to spot trends. (Source: Lightspeed) Shopify_logo Shopify POS Pro Shopify’s POS is app-based and operates on iOS and Android tablets and smartphones. (Source: Shopify) Shopify POS interface Shopify Pro has customizable tiles or hotkeys for speedy checkout. (Source: Shopify) Shopify Go’s built-in barcode scanner Shopify has a handheld POS terminal called Shopify Go. (Source: Shopify) Shopify Go used as a customer-facing payment terminal Shopify Go can act as a customer-facing payment terminal with an iPad register running Shopify POS. (Source: Shopify) Shopify Dashboards Shopify’s browser-based dashboard is where you’ll find reports on sales, customer visits, and more. (Source: Shopify) Logo of Lightspeed Shopify logo. Logo of Lightspeed Shopify logo. Shopify POS Go features a large touchscreen Shopify POS Go enables easy mobile sales. (Source: Shopify’s Amazon Storefront) Lightspeed’s checkout screen Lightspeed’s POS interface is useful but not as streamlined as Shopify’s. Logo of Lightspeed Shopify logo.