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Lightspeed vs. Square
Lightspeed POS

Lightspeed POS is an all-in-one cloud-based mobile solution that streamlines the way you serve customers and run your business across locations. Manage your inventory, customers, employees, and sales from your laptop, iPad, or mobile phone! Accept all payment methods and cut down your check-out time in-store & online. Save time by using integrated purchasing catalogs. Make data-driven decisions to grow your business by tracking costs, old inventory and automating low stock alerts.

Lightspeed Pros and Cons

PROS
  • Specifically designed for retailers, including food retailers.
  • Pay-at-the-table option.
  • Gift and loyalty programs, sales and labor reporting.
CONS
  • Consumer-grade tablets may have issues: cables, broken screens, wifi connectivity etc.
  • Entirely web and app-based. Offline mode can't process payments
  • High price point for smaller restaurants
Square POS

Founded in 2009, Square or Squareup started as a simple payment app that allowed micro-merchants (think hobbyists and homeowners holding yard sales) to accept credit card payments using a smartphone. Square acted as a payment aggregator by bypassing the traditional underwriting process of a merchant service account. ...

Since then, Square has tried to move upmarket by adding other small business solutions that include point of sale systems, merchant cash advance programs, and payroll services.

Square Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Square offers a variety of services and solutions that can accommodate a range of industries
  • Affordable monthly payments for POS systems and related services
  • Supports third-party integrations

Cons
  • Processing fees are typically higher than what you'd pay from a traditional merchant service provider
  • Limited customer support
  • If your transactions look 'suspicious' Square will hold onto your hard-earned money for an extended period
  • POS programming and implementation services start at $600

Square is Best For:
  • Retail stores
  • Coffee shops
  • Small restaurants
  • Food trucks
  • Service and repair professionals
  • Independent cosmetologists

Square Cost
  • Square for Retail: Starting at $60/month
  • Square for Restaurants: Starting at $60/month
The Complete POS Technology Comparison
Review features. Use our Quick POS Match to dig deeper.

Features
Lightspeed
Square
Locally installed
Cloud based
Multi-store management
Integrated eCommerce
Remote access
Built-in reports and analytics
Ease of use
Inventory management
Loyalty programs
Gift cards.
Special orders and layaways.
Table management
Pay-at-the-table
Credit card processing when offline
24/7 Phone support
24/7 Chat support
In-person training
Online training
Online docs
Backend integration
Third party apps
Lightspeed
Square