POS Systems
Lightspeed review
Montreal-based commerce platform with separate retail and restaurant POS products, sold on annual or monthly plans.
Lightspeed at a glance
- Category
- POS Systems
- Starting price
- Retail Basic $89/month billed annually or $109 monthly (third-party)
- Pricing model
- per location
- Public pricing
- No
- Free plan
- No
- G2 rating
- 4.0 (294 reviews)
- Founded
- 2005
- Headquarters
- Montreal, Canada
- Employees
- 1,000+
- Funding or owner
- Public (TSX/NYSE: LSPD)
Buying Lightspeed: security, admin and contract
Questions to ask Lightspeed before you sign
- Which plan includes SAML SSO, and what does it cost for our seat count?
- Is SCIM provisioning included, or a paid add-on?
- Which plan includes audit logs, and how long are they kept?
- Where is our data stored, and can we choose the region?
- Can we sign your standard DPA without changes?
- Is there a monthly option, and what are the cancellation and renewal terms?
- What will the price be at renewal, and is the increase capped?
Questions are listed where Lightspeed's public pages leave the answer open.
Who Lightspeed is for
Choose Lightspeed if
- Multi-category retailers needing deeper inventory and reporting.
- Mid-size and multi-location merchants.
Look elsewhere if
- Micro-merchants wanting $0 software.
- Buyers needing fast support (G2 complaints)
Lightspeed pricing
| Plan | Price | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $89 annual / $109 monthly | per month | third-party |
| Core | $149 / $179 | per month | annual / monthly |
| Plus | $289 / $339 | per month | annual / monthly |
| Enterprise | Custom |
Vendor prices were not available; figures are third-party for Retail. Restaurant pricing not verified. Processing about 2.6% + 10c (one review).
Lightspeed features by buying criteria
| Criterion | What we found |
|---|---|
| Payment processing terms | Lightspeed Payments about 2.6% + 10c (one review); same across plans. |
| Inventory management | Reviewers highlight inventory management. |
| Industry features | Retail and Restaurant (plus Golf, hospitality) |
| Reporting and analytics | Reviewers highlight reporting. |
| Pricing model | Plan per location plus processing. |
| Target company size | SMB to enterprise. |
What reviewers say about Lightspeed
Praised for
- Inventory management.
- Reporting.
Common complaints
- Pricing high for value.
- Slow support, hard to reach account managers.
Themes paraphrased from public reviews on G2 and similar sites, not quotes.
What most Lightspeed reviews leave out
- Annual billing saves roughly 15 to 20% vs monthly (third-party)
- Lightspeed absorbed Vend and ShopKeep products (not verified)
- Transaction fee same on all plans.
Lightspeed alternatives
Shopify POSMerchants already running a Shopify online store who add physical locations.POS included in every Shopify plan; Basic from $39/month (third-party), POS Pro $89/location/month
Square POSSingle-shop retailers and service businesses that want to start at $0 software.$0/month (Square for Retail Free)
CloverSmall restaurants and retailers wanting bundled hardware plus software.Varies by vertical; Standard bundle $130/month or $849 + $84.95/month (as listed by Clover)
Epos NowSmall retail and hospitality shops wanting bundled hardware.$399 + $84/month (Epos Now US page)
TouchBistroFull-service restaurants that want floor plan and tableside ordering on iPads.From $69/month (Point of Sale, hardware and payment processing extra)
HeartlandMerchants who want POS and processing from one provider.Contact sales
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from Lightspeed's own pricing, product or documentation pages, G2 and company records, checked on October 24, 2026. Unknown values are left out instead of estimated.