Comparison

Lightspeed Retail POS (S) vs Lightspeed

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Lightspeed Retail POS (S)

This iPad point of sale system is designed for retail businesses. It offers a modern interface to manage sales, customer loyalty, and inventory. Gain insights into your business performance with real-time reporting and reporting tools.

Highlights
  • Untethered checkout
  • Customer loyalty programs
  • Real-time reporting
  • Sales target tracking
  • Hardware integration
  • Customer support
Features
Read full description

Lightspeed Pay is only available for businesses that use Lightspeed Retail POS (S). It is not available for new customers. Lightspeed Retail POS (S) is a powerful and intuitive iPad point of sale system for retail. Designed with a modern and sleek interface that’s as beautiful as your store, Lightspeed Retail lets you run your business right from your iPad. Untether the checkout experience • Move out from behind the counter and take your checkout process to the customer • Speed up the checkout process and get paid via text message • Accept all payment types quickly with Lightspeed Payments Serve your customers better • Make selling flexible by offering delivery or curbside pickup options • Offer gift cards and build a customer loyalty program to turn shoppers into regulars • Follow the law with age-based restrictions Gain new insights into your business • Access data from anywhere with real-time reporting • See detailed sales reports and customer data to always have a handle on your retail performance • Manage and track sales targets per store and per team member so everyone can keep improving Enjoy speed and reliability • Delight shoppers with speedy transactions and reduced wait times in-store • Enjoy continuous stable app usage, even during your busiest periods Expand the power of your POS • Connect with your own hardware, from barcode scanners to receipt printers • Access powerful tools—including Lightspeed Payments and eCommerce—from Lightspeed’s one-stop commerce platform • Integrate with the best solutions in the world, including top accounting software, marketing platforms and more Support • Enjoy award-winning customer support from our in-house team • Get the undivided attention of a dedicated account manager • Access free step-by-step articles and resources in our comprehensive Help Center • Watch video tutorials to help you navigate and get the most out of your POS Lightspeed Retail is the powerful, easy-to-use POS software for busy retailers like you. With Lightspeed’s one-stop commerce platform, you’ll have everything you need to run your business from one incredible platform. Simplify. Scale. And provide amazing customer experiences. That’s the power of Lightspeed POS.

About

Lightspeed

This application allows customers to place food and drink orders directly from their table or a self-service kiosk. It integrates with existing restaurant POS systems to streamline the ordering process, reduce wait times, and potentially increase sales.

Highlights
  • Customer self-ordering
  • Kiosk mode
  • Table mode
  • POS integration
  • Faster order processing
  • Reduced wait times
Read full description

Lightspeed Self-Order Menu is an app that allows customers to order food and drinks from your cafe, bar or restaurant all on their own. With the Lightspeed Self-Order Menu, you can reduce customer wait times, process orders faster, free up waiters to interact with customers, and ultimately increase sales. Self-Order Menu uses the same products and categories from Lightspeed's Restaurant POS, meaning you can be up and running with in minutes. Available in 2 modes: Kiosk mode - Ideal for quick service restaurant environments. The customer orders and pays directly on the iPad, then waits for the order. Table mode - Ideal for multi-order, table service restaurant environments. The iPad is affiliated with a specific table. With the help of waitstaff, the customer can place several orders, only paying once at the end.

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Lightspeed Retail POS (S) at 431 against Lightspeed's 4. Lightspeed Retail POS (S) also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17). Lightspeed's advantage is monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Lightspeed Retail POS (S) holds the better App Store score, 3.2 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lightspeed Retail POS (S) has 431 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lightspeed Retail POS (S) ships an update every 3 weeks, Lightspeed every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Lightspeed Retail POS (S) versus Lightspeed: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLightspeed Retail POS (S)Lightspeed
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.2 (431 ratings) — better3.0 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews19.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings431 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPadiPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17
Further details — not scored
Size339 MB158 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperShopKeep.comLightspeed Commerce Inc.

Customer experience

Lightspeed Retail POS (S)

All ratings431 ratings
Positive51.0%
Neutral7.0%
Negative42.0%
Written reviews88 reviews
Positive19.3%
Neutral10.2%
Negative70.5%

Lightspeed

All ratings4 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Bugs and requests

Lightspeed Retail POS (S)

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Syncing issues between registers
  • Printer and card reader connectivity problems
  • Disappearing or duplicated orders
  • Incorrect payment processing

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to delete/edit transactions
  • Support for multiple tax rates
  • Gift card and store credit functionality
  • Employee sales tracking
  • Improved exchange/refund process

Lightspeed

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Lightspeed Retail POS (S)

No in-app purchases

None

Lightspeed

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Lightspeed Retail POS (S) free?
Lightspeed Retail POS (S) is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Lightspeed free?
Lightspeed is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Lightspeed Retail POS (S) or Lightspeed?
Lightspeed Retail POS (S) is rated higher. Lightspeed Retail POS (S) averages 3.2 out of 5 from 431 ratings, while Lightspeed averages 3.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Lightspeed Retail POS (S) or Lightspeed have ads?
Neither Lightspeed Retail POS (S) nor Lightspeed shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lightspeed Retail POS (S) or Lightspeed?
Lightspeed Retail POS (S) ships an update every 3 weeks, and Lightspeed every 6 weeks. Most recently, Lightspeed Retail POS (S) was updated on October 23, 2026 and Lightspeed on October 15, 2026.

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