Lightspeed Retail POS (S) vs Lightspeed
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Untethered checkout
- Customer loyalty programs
- Real-time reporting
- Sales target tracking
- Hardware integration
- Customer support
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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.
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.
- Customer self-ordering
- Kiosk mode
- Table mode
- POS integration
- Faster order processing
- Reduced wait times
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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 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
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.
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.
| Parameter | Lightspeed Retail POS (S) | Lightspeed |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.2 (431 ratings) — better | 3.0 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 19.3% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 431 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Ad-supported — better |
| Devices | iPad | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 339 MB | 158 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | ShopKeep.com | Lightspeed Commerce Inc. |
Customer experience
Lightspeed Retail POS (S)
Lightspeed
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
Lightspeed Retail POS (S)
No in-app purchases
Lightspeed
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Lightspeed Retail POS (S) free?
Is Lightspeed free?
Which has better reviews, Lightspeed Retail POS (S) or Lightspeed?
Do Lightspeed Retail POS (S) or Lightspeed have ads?
Which is updated more often, Lightspeed Retail POS (S) or Lightspeed?
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