Comparison

Lightspeed Retail POS (S) vs Lightspeed eCom (E

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 eCom (E

Manage your online store and inventory from your mobile device. This platform simplifies selling online and in-person, with tools to market your products and connect with customers. Get 24/5 support for your e-commerce needs.

Highlights
  • Inventory management
  • Order processing
  • AI product descriptions
  • Multi-channel selling
  • Automated marketing tools
  • Barcode scanner
  • 24/5 customer support
Features
Read full description

The Lightspeed eCom app makes selling online easier for everyone. Whether you're launching your first store or gearing up to grow, our one-stop commerce platform makes it simple to manage your business—online and off—right from the palm of your hand. MANAGE ORDERS AND INVENTORY Control everything from a single dashboard with inventory management, order processing, payments, and more. • Add product images right from your mobile device • Generate and format product descriptions with AI • Add product ribbons, subtitles, and online-specific attributes • Enrich products with SEO descriptions for better visibility • View sales details, including purchased items, selected options, shipping addresses, and contact information • Use the barcode scanner to quickly find products and orders and track inventory and shipments • Get push notifications about new orders • Keep customers informed with status updates and messages • And process everything right in the app SELL EVERYWHERE FROM A SINGLE PLATFORM Ready to expand? Connect your store to sell everywhere your customers are browsing and buying. • Sell across on your website • Import your inventory to sell on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok • Or sell in person with Lightspeed POS MARKET YOUR BUSINESS Grow even faster with automated marketing tools to promote your products to new and existing customers. • Advertise your products on Facebook and Google • Boost sales with automated abandoned cart emails • Create discounts and offers to attract new customers • Track it all from your Lightspeed eCom control panel 24/5 SUPPORT Get the support you need, when you need it. • Unlimited 24/5 chat and email support • Access to detailed onboarding, videos, articles, and more

Screenshots

Lightspeed eCom (E3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Lightspeed eCom (E at 4.2 against Lightspeed Retail POS (S)'s 3.2. Lightspeed eCom (E also leads on review sentiment (56% vs 19%) and monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases). Lightspeed Retail POS (S)'s advantage is ratings volume (431 vs 18) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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 eCom (E holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lightspeed Retail POS (S) has 431 ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 19% of Lightspeed Retail POS (S)'s written reviews are positive against 56% of Lightspeed eCom (E's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lightspeed Retail POS (S) ships an update every 3 weeks, Lightspeed eCom (E fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 14, 2026 and September 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Lightspeed Retail POS (S) versus Lightspeed eCom (E: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLightspeed Retail POS (S)Lightspeed eCom (E
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.2 (431 ratings)4.2 (18 ratings) — better
Positive reviews19.3% of reviews55.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings431 — better18
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size339 MB161 MB
Age rating4+4+
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 eCom (E

All ratings18 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive55.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative44.4%

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 eCom (E

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Lightspeed Retail POS (S)

No in-app purchases

None

Lightspeed eCom (E

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 eCom (E free?
Lightspeed eCom (E is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Lightspeed Retail POS (S) or Lightspeed eCom (E?
Lightspeed eCom (E is rated higher. Lightspeed Retail POS (S) averages 3.2 out of 5 from 431 ratings, while Lightspeed eCom (E averages 4.2 from 18 ratings.
Do Lightspeed Retail POS (S) or Lightspeed eCom (E have ads?
Neither Lightspeed Retail POS (S) nor Lightspeed eCom (E shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lightspeed Retail POS (S) or Lightspeed eCom (E?
Lightspeed Retail POS (S) ships an update every 3 weeks, and Lightspeed eCom (E fortnightly. Most recently, Lightspeed Retail POS (S) was updated on September 14, 2026 and Lightspeed eCom (E on September 12, 2026.

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