Comparison

Lightspeed Retail POS (S) vs Rapid RMS

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

Rapid RMS

A cloud-based point-of-sale and inventory management system designed for high-volume businesses, multiple locations, and remote sales. Offers features like cash register functions, promotion management, and detailed reporting. It is free and does not charge for software updates or service contracts.

Highlights
  • Cloud-based POS system
  • Robust inventory management
  • Industry-specific layouts (Gas, Retail, Restaurant)
  • Cash register functions with offline support
  • Promotion and discount management
  • Customer loyalty programs
  • Full web-based back office
Features
Read full description

Rapid RMS is an iPad and cloud-based Point-of-Sale system with robust inventory management. It is the ideal solution for managing high volume businesses, multiple locations, and remote sales forces. Best of all, Rapid RMS never charges for software updates or service contracts. Easy to set up, no networking required, Bluetooth compatible. Features: - Cash Register (Invoice Process, Payment Process, Reporting Management, Offline Support) - Industry specific layout - Gas, Retail, Restaurant - Clock in Clock-Out and Shift in Shift-Out - Promotion (Mix & Match Discount, Qty Discount) - EBT Management - Customer Loyalty (House Charge, RapidRMS Gift Card) - Robust Inventory management - Multiple Barcode tracking - Single/Case/Pack item tracking - Purchase Order - Inventory Count - Manual Entry - Reporting (Sales tracking by register, hourly, weekly, etc.) - Full BackOffice on the web - Quick check out process - Simple delivery check in process - Label printing with barcodes - Customer display - Signature capture with credit card. - Gas transactions: PrePay, PostPay, Pay-at-Pump - Gas Station Management: Fuel Price Management, Tank Management Retail Department Store, Discount Store, Warehouse Store, Mom-And-Pop, Specialty Store, Boutique, General Store, Liquor Store, Convenience Store, & Mall. Gas Gas Station, Gas+Retail Features Expertise Inventory Management, Shift Management, Purchase Order, Clock In/Clock out, Item Movement Reporting, Detailed Sales Tracking & Inventory Count.

Screenshots

Rapid RMS1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Rapid RMS at 4.1 against Lightspeed Retail POS (S)'s 3.2. Rapid RMS also leads on review sentiment (60% vs 19%) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Lightspeed Retail POS (S)'s advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (431 vs 22). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

Rapid RMS holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lightspeed Retail POS (S) has 431 ratings behind it against 22, 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 60% of Rapid RMS's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lightspeed Retail POS (S) ships an update every 3 weeks, Rapid RMS every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 14, 2026 and June 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Lightspeed Retail POS (S) versus Rapid RMS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLightspeed Retail POS (S)Rapid RMS
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.2 (431 ratings)4.1 (22 ratings) — better
Positive reviews19.3% of reviews60.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings431 — better22
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size339 MB184 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperShopKeep.comNirav 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%

Rapid RMS

All ratings22 ratings
Positive77.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative22.7%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative40.0%

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

Rapid RMS

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Lightspeed Retail POS (S)

No in-app purchases

None

Rapid RMS

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 Rapid RMS free?
Rapid RMS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Lightspeed Retail POS (S) or Rapid RMS?
Rapid RMS is rated higher. Lightspeed Retail POS (S) averages 3.2 out of 5 from 431 ratings, while Rapid RMS averages 4.1 from 22 ratings.
Do Lightspeed Retail POS (S) or Rapid RMS have ads?
Neither Lightspeed Retail POS (S) nor Rapid RMS shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lightspeed Retail POS (S) or Rapid RMS?
Lightspeed Retail POS (S) ships an update every 3 weeks, and Rapid RMS every 2 months. Most recently, Lightspeed Retail POS (S) was updated on September 14, 2026 and Rapid RMS on June 2, 2026.

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