Comparison

Lightspeed Pocket (S) vs Lightspeed Restaurant POS (L)

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

Head to head
About

Lightspeed Pocket (S)

This app provides real-time business insights for retailers using Lightspeed Retail POS (S). Monitor sales, cashflow, and employee performance across multiple store locations. Receive timely notifications to address critical business needs and ensure stable operation.

Highlights
  • Multi-location management
  • Real-time sales reporting
  • Cashflow monitoring
  • Sales target tracking
  • Employee clock-in/out tracking
  • Top-selling item identification
  • Push notifications
Features
Read full description

Lightspeed Pocket is only available for businesses that use Lightspeed Retail POS (S). It is not available for new customers. Gain new insights into your business • Add as many store locations as you want and switch between them with ease • Access sales data from anywhere with real-time reporting • Monitor your registers and cashflow 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 • See which employees clock in and out and spot your top-selling items Enjoy speed and reliability • Receive push notifications when your store needs attention • Enjoy continuous stable app usage, even during your busiest periods 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.

About

Lightspeed Restaurant POS (L)

Streamline restaurant operations with a comprehensive point-of-sale system. Manage menus, orders, payments, and customer data from an iPad, with offline capabilities and detailed reporting. Includes free onboarding and 24/7 support.

Highlights
  • Intuitive iPad interface
  • Offline mode for uninterrupted service
  • Menu and floor plan customization
  • Streamlined ordering and payments
  • Detailed sales and staff reporting
  • 24/7 live support and free onboarding
  • Employee permission controls
Read full description

Imagine upgrading every single aspect of your restaurant with a simple touch. We’re talking quicker service, increased profits and simplified workflows. Lightspeed Restaurant’s robust POS solution lets you run your entire restaurant from an iPad and access your business from anywhere, even if you lose internet connection. Whether you run a full or quick service restaurant, a bar or nightclub, a hotel or cafe, this POS system is tailored to your business’ needs. Get your staff up and running with our intuitive interface and cloud-based system that allows servers to move fluidly from table to table and take orders with fewer mistakes. It’s built to help you upsell with ease and interact with your customers during the ordering process by uploading appetizing images and suggesting modifiers for each menu item. Menu and floor plan: Easily create discounts that automatically apply to customer groups, promotional events or specific items. Combining tables or moving them around is as simple as tap and drag. Present menu items complete with photos, descriptions and prices. Make quick updates to your floorplan. Ordering and payments: Send orders to the kitchen or bar and fire courses as needed. Cut down on the time it takes for customers to get their orders. Easily split or combine bills. Have guests sign and assign tip directly on your iPad. Offline mode: Internet down? Don't sweat it. Lightspeed restaurant POS works online or offline. It never quits. Lightspeed Restaurant is the only one to keep your data safe even if your terminal is permanently damaged. Look up customer information for take-out or delivery orders. Process gift card sales or as a payment method. Liteserver stays up at all times, so operations go on as usual. Once a connection is reestablished, your data is automatically synced. Reporting and data: Easily pull-up end of day reports to access key data that will help you prepare for peak periods and better understand your customers’ needs. Use the staff performance reports to learn who your best employees are. Access all this data from your phone, iPad or laptop, anytime, from anywhere. Free Onboarding & 24/7 Support: Benefit from a dedicated team who help you get started in a 1:1 session. Get live chat support with our support heros located around the world. Employees: Customizable user permissions give you full control over employees’ access to your system. Attribute personalized profiles to each employee with individual logins. Train your team in no time with the intuitive and easy-to-learn iPad interface. Servers can take orders directly from the iPad for quicker service and more accurate orders. Add ons: Kitchen Display System module for optimized communication between the kitchen and the front of the house. Customer Facing Display module to optimize communication between your staff and customers. Self Order Menu module to allow customers to place their own orders. Integrations: Our network of over 250 integration partners allows you to tailor Lightspeed to your business’ specific needs such as accounting, delivery or loyalty programs. What our customers are saying: “It allows me to focus on taking care of my customers and not worrying about how the place is running, it really gives me peace of mind.” - Maison Cloakroom “It was easy to program and even easier to train my staff with — I could do it with my eyes closed.” -Nobu Hotel “I wanted my team to focus on what they do best. With the click of a button, they can show guests how a particular dish looks like and that adds to the experience.” -Absurd Bird “From ringing up food and drinks to managing the backend and business side, it’s freeing me up to do so much more work than I would have the time to do if I had to do all that by hand.” - Live on Air Questions? You can always reach our friendly team of specialists by calling 855-251-0441 or by going to our support center for helpful tips, training videos and system updates.

Screenshots

Lightspeed Pocket (S)4 screens
Lightspeed Restaurant POS (L)4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Lightspeed Pocket (S) at 4.7 against Lightspeed Restaurant POS (L)'s 3.0. Lightspeed Pocket (S) also leads on ratings volume (6.5K vs 30) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17). Lightspeed Restaurant POS (L)'s advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). On price, review sentiment, 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 Pocket (S) holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lightspeed Pocket (S) has 6.5K ratings behind it against 30, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 51% of Lightspeed Pocket (S)'s written reviews are positive against 47% of Lightspeed Restaurant POS (L)'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lightspeed Pocket (S) ships an update every 2 months, Lightspeed Restaurant POS (L) monthly. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Lightspeed Pocket (S) versus Lightspeed Restaurant POS (L): the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLightspeed Pocket (S)Lightspeed Restaurant POS (L)
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (6.5K ratings) — better3.0 (30 ratings)
Positive reviews50.7% of reviews — better46.5% of reviews
Number of ratings6.5K — better30
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supportedAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better17
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB213 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperShopKeep.comLightspeed Commerce Inc.

Customer experience

Lightspeed Pocket (S)

All ratings6,520 ratings
Positive93.9%
Neutral2.4%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews69 reviews
Positive50.7%
Neutral7.2%
Negative42.0%

Lightspeed Restaurant POS (L)

All ratings30 ratings
Positive43.3%
Neutral10.0%
Negative46.7%
Written reviews43 reviews
Positive46.5%
Neutral4.7%
Negative48.8%

Bugs and requests

Lightspeed Pocket (S)

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Login issues after device upgrades
  • Data sync problems, missing/incorrect sales data
  • Bluetooth connectivity problems with card readers
  • App freezes and crashes

Requested features

6 requests
  • Accounting for sales tax
  • Ability to view all clocked-in employees
  • Sales breakdown by register
  • Customizable receipts (logo, etc.)
  • Kitchen display system integration
Show 1 more
  • Customer receipt texting

Lightspeed Restaurant POS (L)

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Lightspeed Pocket (S)

No in-app purchases

None

Lightspeed Restaurant POS (L)

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Lightspeed Pocket (S) free?
Lightspeed Pocket (S) is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Lightspeed Restaurant POS (L) free?
Lightspeed Restaurant POS (L) is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Lightspeed Pocket (S) or Lightspeed Restaurant POS (L)?
Lightspeed Pocket (S) is rated higher. Lightspeed Pocket (S) averages 4.7 out of 5 from 6.5K ratings, while Lightspeed Restaurant POS (L) averages 3.0 from 30 ratings.
Do Lightspeed Pocket (S) or Lightspeed Restaurant POS (L) have ads?
Neither Lightspeed Pocket (S) nor Lightspeed Restaurant POS (L) shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lightspeed Pocket (S) or Lightspeed Restaurant POS (L)?
Lightspeed Pocket (S) ships an update every 2 months, and Lightspeed Restaurant POS (L) monthly. Most recently, Lightspeed Pocket (S) was updated on November 1, 2026 and Lightspeed Restaurant POS (L) on November 1, 2026.

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