POS Nation for Retail vs. Lightspeed

If you're a mega-chain restaurant, or in search of a cloud-only POS system, then Lightspeed will likely be the solution for you.

But if you're looking for a hybrid, retail point of sale system that knows small businesses and comes with best-in-class, 24/7 support, then join the over 10,000 retailers who trust POS Nation. 

POSN-vs-Lightspeed

How is POS Nation different from Lightspeed?

Industry-POS

Industry Focus

Lightspeed: Services both retail and restaurant businesses, with no specialization in one industry. 

POS Nation: Was built exclusively to support retail small businesses and has a team equipped with years of industry expertise.

Copy of premium-qualityWinner: POS Nation

Payment-Options

Payment Options

LightSpeed: The only option is a required monthly payment for a POS system, plus extra monthly costs for each additional register. 

POS Nation: Flexible payment options including a one-time upfront payment option with no required ongoing fees. 

Copy of premium-qualityWinner: POS Nation

generic-software-2

Reliability

Lightspeed: This is a 100% cloud-based POS system, so having a strong and stable internet connection is needed to use the software.

POS Nation: This hybrid software offers internet-enabled cloud capabilities for accessing business-critical data, as well as a local database that does not require internet.

Copy of premium-qualityWinner: POS Nation

remote-access

Remote Access

Lightspeed: Built to be completely mobile so their entire system can be taken to markets, pop-up shops, and other remote events. 

POS Nation: Offers remote reporting, inventory management, and other back office features, but not cashier features.

Copy of premium-qualityWinner: Lightspeed

Add-ons

Required Add-Ons

Lightspeed: For anything other than their basic pricing plan, expect monthly costs in the triple digits to access the features your business needs. 

POS Nation: Standard level comes with customer loyalty, reporting, and other advanced features at no extra cost.

Copy of premium-qualityWinner: POS Nation

Mobile-Payment

Hardware

Lightspeed: Their hardware kit costs $1,000 and does not include an iPad to run POS software. 

POS Nation: Offers a hardware bundle starting at $999 including software, touchscreen computer, cash drawer, receipt printer, and barcode scanner.  

Copy of premium-qualityWinner: POS Nation

Tablet

Tablet Usage

Lightspeed: Is a good option for businesses that want to be completely mobile and run their business on a tablet. 

POS Nation: Offers a tablet integration, however, their software performs best on a touch PC. 

Copy of premium-qualityWinner: Lightspeed

Processing-Rates

Processing Rate

Lightspeed: Effective rate is between 2.8% and 3% depending on average transaction size. 

POS Nation: Effective rate is between 2% and 2.5% depending on average transaction size. 

Copy of premium-qualityWinner: POS Nation

Reviews

Reviews

Lightspeed: An alarming number of below-average reviews, including 14% of their Trustpilot customer reviews. 

POS Nation: Stellar 3rd-party customer reviews, including less than 3% of Trustpilot customer review that are below average. 

Copy of premium-qualityWinner: POS Nation

There's a Better Way with POS Nation

 
Lightspeed is excellent at serving enterprise-scale restaurants and retailers who want a cloud-only solution, but it falls short when understanding the unique nuances of small to medium businesses who need hybrid solutions.
 
With POS Nation, everything you need to improve checkout and grow your business comes out of the box.
 
 There's a better way.  

Local vs. Cloud: Get the Best of Both Worlds with a Hybrid POS Solution

At POS Nation, we understand that business owners cannot afford to be at the whim of an unstable wireless connection. 

That's why our solution offers a system that operates locally and also comes equipped with cloud capabilities so you can access the business-critical information you need to make decisions 24/7. 

Transparent Pricing to Better Manage Cash Flow

Lightspeed's basic plan or upfront hardware pricing may seem simple but add-on fees for features quickly add up and the total cost of ownership is often accompanied by sticker shock. 

POS Nation's solution comes with everything you need out of the box including hardware, software, support, and processing with a fixed monthly cost, or the option for an upfront payment. 

POS Nation Pricing

Experts in Your Industry

Lightspeed supports retailers, restaurateurs, and everything in between, where POS Nation specializes in retail point of sale solutions. 

From sales to support, and onboarding to customer success, every member of their team offers deep expertise in your specific business. 

Free Buyers' Guide

Download your free copy of our special buyers' guide. We’ll show you the top questions to ask before buying and how to find the best hardware and software for your business.

Don't Take Our Word For It...