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It's a split decision.
Choose Square if you want a free POS plan and tools for payments, teams, marketing, and cash flow. Choose Lightspeed if you run a retail or restaurant business and want connected sales, inventory, and reporting. Lightspeed starts at $69 per month for restaurants; retail starts at $109 monthly or $89 per month with annual billing. Square’s plan subscription prices and payment fees are not published on the vendor's site, so compare total costs before switching.
01Side by side
| Lightspeed | Square | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | From $69/month for Restaurant Starter | Subscription price not published |
| Free plan | No free plan listed | Square Free plan |
| Best for | Retail and restaurant businesses | Different types of sellers |
| Core strength | Connected sales, inventory, and reporting | Payments plus team and business tools |
| Learning curve | Not published | Not published |
| Integrations and data | Multichannel sales and inventory insights | Business app partnerships and Square AI |
| Team and seat costs | Seat limits not published | Team tools; seat costs not published |
| Support | Plan-specific support details not provided | Premium lists 24/7 phone support |
Lightspeed Choose Lightspeed if
- Choose Lightspeed if you sell across physical and online channels.
- Choose Lightspeed if inventory tracking is central to your operation.
- Choose Lightspeed if you want published plan prices to compare.
Square Choose Square if
- Choose Square if you want a free plan to start.
- Choose Square if you need payroll, scheduling, or team administration.
- Choose Square if you want marketing and loyalty tools in the platform.
02Pricing compared
Square offers a free plan, but the published pricing details do not publish subscription prices for Plus or Premium, or Square’s payment fees. Pro has custom pricing for businesses processing over $250,000 yearly. Check processing costs and paid add-ons before comparing totals.
Lightspeed publishes more upfront pricing, but the cost depends on the business type. Retail Basic is $109 per month, or $89 per month with annual billing; Core is $179 monthly or $149 annually, and Plus is $339 monthly or $289 annually. Each listed plan includes one register and one location. Extra retail registers cost $59 per month each. Restaurant Starter is $69 monthly, Essential $189, and Premium $399; annual prices aren’t published. Lightspeed Payments lists card-present rates of 1.5% or 2.6% + $0.10. Restaurant add-on prices and several plan limits aren’t published.
03Features and depth
Both platforms cover in-person and online sales, but the feature emphasis differs. Lightspeed focuses on connected selling for retail, restaurants, and golf, with inventory tracking across channels, sales reporting, demand forecasting, and Lightspeed AI for business insights. It also supports selling on social platforms such as Meta. The published Retail plans include one register and one location; other limits aren’t published, so check capacity before switching.
Square combines POS and payments with tools for teams, marketing, loyalty, and cash flow. Its Free plan lists an online site, item library, invoicing, and booking. Plus adds advanced POS features, loyalty rewards, and email campaigns; Premium adds advanced reporting and 24/7 phone support. Square AI offers business insights, and app partnerships connect other business apps. Marketing texts cost extra after the included allowance on Plus and Premium. In short, Lightspeed puts more emphasis on inventory and multichannel operations; Square’s listed tools span more business functions. The right fit depends on which of those jobs you need covered.
04Ease of use and learning curve
Our review scores rate Square higher for ease of use: 8 versus 6 for Lightspeed. That points to a potential learning-curve advantage for Square, but it isn’t a guarantee for every business or workflow.
The product information doesn’t publish setup times, training requirements, or detailed onboarding steps for either platform. Square Premium lists 24/7 phone support, while Square Pro includes onboarding and implementation support. Lightspeed’s listed plans don’t specify support levels. Before switching, map your registers, locations, inventory, and integrations against each product’s published limits—and ask vendors to confirm anything they don’t publish.
Questions people ask
Which POS is better than Square?
There isn’t one best choice for every seller. Lightspeed may fit retail or restaurant businesses that prioritize connected sales, inventory, and reporting. Square may suit businesses looking for a free POS plan with payments, team tools, marketing, and cash-flow features. Compare total payment costs and required add-ons before choosing.
Why is Lightspeed so expensive?
Lightspeed’s published retail plans start at $109 monthly, or $89 per month with annual billing, while Restaurant Starter is $69 monthly. Higher tiers cost more, and extra retail registers are $59 monthly each. Some limits and restaurant add-on prices aren’t published, so request a full quote for your setup.
What is the downside of using Square?
Square’s plan subscription prices and payment fees aren’t published in the published pricing details, so the free plan alone doesn’t show your full cost. Some features also have usage charges: Plus and Premium marketing texts cost extra after their included allowances. Square’s review score for user sentiment is 4.5 out of 10.
Who is Square’s biggest competitor?
Our comparison doesn’t identify Square’s biggest competitor by market share. Lightspeed is one alternative for businesses that want connected in-person and online sales, inventory tools, and reporting. Square’s free plan and broader set of listed team, marketing, and cash-flow tools may suit different needs.