Choosing between Lightspeed and SpotOn for your business? Both are popular multi-industry solutions, but they serve different needs. Lightspeed starts at $89/month (Lean plan) and is Advanced cloud POS for retail and hospitality with strong eCommerce, while SpotOn starts at $0/month (Quick Start) and is Restaurant POS excelling at labor and food cost control.. This comprehensive comparison will help you decide which POS system is the right fit for your operation.
Quick Comparison: Lightspeed vs SpotOn
| Feature | Lightspeed | SpotOn |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Multi-Industry | Restaurant |
| Starting Price | $89/month (Lean plan) | $0/month (Quick Start) |
| Rating | 4.4/5 | 4.3/5 |
| Target Business | Mid-Market | All Sizes |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Subscription |
| Free Trial | Yes | Yes |
| Free Version | No | Yes |
| Best For | Growing retailers with complex inventory, multi-location businesses, omnichannel sellers | Restaurants focused on controlling labor and food costs |
Lightspeed Overview
Lightspeed is a cloud-based commerce platform providing POS, eCommerce, and payment solutions for retail and hospitality businesses. Known for advanced inventory management and omnichannel capabilities.
Lightspeed is offered by Lightspeed Commerce Inc. (founded 2005) based in Montreal, Canada. The system focuses on Retail, Restaurants, Golf courses, Hotels.
Key Features:
- Advanced inventory
- Multi-location support
- Omnichannel selling
- B2B capabilities
- Purchase orders
- Vendor management
SpotOn Overview
SpotOn is a cloud-based restaurant POS known for labor and food cost control. Features include labor-vs-revenue dashboards, automatic tip pooling, inventory management, QR/mobile ordering, and in-POS reservations. Offers a $0/month Quick Start plan.
SpotOn is offered by SpotOn Transact LLC (founded 2017) based in San Francisco, California, USA. The system focuses on Restaurants, Bars, Quick Service, Full Service.
Key Features:
- Online ordering
- Tableside payments
- Mobile ordering
- Labor dashboards
- Tip pooling
- Inventory management
Feature Comparison
Lightspeed Features:
- Advanced inventory
- Multi-location support
- Omnichannel selling
- B2B capabilities
- Purchase orders
SpotOn Features:
- Online ordering
- Tableside payments
- Mobile ordering
- Labor dashboards
- Tip pooling
When comparing features, Lightspeed stands out with Best-in-class inventory, while SpotOn differentiates itself with $0/month entry plan. Your choice should depend on which features align better with your specific business requirements.
Pricing Comparison
| Pricing Aspect | Lightspeed | SpotOn |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $89/month (Lean plan) | $0/month (Quick Start) |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Subscription |
| Price Range | Premium | Mid-range |
| Free Trial | Available | Available |
| Free Version | No | Yes |
SpotOn offers a free version, which is great for testing or small operations. Consider the total cost of ownership including hardware, processing fees, and add-on modules when making your decision.
Pros and Cons
Lightspeed
Pros:
- Powerful inventory management
- Excellent for multi-location
- Strong eCommerce integration
- Good for complex catalogs
- Built-in B2B features
Cons:
- Higher price point
- Learning curve
- Some features require higher tiers
- Contract requirements
SpotOn
Pros:
- $0/month starter plan
- Strong labor cost tools
- No long-term contracts
- User-friendly interface
- Dual pricing feature
Cons:
- Menu edits in back office only
- Limited integration marketplace
- Processing fees can add up
- Unexpected fee increases reported
Who Should Choose Lightspeed?
Lightspeed is ideal for Growing retailers with complex inventory, multi-location businesses, omnichannel sellers. The system is particularly well-suited for Retail, Restaurants, Golf courses, Hotels.
However, Lightspeed may not be the best fit for Very small businesses or those on tight budgets.
Who Should Choose SpotOn?
SpotOn is ideal for Restaurants focused on controlling labor and food costs. The system is particularly well-suited for Restaurants, Bars, Quick Service, Full Service.
However, SpotOn may not be the best fit for Businesses needing extensive third-party integrations.
Our Recommendation
Both Lightspeed and SpotOn are solid POS solutions, but they excel in different areas. Choose Lightspeed if you’re Growing retailers with complex inventory, multi-location businesses, omnichannel sellers. Choose SpotOn if you’re Restaurants focused on controlling labor and food costs. Lightspeed has a higher user rating (4.4 vs 4.3). Also, choose SpotOn if you want to start with a free version. We recommend trying demos or free trials of both systems before making your final decision.