Shopify vs. Lightspeed

From unified data to straightforward workflows, there's a reason retailers are switching to Shopify.

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At the checkout counter, a customer pays for an item using Shopify’s POS Terminal. A sales associate hands the purchase to the customer.

Join the brands switching to Shopify

Hundreds of brands have migrated from Lightspeed to Shopify.

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Why Shopify

Four reasons brands are switching

Unified commerce

The ultimate, unified platform you’ve been looking for

Shopify is purpose-built to unify in-store and online sales. That means less time maintaining multiple systems and more time growing your business.

Fewer systems, more functionality

Consolidate your commerce stack with one back office for in-store and online selling. Cut down on operational complexity while simplifying workflows and improving data integrity.

73%

of business owners agree Shopify POS increases efficiency compared to other POS software1

40%

of business owners have saved 5+ hours per week on reporting since switching to Shopify POS2

1 Based on a survey of 1K business owners that use Shopify POS conducted in November 2023

2 Based on a survey of 150 business owners that switched Shopify POS from other providers conducted in November 2023

Unify in-store and online selling

Shopify’s point of sale and ecommerce software were built together so they work seamlessly without middleware or APIs.

Reduce systems integrations

Use fewer platforms, maintain fewer integrations, drastically reducing the administrative chores for your team.

Improve data accuracy

Get data you can count on with unified dashboards that don’t need to be reconciled, merged, or cleaned up.

Take back your time

Ditch inefficient workflows and refocus your team on what matters most: your products, customer experience, and growth.

We’ve definitely saved time that would otherwise be spent maintaining and reconciling platforms. It's a lot easier when all commerce data is flowing through Shopify.

Unified customer data, actionable insights

Get customer profiles that automatically sync across your website and retail stores. Instead of wasting time cleaning up data, start using it to build loyalty right away.

41%

more repeat customers1

40%

higher in-store conversion rate1

1 Reported individually by businesses that switched to Shopify POS in 2022

Centralize customer profiles

Get a complete view of customers with data that’s always in sync—no more merging duplicate profiles.

Capture data easily

Collect customer emails and marketing opt-ins faster at checkout by tapping into Shop Pay’s extensive buyer network.

Create standout experiences

Empower your team to personalize customer service with purchase histories and loyalty insights available in point of sale.

Supercharge retention

Use holistic data and segmentation tools to create targeted marketing campaigns and track retention rates.

Unified customer data helps us learn quicker, fuel retention strategies, and build the best customer experience possible everywhere we sell.

Simple omnichannel selling

Sell everywhere without workarounds

Customers expect seamless shopping online and in store. Shopify’s unified inventory, order, and sales data makes it possible to blend fulfillment across channels—so omnichannel is effortless.

Software shouldn’t limit your sales

85%

of business owners agree Shopify POS integrates in-store and online sales better than other POS software1

30%

year-over-year revenue growth by brands using Shopify's unified commerce platform

1 Based on a survey of 1K business owners that use Shopify POS conducted in November 2023

Streamline fulfillment everywhere

Fulfill every order from one back office and skip complicated workflows and costly custom solutions.

Unify inventory data

Avoid overselling during peak sales periods with real-time inventory updates that sync online and in store.

Close more sales

Don’t let stockouts stop you. Use endless aisle to close sales in store and fulfill them from wherever the item’s in stock.

Simplify returns and exchanges

Accept returns and exchanges directly in Shopify POS, no matter where the order originated from.

With Shopify, we have all the tools we need to provide a seamless omnichannel experience and serve more customers no matter where they shop with us.

Nonstop innovation

Stay ahead of the commerce curve

Retail is changing like never before, but Shopify is single-mindedly focused on keeping you at the cutting edge.

Powerful updates, lightning fast

100%

focused on unified commerce, not commerce and hospitality

200+

product enhancements and updates shipped every year since 20211

1 Last updated February 2024

Access updates faster

Stop waiting for feature updates and bug fixes. Shopify has a proven track record of continuous platform improvements.

Get ongoing maintenance

Enjoy reliable retail software with thousands of Shopify developers dedicated to keeping your sales stack running smoothly.

Stay ahead of trends

Keep up with trends without even trying thanks to Shopify’s unwavering mission to build the world’s best commerce platform.

Future-proof your business

Partner with the platform that’s building the future of commerce, investing $1.7B in R&D in 2023 alone.

As we’ve continued to expand our partnership with Shopify, our growth trajectory has really taken off.

Infinite extensibility

Scale your business, not your complexity

You deserve software that supports your business whatever the future brings. With Shopify you get a flexible foundation that grows with you.

Ambitious growth, no limits

8K+

plug-and-play apps

10K+

certified Shopify partners

Challenge what's possible

Shopify allows for customization like no other platform and comes with a ready-made ecosystem of +8K apps and +10K partners.

Customize in a few clicks

Choose from thousands of apps and embedded extensions to add to Shopify’s capabilities, no coding required.

Build bespoke solutions

Empower your development team or certified Shopify partners to build custom apps with UI extensions, components, and APIs.

Reduce implementation time

Leverage Shopify’s vast ecosystem to quickly find the perfect solution for your business as needs change.

Featured apps for Lightspeed customers

MATRIXIFY

Matrixify

Simplify migrating from Lightspeed to Shopify with this bulk data importer.

WorkMate Logo

WorkMate

Create work orders, manage vendors, and track incoming inventory directly in POS.

RESELLY

ReSelly

Add consignment selling to your point of sale system with ReSelly.

Resources

Learn why brands are switching

AVIATOR NATION

CASE STUDY

Aviator Nation

Learn how the California apparel brand grew sales after switching to Shopify POS.

Read case study 

January 2024

BARED FOOTWEAR

CASE STUDY

Bared Footwear

Learn how the footwear brand reduced complexity after switching to Shopify POS.

Read case study 

February 2024

6 REASONS

FREE DOWNLOAD

6 Reasons Brands Migrate from Lightspeed to Shopify POS

Discover why ambitious brands are switching to Shopify’s unified commerce platform.

Get the guide 

February 2024

POS MIGRATION GUIDE

FREE DOWNLOAD

POS Migration Guide

Download the free guide and change your POS provider with confidence.

Get the guide 

January 2024

Migration support

Make your move

Move with minimal downtime by working with a certified partner that specializes in Lightspeed to Shopify migrations.

Featured Lightspeed migration partners

Frequently asked questions

If you’re invested in growing your business in person and online, Shopify is the better choice.

Brands that migrated from Lightspeed to Shopify report spending too much time maintaining and reconciling data between multiple systems. Shopify built its ecommerce platform and POS system on the same infrastructure, enabling you to manage your physical stores and ecommerce website from the same back office. Inventory, orders, customers, and reporting are centrally managed, and you don’t need APIs or integrations to keep both sales channels in sync.

Brands that moved on from Lightspeed also report having to tolerate clunky workflows and complicated workarounds to support established and emerging ways people shop: like placing an order in store and having it shipped to their home address. Shopify builds ecommerce and POS features together so both sales channels work together seamlessly. This enables more cohesive omnichannel shopping experiences for customers and more straightforward workflows for staff.

Shopify built its ecommerce platform and POS system solutions in-house on the same infrastructure to provide you and your customers with the best experience possible. Get unparalleled interoperability between online and in-store sales channels, all centrally managed from one powerful back office.

Shopify also innovates at a pace no other platform can match so you can create unique shopping experiences and support emerging behaviors before they become table stakes. The proof is in Shopify’s track record, focus, and commitment to innovation. In 2023 alone, Shopify invested $1.7 billion into research and development, and has shipped over 200 product updates every year since 2021.1

Brands that migrate from Lightspeed to Shopify report feeling limited by Lightspeed’s ecommerce platform. If brands choose to integrate Lightspeed with a third-party ecommerce platform, they report having difficulty unifying in-store and online shopping experiences without tolerating clunky workarounds, excessive administrative tasks, or costly custom development. For brands committed to growing ecommerce and retail sales concurrently, Shopify's unified commerce platform is the top choice. It enables more efficient management of both sales channels while offering customers a more cohesive shopping experience.

1 Last updated February 2024

While Shopify can integrate with Lightspeed POS using APIs and integrations, using Shopify for both your ecommerce website and POS makes running your business in-store and online more efficient. Brands who sync Lightspeed POS with Shopify report having issues maintaining accurate inventory quantities online and across all store locations, tracking orders across sales channels, having limited omnichannel functionality, and relying on workarounds and custom development to bridge the gap.

Using Shopify’s ecommerce and POS system together will help you win back time that would otherwise be spent managing multiple systems and reconciling inventory, order, and customer data. It will also equip you with more robust omnichannel fulfillment capabilities like endless aisle, unlock streamlined workflows that seamlessly blend online and in-person fulfillment, and give you access to holistic customer insights directly from your point of sale.

Both Shopify and Lightspeed offer different pricing tiers based on the size and needs of your business, with higher-tier plans offering more advanced features and functionality. While Shopify and Lightspeed pricing seems comparable, a closer look shows that Shopify is the more affordable option—especially if you have an ecommerce website, run multiple stores, and want to have multiple POS registers per store location.

In addition to the base plan cost, Lightspeed charges a fee per extra store location as well as per register. With Shopify, you can add an unlimited number of POS registers per store location at no extra cost. Shopify’s lowest plans include ecommerce, POS, payments, reporting, as well as the ability to integrate with accounting and loyalty programs. To get this same feature set on Lightspeed, you must be on more expensive plans.

Shopify vs Lightspeed

Want unified commerce?

Learn why retailers choose Shopify to sell online and in store.