Starting my day early as a shop owner with several locations includes making sure all preparations are in location for an effective operation. It is crucial to streamline procedures and gather info that aids in making knowledgeable decisions as part of our everyday regimen.
and assist you work out which variation of’s point of sale system is ideal for you. Let’s dive in. OK, so there are 2 primary factors to use Lite. One– it lets you sell at point of sale quickly, and inexpensively. The crucial thing to understand about Lite is that it is bundled with every Shopify strategy– there are no additional charges for using it. This implies that you can sell with Lite for just $5 each month. It’s likewise very fast to set up. By contrast, is an add-on that costs $89 per
month, per location– indicating that if you wish to offer in more than one locationthan place simultaneously, things can get costly quite rapidly. 2– it’s actually simple to utilize. If all you want to do is accept simple payments in one place, Shopify POS Lite lets you do that truly easily– all you’ll require really is your phone and a card reader. By contrast, which is tailored more towards retail outlets and multi-location selling,
might be overkill for merchants with basic POS needsneed. It will usually include more setup and more hardware. But ultimately, you may find yourself growing out of Lite rather rapidly– particularly if you prepare to sell in more than one area at once. Which’s where the “strategy is available in. I’ll discuss the contexts in which can be the right suitable for merchants in simply a moment, but before I do,
What is the difference between Shopify and Square POS?
In the morning, I log into to check stock levels across all locations. With its central dashboard, I can rapidly see which products are running low and require restocking. This saves me important time that I can assign to other aspects of handling business.
Shopify is a household name in the e-commerce market, taking pleasure in widespread recognition as the leading software supplier worldwide. Founded in 2006 by business owner Tobias Lütke, the company was born out of an individual battle to produce an online store for snowboarding equipment. Figured out to simplify the process, Lütke shifted his focus from developing an online shop to providing first-class tools for sellers looking to establish their own e-commerce platforms.
‘s e-commerce software application has actually enjoyed paralleled development and garnered countless customers around the world. By 2016, the company had almost $400 million in annual income, which figure exploded to $4.6 billion by 2021 after the Covid pandemic spurred an online retail boom.
forayed into point-of-sale systems in 2017 by launching a Bluetooth-enabled debit and credit card reader for brick-and-mortar shops. Ever since, it has built more products and turned them into a major source of income. The business is based in Ottawa, Canada.
Throughout the day, assists me manage deals efficiently. Its user-friendly user interface permits my personnel to procedure orders promptly, whether it’s at the checkout counter or on the store flooring utilizing mobile phones. The built-in payment processing makes sure seamless transactions, keeping our customers happy.
Among the standout features of is its robust analytics tools. I routinely examine sales reports and customer insights to recognize patterns and tailor our marketing efforts appropriately. The capability to produce custom-made reports offers me a deeper understanding of our company efficiency, enabling me to make data-driven choices.
Comparing to Square POS, the switch was driven by several factors. While Square used fundamental performance, provided a more extensive solution tailored to the requirements of multi-location services like ours. The ability to handle stock centrally, together with innovative analytics and reporting capabilities, were essential selling points.
Furthermore,’s community offered smooth integration with our online store, allowing us to handle inventory and sales throughout all channels from one platform. This omnichannel technique has actually assisted us offer an unified shopping experience to our customers, whether they’re shopping in-store or online.
In general, the transition to has actually played an essential role in enhancing our activities, boosting performance, and fostering growth at our various websites.
Pros:
Advanced stock management: Centralized inventory tracking throughout several places, making it easy to manage stock levels and restocking.
Robust analytics: Provides comprehensive sales reports and customer insights to assist make informed business decisions.
Seamless combination: Integrates smoothly with’s ecommerce platform, enabling a combined online and offline retail experience.
Personalized: Deals flexibility to develop custom-made reports and tailor the system to particular organization needs.
Scalability: Matched for businesses with several locations, with functions designed to support growth and growth.
Cons:
Cost: comes with a month-to-month subscription fee, which might be higher compared to some other POS systems.
Learning curve: While easy to use, mastering all the features of might take some time for new users.
Hardware compatibility: Some third-party hardware might not be fully compatible with POS Pro, needing specific devices purchases.
e-commerce plans:
$ 29 for Fundamental when billed every year (or $39 when paid monthly).
$ 79 for regular when billed yearly (or $105 when paid monthly).
$ 299 for Advanced when billed every year (or $399 when paid monthly).
Customized prices for Shopify Plus.
All e-commerce prepares come with POS Lite for offering in-person. Upgrading to Pro for brick-and-mortar organizations costs an extra $89 per location.
‘s alternative options for generally selling in-person:
$ 5 for Starter strategy, that includes one Lite location.
$ 79 (when billed yearly) for Retail strategy, or $89 when paid monthly; includes one Pro location.
How Much Does a POS System Cost?
Hardware cost
$ 49 for Tap & Chip card reader.
$ 219 for Tap & Chip counter top kit (iPad not included).
$ 299 for Go mobile phone.
$ 349 for terminal.
$ 459 and up for terminal countertop sets.
Agreement length
No contract needed. Plans are paid month to month unless you register for an annual, two-year or three-year strategy.
Pros:
Free standard version: Square provides a totally free version of its system, making it available for little businesses with minimal budget plans.
Easy setup: Square is understood for its easy setup process, permitting companies to start processing deals quickly.
All-in-one option: Square offers extra services like payment processing, appointment scheduling, and payroll, all integrated into one platform.
Compatibility: Works with a wide variety of third-party hardware, providing more flexibility in choosing devices.
Client assistance: Square provides responsive customer assistance by means of phone, email, and chat, assisting businesses fix issues effectively.
Cons:
Restricted stock management: While appropriate for basic requirements, Square’s inventory management functions may not be enough for organizations with intricate requirements.
Standard analytics: Square’s reporting abilities are not as comprehensive as’s, doing not have some innovative analytics features.
Less scalable: Square may not be as well-suited for businesses with multiple places or those planning substantial growth, as it lacks some features needed for complicated operations.
Unlike Lite, the Pro version lets you sell in as numerous places as you want. The disadvantage is that every place you contribute to a subscription brings an $89 each month cost with it However this will just represent a little percentage of a successful retail operation’s outgoings, and the ‘per place, each month’ approach to pricing suggests that the Pro plan is flexible and scalable. Two– it offers you a lot more control over how your personnel usage. If you want to reward staff for their efficiency,
offer them various access rights to your system, or designate different functions to them, then is a far better alternative than the ‘Lite’ version. It gives you an actually vast array of tools for managing your group’s relationship with your system. Three– it gives you a lot more customer-focused functions. Lite lets you accept payments from your customers inexpensively and just, but that’s about it. By contrast, lets you do far more for your customers. Unlike the ‘Lite’ version, it.
The Go is an all-in-one terminal that includes a card reader and barcode scanner. You can utilize the scanner to instantly discover the cost of a product and the card reader to get the money from the consumer. This gadget accepts tap, chip, and swipe payments. It has a 5.5-inch high-definition display screen and a long battery life to guarantee you can use it for an entire business day after a complete charge.
The smaller card reader lets you accept tap and chip payments from consumers but not swipe. It connects wirelessly to a tablet or by means of Bluetooth to a cellphone. It is compact and simple to manage, indicating it is ideal for companies that operate on the go, e.g., farmer’s markets.
Shopify Payments
offers a payments processing option that lets you charge cash to all significant debit and charge card. Your customers can insert their cards, tap them, or swipe them depending upon the type of hardware you picked. There’s also Tap to Pay, which lets you accept payments on your iPhone with no extra hardware. The prices is transparent– in between 2.4% and 2.7% on each successful deal– without any surprise charges or setup fees.
Stock Management
Among the major pain points that sellers face is handling their inventory; understanding which items are readily available at a provided time and the rates for each of them. The good thing is that provides features to assist.
You can take stock of each product and appoint items to different locations and channels utilizing’s software application. You can also carry out precise stock counts with your barcode scanner after getting goods. You can set the system to signal you if an item is lacking stock or to offer sale product suggestions. Similarly, you can get in-depth reports to track your sales; what items are offering quicker, what products aren’t offering, which products should be restocked, etc syncs one of the industry’s best point-of-sale systems with the e-commerce platform. With the app, you can sell your products or services face to face and online. Take orders from customers,
When you have a strategy, you can download the app– available for iOS and Android devices. Using the app, you’ll be able to visit and start tailoring your system. If you’re offering face to face, you can either utilize Tap to Pay on iPhone or purchase hardware, and you’ll be prepared to start taking consumer orders.
is finest for organizations that:
Wish to leverage’s e-commerce features. While does offer two basic strategies for service’s that mainly sell in person or on social media, the bulk of its offerings are for omnichannel sellers who desire to develop a customized online shop utilizing.
Sell online and personally. is optimized for selling across online stores, social media channels and brick-and-mortar stores. The outstanding lineup of features is ideal for omnichannel retailers.
Prefer to utilize a single provider for and payment processing. Payments is included with all month-to-month plans to process online deals as well as in-person payments. You can utilize a third-party service provider, such as Amazon Pay, Authorize.net or Braintree, to process payments. Your rates will likely differ from what Shopify Payments charges if you deal with a third-party processor, nevertheless, and Shopify will charge you an extra deal fee for not utilizing its internal item.
Deciding factors
Clover offers services for e-commerce businesses and in-person stores to let companies select the mix they require. features vary by monthly plan. More expensive regular monthly plans include advanced stock and reporting abilities.