Lightspeed Restaurant POS

lightspeedhq.com/pos/restaurant
Point of Sale
Few Days

Serve better with one fast, flexible platform

How to Replace Lightspeed Restaurant POS

Overview

Lightspeed Restaurant POS is a cloud-based point-of-sale system designed for restaurants and hospitality businesses to manage operations, accept payments, track inventory, and serve customers faster. The platform enables restaurants to connect and run multiple locations with customizable workflows, real-time insights, and integrated payment processing. It helps restaurants turn tables faster, boost revenue, and grow with data-backed recommendations.

Features

68 features across 25 categories

Accounting(3)

Accounting Integration

Automate bookkeeping and sync sales data to accounting software to reduce errors

Cash Drawer Tracking

Track all cash drawer activity with detailed breakdown of all transactions

Single-View Reconciliation

Simplify accounting with a single view showing all payment and deposit details

Also in: Jobber, Melio, Lemonway

Analytics(3)

Benchmarking

See how your restaurant stacks up against competitors with performance benchmarks

Lightspeed Tasks

See a high-level overview of how your restaurant is performing from anywhere

Optimize Menu

Use data insights to optimize menu offerings and identify top-performing items

Also in: Hugging Face, Notion, Smartsheet

Configuration(2)

Adjustable Floor Plan

Customize section layouts, tables, status views and position numbers to match restaurant layout

Saved Accounts on Devices

Save all employee accounts on devices for continuity even when transferring devices

Core POS(1)

Customizable POS System

Customize menus, screens, floor plans and workflows to match unique restaurant operations

Customer Analytics(1)

Track Customer Behavior

Monitor and analyze customer ordering patterns and preferences

Customer Management(4)

Centralized Gift Cards

Offer gift cards valid across all locations with quick QR code processing

Customer Data Management

View all customer information per location from a single platform to build relationships

Customer Tabs

Create customer tabs listing all their orders to make guests feel at home

Loyalty Programs

Build and manage loyalty programs to reward customers and drive repeat business

Also in: Jobber, QuickBooks, Setmore

Delivery(1)

Delivery Management

Consolidate all delivery orders on one screen and manage third-party delivery integrations

Also in: Litmos, Mux, AWeber

Hardware(3)

Customer Facing Display

Create a better checkout experience by showing guests full order breakdowns

Hardware Provision

Provide all necessary hardware including printers, iPads and cash registers

Order Pickup Screen

Display showing when orders are in progress and ready for pickup

Integration(6)

Partner API Access

Access to partner APIs for integrations and custom development

PMS Integration

Connect hotel property management systems to the POS for seamless hotel restaurant management

Raw API Access

Access raw data from Lightspeed's backend to customize experience and integrate with custom systems

Reservations Integrations

Expand reach with leading reservation tools and features like events and ticketing

Scheduling Integrations

Integrate with scheduling tools to view employee schedules and plan for peak periods

Third-Party Delivery Integration

Sync menu with major third-party delivery apps and manage promotions

Inventory(2)

Advanced Inventory Management

Track, order, receive, prep and understand inventory with detailed management tools

Inventory Management

Track inventory to the ingredient level with automated recurring orders and stock counting

Marketing(1)

Timed Promotions

Set time-based discounted prices for happy hour or special promotions that turn off automatically

Menu Management(1)

Menu Manager

Create and tailor menus with customizable screens, sequences, items, modifiers, combos and photos

Mobility(3)

iPad POS

Cloud-based iPad point of sale with all data, menus and ordering system accessible on the go

Lightspeed Pulse Mobile App

Mobile app to track performance and manage operations across all restaurant locations

Remote Access

Log in remotely to monitor and manage your restaurant establishment from anywhere

Multi-Location(3)

Add Additional Locations

Add new restaurant locations or franchises with just a few clicks in the system

Multi-Location Management

Manage multiple restaurant locations or revenue centers from one unified platform

Multiple Revenue Center Support for Hotels

Create multiple revenue and cost centers for hotel operations with F&B reporting

Operations(1)

Kitchen Display System (KDS)

Connect front-of-house and back-of-house teams with a display that shows all tickets and prep times

Ordering(6)

Contactless Online Ordering

Let customers order and pay online to save time and reduce contact

Online Ordering

Enable customers to place orders online for pickup or delivery with understanding of customer data

Order and Pay at Table

Allow customers to order and pay at their table with QR code ordering functionality

QR Code Ordering

Allow customers to order and pay at the table directly from their phones using QR codes

Tableside Ordering

Mobile service with lightweight handheld POS to take orders at the table and send directly to kitchen

Takeout and Delivery Processing

Process takeout and delivery orders in one system visible on Kitchen Display System

Payments(4)

Flexible Billing

Automatic bill splitting with ability to divide, group and transfer items between seats

Lightspeed Payments

Integrated payment processor accepting all payment types with embedded payment processing

Multi-Payment Methods

Accept Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay and other preferred customer payment methods

Pre-Auth Bar Mode

Open tabs with swipe-to-open pre-authorization and one-click closeouts

Reliability(1)

Offline Mode

System continues to work offline with data stored locally and synced to cloud when connection returns

Reporting & Analytics(7)

Advanced Insights

Unlock real-time insights with every integrated transaction to make data-backed decisions

Employee Reports

View complete employee performance data including hours worked and sales generated

End of Day Reports

View comprehensive end-of-day reports showing overall sales, per-employee sales and more

Location Reporting

Get all data and reports for every location in the system to see entire business overview

Mobile Reporting

View real-time reports and analytics on mobile device to track restaurant performance

Product Reports

View top-selling products, order quantities, stock levels and cost and tax information

User Reports

See every transaction processed by staff and list of receipts per user with tip information

Reservations(1)

Lightspeed Reservations

Capture more guests and manage all reservations seamlessly within the POS

Security(1)

Safe Data Storage

Cloud-based data storage that is always secure and accessible with no hardware dependency

Services(1)

Pro ServicesPremium

Dedicated one-on-one support with strategic planning and ongoing consultation

Staff Management(6)

Employee Permissions

Set granular permissions to control which employees can view stock, sales and other data

Identify Top-Performing Staff

Track and identify staff members with the highest sales and performance metrics

Individual Employee Accounts

Create individual accounts for employees with customized sales tools and work ecosystem

Payroll & Workforce Management

Scheduling, labor forecasting, tip management and employee management in the POS

Staff Clock In/Out

Allow employees to clock in and out of system to calculate work hours automatically

Staff Profiles

Give each staff member customized access to POS with permissions for what they can see

Support(4)

24/7 Support

Round-the-clock phone and chat support from in-house support teams

Customer Community Forum

Community forum to share experiences and get tips from other restaurant operators

Dedicated Account Manager

Dedicated account manager available to answer questions and provide support

Email and Chat Support

Quick support via email or chat for fast answers to questions

Training(2)

Onboarding Session

One-on-one onboarding with agents to help maximize use of the POS system

Webinars

Training webinars on how to use Lightspeed POS and best practices in the industry

Pricing

Starter

$69/mo
  • Customizable POS
  • Menu manager
  • Floor plans
  • Advanced Insights
  • Integrated payments (Default)
  • Take out and delivery
  • Single-view reconciliation
  • Pre-auth bar mode
  • Online ordering
  • Contactless ordering
  • Lightspeed Reservations (Add-on)
  • Reservations integrations (Add-on)
  • Order and pay at table
  • Lightspeed Pulse: Mobile app
  • Lightspeed Tasks (Add-on)
  • Multi-location management
  • Advanced inventory management
  • Multiple revenue center support for hotels
  • Raw API access
  • Kitchen Display System (KDS) - $30/screen per month

Essential

$189/mo
  • Customizable POS
  • Menu manager
  • Floor plans
  • Advanced Insights
  • Integrated payments (Custom)
  • Take out and delivery
  • Single-view reconciliation
  • Pre-auth bar mode
  • Online ordering
  • Contactless ordering
  • Lightspeed Reservations (Add-on)
  • Reservations integrations (Add-on)
  • Order and pay at table
  • Lightspeed Pulse: Mobile app
  • Lightspeed Tasks
  • Multi-location management
  • Advanced inventory management
  • Multiple revenue center support for hotels
  • Raw API access
  • Kitchen Display System (KDS) - $30/screen per month

Premium

$399/mo
  • Customizable POS
  • Menu manager
  • Floor plans
  • Advanced Insights
  • Integrated payments (Custom)
  • Take out and delivery
  • Single-view reconciliation
  • Pre-auth bar mode
  • Online ordering
  • Contactless ordering
  • Lightspeed Reservations (Add-on)
  • Reservations integrations (Add-on)
  • Order and pay at table
  • Lightspeed Pulse: Mobile app
  • Lightspeed Tasks
  • Multi-location management
  • Advanced inventory management
  • Multiple revenue center support for hotels
  • Raw API access
  • Kitchen Display System (KDS) - $30/screen per month

Enterprise

Custom
  • Personalized software and hardware package
  • Unlimited launch and consultation services
  • Dedicated support team and customer success manager

Cost Calculator

Keep Paying Lightspeed Restaurant POS

Monthly$69/mo
Yearly$828/yr
5-Year Total$4.1k

Build It Yourself

Est. Build Time~8 hrs
Hosting$20/mo
DifficultyEasy

Total Cost Comparison

1 YearSave $588
SaaS
$828
DIY
$240
3 YearsSave $1.8k
SaaS
$2.5k
DIY
$720
5 YearsSave $2.9k
SaaS
$4.1k
DIY
$1.2k

DIY hosting estimate based on Vercel + Supabase free/pro tiers (~$20/mo). Build time estimated from 68 features at easy complexity.

Build vs Buy

Should you build a Lightspeed Restaurant POS alternative or buy the subscription? Estimate based on 68 features.

Buy Lightspeed Restaurant POS

Better Value
Monthly cost$690/mo
3-year total$24,840
Time to deployDays

Build Your Own

Development cost$60,000
Maintenance$900/mo
3-year total$92,400
Dev time~5 months

Buying Lightspeed Restaurant POS saves ~$67,560 over 3 years vs building.

Estimates based on 68 features and a BuildScore of 4/5. Actual costs vary.

Integrations

7 known integrations

7shiftsAccounting SoftwareEmployee Management ToolsHotel PMS SoftwareLoyalty ProgramsOpenTableThird-Party Delivery Apps