Revel vs. Lightspeed Retail

Looking for Point of Sale software? Here's how Revel and Lightspeed Retail stack up.

Mark Hammersley

Mark Hammersley

Last updated 15o September 2020


Revel

3.6  Stackupp rating


Pricing from

$ 99.00 / month

Free Plan?

No


Best for

small food businesses like restaurants, coffee shops and cafes.

Lightspeed Retail

3.5  Stackupp rating


Pricing from

$ 69.00 / month

Free Plan?

No


Best for

small and medium-sized businesses that are looking for a fully integrated ecommerce solution that includes inventory management and store-building. Restaurateurs should also consider Lightspeed.

Revel or Lightspeed Retail: Which is best?

Can't decide between Revel and Lightspeed Retail?

Find the best platform for you with our side by side comparison of Revel and Lightspeed Retail. See how each platform stacks up across ease of use, features, integrations, support and value for money.

Let the comparison begin. Don't worry, we'll guide you.

Is Revel right for you?

Revel POS is an iPad point-of-sale solution that’s aimed largely at small businesses in the catering space. It’s used by restaurants, coffee shops, food delivery services, and so on. Revel also offers a dedicated retail solution.

Revel was one of the earliest iPad POS platforms and the feature-kit is reasonably robust. Users have access to everything they need, including payment processing, inventory and employee management, analytics, a wide library of integrations, and a number of reasonably-priced and well-designed hardware packages.

The big downside is the cost. Cheaper small business solutions are available and there are a number of “hidden” costs, such as for use of the API and mobile inventory management app.

Advantages

  • Straightforward, relatively intuitive system.
  • Excellent customer support and onboarding options.
  • Some innovative features like the self-service kiosk.

Drawbacks

  • Expensive for a small business solution.
  • Extra costs for features not included in the base plan.
  • Interface can be a little confusing at times.

you’re a small business in the catering space and are looking for a functional, straightforward iPad system that comes with an excellent customer support package, a decent library of integrations, and a reasonably-priced hardware range.

Is Lightspeed Retail right for you?

Lightspeed Retail is a cloud-based, operating-system-agnostic point-of-sale system that’s aimed at small and medium-sized businesses. Lightspeed also offers dedicated solutions for restaurants and golf clubs. This review focuses on the point-of-sale system for brick-and-mortar retail outlets.

Overall, we thought that Lightspeed was a solid piece of software. It combines a well-designed (if occasionally clunky) back-office interface with feature-rich item management, excellent customer support, and in-depth analytics.

On the downside, we were dismayed by the lack of integrations with other inventory management and ecommerce platforms. If you’re looking for a solution that will connect seamlessly with your existing online store or inventory tools, then Lightspeed probably won’t meet your needs.

Advantages

  • Complete package combining POS, ecommerce, and inventory management.
  • Browser-based and platform-agnostic.
  • Advanced analytics and reporting.

Drawbacks

  • No built-in payment processor.
  • Lack of integrations.
  • Advanced analytics is only available on premium plans.

you’re a small or medium-sized business looking for a comprehensive, fully-integrated solution that combines inventory management, order fulfilment, and ecommerce.

Ease of Use

Our first comparison criteria, ease of use. Why? Because it’s the most important.

Think about it. You don’t want to invest a lot of your precious time setting up an online store and tweaking the design only to find out that it’s a pain in the butt to manage day to day.

We take a look at how simple the Revel and Lightspeed Retail platforms are to run.

How easy is Revel to use?

Rated 3.5/5 for Ease of Use

On the whole, we found Revel POS relatively easy to use. It’s not as intuitive as some other options on the market, but it’s by no means difficult.

The backend office, which is accessed via a browser, includes dedicated areas for inventory management, employee permissions, sales and analytics data, customer information, and restaurant menu and table customization.

The iPad app, which acts as the main sales terminal, also follows a typical POS block format, with options to create and hold orders, add discounts, search for saved customer information, and so on.

Notably, Revel also offers the option of a kitchen display system for visualizing the flow of orders.

What Revel customers are saying...

“It's easy to learn and accessible.”
“Nice clean look and fairly easy to find what you're looking for.”
“The cloud-based system allows me to access and make changes remotely which is fantastic.”

How easy is Lightspeed Retail to use?

Rated 3.5/5 for Ease of Use

We found that Lightspeed was very easy to use, despite some user reports that the interface was clunky. It’s not the most intuitive of all the ecommerce solutions we’ve reviewed, but it’s far from complicated.

The iPad app interface follows a typical layout and allows users to create, continue, or cancel sales. In the back-office, a left-hand toolbar provides access to areas for processing sales, managing inventory, running analytics reports, and so on. Adding items is a straightforward process, with options for product variations, discounts, SKUs, etc.

What Lightspeed Retail customers are saying...

"It was relatively easy to set up and I had lots of support!"
"Accessible anywhere. Ecommerce friendly."
"Nice user interface. Good features for a shop that does service work. "
It's a draw!

Revel Features

Rated 3.5/5 for Features

As far as features go, Revel has everything you would expect in a point-of-sale system. The iPad display is intuitive, customizable, and users can take advantage of employee permissions, add-on options during checkout (like discounts and gift cards), and saved customer details. The backend office, which is accessed via a browser, has ample tools for inventory management, customer relationship management, and analytics and tracking. Revel also offers a number of innovative features that you will struggle to find elsewhere. These include self-order kiosks, mobile ordering (for customers that prefer to make orders via their mobile devices in your store or restaurant), and a large library of integrations, although intermediary third-party connectors are relied on quite heavily.

Prospective users should remember, however, that many features aren’t included in the core package. Online ordering, API use, mobile barcode scanning, and multi-location management may all incur extra costs.

What’s more, Revel doesn’t integrate with any third-party payment processors, so you will have to use the in-house solution, Revel Advantage. Pricing is on a custom basis, with discounts for larger enterprises.

Finally, Revel provides an always-on mode (so you don’t need to worry about the WiFi going down), high-level security, and regular data backups. There is no cap on the number of users per terminal.

Lightspeed Retail Features

Rated 3.5/5 for Features

Lightspeed scored reasonably well in the features category. It has more or less everything you would expect from a point-of-sale system for brick-and-mortar retailers, including sales and customer management, sales histories, analytics, and intuitive back-office and front-end dashboards. Lightspeed also offers dedicated solutions for restaurants and golf clubs, each with an array of specialised tools.

There are a handful of downsides and caveats that sellers should be aware of, however. These include few native integrations for most well-known ecommerce platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce etc.; somewhat limited support for different types of hardware; and a lack of availability of Lightspeed’s in-house payment processor in some countries, which means that you’ll have to use a third-party service). It’s possible to get around most of these shortcomings with the use of intermediary apps, but this approach may require extra learning time and costs.

Lightspeed is also platform-agnostic and browser-based, meaning that it runs on either Windows or macOS with Chrome or Safari. The sales app is currently only compatible with iPads, however, so this is something to keep in mind if you need to connect a portable POS to your register.

Finally, it’s worth keeping in mind that, while you can purchase the POS system separately, Lightspeed can also be leveraged as an all-in-one solution that allows retailers to take care of their POS, inventory management, analytics, ecommerce store, and even accounting. If this is something you’re looking for, then you should consider one of the higher-tier plans.

It's a draw!

Revel Integrations

Rated 3.5/5 for Integrations

Revel performed very well on the integrations front. The library of integrations is fairly extensive, especially when compared to other similar solutions on the market. It includes connectors for everything from mobile ordering to additional security services.

Two points are worth mentioning, however. First, Revel often makes use of intermediary tools, rather than direct integrations. So you will have to use third-party providers to sync Revel with some apps in your tech stack. Second, payment processing is only available through Revel Advantage, Revel’s in-house payment solution. No third-party integrations are offered. Pricing for Revel Advantage varies depending on the size of the user’s business, so you should get in touch to check prices before making a decision.

The main highlights of the integrations library include connectors for accounting platforms like QuickBooks and Xero, mobile ordering with big delivery services like UberEats, and numerous loyalty and gift card programs.

Users can also connect up to many major ecommerce platforms through the Kosmos eSync app. A limited online ordering toolkit with a customer portal (mainly for food purchases) is available. Revel doesn’t offer a high-level in-house ecommerce platform, so retailers that want to run their own online store will have to opt for a separate package from a brand like Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and so on.

Lightspeed Retail Integrations

Rated 2.5/5 for Integrations

Lightspeed didn’t score particularly well when it came to integrations. It’s important to keep in mind that Lightspeed is designed as an all-in-one platform capable of taking care of all aspects of a retailer’s online presence, inventory and fulfilment, and POS. Lightspeed even offers accounting tools. This means that there aren’t many native integrations for other platforms. In most cases, however, it is possible to link to other apps via intermediary integrations or third-party services.

Because Lightspeed doesn’t offer a built-in payment processor in all countries, several third-party options are supported. This is one area, however, where we felt that more could have been offered.

No big-name ecommerce platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Magento etc. are supported directly. Tools like Kosmos, nChannel, and DataQlick, however, will allow for syncing with most major solutions, along with many inventory management platforms. Integrations like Sync2Sell also make it possible to connect with some seller marketplaces.

On the accounting front, Lightspeed doesn’t provide native connectors for Quickbooks or Xero. As a workaround, Amaka is supported, which a native integration which retailers can use to link up to most accounting apps. Lightspeed also offers a good selection of business integrations, including MailChimp, Kangaroo Rewards, and LoyalAction.

Finally, Lightspeed offers a handful of connectors for appointment booking, customer service, employee scheduling, payroll, and others.

Revel is our winner for integrations

How much do they cost?

Everyone’s favourite topic - pricing. Let's dive in to see if Revel or Lightspeed Retail offers better value for money.

How much does Revel cost?

Rated 3/5 for Pricing

Revel POS falters a little when it comes to cost. Much of the pricing is on a custom, per-user basis, so you should get in touch for a specific quote for your business. This also applies to Revel’s payment processing service, Revel Advantage.

You should also be aware of the fact that there are some semi-hidden costs for features that aren’t part of the core plan. These features include the API, the mobile inventory management and barcode scanning app, multi-location management, and online ordering functionality.

Pricing starts at $99/month per terminal, with possible discounts available depending on the size of the business and the number of locations. An installation package, which includes tailored onboarding assistance, is available for $649. A variety of hardware options, with varying price-points, are available.

How much does Lightspeed Retail cost?

Rated 3.5/5 for Pricing

Lightspeed is reasonably competitively-priced when compared to other similar POS solutions. There are five packages, along with a tailored enterprise option, available to brick-and-mortar retailers. They begin at $79/month and run up to $259/month. There are discounts available for annual payments, and additional registers cost $29/month.

Plans for restaurants and golf clubs are on a custom basis (you’ll need to contact the company) but start at around $70/month with extra costs for add-ons.

The basic POS package provides access to all sales and payment features and includes a free terminal. The big downside is that advanced analytics are only available on the highest-tier plan.

Lightspeed Retail is our winner for cost

Help and Support

If things go wrong (and they often do) you need to know someone’s there to help get you back on track. So, how does Revel's and Lightspeed Retail's support measure up?

How good is Revel support?

Rated 4.5/5 for Help and Support

The level of support offered by Revel is very good. 24/7 phone and web (email) support is included on all plans. The user documentation is also very detailed.

Companies can take advantage of a comprehensive onboarding package for $649. This includes management console training, hardware installation, and payments set-up. Dedicated long-term account management is also available.

How good is Lightspeed Retail support?

Rated 4.5/5 for Help and Support

Lightspeed offers an excellent support package. If you’re looking for a little extra assistance when setting up your POS, then you’ll struggle to find better alternatives. User reviews are largely positive.

24/7 customer service is provided via email and phone, with lines for the UK, US and Asia. Support is free and included on all plans. Lightspeed provides one-on-one training for new users during onboarding, irrespective of the plan tier. This training consists of an online question-and-answer session, assisted software set-up, and optional follow-up.

Lightspeed also offers one of the most comprehensive resource hubs that we’ve seen. It includes extensive documentation, webinars, training courses, a community forum, and more.

It's a draw!

The Bottom Line

The final say. Let's wrap up our thoughts on each platform.

Revel: Our Verdict

For the right kind of business, Revel POS is a good solution. We feel that it is definitely geared towards companies in the restaurant and catering spaces. If you sell retail merchandise, we suggest trying other solutions before making a final decision. Small restaurants, coffee shops, takeouts, and so on, however, will find a lot to like.

Overall, it’s an intuitive, feature-rich, and reasonably well-priced solution that comes with an excellent support package. Just be careful to check the prices of any additional features and keep in mind that you will have to use Revel’s in-house payment processor. If you are thinking about going with Revel, take advantage of the free demo first.

Lightspeed Retail: Our Verdict

While Lightspeed does have some downsides, we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to the right retailers. You should definitely consider it if you’re looking for an all-in-one solution that will cover POS, inventory management, ecommerce, and advanced analytics.

If you already have an ecommerce store or inventory management solution, the lack of native integrations may prove a little bothersome. Equally, you should keep in mind that Lightspeed’s system is designed to work optimally with iPads, although it will also run on Windows (assuming that you don’t need a mobile POS). There is currently no Android app.

Lightspeed offers a free trial, so if you’re a small or medium-sized business looking for a straightforward solution, then it’s worth giving a go. Don’t forget about the dedicated restaurant and golf club solutions, either.

Overall, we found Revel to be the better Point of Sale platform.

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