Heartland Retail vs. Vend

While the Heartland Retail user interface isn’t the most intuitive we’ve come across, it isn’t difficult-to-use by any means. The main POS dashboard is accessed via an iPad or Android app or via a browser (if you want to use a desktop computer to run your POS).

Both the tablet and desktop interfaces follow a fairly typical design. A top-of-the-screen menu links to dedicated areas for processing sales and payments, reporting, inventory management, customer relationship management, employee permissions, and so on.

Keep in mind that Heartland is best-suited to an iPad or Android tablet set-up. Alternatively, you can run the software using a computer browser. At the time of writing, we are not aware of an offline mode.

"It's mobile and in the cloud so we have access anywhere and anytime."

"Reports are entirely customizable and there are several metrics to choose from."

"It's easy for my seasonal employees to use, but not remarkably more or less than any other POS."

Vend scored very well for ease-of-use on all devices, including desktops, iPads, and mobiles. The central dashboard, which links to dedicated areas for reporting, sales, product management, and saved customer details, is minimal and intuitive. Vend integrates with multiple hardware and checkout providers and also provides a customer-facing interface (such as for entering email addresses).

“I love Vend. It’s one of the easiest platforms to use, and I have used a lot.”

“Absolutely love the ease of use of Vend.”

“Great easy to use systems on the front-end.”

Heartland doesn’t disappoint when it comes to features. It definitely ranks as one of the most feature-rich platforms we’ve reviewed, especially on the analytics and reporting front. It is recommended that Heartland be used with an iPad, but it’s also possible to run the software on an Android tablet (depending on the software version) or through a browser on a desktop computer.

Retailers will have access to an array of tools for managing inventory, organizing vendors and retail buyers, running advanced reports, storing customer details, setting employee permissions, and more.

In regards to the POS system itself, features include email receipts, gift cards and loyalty program discounts, a customer-facing display, and a mobile app.

Finally, enterprise users have access to price lists and customizable products, purchase order allocation, user interface training, training accounts, and the API.

As a slight negative, it’s also worth pointing out that advanced analytics are not available on the lowest-priced “Plus” plan, although limited reporting functionality is included.

Vend has an excellent set of features and, most store-owners and managers will find everything they need. Vend provides integrations with various payment processors, a simple, easy-to-use dashboard and sales interface, secure cloud back-ups, an outstanding customer service package, support for promotions, gift cards, and product variations, and in-depth analytics.

As a cloud-based solution, Vend will run on Windows, Android, iOS, and macOS. Vend also integrates with a wide variety of hardware suppliers. A dedicated app means that mobile devices and iPads can be used to create ePOS (electronic point of sale) stations in conjunction with a main register.

Centralized management of multiple retail outlets and advanced analytics are available on the “Pro” and “Enterprise” plans. Users on the “Lite” plan have access to a limited set of analytics tools.

It’s worth pointing out that while Vend brands itself as an “inventory management” app, its functionality in this area is only really suitable for brick-and-mortar stores. If you need to manage inventory and fulfillment for your ecommerce store, you should look for a dedicated inventory management solution. Vend is perfectly suitable, however, for managing in-store inventory. What’s more, it will integrate with many of your other retail channels, allowing for the seamless flow of data between platforms.

When it comes to integrations, Heartland doesn’t perform as well as some other solutions we reviewed. The integrations library isn’t terrible, but there could be a lot more on offer. What’s more, use of some integrations incurs extra costs.
We would like to point out, however, that if you are happy with the broader feature-set of the POS solution and the integrations library does meet your needs, then the limited number of options to sync with third-party apps is unlikely to be an issue. Judging from user reviews, Heartland also seems very responsive to requests for new integrations.

On the ecommerce front, BigCommerce, Shopify, Magento, and WooCommerce are all supported. Sales integrations include Salesforce, Mailchimp, and Annex Cloud. The main accounting integrations are Quickbooks and Oracle Netsuite. Unfortunately, a connector for Xero isn’t provided.

Another downside with the integrations library is that Heartland isn’t compatible with any “intermediary apps” like Zapier or Kosmos which would provide access to a large range of third-party tools.

Vend offers a good - but not mind-blowing - selection of integrations. Some users have complained that the integrations or “add-on” library could be more extensive. That said, small and medium retailers will likely find everything they need. Just be sure to check that any integrations you absolutely require are included before you subscribe to a paid plan. It was also a little unfortunate that Vend hasn’t built a connector for Zapier, which would have overcome many of the shortcomings of the current library (although a similar app, Workato, is supported).

So what does Vend offer? On the accounting front, users can link up to QuickBooks (online version), Xero, MYOB, and Accounts Portal.

Supported ecommerce platforms include BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Shopify, Ecwid, Pointy, Near St, and Magento (through Vortex HQ). You can also connect Vend with some ecommerce platforms using ShopIQ as an intermediary (if you have an account and want to take advantage of its omnichannel analytics tools). As Vend doesn’t offer direct integrations with third-party marketplaces (like Etsy, eBay, and Amazon), data must be processed by your ecommerce platform or your inventory management solution before syncing. Inventory management integrations include Unleashed, Ecomdash, and Orderhive.

Finally, Vend offers a handful of marketing, scheduling, and deep analytics (including Vonto and 9Spokes) integrations. For enterprises, NetSuite is supported. Link-ups with other leading ERPs are currently in development.

A short introduction to pricing ~100 words Heartland offers three plans. The “Plus” plan is $80/month per register, the “Professional” plan is $160/month per register, and the “”Enterprise” plan is priced on a custom basis. Heartland stipulates that it integrates with a variety of payment processors but doesn’t publish payment fees on its website, so it’s likely that you will be able to use your preferred payment processor but may have to pay additional fees.

While Heartland isn’t as inexpensive as some other solutions we’ve reviewed, it’s important to keep in mind that users are getting access to a pretty extensive feature-set.

We were also pleased to see that most functionality is available on the entry-level plan, with the exception of API access. If you opt for Heartland, you won’t be compelled to move onto a higher plan because certain essential features are lacking.

Vend has a reasonably competitive pricing model. Smaller retailers with a low number of registers will find the pricing reasonable. For larger brands, however, with multiple locations and sales-points, expenses can quickly add up. It costs an extra $59/month to add cash registers. That said, the “Enterprise” plan, which is offered on a custom pricing model, is worth exploring.

There are three plans - Lite, Pro, and Enterprise. The Lite plan is suitable for stores with up to $20,000 in turnover a month. Pro and Enterprise allow for unlimited turnover.

Notably, Vend doesn’t charge any fees on top of those required by payment processing providers.

Heartland offers a solid support package with email and live-chat services available on the basic plan from 8 AM to 9 PM EST. The mid-tier plan also includes phone support, and the enterprise plan has an “Elite” customer service package with a faster response time guaranteed.

Onboarding packages are included on all plans with the option to upgrade for more one-on-one time.

Vend really shines when it comes to customer support. The Vend customer service team, which has won multiple awards and has offices around the world, is available via email or in-app live-chat. Phone support is also offered on all plans.

Dedicated onboarding assistance and a personal account manager are both included on the “Enterprise” plan. Users can also pay extra for one-on-one training, with several service packages available). There’s also the option to search for a local Vend specialist to help with hardware installation and account setup.

Finally, Vend offers a wide selection of training materials, including webinars, courses, and in-depth documentation.

Heartland Retail is one of those rare beasts - a point-of-sale solution that is genuinely suitable for retailers of all sizes, from mom-and-pop stores to enterprise chains.

It has an excellent set of features, one of the best analytics dashboards we’ve seen, and is reasonably priced. While there are cheaper alternatives available, it’s unlikely that you’ll have access to the same number of features.

The support package is also excellent, with onboarding and data-migration options for new users.

The one big downside is the limited integrations library, so be sure to check that you have access to all the connectors you require before subscribing.

Overall, we were very impressed with Vend. As a POS system, it’s reasonably priced, has a good selection of features, and is very intuitive and easy to use.

It’s best for small and medium brick-and-mortar retailers. So if you fit into this category, it’s well worth taking advantage of the free trial. It’s also a good option for sellers that have an online presence and want a POS that will sync with their ecommerce stores and inventory management apps.

There are a small handful of downsides, including a somewhat limited integrations library, the absence of a native payment processor (although most popular third-party options are supported), and limited enterprise features, such employee permissions. Most retailers won’t find these drawbacks to be an issue, but they should be considered when evaluating the software.