Lightspeed Retail vs Square for Retail
Side-by-side from the Top 11 ranking of The 11 Best POS Systems for Retail (2026). Last verified June 17, 2026.
The short answer
Lightspeed Retail ranks higher on Top 11 (#2 vs #3) for Retail store owners choosing a point-of-sale system. Unmatched inventory management for retailers with thousands of SKUs or complex product types.
At a glance
| Lightspeed Retail | Square for Retail | |
|---|---|---|
| Top 11 rank | #2 / The 11 Best POS Systems for Retail (2026) | #3 / The 11 Best POS Systems for Retail (2026) |
| Score (out of 9.4) | 9 | 8.8 |
| Best for | Best for complex inventory | Best for small businesses |
| Pricing | $$$ ($69 to $269+/mo) | $ ($0 to $60/mo) |
| HQ | Montreal, Canada | San Francisco, USA |
| Founded | 2005 | 2009 |
Lightspeed Retail
Unmatched inventory management for retailers with thousands of SKUs or complex product types.
www.lightspeedhq.com/pos/retail/Square for Retail
The top choice for new retailers due to its powerful free plan and simple setup.
squareup.com/us/en/point-of-sale/retailMethodology and scoring weights live at /methodology. No vendor pays for placement — see about.