Best eCommerce-Friendly POS Systems For Online Sellers

Get Started With Lightspeed Retail

Total Rating	4.2
Pricing3.6
Ease Of Use4.9
Features4.3
Customer Service4.8
User Reviews4.0

Pricing Range

$109 - $339/month ($89 - $289/month billed annually)

Contract Length

Monthly, annual, and custom

Equipment Cost

$199 - $329

Pros

Advanced inventory
Built-in eCommerce
Strong loyalty program

Cons

Software can be pricy
No proprietary hardware

Why We Chose Lightspeed Best For Selling On Social Media

Lightspeed Retail with Lightspeed eCommerce provides a powerful cloud-based POS and integrated online store. The system can be run on an iPad or desktop computer, depending on your store setup and preference.

Best of all, Lightspeed's advanced eCommerce system is entirely in-house, which means you won't have to integrate outside eCommerce software. Read our full review of Lightspeed Retail for more information about this multichannel retail POS system. Or, if you'd like to see it for yourself, sign up for a free 14-day trial. Lightspeed Retail is best suited for small to medium businesses, including multilocation businesses.

Pricing

Lightspeed Retail Plans	Price	When To Use
Basic Plan	$109/month ($89/month billed annually)	For single/multi-location retail business looking for strong inventory management and a customizable POS interface
Core Plan	$179/month ($149/month billed annually)	For single/multi-location retail businesses looking for eCommerce and accounting features
Plus Plan	$339/month ($289/month billed annually)	For single/multi-location retail businesses looking for a strong loyalty program and advanced business reporting

Lightspeed Retail has plans starting at $109 – $339/month ($89 – $289/month billed annually) when billed annually and has higher-tiered plans as well, including enterprise packages for large businesses.

Features

Lightspeed Retail Features	Availability
Multi-Store Support
Contactless Payments
Multi-Channel Selling	Core plan and up
Gift Cards
Customer Loyalty	Core plan and up
Marketing Tools	Core plan and up
Online Ordering
Inventory Management
Reporting
Menu Management
Delivery Management
EBT Acceptance
Employee Management
Text Messaging

Some great things about Lightspeed’s eCommerce platform include:

Mobile-optimization: Lightspeed is well-designed to be used on mobile devices and to give customers an easy and convenient shopping experience.
Integrated shipping: You don’t have to outsource your shipping needs to a third party. Lightspeed has shipping tools built into its system to help you.
Built-in SEO tools: Even if you’re a newbie when it comes to optimizing your website for search pages, Lightspeed can help you out with tools to make sure your customers can find you.
Web store analytics: Lightspeed comes with reporting tools that can help you analyze what items are selling well on your website and which ones are the most cost-effective.
Easy customer returns: If, for any reason, your customer needs to return an item, Lightspeed makes it easy, allowing them to browse your site to reach the appropriate link or contact person.
Use customizable templates or HTML and CSS template editor: Lightspeed is highly customizable and comes with tools to help you brand your business through your website.

Hardware Options

Lightspeed has iPad kits for purchase on its website and also sells items a la carte, giving you access to things like, printers, scanners, and scales.

Payment Processing

Lightspeed Retail comes with free updates, basic reporting, and 24/7 support, plus loads of integrations and flexible card processing options — as well as an in-house payments option with flat-rate processing at 2.6% + $0.10 for in-store sales (or another 2.9% + $0.30 for online sales).

What To Watch Out For

Lightspeed allows you to use its services month-to-month, although it does charge a higher monthly fee than if you’re billed annually, and it also doesn’t lock you into a single payment processor.

Choose If...

You want simple, flat-rate pricing
You want a strong, in-house eCommerce platform
You want a deep features set and POS software

Square POS: Best Free POS System

Square POS

Get Started With Square POS

Total Rating	4.9
Pricing4.9
Ease Of Use5.0
Features4.8
Customer Service4.7
User Reviews4.8

Pricing Range

$0 - $149/month

Contract Length

None

Equipment Cost

$0 - $799

Get a free card swiper from Square at no cost when you create a free account. Claim your card reader.

Pros

Free entry point
Easy interface
Delivery options

Cons

Occasional fund holds
Fees add up for high volume sellers

Why We Chose Square As Best For Small Budgets

Square is one of the most popular POS systems on the market for small businesses. Square POS is typically used with an iPad setup, though you can also use it with another device of your choice, including a smartphone for on-the-go sales.

Square even sets up its POS system users with a free eCommerce website integration powered by Weebly. For many small, low-volume businesses, a free Square Online Store will be sufficient. For businesses with more advanced eCommerce needs, Square also offers paid plans with additional features, as well as integrations with numerous other eCommerce solutions.

Pricing

Square POS Plans	Price	When To Use
Square Free	$0/month	If you have basic POS and processing needs
Square Plus	$49/month per location	If you want more advanced industry-specific features
Square Premium	$149/month per location	If you want more advanced reporting and features, as well as reduced processing rates

Square has a free online store with basic features, and it also has paid plans that offer lower processing rates.

Features

Square POS Features	Availability
Multi-Store Support
Contactless Payments
Multi-Channel Selling
Gift Cards	Add-on
Customer Loyalty	On paid plans
Marketing Tools
Online Ordering
Inventory Management
Reporting
Menu Management
Delivery Management	Add on
EBT Acceptance
Employee Management
Text Messaging

Here are some of the features included in Square’s free online store:

Automatic inventory, orders, and items sync with Square POS: If you are already using Square software, using its online store is practically a no-brainer as it has a free entry point and syncs your inventory automatically.
Connect your website with Instagram and Pinterest to create shoppable posts: Square integrates with popular social media platforms to make selling through those popular sites simple and opening up your store to a broader audience.
Showcases featured products and upcoming events: Square has some unique features like the ability to bump products to the front of searches and inform customers of events or sales that you want to highlight.
Accept appointments and charitable donations: Square is a particularly good POS for non-profit organizations as it has tools specifically for these types of establishments that can help with taxes and other niche services.
Responsively designed website templates look great on any device: Square’s simple and sleek design is very easy to navigate, and its templates are not overly complicated and simple to set up.
Accept Square gift cards: It’s easy to accept Square gift cards and set up Square loyalty through its online store to give customers an incentive to come back.

If you’re looking to integrate your existing eCommerce website with Square instead of using its in-house website builder, there’s a good chance Square already integrates with your eCommerce platform.

Hardware Options

Square has its own proprietary hardware, including Square Reader for contactless and chip payments. It also has its mobile payment device, Square Terminal, and its all-in-one POS system, Square Register. You can purchase individual items on its website as well and equipment costs range from $0 – $799.

Payment Processing

Square’s basic processing fees for online payments are 2.9% – 3.3% + $0.30 per transaction.

What To Watch Out For

With Square, there are no long-term contracts, and you can always purchase or use your free software month-to-month.

Choose If...

You want a highly scalable system with a free entry point
You want to start an online store for no cost
You want simple, flat-rate processing

Revel POS: Best For Large Inventories

Revel POS

Get Started With Revel POS

Total Rating	4.0
Pricing3.8
Ease Of Use4.0
Features4.3
Customer Service4.2
User Reviews3.8

Pricing Range

Quote-based

Online Ordering

Yes

Equipment Cost

Call for quote

Pros

Robust reporting
Strong customer management
Loyalty program

Cons

Three-year contract for cheapest rate
Back end not overly intuitive

Why We Chose Revel As Best POS For Large Inventories

Revel is a powerhouse of a POS system with one of the deepest feature sets on the market. It's a great option for mid-sized to larger retailers or restaurants as its features and back end can be a little overwhelming, but if you're looking for a system with everything and the cost isn't a major factor, Revel should definitely be under consideration.

Pricing

Revel POS Plans	Price	When To Use
Revel plan	Quote-based: three-year commitment for cheapest plan	Use if you are committed to the product and have a need for high-end features.

Revel’s pricing is entirely quote-based. However, to get the best pricing, you need to sign up for a three-year contract with its payment processing system Revel Advantage.

Features

Revel POS Features	Availability
Multi-Store Support
Contactless Payments
Multi-Channel Selling
Gift Cards
Customer Loyalty
Marketing Tools
Online Ordering
Inventory Management
Reporting
Menu Management
Delivery Management
EBT Acceptance
Employee Management
Text Messaging

For eCommerce, Revel has its Revel Online Ordering system, which makes things easier both for the business and for customers and includes:

Customizable interface: Revel gives you the ability to change what your customer sees and increase branding opportunities. It also allows you to showcase products you’re wanting to push.
Customer relationship management: Revel is excellent at syncing your customer’s experience, allowing you to tailor marketing campaigns and store buying history information.
Loyalty and gift cards: Along with customer management, Revel has a strong loyalty system, allowing buyers to rack up points and earn incentives to shop at your business again.
Built-in search capabilities: Revel makes it easy for your customers to find what they’re looking for with its intuitive search tools offered through its eCommerce platform.
Deep reporting features: Revel is known for its reporting and analytics, offering dozens of reports to help you dive deep into the ins and out of how your online store is functioning.

Revel also integrates with Kosmos eSync, which helps transfer inventory, loyalty, and customer information from your POS to your online store. Revel has one of the best POS and eCommerce lists of integrations, as it also partners with big names, such as Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce, giving you plenty of options. If you’re in the winery business, Revel partners with Vines OS, which caters specifically to that industry.

Hardware Options

Revel does not offer its own proprietary hardware, but you can purchase everything from iPads to printers to cash drawers through its website.

Payment Processing

While it can be a little tricky to find on its website, Revel has its own processing service that you must sign up for with a three-year contract in order to receive its lowest pricing. Its standard processing rate is 2.49% + $0.15 per transaction.

What To Watch Out For

Like a few other POS systems, Revel will have you sign up for its own payment processor, Revel Advantage for a three-year contract in order to lock in its lowest monthly service rate, which isn’t ideal. You’ll want to make sure you’re happy with both the software and the rates before signing up.

Choose If...

You have a larger or multi-location business
You have a large number of SKUs or complex inventory needs
You are willing to sign up for a longer contract

Shopify POS: Best For Fully Integrated eCommerce

Shopify POS

Get Started With Shopify POS

Total Rating	4.4
Pricing4.1
Ease Of Use4.8
Features4.3
Customer Service4.8
User Reviews4.4

Pricing Range

$29 - $399+/month

Contract Length

Month-to-month

Equipment Cost

$0 - $459+

Pros

Multiple payment gateways
Modern interface
Multiple integrations

Cons

Poor offline mode
Hardware costs are pricy

Why We Chose Shopify As Best POS For Integrated eCommerce

Shopify has evolved from mere shopping cart software to a full-fledged retail POS system.

Today's Shopify includes both eCommerce and brick-and-mortar sale functionality, allowing even the smallest retailers to sell with ease, both online and off. Shopify has affordable monthly packages to suit merchants who sell strictly over the internet or exclusively in-store, but it is the best fit for retailers who do both.

Pricing

Shopify POS Plans	Price	When To Use
Basic	$39/month ($29/month billed annually)	If you have a growing eCommerce business with occasional in-person sales
Grow	$105/month ($79/month billed annually)	If you want additional reporting and reduced payment processing fees
Advanced	$399/month ($299/month billed annually)	If you want advanced reporting and additional discounts on processing fees
Plus	$2,300+/month	If your high-volume or large business needs an enterprise-level solution

Shopify has multiple pricing tiers that range from$29 – $399+/month if billed annually. There are higher and more advanced tiers depending on the size of your business.

Features

Shopify POS Features	Availability
Multi-Store Support	Supports multiple inventory locations
Contactless Payments
Multi-Channel Selling
Gift Cards
Customer Loyalty
Marketing Tools
Online Ordering
Inventory Management
Reporting
Menu Management
Delivery Management
EBT Acceptance
Employee Management
Text Messaging

Now that you know the basics, here are a few more important things to know about Shopify’s in-house eCommerce solution:

Social Media “Buy” buttons: Shopify integrates with major social media platforms, allowing you to get your business seen and for your customers to purchase directly through the sites they visit most.
Choose from online store themes and/or edit HTML and CSS: Shopify’s eCommerce platform is highly customizable and also allows you to tinker and create your own designs.
Abandoned cart recovery: If a customer leaves items in their online cart, that information is saved so that they can easily find what they were looking for on another visit.
Print shipping labels: Shopify has all of your shipping needs taken care of as well, allowing you to print your own labels to send out products.
Mobile reporting app: You can check on how your business is doing from anywhere with an internet connection.
Multichannel gift cards: Shopify has a very strong loyalty and gift card program to help keep your customers coming back.

If you need an online retail POS for your large business or franchise, try Shopify Plus for an enterprise-level multichannel POS.

Hardware Options

Shopify has some unique hardware options to help make selling easier. It offers its own retail kit and its mobile POS device. It also has its tap and chip card reader. You can also purchase a la carte options on its website. Equipment costs range from $0 – $459+.

Payment Processing

Shopify, which operates via an iPad, iPhone, or Android app, includes integrated payment processing with Shopify Payments; in-person rates range from 2.4% – 2.7% depending on which monthly plan you purchase; online transaction rates range from 2.4% – 2.9% + $0.30.

What To Watch Out For

You can sign up for Shopify’s services on a month-to-month basis, but you do receive a discount if you sign up annually.

Choose If...

You want a highly intuitive and simple eCommerce platform
You want a low-cost POS system included
You want a broad range of eCommerce features and customization options

Retail POS Review Methodology

Merchant Maverick has been researching and reviewing POS providers since 2012. Our writers have tested over 100 different point of sale systems, evaluating pricing, features, ease of use, customer service, and user reviewers. Read more about how we rate POS providers.

Weighted Rating Breakdown

Pricing 35%

Features 30%

Ease Of Use 20%

Customer Service 10%

User Reviews 5%

When comparing different POS software systems, we consider many data points, including relative pricing, the depth of niche features offered, the price of hardware, and any associated payment processing fees. Our lists of the best providers include only apps we’ve deemed worthwhile from multiple vantage points. The POS vendors we pick share qualities such as widespread availability, accessibility, user-friendliness, and reasonable pricing. We also look carefully at niche features, such as check-splitting, inventory management, eCommerce, loyalty programs, gift cards, and more.

We spend an average of 10-15 hours researching and updating each one of our lists, making sure the providers included meet our internal standards for quality and reputation.

80+

Vendors evaluated

65+

Attributes assessed per vendor

20+

Features weighed

30+

Combined years of experience

How To Integrate eCommerce With Your POS

If you’re looking for how to integrate your POS with a website for online selling, it could be in your best interest to sync up your point of sale system with an eCommerce platform. This can be an easier process than you might think, and many of these companies integrate with each other. We’ll briefly give you a few pointers on how to combine these two platforms.

You Have A POS, But Not A Website

If you already have a modern point of sale system, you very likely already have the ability to set up a website for your company either through your POS’s platform itself or third-party integrations, such as Shopify or Wix. The first thing you’ll need to do is see which of these is available.

If your POS has its own eCommerce platform, you may simply need to activate that service. Sometimes access to retail POS integrations is an add-on or only available with a higher tier, so you may need to contact your provider.

From there, the eCommerce software is generally quite user-friendly, but there are a few steps and things to keep in mind to help ensure your success.

Choose Your Theme: You can create your own theme, but many platforms come with pre-loaded themes for your convenience. You will want to make sure you choose one that matches your business’s aesthetic.
Sync Your Payment Gateway: If you have a POS system, you should already have a payment gateway and processor. You will just need to make sure that it syncs up for online selling as well. Keep in mind that online purchases come with higher processing fees than card-present transactions.
Import Inventory & Customer Data: This may seem like a huge chore, but a POS system that integrates directly with a website should allow you to import your inventory through a simple process. The same goes for any customer data you want to transfer to your online site, such as loyalty points.
Set Up Shipping: You’ll have to figure out what kind of shipping rates you’ll be implementing and what provider you’ll use to get your products to customers; your software can assist with the set-up.

You Have A Website, But Not A POS

If you are already operating online but are venturing into the brick-and-mortar world, integrating your software is similarly easy. You’ll want to make sure that whatever POS service you purchase is compatible with your eCommerce platform; this can actually be a helpful way to narrow down your options from a huge number of products.

Once you’re up and running, the process is similar as shown above in terms of syncing your website to your POS and importing your inventory and other data. But here are a few other things you’ll want to assess when setting up a POS system.

Make Sure Your POS Integrates With Your Current Processor: If you’re selling online, you’ll also need to make sure that your payment processor works with your POS, as many now have their own processing service that you are locked into using. It’s always possible to switch to a new processor, but that may be an additional step you want to avoid.
Check For Add-Ons & Integrations: A good point of sale system should come with a number of features that can help you, such as advanced inventory tracking and reports. It may also integrate with companies that offer niche products that could help you as well or even a full app store with software to choose from.

You Have Neither A Website Nor A POS

If your business is brand new or a very small venture that is looking to expand, you can knock off multiple items on your checklist in one swoop. You’ll want to do a fair bit of research on eCommerce platforms and POS systems, but you will have plenty of options to choose from that integrate one with the other seamlessly, and you can directly import your inventory. If you plan to do a high percentage of your selling online, having a point of sale system with a strong eCommerce platform or partners with one affordably will be crucial.

The Bottom Line: Your POS Is The Bridge Between Physical & Online Stores

Having two separate platforms for brick-and-mortar and online sales is redundant and completely unnecessary these days. But before you plunge in and buy the first eCommerce-compatible POS system you come across, it’s important to evaluate your options and make sure you choose a reliable, well-regarded system that can meet all of your needs.

At Merchant Maverick, we love scaleable, cloud-based solutions that work for online retailers, small and large — bonus points if they are affordable and easy to use. The above POS systems meet all of those criteria and then some. These systems are each a little different, though, so we recommend testing them out before settling on a POS. Take advantage of their free trials before you make a long-term commitment.

Also, take a look at some other iPad POS software if you want to see what else is out there — just make sure the system offers some kind of eCommerce capabilities before falling in love.