Lightspeed Retail vs. Revel Systems

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Lightspeed Retail
Score 6.9 out of 10
N/A
Lightspeed Retail is a retail PoS system from Lightspeed headquartered in Quebec. Core retail POS features are expanded on higher service tiers with ecommerce option and payments gateway, an accounting system, and a customer loyalty program.N/A
Revel Systems
Score 8.3 out of 10
N/A
Revel Systems, from the company of the same name headquartered in San Francisco, is a point of sale (POS) system for restaurants, bars, and related businesses (e.g. bakeries, wineries, etc) which can be extended to provide workforce management, menu and table management, and also a customer loyalty program.
$99
*per month
Pricing
Lightspeed RetailRevel Systems
Editions & Modules
Basic
$79.00 ($69.00)
per month (when billed annually)
Starter
$119.00 ($99.00)
per month (when billed annually)
Standard
$139.00 ($119.00)
per month (when billed annually)
Advanced
$189.00 ($169.00)
per month (when billed annually)
Pro
$259.00 ($229.00)
per month (when billed annually)
Enterprise
Contact Sales
POS software cost
$99
*per month
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Lightspeed RetailRevel Systems
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details*This rate is available to clients billed annually who include a 3-year Revel Advantage contract. Minimum purchase of two terminals required. Implementation Fee: On-boarding is $674.00. Flat rate processing fee.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Lightspeed RetailRevel Systems
Considered Both Products
Lightspeed Retail
Chose Lightspeed Retail
Lightspeed is faster, sleeker and more modern than our previous POS system. I can’t express enough how easy the online store portion of Lightspeed is - it just intuitive and sometimes, is TOO easy, I feel like I have to be forgetting something. Lightspeed is staying modern and …
Chose Lightspeed Retail
When we used Revel Systems Point of Sale systems, we had problems for many months where each device would mysteriously show different pricing for the same product, which is a no-go in a retail environment, this has been several years ago, so unsure if they fixed that, but …
Chose Lightspeed Retail
The challenge with this is that because Lightspeed has such poor reporting with their POS, and the ability to actually see your data, it is nearly impossible to move to another POS without a very expensive integration process. So while I have explored these other options, I …
Chose Lightspeed Retail
Most Pet Care industry software doesn’t offer such a robust POS and inventory control system. We didn’t look at too many softwares but Lightspeed Retail had everything we were looking for and more.
Chose Lightspeed Retail
Vend was terrible for inventory management, as was Square. Neither worked with Shopify. We selected Lightspeed when it was still MerchantOS based on cost and functionality, and haven't left because we haven't had time to research migration costs or alternatives.
Chose Lightspeed Retail
Lightspeed Retail is much much easier to use than Shopify. We replaced Shopify shortly after I started working here because Lightspeed Retail not only was much more user-friendly, but it also integrates with the other systems we use (Skuvault and BigCommerce). They also have …
Chose Lightspeed Retail
We used Microsoft Retail Management System before this and this was in a whole other league of its own with features and ease of use. I really like using Macs also. They are much more reliable and longer lasting than IBM or Similar computers. The cloud based system is great …
Chose Lightspeed Retail
Lightspeed was recommended to us; we didn't try others.
Chose Lightspeed Retail
I searched through a few other POS systems however, lightspeed is the first and only that I have used. Because I can customize attributes for custom art projects they were my only option and for that reason we chose them.
Revel Systems
Chose Revel Systems
Revel Systems has a much more intuitive user interface and reporting suite than Micros, which was our previous POS system. It's also more equipped to handle multiple types of service than something like Square. We ultimately went with Revel because of the inventory tracking …
Chose Revel Systems
I personally was not part of the process when Revel was decided on, but I did have the whole process of setup and clean up of things. Overall, it is a good product, solid, and has so many features that I didn't even get to dive into because it just wasn't applicable to our …
Chose Revel Systems
  • Square - Used Square with our entire menu for over 3 months. Doesn't handle food applications well.
  • Shopkeep - While promising, doesn't offer a delivery management in any way, and online ordering is handled through third-party which is more expensive and more time-consuming to …
Best Alternatives
Lightspeed RetailRevel Systems
Small Businesses
Square POS
Square POS
Score 10.0 out of 10
Square POS
Square POS
Score 10.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Epicor Eagle
Epicor Eagle
Score 7.9 out of 10
Epicor Eagle
Epicor Eagle
Score 7.9 out of 10
Enterprises

No answers on this topic

No answers on this topic

All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Lightspeed RetailRevel Systems
Likelihood to Recommend
7.7
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Usability
10.0
(0 ratings)
7.0
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
9.8
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
7.0
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Lightspeed RetailRevel Systems
Likelihood to Recommend
It is perfect for any small business looking for inventory control, Tracking purchase history, and just an all round easy to use software for retail and beyond. I would not use it if I have only a few hundred items or was a larger company that can afford to build my own POS software.
Read full review
When we first started looking at Revel Systems they were more restaurant friendly but they have adapted very well to our retail needs. This system is very easy to operate and maintain, from the POS to the management console. We are able to monitor and run reports for all three of our locations from one URL.
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Pros
  • Very very user friendly.
  • Easy iPad interface that is easy to upgrade to new hardware if an iPad breaks, etc.
  • On the Advanced plan the reporting is outstanding.
  • Very easy to train new employees, especially younger employees raised on phones and tablets.
  • We use their payments system and it's a very easy integration. I believe Stripe is their payment provider.
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  • Flexibility - the amount of customization that we tailored to our restaurant is unmatched in the iPad market.
  • Online integration - One interface to update all menus.
  • Take Out/Delivery/Sit In - able to modify orders as necessary, simple function yet unbeatable.
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Cons
  • They have not had major updates to their system in years. The inventory system is stagnant. Although their inventory system is robust, it is outdated.
  • They do have 24-hour support, however, wait times are excessive and representatives have challenges understanding your issues.
  • Trying to get issues resolved can take months or never at all. Management is non-existent. Trying to reach a supervisor is impossible.
  • They have a culture of telling you what you want to hear but have no intentions of actually following through.
  • Lightspeed is a great solution if you are a small business just getting started. But if you are intending to grow and expand, Lightspeed will become detrimental to your growth.
  • The reporting/analytics is basic at best. They do offer paid options that are very expensive, but it is very robust. The basic reporting is very minimal.
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  • More flexible use of discounts and coupons
  • More personal dedicated customer service which they went away from and went to general support even though we still pay for elevated customer service access.
  • Updates do not always function properly
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Likelihood to Renew
No answers on this topic
We have put an incredible amount of time into the set up, organization and clean up of this product. Now that it is working and flowing a little better, it would be inconvenient and potentially a bad move if we were to go anywhere else now.
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Usability
Very easy to use and figure out without calling customer support which is also very responsive and helpful.
Read full review
It can be a bit difficult at the beginning but gets easier as long as you are taking advantage of Revel University, Help, and Customer Service when you get stuck
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Support Rating
I gave the rating of a 9 because ninety percent of the time when I talk to their support they're very helpful. One of the only real issues I have is there are times where the queue will be 7-9 people deep. When you have an error you don't know how to fix, sometimes this is very troubling. But overall their support is usually quick and friendly.
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We got excellent support from Revel whenever we needed it. I personally worked with several Revel client support reps, and they were all extremely dedicated and helpful in assisting with any problem we had.
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Implementation Rating
No answers on this topic
Not for this one
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Alternatives Considered
We used Microsoft Retail Management System before this and this was in a whole other league of its own with features and ease of use. I really like using Macs also. They are much more reliable and longer lasting than IBM or Similar computers. The cloud based system is great also so you do not have to have another unit to store you database on
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Revel Systems has a much more intuitive user interface and reporting suite than Micros, which was our previous POS system. It's also more equipped to handle multiple types of service than something like Square. We ultimately went with Revel because of the inventory tracking function. We thought it stacked up better against its competitors.
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Return on Investment
  • I have to spend a lot less time training my employees because Lightspeed is so easy to use!
  • Keeping track of our inventory is as simple as clicking a few buttons.
  • Our online sales have grown tremendously since changing to Lightspeed
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  • Huge ROI, we took time to implement and customize our interface and it now saves us loads of time.
  • We have almost endless data to look back on and help make business decisions
  • It's easy to train, which reduces labor.
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ScreenShots