Lightspeed Restaurant vs Shift4 Payments
Lightspeed Restaurant
lightspeedhq.comShift4 Payments
shift4.comSide by side
| Figure | Lightspeed Restaurant | Shift4 Payments |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $69/mo | — |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 4 | 0 |
| Spec score · Restaurant Payment Processing Software | 8.3 (#6) | 7.1 (#20) |
| Integrations | The product connects with hotel PMS software, employee-management tools, loyalty programs and partners such as 7shifts and OpenTable. | Shift4’s 2026 annual report says its Marketplace connects merchants with third-party applications for functions including ordering, payroll, timekeeping, loyalty, and inventory management. |
| Security | Lightspeed states that cloud POS communications use end-to-end encryption and that data access is heavily restricted and protected via cloud partners. | Shift4-hosted checkout and payment components capture card data without bringing card numbers into the merchant’s systems; the documentation lists SAQ A as the typical PCI questionnaire for both. |
| Support | Lightspeed offers 24/7 phone and chat support, one-on-one onboarding and a dedicated account manager. | Shift4’s API documentation directs customers to its API support team at [email protected]. |
Plans
Lightspeed Restaurant
- Starter$69 a month
- Essential$189 a month
- Premium$399 a month
- EnterprisePriced on request
In their own words
Lightspeed Restaurant
Lightspeed Restaurant is restaurant management software built around a point-of-sale and payments platform. It supports customizable menus, screens and floor plans, with online, tableside and QR-code ordering. Restaurants, hotels and multi-location operators can use the system for operations including inventory, reservations, tables, staff scheduling and sales reporting. The cloud-based POS can keep working offline, saving entered data locally and uploading it when connectivity returns; master-data maintenance and eCloud evaluations still require internet access. Its front end requires the Lightspeed Restaurant iPad app, while the back end can be managed on desktop and iPad. Lightspeed also says the POS can run in a browser on Mac, PC, Apple or Android devices. The Restaurant Integration Hub includes hundreds of third-party integrations, and accounting sync can send sales data to QuickBooks, Xero, Sage and other software. Plans start at $69/mo. Restaurant has no free plan or free trial listed; a demo option is presented instead.
Shift4 Payments
Shift4 Payments has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.