Lightspeed vs Shopify: Which E-commerce Platform Should You Choose in 2026?

Choosing an e-commerce platform is one of the most important decisions for your online business. Both Lightspeed and Shopify are powerful platforms, but they serve different needs. This guide breaks down the key differences to help you make the right choice.

Quick Summary

Choose Lightspeed if:

You have physical retail stores + online shop (omnichannel)
Inventory management across multiple locations is critical
You need tight POS + e-commerce integration
You’re in fashion, sports, or specialty retail

Choose Shopify if:

You’re building a pure online store (no physical retail)
You need extensive app integrations and customization
Fast growth and scalability are priorities
You want a proven ecosystem with thousands of apps

Feature Comparison

1. E-commerce Core Features

Feature	Lightspeed	Shopify
Product Management	Unlimited products, advanced variants	Unlimited products, 100 variants per product
Multi-currency	Yes (with apps)	Yes (native in Shopify Payments countries)
SEO Tools	Basic	Advanced (redirects, customizable URLs, structured data)
Abandoned Cart	Yes (email only)	Yes (email + SMS, automated workflows)
Discount Engine	Basic	Advanced (stackable discounts, automatic discounts)
Content Management	Basic blog	Full CMS with blogging, pages, navigation

Winner: Shopify for pure e-commerce, Lightspeed for retail+online hybrid.

2. Point of Sale (POS) Integration

Lightspeed:

Built-in POS system (Lightspeed Retail)
Real-time inventory sync between online + in-store
Staff management, customer profiles across channels
Designed for omnichannel retail (buy online, pick up in store)

Shopify:

Shopify POS available, but separate subscription
Good for basic retail needs
Less robust for multi-location inventory management

Winner: Lightspeed — best-in-class for brick-and-mortar + online operations.

3. Inventory & Warehouse Management

Lightspeed:

Multi-location inventory tracking (real-time)
Advanced purchase orders and supplier management
Stock transfers between locations
Native support for serial numbers and matrix items (size/color grids)

Shopify:

Multi-location inventory (up to 1,000 locations)
Requires third-party apps for advanced warehouse management
Better integration with external WMS (Picqer, ShipBob, etc.)

Winner: Lightspeed for complex inventory, Shopify for flexibility with external WMS.

4. App Ecosystem & Integrations

Shopify:

8,000+ apps in the Shopify App Store
Best-in-class integrations for marketing, fulfillment, CRM
Easy to connect to virtually any service
Strong API for custom integrations

Lightspeed:

~200 apps (smaller ecosystem)
Focused on retail-specific integrations (POS hardware, accounting, loyalty)
Custom integrations require more development work

Winner: Shopify — unmatched ecosystem and flexibility.

5. Pricing

Shopify Pricing (2026):

Basic: €29/month — good for startups
Shopify: €79/month — growing businesses
Advanced: €289/month — high-volume stores
Plus: €2,000/month — enterprise (custom checkout, automation)
Transaction fees: 0.5-2% (unless using Shopify Payments)

Lightspeed Pricing (2026):

Lean: €59/month — small stores (up to 2,500 products)
Standard: €119/month — growing stores (unlimited products)
Advanced: €269/month — multi-location, advanced reporting
Enterprise: Custom pricing
POS integration: Additional cost for Lightspeed Retail

Winner: Shopify for budget-friendly entry, Lightspeed if you need POS included.

6. Ease of Use

Shopify:

Beginner-friendly interface
Drag-and-drop theme editor
Extensive documentation and community support
Fast setup (can launch in hours)

Lightspeed:

Steeper learning curve (more retail-focused features)
Requires more setup for multi-location inventory
Better suited for teams with e-commerce experience

Winner: Shopify — easier for first-time e-commerce sellers.

7. Performance & Scalability

Shopify:

Industry-leading uptime (99.98%+)
Built to handle Black Friday traffic spikes
CDN-backed, globally distributed
Scales effortlessly from 10 to 10,000+ orders/day

Lightspeed:

Solid performance for most retailers
Best for steady traffic, less optimized for extreme spikes
May require optimization for high-volume flash sales

Winner: Shopify — proven at scale.

8. ERP & Accounting Integrations

Lightspeed:

Native integrations with Exact Online, Multivers
Better for EU-based accounting systems
Good fit for businesses already using Exact

Shopify:

Requires third-party apps for Exact Online, Multivers
Strong integrations for Xero, QuickBooks (US/UK-focused)
More development needed for custom ERP sync

Winner: Lightspeed for EU businesses using Exact; Shopify for global flexibility.

Migration: Switching Between Platforms

Lightspeed → Shopify:

Common migration path for businesses outgrowing Lightspeed’s app ecosystem
Data migration: products, customers, orders (historical data)
Typical timeline: 4-8 weeks
Cost: €2,500-€10,000 depending on complexity

Shopify → Lightspeed:

Less common, usually driven by need for better POS integration
Requires careful inventory sync planning
Timeline: 6-12 weeks
Cost: €5,000-€15,000

Need help with migration? Contact Duxly — we’ve migrated 50+ stores between platforms.

Real-World Use Cases

Case 1: Fashion Retailer with 5 Stores

Problem: Managing inventory across 5 physical locations + online store was a nightmare. Stock was often out of sync.

Solution: Lightspeed eCom + Lightspeed Retail POS

Real-time inventory sync
Buy online, pick up in store
Unified customer profiles

Result: 30% reduction in stockouts, 20% increase in online sales.

Case 2: Direct-to-Consumer Brand (Pure Online)

Problem: Needed fast growth, extensive marketing integrations, and easy scaling.

Solution: Shopify Plus

Launched in 2 weeks
Integrated with Klaviyo, Google Ads, TikTok Shop
Scaled from 100 to 5,000 orders/month in 6 months

Result: 10x revenue growth in first year.

The Verdict

Scenario	Best Choice
Physical retail + online	Lightspeed
Pure e-commerce (no stores)	Shopify
Multi-location inventory	Lightspeed
Rapid growth & scaling	Shopify
Extensive app needs	Shopify
Tight ERP integration (Exact)	Lightspeed
Enterprise-level customization	Shopify Plus

Still Unsure?

Choosing the right platform depends on your specific business model, growth plans, and technical requirements. Duxly helps businesses make data-driven platform decisions — not based on hype, but on what actually works for your operations.

We can help with:

Platform selection consulting
Data migration between platforms
Custom integrations (ERP, WMS, marketplaces)
Post-migration optimization

Schedule a free consultation — we’ll analyze your needs and recommend the best path forward.

Last updated: February 2026 | Reading time: 8 minutes

Have questions about Lightspeed or Shopify? Get in touch — our team has worked with both platforms for 8+ years.

Lightspeed vs Shopify: Which E-commerce Platform Should You Choose in 2026?