# Lightspeed Retail vs Toast Comparison
---
## AI Generated Summary
- **G2 reviewers report** that Lightspeed Retail excels in **inventory management** , with features like a universal inventory repository that supports both retail and eCommerce sales. Users appreciate the advanced capabilities for managing seasonal inventory and custom menus, which enhance operational efficiency.
- **Users say** that Toast shines in **employee management** , particularly for handling clock-ins and payroll. Reviewers highlight its effectiveness in providing detailed reports on menu item performance, which helps streamline operations and improve decision-making.
- **According to verified reviews** , Toast offers a more **user-friendly experience** with a higher ease of use rating. Users find it intuitive for new staff, noting features like table-side payment options that enhance customer service and operational flow.
- **Reviewers mention** that while Lightspeed Retail has strong customer support, Toast's overall support quality is slightly lower. However, Lightspeed's support is described as "top tier," which can significantly aid users in maximizing the software's potential.
- **G2 reviewers highlight** that Toast's offline mode is a standout feature, allowing operations to continue seamlessly even during network outages. This reliability is crucial for businesses that cannot afford downtime, making it a strong choice for restaurant environments.
- **Users report** that Lightspeed Retail is particularly well-suited for **small businesses** , with a significant portion of its user base coming from this segment. This focus allows it to cater specifically to the needs of smaller retailers, while Toast also serves small businesses but has a broader appeal in the restaurant industry.



| | Lightspeed Retail | Toast | 
|---|---|---|
| **Star Rating** | 4.0 out of 5 | 4.2 out of 5 | 
| **Total Reviews** | 294 | 368 | 
| **Largest Market Segment** | Small-Business (82.9% of reviews) | Small-Business (66.2% of reviews) | 
| **Entry Level Price** | Starting at $69.00 | Starting at $0.00 Per Month | 

---
## Top Pros & Cons

### Lightspeed Retail

Pros:
- Customer Support (2 reviews)
- Efficiency (2 reviews)

Cons:
- High Fees (3 reviews)
- Poor Customer Support (3 reviews)

### Toast

Pros:
- Ease of Use (87 reviews)
- Intuitive (33 reviews)

Cons:
- Poor Customer Support (24 reviews)
- Expensive (19 reviews)

---
## Ratings Comparison
| Rating | Lightspeed Retail | Toast | 
|---|---|---|
  | **Meets Requirements** | 8.2 (236 reviews) | 8.5 (271 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Use** | 8.4 (236 reviews) | 8.8 (271 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Setup** | 8.1 (138 reviews) | 8.2 (183 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Admin** | 8.4 (136 reviews) | 8.5 (161 reviews) | 
  | **Quality of Support** | 7.9 (231 reviews) | 7.8 (261 reviews) | 
  | **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?** | 7.9 (137 reviews) | 8.3 (162 reviews) | 
  | **Product Direction (% positive)** | 7.5 (229 reviews) | 8.3 (261 reviews) | 

---
## Pricing

### Lightspeed Retail

#### Entry-Level Pricing

Plan: Lean

Price: Starting at $69.00

Description: For your essential business needs.

Key Features:
- Retail POS
- 1 Register
- Integrated Payments

[Browse all 4 editions](https://www.g2.com/products/lightspeed-retail/pricing)

#### Free Trial

Yes

### Toast

#### Entry-Level Pricing

Plan: Starter Kit

Price: Starting at $0.00 Per Month

Description: Ideal for small restaurants who need one or two terminals to get up and running.

Key Features:
- Cloud-based point of sale
- Hardware configuration including one terminal
- Real-Time Sales & Menu Reporting

[Browse all 3 editions](https://www.g2.com/products/toast/pricing)

#### Free Trial

No

---
## Features Comparison By Category

### Core HR

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Lightspeed Retail** | N/A | N/A |
| **Toast** | 8.4/10 | 54 |

#### Core HR

| Feature | Lightspeed Retail | Toast | 
|---|---|---|
| **Organization Management** | Not enough data | 8.2 (14 reviews) | 
| **Time, Attendance, and PTO** | Not enough data | 8.9 (14 reviews) | 
| **Expense Management** | Not enough data | 8.3 (7 reviews) | 
| **Salary Structures** | Not enough data | 8.0 (11 reviews) | 
| **Compliance** | Not enough data | 9.0 (13 reviews) | 
| **Benefits Administration** | Not enough data | 8.5 (11 reviews) | 

#### Generative AI

| Feature | Lightspeed Retail | Toast | 
|---|---|---|
| **AI Text Summarization** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Platform

| Feature | Lightspeed Retail | Toast | 
|---|---|---|
| **Customization ** | Not enough data | 7.5 (36 reviews) | 
| **Integration APIs** | Not enough data | 7.3 (28 reviews) | 
| **Internationalization** | Not enough data | 8.1 (25 reviews) | 
| **User, Role, and Access Management** | Not enough data | 8.4 (40 reviews) | 
| **Performance** | Not enough data | 7.9 (38 reviews) | 
| **Mobility** | Not enough data | 8.2 (34 reviews) | 
| **Reporting** | Not enough data | 8.1 (40 reviews) | 
| **Dashboards** | Not enough data | 8.1 (37 reviews) | 

### Payroll

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Lightspeed Retail** | N/A | N/A |
| **Toast** | 8.1/10 | 47 |

#### Employee Self Service

| Feature | Lightspeed Retail | Toast | 
|---|---|---|
| **Web Portal** | Not enough data | 8.4 (38 reviews) | 
| **Benefits Manager** | Not enough data | 7.6 (22 reviews) | 
| **Mobile** | Not enough data | 7.7 (32 reviews) | 

#### Administration

| Feature | Lightspeed Retail | Toast | 
|---|---|---|
| **Payroll Entry** | Not enough data | 8.4 (41 reviews) | 
| **Time Off Accrual** | Not enough data | 8.1 (32 reviews) | 
| **Direct Deposit** | Not enough data | 8.6 (39 reviews) | 
| **Expense Reimbursement** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | 
| **Pre-tax Deductions** | Not enough data | 8.1 (31 reviews) | 
| **Wage Garnishment** | Not enough data | 7.7 (30 reviews) | 
| **Approvals** | Not enough data | 7.8 (29 reviews) | 
| **Check/W-2 Printing** | Not enough data | 8.4 (37 reviews) | 
| **Check/W-2 Delivery** | Not enough data | 8.5 (36 reviews) | 

#### Taxes

| Feature | Lightspeed Retail | Toast | 
|---|---|---|
| **Tax Calculation** | Not enough data | 8.4 (38 reviews) | 
| **Tax Filing** | Not enough data | 8.2 (32 reviews) | 
| **Automatic Tax Payment** | Not enough data | 8.4 (30 reviews) | 

#### Integration

| Feature | Lightspeed Retail | Toast | 
|---|---|---|
| **API / Integration** | Not enough data | 7.6 (28 reviews) | 
| **Time Tracking Integration** | Not enough data | 8.3 (33 reviews) | 
| **Accounting Integration** | Not enough data | 8.1 (26 reviews) | 
| **Core HR Integration** | Not enough data | 7.5 (25 reviews) | 

#### Platform

| Feature | Lightspeed Retail | Toast | 
|---|---|---|
| **Reporting and Dashboards** | Not enough data | 7.8 (45 reviews) | 
| **User, Role, and Access Management** | Not enough data | 8.3 (45 reviews) | 
| **Performance and Reliability** | Not enough data | 8.6 (45 reviews) | 
| **Scalability** | Not enough data | 8.2 (37 reviews) | 

### Retail POS

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Lightspeed Retail** | 8.5/10 | 122 |
| **Toast** | N/A | N/A |

#### POS

| Feature | Lightspeed Retail | Toast | 
|---|---|---|
| **Credit Card Payments** | 8.9 (96 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Barcode Scanning** | 9.1 (102 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Hardware Integration** | 8.8 (100 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Price Adjustments** | 8.7 (108 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Receipts** | 9.0 (108 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Marketing

| Feature | Lightspeed Retail | Toast | 
|---|---|---|
| **Loyalty Programs** | 8.0 (61 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Email Marketing** | 7.4 (49 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Administration

| Feature | Lightspeed Retail | Toast | 
|---|---|---|
| **Inventory Management** | 9.1 (103 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Employee Management** | 8.6 (79 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Reporting** | 8.7 (106 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **E-commerce Integration** | 7.7 (69 reviews) | Not enough data | 

### Restaurant POS

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Lightspeed Retail** | N/A | N/A |
| **Toast** | 8.5/10 | 190 |

#### Administration

| Feature | Lightspeed Retail | Toast | 
|---|---|---|
| **Menu Building** | Not enough data | 8.8 (148 reviews) | 
| **Inventory Management** | Not enough data | 8.0 (88 reviews) | 
| **Employee Scheduling** | Not enough data | 7.6 (71 reviews) | 
| **Accounting** | Not enough data | 8.3 (115 reviews) | 
| **Reporting & Analytics** | Not enough data | 8.6 (156 reviews) | 
| **Loyalty Management** | Not enough data | 8.1 (93 reviews) | 

#### Meal Service

| Feature | Lightspeed Retail | Toast | 
|---|---|---|
| **Payment Gateway** | Not enough data | 8.8 (147 reviews) | 
| **Table Management** | Not enough data | 8.9 (114 reviews) | 
| **Check Adjustment** | Not enough data | 8.7 (147 reviews) | 
| **Kitchen Tickets** | Not enough data | 8.9 (141 reviews) | 
| **Takeout & Delivery** | Not enough data | 8.7 (130 reviews) | 

### Restaurant Management

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Lightspeed Retail** | N/A | N/A |
| **Toast** | 8.5/10 | 94 |

#### Platform Basics

| Feature | Lightspeed Retail | Toast | 
|---|---|---|
| **Reporting** | Not enough data | 8.6 (74 reviews) | 
| **Interoperability** | Not enough data | 8.3 (58 reviews) | 

#### Back Office

| Feature | Lightspeed Retail | Toast | 
|---|---|---|
| **Accounting** | Not enough data | 8.7 (65 reviews) | 
| **Employee Management** | Not enough data | 8.1 (71 reviews) | 
| **Analytics** | Not enough data | 8.6 (72 reviews) | 
| **Inventory Management** | Not enough data | 7.8 (45 reviews) | 

#### Front of Office

| Feature | Lightspeed Retail | Toast | 
|---|---|---|
| **POS** | Not enough data | 9.2 (81 reviews) | 
| **Table Management** | Not enough data | 8.7 (62 reviews) | 
| **Kitchen Ticketing** | Not enough data | 8.8 (76 reviews) | 
| **Reservations** | Not enough data | 7.3 (40 reviews) | 

#### Platform Data

| Feature | Lightspeed Retail | Toast | 
|---|---|---|
| **Dashboard** | Not enough data | 9.0 (72 reviews) | 

#### Agentic AI - Restaurant Management

| Feature | Lightspeed Retail | Toast | 
|---|---|---|
| **Autonomous Task Execution** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | 
| **Multi-step Planning** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | 
| **Cross-system Integration** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Adaptive Learning** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | 
| **Natural Language Interaction** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Proactive Assistance** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Decision Making** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | 

#### Generative AI

| Feature | Lightspeed Retail | Toast | 
|---|---|---|
| **AI Text Summarization** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | 
| **AI Text-to-Speech** | Not enough data | Feature Not Available | 

### HCM Software

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Lightspeed Retail** | N/A | N/A |
| **Toast** | N/A | N/A |

#### Generative AI

| Feature | Lightspeed Retail | Toast | 
|---|---|---|
| **AI Text Generation** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **AI Text Summarization** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

### Restaurant Marketing Tools

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Lightspeed Retail** | N/A | N/A |
| **Toast** | N/A | N/A |

#### Customer Data and Insights

| Feature | Lightspeed Retail | Toast | 
|---|---|---|
| **Customer Analytics** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Customer Database** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Customer Segmentation** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Campaign Management

| Feature | Lightspeed Retail | Toast | 
|---|---|---|
| **Marketing Automation** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Email Marketing** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **SMS & Push Notifications** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Engagement and Retention

| Feature | Lightspeed Retail | Toast | 
|---|---|---|
| **Offers Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Rewards Program** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Reputation Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Integration and Compliance

| Feature | Lightspeed Retail | Toast | 
|---|---|---|
| **Analytics and Reporting** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Integrations** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Compliance and Consent Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

### POS

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Lightspeed Retail** | N/A | N/A |
| **Toast** | N/A | N/A |

#### Payments

| Feature | Lightspeed Retail | Toast | 
|---|---|---|
| **Credit Card Payments** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Partial Payments** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Split Payments** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Discounts** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Voided/Refunded Payments** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Store Credit Allocation** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Tip Adjustments** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Offline Payments** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Multidevice Payment Acceptance** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Next Day Deposits** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Employee Management

| Feature | Lightspeed Retail | Toast | 
|---|---|---|
| **Employee Accounts** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Permissions** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Commission Tracking** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Tab Allocation** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Log/Shift Notes** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Staff Scheduling** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Floor Plans** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Customer Management

| Feature | Lightspeed Retail | Toast | 
|---|---|---|
| **Loyalty Membership** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Customer Profiles** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Credit Card Filing** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Inventory Management

| Feature | Lightspeed Retail | Toast | 
|---|---|---|
| **Track Inventory** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Inventory Notifications** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Product Organization** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Multilocation Inventory Tracking** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Integrations

| Feature | Lightspeed Retail | Toast | 
|---|---|---|
| **Accounting Integrations** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Inventory Management Integrations** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **E-Commerce Integrations** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Analytics

| Feature | Lightspeed Retail | Toast | 
|---|---|---|
| **Sales Tracking** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Guest Counts** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **End of Day Reports** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

---
## Categories
**Shared Categories (1):** [Retail POS Systems](https://www.g2.com/categories/retail-pos)


**Unique to Toast (6):** [Restaurant Marketing Tools Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/restaurant-marketing-tools), [Restaurant POS Systems](https://www.g2.com/categories/restaurant-pos), [Restaurant Management Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/restaurant-management), [Core HR Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/core-hr), [Payroll Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/payroll), [HCM Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/hcm-software)


---
## Reviewer Demographics

### By Company Size

| Segment | Lightspeed Retail | Toast | 
|---|---|---|
| **Small-Business** | 82.9% | 66.2% | 
| **Mid-Market** | 13.2% | 32.3% | 
| **Enterprise** | 3.9% | 1.5% | 

### By Industry

#### Lightspeed Retail

- **Retail:** 48.6%
- **Apparel & Fashion:** 5.7%
- **Sporting Goods:** 4.6%
- **Consumer Goods:** 4.3%
- **Food & Beverages:** 3.6%
- **Consumer Services:** 2.1%
- **Furniture:** 1.8%
- **Arts and Crafts:** 1.8%
- **Internet:** 1.8%
- **Non-Profit Organization Management:** 1.8%
- **Other:** 23.9%

#### Toast

- **Restaurants:** 51.2%
- **Food & Beverages:** 26.7%
- **Hospitality:** 6.4%
- **Accounting:** 1.8%
- **Financial Services:** 0.9%
- **Food Production:** 0.9%
- **Entertainment:** 0.9%
- **Information Technology and Services:** 0.9%
- **Consumer Goods:** 0.9%
- **Real Estate:** 0.9%
- **Other:** 8.5%

---
## Alternatives

### Alternatives to Lightspeed Retail

- [Square Point of Sale](https://www.g2.com/products/square-point-of-sale/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (1207 reviews)
- [Shopify POS](https://www.g2.com/products/shopify-shopify-pos/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (366 reviews)
- [Clover](https://www.g2.com/products/clover/reviews) — 3.9/5 stars (106 reviews)
- [QuickBooks Point of Sale](https://www.g2.com/products/quickbooks-point-of-sale/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (104 reviews)
- [Retail Pro](https://www.g2.com/products/retail-pro/reviews) — 3.8/5 stars (33 reviews)
- [LS Retail](https://www.g2.com/products/ls-retail/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (87 reviews)
- [Rain Retail](https://www.g2.com/products/rain-retail/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (30 reviews)
- [Aloha Cloud](https://www.g2.com/products/aloha-cloud/reviews) — 3.9/5 stars (337 reviews)
- [Epos Now](https://www.g2.com/products/epos-now/reviews) — 4.0/5 stars (10 reviews)
- [SpotOn](https://www.g2.com/products/spoton/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (236 reviews)

### Alternatives to Toast

- [Square Point of Sale](https://www.g2.com/products/square-point-of-sale/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (1207 reviews)
- [Aloha Cloud](https://www.g2.com/products/aloha-cloud/reviews) — 3.9/5 stars (337 reviews)
- [Restroworks Restaurant POS](https://www.g2.com/products/restroworks-restaurant-pos/reviews) — 4.8/5 stars (1258 reviews)
- [Owner.com](https://www.g2.com/products/owner-com/reviews) — 4.8/5 stars (374 reviews)
- [SpotOn](https://www.g2.com/products/spoton/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (236 reviews)
- [ADP Workforce Now](https://www.g2.com/products/adp-workforce-now/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (4207 reviews)
- [Restaurant365](https://www.g2.com/products/restaurant365/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (318 reviews)
- [Paycom](https://www.g2.com/products/paycom/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (6357 reviews)
- [TouchBistro Restaurant POS](https://www.g2.com/products/touchbistro-restaurant-pos/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (108 reviews)
- [Clover](https://www.g2.com/products/clover/reviews) — 3.9/5 stars (106 reviews)

---
## Top Discussions

### Lightspeed Retail

- Title: [What does the company Lightspeed do?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-does-the-company-lightspeed-do) — 5 comments
  > **Top comment:** "Point Of Sale Software"
- Title: [What are the key features of a POS system?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/lightspeed-retail-what-are-the-key-features-of-a-pos-system) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "Lightspeed is very user friendly. The search tool is very handy. The option to show pictures of the items you are selling on the screen helps as a teaching..."

### Toast

- Title: [Is there any way to make toast work in a retail non restaurant](https://www.g2.com/discussions/37361-is-there-any-way-to-make-toast-work-in-a-retail-non-restaurant) — 2 comments, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "I would advise against it. They are made for restaurants, and even that isn’t handled very well. "
- Title: [Does Toast require internet access?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/toast-specific-a075cbe2-630a-41fb-a0f3-0d1b019fd862) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "Yes"
- Title: [What are the benefits of a cloud based solution?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/cloud-based-software-36ccd898-5b15-4eb0-a71b-de5fc11eb3be) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "You can sit down at home;
- Check to reports & Sales
- Update menus
- Payroll
- Dispute charges or any credit card problem
- Great marketing opportinute"
- Title: [Is Toast just a point of sale system?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/toast-specific-99b36e8b-a723-484e-ab1e-ab312e30489f) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "yes, and much more. 
they can do inventory, payroll, & martketing
"
- Title: [What are the most important features to consider when buying a restaurant point of sale system?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/general-pos-f3766029-f7f9-47dc-8aa9-bb9a87b8e277) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "able to handle offline mode. 
This is very important that not many systems can do this. 
(toast is great offline)"

---
**Source:** [G2.com](https://www.g2.com) | [Comparison Page](https://www.g2.com/compare/lightspeed-retail-vs-toast)