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Software · head to head

DEAR Inventory vs Lightspeed Retail

DEAR Inventory logo

DEAR Inventory

Software

Complete inventory and order management system

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Lightspeed Retail logo

Lightspeed Retail

Software

Point of sale and retail management system

From
$89/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: DEAR Inventory dEAR Inventory is now sold as Cin7 Core with four named tiers (Standard, Pro, Advanced, Omni) but no dollar figures are published, only an ROI calculator; Lightspeed Retail high pricing starts at USD 89/month (Basic plan), escalating to USD 289/month for Plus tier with advanced features
  • They diverge on capability: DEAR Inventory covers Manufacturing, Lightspeed Retail covers Point of sale.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DEAR Inventory and Lightspeed Retail actually diverge.

Attributes where DEAR Inventory and Lightspeed Retail differ
AttributeDEAR InventoryLightspeed Retail
Starting priceOn request$89/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Mobile app, Cloud-basedWeb, iPad, Cloud-based
Founded20132005

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in DEAR Inventory

  • Manufacturing
  • Purchase orders
  • Sales orders
  • Accounting
  • Xero
  • QuickBooks
  • Shopify
  • Amazon

Only in Lightspeed Retail

  • Point of sale
  • Customer management
  • Omnichannel selling
  • Analytics
  • Employee management
  • Loyalty programs
  • Hardware compatibility

Both cover

  • Inventory management

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

DEAR Inventory

  • Manufacturing managementnot Lightspeed Retail
  • Order processingnot Lightspeed Retail
  • Stock controlnot Lightspeed Retail
  • Financial integrationnot Lightspeed Retail

Lightspeed Retail

No use cases recorded yet. See the Lightspeed Retail review.

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

DEAR Inventory

  • DEAR Inventory is now sold as Cin7 Core with four named tiers (Standard, Pro, Advanced, Omni) but no dollar figures are published, only an ROI calculator

Lightspeed Retail

  • High pricing starts at USD 89/month (Basic plan), escalating to USD 289/month for Plus tier with advanced features
  • Limited integrations with third-party platforms, particularly challenging for Shopify inventory sync
  • Inventory synchronization issues reported with backordered products and bulk updates
  • Customer support response times can be slow despite 24/7 availability
  • System crashes and performance degradation reported during high-traffic periods

Pricing, plan by plan

DEAR Inventory

On request
  • Standard$249/month
    • Core features
    • 5 users
    • Standard support
  • Professional$449/month
    • Advanced manufacturing
    • 10 users
    • Priority support
  • Enterprise$849/month
    • Full features
    • Unlimited users
    • Dedicated support

Lightspeed Retail

$89/month
  • Basic$89/month
    • One register
    • Integrated payments
    • Inventory management
  • Core$149/month
    • All Basic features
    • Expanded eCommerce capabilities
    • Phone support access
  • Plus$289/month
    • All Core features
    • API access
    • Custom workflows

Which should you pick?

Choose DEAR Inventory if

  • You need manufacturing.
  • You work on Web, Mobile app, Cloud-based.
  • You also want purchase orders.
DEAR Inventory review

Choose Lightspeed Retail if

  • You need point of sale.
  • You work on Web, iPad, Cloud-based.
  • You also want customer management.
Lightspeed Retail review

Questions people ask

Is DEAR Inventory or Lightspeed Retail better?
Neither clearly leads. DEAR Inventory starts at On request and Lightspeed Retail at $89/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DEAR Inventory or Lightspeed Retail?
DEAR Inventory starts at On request and Lightspeed Retail at $89/month.
Does DEAR Inventory or Lightspeed Retail run on more platforms?
DEAR Inventory runs on Web, Mobile app, Cloud-based. Lightspeed Retail runs on Web, iPad, Cloud-based.
What is DEAR Inventory best used for?
DEAR Inventory is most often used for manufacturing management, order processing, stock control, financial integration. Of those, manufacturing management and order processing are not what Lightspeed Retail is typically brought in for.
What can DEAR Inventory do that Lightspeed Retail cannot?
DEAR Inventory covers Manufacturing, Purchase orders, Sales orders, Accounting. Lightspeed Retail covers Point of sale, Customer management, Omnichannel selling, Analytics. Both handle Inventory management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Lightspeed Retail: What payment processing rates does Lightspeed Retail charge?

Lightspeed Retail charges 1.5% for card-present payment processing via Lightspeed Payments.

Source
Lightspeed Retail: Does Lightspeed Retail offer API access?

Yes. API access and custom workflows are available in the Plus plan (USD 289/month), enabling advanced customization and integrations.

Source
Lightspeed Retail: Does Lightspeed support multi-location management?

Yes. All Lightspeed Retail plans support multi-location inventory management with centralized control, though additional location and register costs apply as businesses scale.

Source
Lightspeed Retail: What customer support options are available?

All Lightspeed Retail plans include 24/7 customer support via chat and phone for Core and Plus plans.

Source
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Related pages

More on DEAR Inventory

More on Lightspeed Retail

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