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Inventory · head to head

inFlow vs Lightspeed Retail

inFlow logo

inFlow

Inventory

Inventory software for small to mid-size businesses

From
$129/month
Rated
-
Lightspeed Retail logo

Lightspeed Retail

Inventory

Point of sale and retail management system

From
$89/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: inFlow user interface feels outdated and difficult for new users to navigate; Lightspeed Retail high pricing starts at USD 89/month (Basic plan), escalating to USD 289/month for Plus tier with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: inFlow covers Easy inventory tracking, Lightspeed Retail covers Point of sale.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which inFlow and Lightspeed Retail actually diverge.

Attributes where inFlow and Lightspeed Retail differ
AttributeinFlowLightspeed Retail
Starting price$129/month$89/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsCloud, Web, Mobile scanning appWeb, iPad, Cloud-based
Founded20032005

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

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 inFlow

  • Easy inventory tracking
  • Purchase order management
  • Sales order management
  • Low stock alerts
  • Integration with accounting software
  • Barcode scanning
  • Email integration
  • Shopify

Only in Lightspeed Retail

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

What people use each for

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

inFlow

  • Simple inventory trackingnot Lightspeed Retail
  • Order managementnot Lightspeed Retail
  • Purchase controlnot Lightspeed Retail
  • Stock alertsnot Lightspeed Retail

Lightspeed Retail

  • Tracking 10,000+ SKUs across multiple sales channelsnot inFlow
  • Reconciling payments across terminals in under 10 minutesnot inFlow
  • Selling across in-person, online, and social simultaneouslynot inFlow
  • Accessing real-time inventory demand forecastingnot inFlow

Where each one falls short

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

inFlow

  • User interface feels outdated and difficult for new users to navigate
  • Customization options are limited with flaky screen customization functionality
  • Poor performance with large or complex inventories
  • Limited supply chain management features; focuses primarily on retail side
  • Basic plan has limited reporting options requiring upgrades for more reports
  • QuickBooks integration reported as problematic by users
  • BOM costing does not automatically update when raw part costs change
  • Audit trail limited to name and date, becoming insufficient as companies grow

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

inFlow

$129/month
  • Entrepreneur$129/month
    • 2 team members
    • 1 integration
    • 1,200 sales orders per year
  • Small Business$349/month
    • 5 team members
    • 3 integrations
    • 12,000 sales orders per year
  • Mid-Size$699/month
    • 10 team members
    • 5 integrations
    • Unlimited sales orders

Lightspeed Retail

$89/month
  • Basic$89/month
    • Retail POS platform
    • Integrated payments at 1.5% card-present rate
    • Inventory management
  • Core$149/month
    • All Basic features
    • Advanced management tools
    • 1 register included
  • Plus$289/month
    • All Core features
    • Advanced customization
    • Scalability for established operations

Which should you pick?

Choose inFlow if

  • You need easy inventory tracking.
  • You work on Cloud, Web, Mobile scanning app.
  • You also want purchase order management.

Choose Lightspeed Retail if

  • You need point of sale.
  • You work on Web, iPad, Cloud-based.
  • You also want inventory management.

Questions people ask

Is inFlow or Lightspeed Retail better?
Neither clearly leads. inFlow starts at $129/month and Lightspeed Retail at $89/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, inFlow or Lightspeed Retail?
inFlow starts at $129/month and Lightspeed Retail at $89/month.
Does inFlow or Lightspeed Retail run on more platforms?
inFlow runs on Cloud, Web, Mobile scanning app. Lightspeed Retail runs on Web, iPad, Cloud-based.
What is inFlow best used for?
inFlow is most often used for simple inventory tracking, order management, purchase control, stock alerts. Of those, simple inventory tracking and order management are not what Lightspeed Retail is typically brought in for.
What can inFlow do that Lightspeed Retail cannot?
inFlow covers Easy inventory tracking, Purchase order management, Sales order management, Low stock alerts. Lightspeed Retail covers Point of sale, Inventory management, Customer management, Omnichannel selling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

inFlow: What team member limits does each inFlow plan include?

Entrepreneur plan includes 2 team members (annual billing USD 129/month), Small Business includes 5 team members (USD 349/month), and Mid-Size includes 10 team members (USD 699/month). Additional users cost USD 29-49/month.

Source
Lightspeed Retail: How much does Lightspeed Retail POS cost?

Pricing starts at $89 per month for the Basic plan, $149 for Core, and $289 for Plus, with each plan including 1 register.

Source
inFlow: Does inFlow include manufacturing features?

Yes. inFlow offers separate Manufacturing plans (Startup, Growth, Scale) with assembly and kit creation for product variants, starting at USD 179/month (annual billing).

Source
Lightspeed Retail: Can I get a discount for annual billing?

Annual billing provides savings up to 18% compared to monthly billing across all Lightspeed Retail tiers.

Source
inFlow: How many integrations does each plan support?

Entrepreneur plan includes 1 integration, Small Business includes 3 integrations, and Mid-Size includes 5 integrations. Enterprise plan supports unlimited integrations.

Source
Lightspeed Retail: What payment processing fees does Lightspeed Retail charge?

Integrated payment processing charges a card-present rate of 1.5% on all plans.

Source
inFlow: Is there a free trial available?

Yes. inFlow offers a free 14-day trial without requiring a credit card.

Source
Lightspeed Retail: Do I need to pay extra for additional registers?

Yes, each base plan includes 1 register. Additional registers require per-register fees on top of the monthly plan cost.

Source
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