Softwr

Food & Restaurant · head to head

Lavu vs Phorest

Lavu logo

Lavu

Food & Restaurant

iPad POS for restaurants and bars

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Phorest logo

Phorest

Beauty & Salon

Salon software that grows your business

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Lavu iPad-only solution with no Android or Windows alternative; Phorest no price is published for any of the seven plans, and every route ends at a quote request
  • They diverge on capability: Lavu covers iPad POS, Phorest covers Appointment booking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lavu and Phorest actually diverge.

Attributes where Lavu and Phorest differ
AttributeLavuPhorest
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsiPadWeb, Ios, Android, Api
CategoryFood & RestaurantBeauty & Salon
Founded20102003

Identical on both: starting price ($99/month), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Lavu

  • iPad POS
  • Split checks
  • Tab management
  • Happy hour pricing
  • Kitchen display
  • QuickBooks
  • Xero
  • DoorDash

Only in Phorest

  • Appointment booking
  • Client management
  • Point of sale
  • Marketing automation
  • Reputation management
  • Staff management
  • Business reports
  • Mailchimp

Both cover

  • Inventory tracking

What people use each for

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

Lavu

  • Point of Salenot Phorest
  • Order Managementnot Phorest
  • Inventory Controlnot Phorest
  • Staff Schedulingnot Phorest

Phorest

  • Salon and spa appointment booking with client recordsnot Lavu
  • Marketing, memberships and staff management for beauty businessesnot Lavu

Where each one falls short

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

Lavu

  • iPad-only solution with no Android or Windows alternative
  • Hardware costs are significant with devices starting at $700
  • Limited offline functionality compared to some competitors

Phorest

  • No price is published for any of the seven plans, and every route ends at a quote request
  • There is no free trial at all, which the company states plainly
  • The product is described as suited to 3 or more staff, so a solo operator is outside the intended range
  • The branded booking app requires the Ultimate plan, and two way SMS, memberships, lead management and the ads manager are all Elite only

Pricing, plan by plan

Lavu

$99/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Lavu review.

Phorest

$99/month
  • Grow$99/month
    • Appointment booking
    • Client management
    • POS
  • Elevate$179/month
    • Everything in Grow
    • Advanced marketing
    • Online booking
  • Innovate$299/month
    • Everything in Elevate
    • Multi-location
    • Advanced analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose Lavu if

  • You need ipad pos.
  • You work on iPad.
  • You also want split checks.
Lavu review

Choose Phorest if

  • You need appointment booking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want client management.
Phorest review

Questions people ask

Is Lavu or Phorest better?
Neither clearly leads. Lavu starts at $99/month and Phorest at $99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Lavu or Phorest?
Lavu starts at $99/month and Phorest at $99/month.
Does Lavu or Phorest run on more platforms?
Lavu runs on iPad. Phorest runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
What is Lavu best used for?
Lavu is most often used for point of sale, order management, inventory control, staff scheduling. Of those, point of sale and order management are not what Phorest is typically brought in for.
What can Lavu do that Phorest cannot?
Lavu covers iPad POS, Split checks, Tab management, Happy hour pricing. Phorest covers Appointment booking, Client management, Point of sale, Marketing automation. Both handle Inventory tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Lavu: What devices does Lavu support?

Lavu is iPad-based and works with iPad Pro, Air, and Mini models. It is compatible with peripherals from Ingenico, Magtek, and supports various receipt printers, cash drawers, and barcode scanners.

Source
Lavu: Does Lavu offer financing for hardware?

Yes. Lavu offers 0% no-interest financing on hardware for 3-year contracts, and supports both 1-year and 3-year contract terms.

Source
Lavu: What is Lavu's pricing range?

Lavu monthly POS software costs range from $99 to $279 per month, with hardware starting at $700 and up to $1,500 for full systems.

Source
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