Softwr

Accounting · head to head

Polar vs Shopkeep

Polar logo

Polar

Accounting

Billing and revenue platform for AI and infrastructure companies

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Shopkeep logo

Shopkeep

E-Commerce

Cloud-based POS for small businesses

From
$89/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Polar has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Polar percentage-based fees higher than some specialized processors for high-volume transactions; Shopkeep all plans require 24/7 phone and chat support; no tiered support options
  • They diverge on capability: Polar covers Usage Billing, Shopkeep covers Point of sale.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Polar and Shopkeep actually diverge.

Attributes where Polar and Shopkeep differ
AttributePolarShopkeep
Starting priceFree$89/month
Pricing modelPercentage of transaction plus per-transaction feesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, APIiPad, Web
CategoryAccountingE-Commerce
FoundedUnknown2008

Identical on both: 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 Polar

  • Usage Billing
  • Subscriptions
  • Seat Management
  • Prepaid Credits
  • Hosted Checkout
  • Cost Insights
  • Merchant of Record

Only in Shopkeep

  • Point of sale
  • Payment processing
  • Inventory management
  • Customer profiles
  • Sales analytics
  • Employee management
  • Mobile POS
  • Reporting

What people use each for

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

Polar

  • Billing for token and API call consumption by LLM applicationsnot Shopkeep
  • Managing tiered pricing for infrastructure usage-based servicesnot Shopkeep
  • Handling subscription and usage hybrid modelsnot Shopkeep
  • Monetizing AI APIs with usage metering and creditsnot Shopkeep

Shopkeep

No use cases recorded yet. See the Shopkeep review.

Where each one falls short

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

Polar

  • Percentage-based fees higher than some specialized processors for high-volume transactions
  • Merchant of record model may not suit companies preferring direct payment control
  • Free Starter tier limited with 5% fees reducing appeal for production use
  • Setup and integration effort required despite API simplicity

Shopkeep

  • All plans require 24/7 phone and chat support; no tiered support options
  • Prices vary by business type and industry with additional service fees possible
  • Extra locations and registers incur additional charges beyond base plan cost

Pricing, plan by plan

Polar

Free
  • StarterFree
    • 5% + $0.50 per transaction
    • Free tier for testing
    • Basic features
  • Pro$20/month
    • 3.8% + $0.40 per transaction
    • Full platform access
    • Cost insights
  • Growth$100/month
    • 3.6% + $0.35 per transaction
    • Priority support
    • Volume benefits
  • Scale$400/month
    • 3.4% + $0.30 per transaction
    • Dedicated support
    • Custom integration

Shopkeep

$89/month
  • Basic$89/month
    • Retail POS platform
    • 1 register included
    • Integrated Payments 1.5%
  • Core$149/month
    • All Basic features
    • Advanced management tools
    • Business growth support
  • Plus$289/month
    • All Core features
    • Advanced customization
    • Established retail operations support

Which should you pick?

Choose Polar if

  • You need usage billing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want subscriptions.
Polar review

Choose Shopkeep if

  • You need point of sale.
  • You work on iPad, Web.
  • You also want payment processing.
Shopkeep review

Questions people ask

Is Polar or Shopkeep better?
Neither clearly leads. Polar starts at Free and Shopkeep at $89/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Polar or Shopkeep?
Polar has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Polar and $89/month for Shopkeep.
Does Polar or Shopkeep run on more platforms?
Polar runs on Web, API. Shopkeep runs on iPad, Web.
Can I use Polar for free?
Yes. Polar has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Shopkeep starts at $89/month.
What is Polar best used for?
Polar is most often used for billing for token and api call consumption by llm applications, managing tiered pricing for infrastructure usage-based services, handling subscription and usage hybrid models, monetizing ai apis with usage metering and credits. Of those, billing for token and api call consumption by llm applications and managing tiered pricing for infrastructure usage-based services are not what Shopkeep is typically brought in for.
What can Polar do that Shopkeep cannot?
Polar covers Usage Billing, Subscriptions, Seat Management, Prepaid Credits. Shopkeep covers Point of sale, Payment processing, Inventory management, Customer profiles.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Polar: Do you handle international payments and taxes?

Yes, Polar acts as merchant of record in 100+ markets, handling payment processing, tax collection, and compliance automatically.

Source
Shopkeep: What is included in the Lightspeed Retail Basic plan at $89 per month?

The Basic plan includes 1 register, retail POS platform, integrated payments at 1.5% card-present rate, inventory management, Lightspeed Wholesale access, NuORDER Catalog with 5 million+ products, built-in eCommerce, loyalty programs, and 24/7 support.

Source
Polar: Is there a free tier?

Yes, the Starter plan is free and charges 5% + $0.50 per transaction, ideal for testing and early-stage development.

Source
Shopkeep: How much can I save by paying annually instead of monthly?

Shopkeep (Lightspeed Retail) offers up to 18% discount when paying annually instead of month-to-month. All three plans (Basic, Core, Plus) qualify for this annual discount.

Source
Polar: Do you offer discounts for startups?

Yes, the Startup Program provides the Scale plan free for 12 months for early-stage AI companies.

Source
Shopkeep: What additional costs should I budget beyond the monthly subscription?

Beyond the monthly plan cost, extra locations require additional charges, extra registers incur per-register fees, and hardware (terminals, scanners, iPad devices) have separate costs. Integrated payment processing charges 1.5% per transaction.

Source
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