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E-Commerce · head to head

SamCart vs Shopkeep

SamCart logo

SamCart

E-Commerce

The number one checkout platform

From
$79/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Shopkeep logo

Shopkeep

E-Commerce

Cloud-based POS for small businesses

From
$89/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: SamCart no feature differentiation between CORE and PRO tiers, pricing tier based on expected transaction volume only; Shopkeep all plans require 24/7 phone and chat support; no tiered support options
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which SamCart and Shopkeep actually diverge.

Attributes where SamCart and Shopkeep differ
AttributeSamCartShopkeep
Starting price$79/month$89/month
PlatformsWebiPad, Web
FoundedUnknown2008

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (E-Commerce).

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 SamCart

Nothing recorded that Shopkeep does not also cover.

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.

SamCart

  • Increasing average order value through automated order bumps and upsellsnot Shopkeep
  • Recovering failed subscription payments with retry logic and dunning managementnot Shopkeep
  • Generating sales pages, emails, and ads with AI from product descriptionsnot Shopkeep
  • Sending cart abandonment recovery emails without customer re-entrynot Shopkeep
  • Migrating existing customer bases from competing platforms without data lossnot 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.

SamCart

  • No feature differentiation between CORE and PRO tiers, pricing tier based on expected transaction volume only
  • Transaction fees of 2.9% plus $0.30 apply to all plans

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

SamCart

$79/month
  • CORE$79/month
    • All features included
  • PRO$199/month
    • All features included

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 SamCart if

Nothing in the data separates SamCart from Shopkeep on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

SamCart 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 SamCart or Shopkeep better?
Neither clearly leads. SamCart starts at $79/month and Shopkeep at $89/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, SamCart or Shopkeep?
SamCart starts at $79/month and Shopkeep at $89/month.
Does SamCart or Shopkeep run on more platforms?
SamCart runs on Web. Shopkeep runs on iPad, Web.
What is SamCart best used for?
SamCart is most often used for increasing average order value through automated order bumps and upsells, recovering failed subscription payments with retry logic and dunning management, generating sales pages, emails, and ads with ai from product descriptions, sending cart abandonment recovery emails without customer re-entry. Of those, increasing average order value through automated order bumps and upsells and recovering failed subscription payments with retry logic and dunning management are not what Shopkeep is typically brought in for.
What can SamCart do that Shopkeep cannot?
Shopkeep covers Point of sale, Payment processing, Inventory management, Customer profiles.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

SamCart: How much does SamCart cost?

SamCart offers two subscription tiers: CORE at $79/month and PRO at $199/month. Both plans include all features with no restrictions between tiers.

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
SamCart: What are SamCart's transaction fees?

SamCart charges a transaction fee of 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction on all payments processed through the platform.

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
SamCart: Does SamCart offer a free trial?

Yes, SamCart offers a 7-day free trial available for both the CORE and PRO plans, allowing customers to test the platform before committing to a subscription.

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
SamCart: Does SamCart offer migration services from other platforms?

Yes, SamCart offers done-for-you migration services for customers switching from Kajabi, ThriveCart, ClickFunnels, Shopify, and Teachable. Specific pricing for migration services is not listed on the main page.

Source
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