Softwr

E-commerce & Retail · head to head

Shopkeep vs Stripe

Shopkeep logo

Shopkeep

E-commerce & Retail

Cloud-based POS for small businesses

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
S

Stripe

E-commerce

Financial infrastructure for the internet

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Stripe has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Shopkeep unreliable inventory control across multiple locations; Stripe requires developer setup and API integration for most use cases
  • They diverge on capability: Shopkeep covers Point of sale, Stripe covers Subscription billing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Shopkeep and Stripe actually diverge.

Attributes where Shopkeep and Stripe differ
AttributeShopkeepStripe
Starting price$49/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsiPad, WebWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryE-commerce & RetailE-commerce
Founded20082010

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), 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 Shopkeep

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

Only in Stripe

  • Subscription billing
  • Invoicing
  • Terminal (in-person payments)
  • Fraud prevention
  • 3D Secure
  • Global payouts
  • Financial reporting
  • Shopify

Both cover

  • Payment processing

What people use each for

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

Shopkeep

No use cases recorded yet. See the Shopkeep review.

Stripe

  • Online paymentsnot Shopkeep
  • Subscription managementnot Shopkeep
  • Marketplace paymentsnot Shopkeep
  • Global expansionnot Shopkeep
  • Platform monetizationnot Shopkeep

Where each one falls short

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

Shopkeep

  • Unreliable inventory control across multiple locations
  • Cloud-dependent with no offline transaction processing capability
  • Dropped Bluetooth connections cause lost sales and payment processing failures

Stripe

  • Requires developer setup and API integration for most use cases
  • Dispute fee of $15 per chargeback is standard industry cost
  • Limited offline payment capabilities

Pricing, plan by plan

Shopkeep

$49/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Shopkeep review.

Stripe

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Stripe review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Shopkeep if

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

Choose Stripe if

  • You need subscription billing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want invoicing.
Stripe review

Questions people ask

Is Shopkeep or Stripe better?
Neither clearly leads. Shopkeep starts at $49/month and Stripe at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Shopkeep or Stripe?
Stripe has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $49/month for Shopkeep and Free for Stripe.
Does Shopkeep or Stripe run on more platforms?
Shopkeep runs on iPad, Web. Stripe runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Stripe for free?
Yes. Stripe has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Shopkeep starts at $49/month.
What can Shopkeep do that Stripe cannot?
Shopkeep covers Point of sale, Inventory management, Customer profiles, Sales analytics. Stripe covers Subscription billing, Invoicing, Terminal (in-person payments), Fraud prevention. Both handle Payment processing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Shopkeep: How much does Shopkeep cost?

Shopkeep by Lightspeed pricing varies by plan. Customers must request quotes for current pricing, which has shifted since the Lightspeed acquisition.

Source
Stripe: What are Stripe's transaction fees?

Standard US rates are 2.9% plus 30 cents for online card payments, 2.7% plus 5 cents for in-person, 3.4% plus 30 cents for keyed/phone transactions, and 0.8% capped at $5 for ACH payments.

Source
Shopkeep: What hardware does Shopkeep require?

Shopkeep operates on iPad tablets, cloud-based systems, and traditional cash register setups, requiring third-party hardware integration.

Source
Stripe: How many currencies and countries does it support?

Stripe accepts 135+ currencies and supports payment acceptance in 40+ countries through Stripe Connect, enabling sellers to onboard and receive payouts in minutes.

Source
Stripe: What payment methods are supported?

Stripe supports dozens of payment methods including credit/debit cards, ACH transfers, and local payment options, with additional support through partnerships with Meta and Google.

Source
Stripe: Are there monthly fees or contracts?

No. Stripe charges no monthly fees or contracts, only per-transaction fees and dispute fees, making costs fully transparent and variable.

Source
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Related pages

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