Softwr

E-Commerce · head to head

Shopkeep vs Temu

Shopkeep logo

Shopkeep

E-Commerce

Cloud-based POS for small businesses

From
$89/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Temu logo

Temu

E-Commerce

Ultra-low-cost general merchandise marketplace owned by PDD Holdings, parent of Pinduoduo

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Temu has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Shopkeep all plans require 24/7 phone and chat support; no tiered support options; Temu temu is owned by PDD Holdings, the same corporate group behind Chinese app Pinduoduo, and security researchers and app reviewers have raised documented concerns about the scope of data and device permissions the apps in this family request.
  • They diverge on capability: Shopkeep covers Point of sale, Temu covers General merchandise marketplace.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Shopkeep and Temu actually diverge.

Attributes where Shopkeep and Temu differ
AttributeShopkeepTemu
Starting price$89/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionFree to browse and use; pay per order, heavy promotional discounting
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsiPad, WebiOS, Android, Web
Founded2008Unknown

Identical on both: 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 Shopkeep

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

Only in Temu

  • General merchandise marketplace
  • Direct-from-manufacturer shipping
  • Gamified discounts and referrals
  • Free returns window
  • Aggressive coupon stacking
  • Temu app-only pricing

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.

Temu

  • A budget shopper buying low-cost, non-critical goods where a long shipping wait is acceptablenot Shopkeep
  • Someone comparing Temu against Shein and Amazon Shopping on price for a specific item categorynot Shopkeep
  • A buyer who has reviewed the documented data permission and product safety concerns and decided price still outweighs themnot Shopkeep
  • A shopper in a market where changing customs thresholds mean checking for added duty before orderingnot Shopkeep

Where each one falls short

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

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

Temu

  • Temu is owned by PDD Holdings, the same corporate group behind Chinese app Pinduoduo, and security researchers and app reviewers have raised documented concerns about the scope of data and device permissions the apps in this family request.
  • Consumer safety testing by regulators and watchdog groups has flagged some products sold on Temu for exceeding legal limits on substances such as lead in specific items, similar to findings on other ultra-low-cost marketplaces.
  • Regulators in the EU and US have investigated or fined Temu over misleading discount claims and dark pattern design, including inflated reference prices used to make discounts look larger than they are.
  • Shipping times are long by mainstream e-commerce standards, commonly one to two weeks or more, and buyer recourse for a delayed, missing or damaged order is limited compared with domestic retailers.
  • Changes to duty-free import thresholds in the US and EU have added customs fees to some orders, eroding the headline low price advertised at checkout.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Temu

Free
  • Pay per orderFree
    • Individual item prices frequently under 10 USD before discounts
    • Standard shipping typically 7 to 15 days
    • Customs duties may apply depending on destination country and order value

Which should you pick?

Choose Shopkeep if

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

Choose Temu if

  • You need general merchandise marketplace.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want direct-from-manufacturer shipping.
Temu review

Questions people ask

Is Shopkeep or Temu better?
Neither clearly leads. Shopkeep starts at $89/month and Temu at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Shopkeep or Temu?
Temu has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $89/month for Shopkeep and Free for Temu.
Does Shopkeep or Temu run on more platforms?
Shopkeep runs on iPad, Web. Temu runs on iOS, Android, Web.
Can I use Temu for free?
Yes. Temu has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Shopkeep starts at $89/month.
What can Shopkeep do that Temu cannot?
Shopkeep covers Point of sale, Payment processing, Inventory management, Customer profiles. Temu covers General merchandise marketplace, Direct-from-manufacturer shipping, Gamified discounts and referrals, Free returns window.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Temu: Who owns Temu?

Temu is operated by Whaleco Inc., a subsidiary of PDD Holdings, the parent company of the Chinese shopping app Pinduoduo.

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
Temu: Is Temu safe to use in terms of data privacy?

Security researchers have flagged the scope of permissions requested by Temu and related PDD Holdings apps as a documented concern; the company disputes characterisations of its apps as malicious.

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
Temu: Are Temu products safe?

Consumer safety testing has found some specific products exceeding legal limits for substances such as lead, similar to findings reported on other ultra-low-cost marketplaces; safety varies by product.

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