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Software · head to head

Sortly vs Lightspeed Retail

Sortly logo

Sortly

Software

Visual inventory management with photo tracking

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Lightspeed Retail logo

Lightspeed Retail

Software

Point of sale and retail management system

From
$89/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Sortly has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Sortly mobile app performance is slow with occasional crashes on both iOS and Android; Lightspeed Retail high pricing starts at USD 89/month (Basic plan), escalating to USD 289/month for Plus tier with advanced features
  • They diverge on capability: Sortly covers Photo-based inventory, Lightspeed Retail covers Point of sale.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Sortly and Lightspeed Retail actually diverge.

Attributes where Sortly and Lightspeed Retail differ
AttributeSortlyLightspeed Retail
Starting priceFree$89/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, iPad, Cloud-based
Founded20132005

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Sortly

  • Photo-based inventory
  • Multi-location support
  • Custom categories
  • Low stock notifications
  • Barcode scanning
  • CSV export
  • API access
  • Zapier

Only in Lightspeed Retail

  • Point of sale
  • Inventory management
  • Customer management
  • Omnichannel selling
  • Analytics
  • Employee management
  • Loyalty programs
  • Hardware compatibility

What people use each for

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

Sortly

  • Visual inventory trackingnot Lightspeed Retail
  • Asset managementnot Lightspeed Retail
  • Photo documentationnot Lightspeed Retail
  • Mobile inventorynot Lightspeed Retail

Lightspeed Retail

No use cases recorded yet. See the Lightspeed Retail review.

Where each one falls short

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

Sortly

  • Mobile app performance is slow with occasional crashes on both iOS and Android
  • Minimal advanced reporting features lacking depth and customization options
  • No native serial number tracking capability, limiting asset management functionality
  • Synchronization problems occur when reconnecting from offline mode

Lightspeed Retail

  • High pricing starts at USD 89/month (Basic plan), escalating to USD 289/month for Plus tier with advanced features
  • Limited integrations with third-party platforms, particularly challenging for Shopify inventory sync
  • Inventory synchronization issues reported with backordered products and bulk updates
  • Customer support response times can be slow despite 24/7 availability
  • System crashes and performance degradation reported during high-traffic periods

Pricing, plan by plan

Sortly

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Sortly review.

Lightspeed Retail

$89/month
  • Basic$89/month
    • One register
    • Integrated payments
    • Inventory management
  • Core$149/month
    • All Basic features
    • Expanded eCommerce capabilities
    • Phone support access
  • Plus$289/month
    • All Core features
    • API access
    • Custom workflows

Which should you pick?

Choose Sortly if

  • You need photo-based inventory.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want multi-location support.
Sortly review

Choose Lightspeed Retail if

  • You need point of sale.
  • You work on Web, iPad, Cloud-based.
  • You also want inventory management.
Lightspeed Retail review

Questions people ask

Is Sortly or Lightspeed Retail better?
Neither clearly leads. Sortly starts at Free and Lightspeed Retail at $89/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Sortly or Lightspeed Retail?
Sortly has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Sortly and $89/month for Lightspeed Retail.
Does Sortly or Lightspeed Retail run on more platforms?
Sortly runs on Web, iOS, Android. Lightspeed Retail runs on Web, iPad, Cloud-based.
Can I use Sortly for free?
Yes. Sortly has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Lightspeed Retail starts at $89/month.
What is Sortly best used for?
Sortly is most often used for visual inventory tracking, asset management, photo documentation, mobile inventory. Of those, visual inventory tracking and asset management are not what Lightspeed Retail is typically brought in for.
What can Sortly do that Lightspeed Retail cannot?
Sortly covers Photo-based inventory, Multi-location support, Custom categories, Low stock notifications. Lightspeed Retail covers Point of sale, Inventory management, Customer management, Omnichannel selling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Sortly: What is included in Sortly's free plan?

Sortly's free plan includes 100 unique items and 1 user license, sufficient for testing or very small inventories, with permanent access.

Source
Lightspeed Retail: What payment processing rates does Lightspeed Retail charge?

Lightspeed Retail charges 1.5% for card-present payment processing via Lightspeed Payments.

Source
Sortly: What are Sortly's paid tier pricing and item limits?

Sortly offers Advanced ($49/month, 500 items), Ultra ($149/month, 2,000 items), Premium ($299/month, 5,000 items), and Enterprise with custom pricing for 10,000+ items. All paid plans include a 14-day free trial.

Source
Lightspeed Retail: Does Lightspeed Retail offer API access?

Yes. API access and custom workflows are available in the Plus plan (USD 289/month), enabling advanced customization and integrations.

Source
Sortly: Does Sortly offer offline functionality?

Sortly has offline mode on mobile apps, though with potential synchronization issues when reconnecting. Offline mode is not available on the free plan.

Source
Lightspeed Retail: Does Lightspeed support multi-location management?

Yes. All Lightspeed Retail plans support multi-location inventory management with centralized control, though additional location and register costs apply as businesses scale.

Source
Sortly: Does Sortly have a mobile app?

Yes, Sortly offers mobile apps for iOS and Android. However, users report slow performance and occasional crashes, plus lack of bulk actions available on the web platform.

Source
Lightspeed Retail: What customer support options are available?

All Lightspeed Retail plans include 24/7 customer support via chat and phone for Core and Plus plans.

Source
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