If you manage or own a business involving retail sales, you’re undoubtedly familiar with the challenges of choosing the right Point of Sale (POS) system to streamline your operations.
The retail industry demands efficient solutions for payment handling, product management, employee management, and reporting capabilities. With recent acquisitions followed by the closing of many POS system providers in ANZ, Odoo POS and Lightspeed POS can be identified as two key players that take precedence in the arena.
Let’s explore the key features, usability, and customer satisfaction of these retail POS systems, highlighting their strengths that will potentially help you make an informed decision.
The information below is derived from the comparison paper created by Odoo in 2024. You can find the detailed comparison here. Please note, WAO Group hasn't tested each and every function listed in Lightspeed POS personally. However, if you have any questions or wish to see Odoo in action, feel free to reach out to us.
In the following article let’s delve deep into the features of both Odoo POS and Lightspeed POS in terms of;
- Payment & Checkout.
(invoicing, Accounting, Payment Management & More) - Product Related Features.
(Prices, Promotions, Warehouse Management & More) - Employee Management.
(Attendance, Access & Permissions, & more) - Branch Management.
(Ordering, Processing, Customer Experience & More) - Restaurant Management.
(Menu Management, Kitchen Management & More) - Customer & Loyalty Programs.
- Reporting & Analysis.
- Ecosystem of Integrations.
Overview of Odoo POS &
Lightspeed POS.
Odoo POS
Odoo POS is a component of the larger Odoo ERP suite, offering an integrated solution for various business processes. Designed to be customisable, catering to businesses of all sizes. Odoo POS stands out for its flexibility and integration capabilities, seamlessly connecting with other Odoo modules like inventory, accounting, and CRM to create a holistic cloud solution.
Lightspeed POS
Lightspeed POS is a cloud-based Point-of-Sale and e-commerce software provider tailored for businesses in retail, e-commerce, hospitality and golf looking for a robust and user-friendly solution. Known for its comprehensive feature set and ease of use, Lightspeed POS provides an all-in-one solution for inventory management, sales processing, and customer relationship management.
Odoo POS
|
Lightspeed POS
| |
Users
|
12+ million
|
9,000
|
Integrated Apps
|
44,000
|
250+
|
Employees
|
3600
|
3000
|
Business Scope
|
Comprehensive solution for a wide range of business needs beyond just point of sale and has pre-built templated settings (customisable) for over 100 industries.
|
Services include e-commerce, inventory management, marketing, and specific solutions for the hospitality & golf industry.
|
Highly customisable and integrates well with other tools.
|
Limited in customisation options, making it potentially difficult to scale.
| |
Suitable for businesses of any size operating in any industry.
|
Supports the retail and hospitality Industries.
| |
UI/UX Experience
|
Intuitive interfaces suitable for users with different technical backgrounds.
|
Generally considered more user-friendly and easier to learn.
|
Straightforward setup with an array of native features that ensure a pleasant user experience.
|
May suffer in usability and performance when new features are added to the standard solution.
| |
Numerous integrations make it easy to implement new features and manage daily tasks.
|
Potentially limited in scaling due to the restricted scope of operations and customisation options.
| |
Cost Effectiveness
|
Offers access to all apps that help you manage your business on a per user basis. These include apps required to manage your business’s finances, inventory, HR, Marketing, operations, Sales (with CRM & POS), making it cost effective and easier to scale.
|
Charges apply on a per location, per register basis with features for inventory management, advanced sales, staff and inventory reports, along with the ability to integrate to popular external software and platforms such as Xero, Mailchimp etc, for which applicable payments need to be made to the respective platform or software.
|
Odoo POS vs Lightspeed POS;
Key Areas of Functionality.
Payment Handling
Odoo POS
Being a part of a comprehensive business management solution, Odoo POS supports multiple payment methods, including cash/credit cards, mobile payments, contactless payments, gift cards, self checkout capabilities and more. Its seamless integration with Odoo Accounting, inventory, CRM, HR, Operations and other core modules ensures accuracy in financial reporting, reconciliation, better inventory management and an increase in overall efficiency. With Odoo’s simplified approach, advanced analytics and plethora of payment gateways, once implemented, retailers can easily manage and track transactions in real-time.
Lightspeed POS
Lightspeed Commerce is a Canadian based business, providing POS solutions to businesses in the retail and hospitality industries. Accommodating various payment types, including cash, credit cards, mobile payments, contactless payments, gift cards and more, Lightspeed offers employee management, product management, branch management and loyalty program management features. Its integration with multiple payment gateways ensures secure and efficient transaction processing. Additionally, Lightspeed’s built-in analytics provides insights into sales trends and customer behaviour.
Exploring the Granular Features for Payment Handling.
Payment & Checkouts
Odoo POS
|
Lightspeed POS
| |
Handling Cash & Credit / Debit Cards
|
✅ |
✅ |
Mobile payment
| ✅ | ✅
|
Digital wallet
| ✅ | ✅ |
Gift Card
| ✅ | ✅ |
Contactless / NFC Payments
| ✅ | ✅ |
Scan to Pay (QR on Display)
| ✅ | ✅ |
Tap to Pay
| ✅ | ✅ |
Deposit / Leave it on Hold
| ✅ | ✅ |
Buy Now, Pay Later
| ✅ | ✅ |
Multi-Currency Support
| ✅ | ✅ |
Currency Conversion
| ✅ | ✅ |
Currency Rounding
| ✅ | ✅ |
Invoicing and Order Processing
Odoo POS
|
Lightspeed POS
| |
Billing Options
|
✅ |
✅ |
Late Invoicing
| ✅ | ✅
|
Generation of invoices to Customers
| ✅ |
❌
|
Parallel Orders
| ✅ | ✅ |
Sell on the Go
| ✅ | ✅ |
Integration of a Cash Register Scale
| ✅ | ✅ |
Compatible With Subscriptions
| ✅ | ✅ |
Cross-Session Sales
| ✅ |
❌
|
Receipt & Customer
Odoo POS
|
Lightspeed POS
| |
Digital & Physical Receipts
|
✅ |
✅ |
Customizable Receipts
| ✅ | ✅
|
Multiple Payment Methods for 1 Transaction
| ✅ | ✅ |
Managing Tips
| ✅ | ✅ |
Discount Management
| ✅ | ✅ |
Cross-Selling & Upselling
| ✅ | ✅ |
Accounting
Odoo POS
|
Lightspeed POS
| |
Accounting Integration
|
✅ |
✅ |
Balance of Customer Accounts
| ✅ | ✅
|
Support for Composite Taxes
| ✅ | ✅ |
Support for Environmental Taxes
| ✅ |
❌
|
Support From Recupel
| ✅ |
❌
|
Support From BEBAT
| ✅ |
❌
|
Tax Reporting Options
| ✅ | ✅ |
Detailed Tax Balance Sheet
| ✅ |
❌
|
Integrated Tax Calculation
| ✅ | ✅ |
Tax Exemption
| ✅ | ✅ |
Tax Vote
| ✅ | ✅ |
Real-Time Voting
| ✅ |
❌
|
Tax Positions
| ✅ |
❌
|
Product Management.
While both Odoo POS and Lightspeed POS offer robust product management solutions, with features such as product catalogue management, inventory tracking and reorder alerts along with reporting, Also, enables effective handling of product variants, pricing, and promotions, with real-time stock updates and support for barcode scanning and batch processing. In addition Odoo offers product categories, dynamic barcodes and KIT management.
A Detailed Review of Product Management Features in Odoo POS and Lightspeed POS.
Product Information & Organisation
Odoo POS | Lightspeed POS | |
Product Category
| ✅ |
❌
|
Product Search & Filter
| ✅ | ✅ |
Product Attributes / Variants
| ✅ | ✅ |
Unit
| ✅ | ✅ |
Wide Product Range
| ✅ | ✅ |
Product Image & Gallery
| ✅ | ✅ |
Import / Export of Product Data
| ✅ | ✅ |
Mass Editing / Updating of Products
| ✅ | ✅ |
Barcode Generation
| ✅ | ✅ |
Barcode Scanning
| ✅ | ✅ |
Dynamic Barcodes
| ✅ |
❌
|
Seasonal Inventory
| ✅ | ✅ |
Kit Management
| ✅ |
❌
|
Multi-Location Pricing
| ✅ | ✅ |
Product Configurator
| ✅ | ✅ |
Prices & Promotions
Odoo POS | Lightspeed POS | |
Price List
| ✅ | ✅ |
Discount / Promotional Prices
| ✅ | ✅ |
Price Bundling
| ✅ | ✅ |
Warehouse Management
Odoo POS | Lightspeed POS | |
Inventory Tracking & Status
| ✅ | ✅ |
Automated Inventory
| ✅ | ✅ |
Inventory with Several Warehouses
| ✅ | ✅ |
Lot / Serial Numbers
| ✅ | ✅ |
SKU (Article Number)
| ✅ | ✅ |
Stock Transfer & Allocation
| ✅ | ✅ |
Low Stock Warning System
| ✅ | ✅ |
Replenishment Alerts
| ✅ | ✅ |
Procurement Management
| ✅ | ✅ |
Procurement Visibility
| ✅ | ✅ |
Employee Management.
With both Odoo POS and Lightspeed POS you can efficiently manage time tracking, user access control, shift management, and performance tracking. Both systems also include a robust reporting tool to provide insights into employee performance. However, in addition to the above highlighted features, Odoo seamlessly connects to the business’s HR wing allowing for centralised management of employee records and payroll processing.
Diving Deep into Employee Management Features.
Attendance & Time Management
Odoo POS | Lightspeed POS | |
Time Recording of Employees
| ✅ | ✅ |
Planning & Roster
| ✅ | ✅ |
Switching Between Staff Meetings
| ✅ | ✅ |
Access & Permissions
Odoo POS | Lightspeed POS | |
Role-Based Access Control
| ✅ | ✅ |
Employee Access Control
| ✅ | ✅ |
Performance & Objectives
Odoo POS | Lightspeed POS | |
Managing Sales Targets
| ✅ | ✅ |
Key Performance Indicators
| ✅ | ✅ |
Additional Functions
Odoo POS | Lightspeed POS | |
Session History
| ✅ | ✅ |
Pricing Options for Task Assignments
| ✅ | ✅ |
Chatter
| ✅ |
❌
|
Employee Training
| ✅ |
❌
|
Sales Commission
| ✅ | ✅ |
Integration with Payroll
| ✅ |
Add on
|
Integration with HR
| ✅ |
Add on
|
Branch Management.
With the ability to integrate to eCommerce platforms, both Odoo POS and Lightspeed POS provide a variety of functionalities related to your business’s branch management processes. From online order & delivery management to return management to multi-lingual presentation, the features are diverse. However, in addition to the features both providers offer, Odoo offers a self checkout feature while Lightspeed allows you to analyse store traffic, which although not native on Odoo can be added as a customisation if need be.
Exploring the Features of Branch Management.
Ordering & Cashier Processes
Odoo POS | Lightspeed POS | |
Order / Order History
| ✅ | ✅ |
Online Order
| ✅ | ✅ |
eCommerce Integration
| ✅ | ✅ |
Delivery management
| ✅ | ✅ |
Ship Later (Delivery)
| ✅ | ✅ |
Cashier Accounts
| ✅ | ✅ |
Customer Experience
Odoo POS | Lightspeed POS | |
Custom Product Presentation
| ✅ | ✅ |
Multilingual Product Presentation
| ✅ | ✅ |
Returns Management
| ✅ | ✅ |
Management of Exchanges
|
Community | ✅ |
Additional Functions
Odoo POS | Lightspeed POS | |
B2B Offer
| ✅ |
❌
|
Order & Pick-up | ✅ | ✅ |
Warehouse Preparation Display
| ✅ | ✅ |
Self-Service Checkout Systems
| ✅ |
❌
|
Visibility of Stocks in All Branches
| ✅ | ✅ |
Real-Time Inventory Updates
| ✅ | ✅ |
Analysis of Store Traffic
|
❌
| ✅ |
Integration of Digital Signage
| ✅ | ✅ |
Restaurant Management.
Restaurant management encompasses a wide range of tasks and responsibilities aimed at ensuring the smooth operation and profitability of a restaurant. Here are the key areas involved in effective restaurant management:
Table Management
Odoo POS | Lightspeed POS | |
Room Plans
| ✅ | ✅ |
Table Transfer
| ✅ | ✅ |
Online Table Booking
| ✅ | Add On |
Waiting List Management
| ✅ |
Add On |
Tracking Table Status
| ✅ | ✅ |
Bill Splitting Possible
| ✅ | ✅ |
Order Management
Odoo POS | Lightspeed POS | |
Processing Late Orders
| ✅ |
❌
|
Takeaway & Delivery
| ✅ | ✅ |
Online Ordering System
| ✅ | ✅ |
Update Order Status
| ✅ |
✅ |
Cover Letter & Pay at the End
| ✅ | ✅ |
Order Queues
| ✅ | ❌ |
Order Form for the Kitchen
|
✅ | ✅ |
Display of Preparation Status
| ✅ | ✅ |
Menu Management
Odoo POS | Lightspeed POS | |
Management of Digital Menus
| ✅ |
✅ |
Customizable Menu
| ✅ | ✅ |
Menu Via QR Code
| ✅ | ✅ |
Special Offers for Menus
| ✅ |
✅ |
Change of Seasonal Menus
| ✅ | ✅ |
Kitchen Management
Odoo POS | Lightspeed POS | |
Printer System for the Kitchen
| ✅ |
✅ |
Kitchen Display
| ✅ | ✅ |
Overview of Ingredients
| ✅ | ✅ |
Self-Service by Customer
Odoo POS | Lightspeed POS | |
Self-Order Kiosk
| ✅ |
✅ |
Self-Order at the Table
| ✅ | ✅ |
Self-Payment at the Table
| ✅ | ✅ |
Additional Functions
Odoo POS | Lightspeed POS | |
Warnings About Food Allergens
| ❌ |
❌ |
Integration with Food Delivery Platforms
| ❌ | ✅ |
Customers & Loyalty Programs.
Efficient management of your customers and loyalty programs is a crucial part of any business. To provide your customers with a seamless and personalized experience, it’s equally vital to know more about each of them. While both providers offer a plethora of functionalities, Odoo takes simplification a step further by allowing pop-up notes of customer details and customer contact tools.
Customer Management
Odoo POS | Lightspeed POS | |
Management of Customer Data
| ✅ | ✅ |
History of Customer Interaction
| ✅ | ✅ |
Management of Business Customers
| ✅ | ✅ |
Customer Contact Tools
| ✅ |
❌
|
Customer Markings
| ✅ | ✅ |
Accounts Receivable / Credit Limit
| ✅ | ✅ |
Pop-up Notes (Customer Details)
| ✅ |
❌
|
Marketing Preferences
| ✅ | ✅ |
Customer Loyalty & Communication
Odoo POS | Lightspeed POS | |
Custom Advertising
| ✅ | ✅ |
Customer Details & Analytics
| ✅ | ✅ |
Customer Segmentation
| ✅ | ✅ |
Personalised Campaigns
| ✅ | ✅ |
Birthday Reminders / Discounts
| Community | ✅ |
Cross-Channel Experience
| ✅ | ✅ |
Collect Feedback
| ✅ | ✅ |
Customer Satisfaction Overview
| ✅ | ✅ |
Loyalty & Rewards Programs
Odoo POS | Lightspeed POS | |
Loyalty Card Management
| ✅ |
❌
|
VIP or Membership Programs
| ✅ | ✅ |
Loyalty & Discount Campaigns
| ✅ | ✅ |
Voucher Management
| ✅ | ✅ |
Application Limit for Loyalty | ✅ | ✅ |
Validity Periods for Discounts
| ✅ | ✅ |
Reporting Capabilities.
In general both Odoo POS and Lightspeed POS provides real-time sales data, pre-built reports and customisable dashboards covering sales, inventory and employee performance, Both system also allow KPI tracking and time-based reports. In addition to these Odoo POS provides users the ability to obtain customer segmentation reports while Lightspeed POS provides the ability to identify peak times.
Dive in and Explore the Reporting Capabilities.
Sales & Revenue Reports
Odoo POS | Lightspeed POS | |
Real-time Sales Data
| ✅ | ✅ |
Sales Reports
| ✅ | ✅ |
Cash Flow Reports
| ✅ | ✅ |
Analysis of Sales Development
| ✅ | ✅ |
Time-based Sales Reports
| ✅ | ✅ |
Gross Margin Reports
| ✅ | ✅ |
Inventory & Product Analyses
Odoo POS | Lightspeed POS | |
Inventory Reports
| ✅ | ✅ |
Product Performance Reports
| ✅ | ✅ |
Goods Handling Report
| ✅ | ✅ |
Sales Reports Per Category
| ✅ | ✅ |
Transaction Reports
Odoo POS | Lightspeed POS | |
Meeting Reports
| ✅ | ✅ |
Discount Reports
| ✅ | ✅ |
Refunds & Returns Reports
| ✅ | ✅ |
Operational Analysis
Odoo POS | Lightspeed POS | |
Audit Reports
| ✅ | ✅ |
Employee Performance Reports
| ✅ | ✅ |
Identification of Peak Times
|
❌
| ✅ |
Dashboard & Customisation
Odoo POS | Lightspeed POS | |
Dashboard Overview
| ✅ | ✅ |
Custom Reports
| ✅ | ✅ |
KPI Tracking
| ✅ | ✅ |
Data Import / Export Possible
| ✅ | ✅ |
Customer Details
Odoo POS | Lightspeed POS | |
Customer Behaviour Reports
| ✅ | ✅ |
Customer Segmentation Reports
| ✅ | |
Loyalty Program Reports
| ✅ | ✅ |
Ecosystem of Integrations.
General Integrations
Odoo POS | Lightspeed POS | |
eCommerce Integration
| ✅ | ✅ |
Repair Integration
| ✅ | ✅ |
Marketing Integration
| ✅ | ✅ |
Payment Integrations
Odoo POS | Lightspeed POS | |
Adyen
| ✅ | ❌ |
Vantiv (US & Canada)
| ✅ | ❌ |
Ingenico (BENELUX)
| ✅ | ❌ |
Stripe
| ✅ | ❌ |
Six
| ✅ | ❌ |
Worldline
| ✅ | ❌ |
RazorPay
| ✅ | ❌ |
Paytm UPI
| ✅ | ❌ |
3C Payment
| ❌ | ❌ |
Elavon
| ❌ | ❌ |
In Conclusion
.
Both Odoo POS and Lightspeed POS offer robust and comprehensive solutions for retail management.
Whilst Odoo POS shines with its deep integration capabilities, customisation options and scalability, providing a holistic and flexible ERP solution, Lightspeed POS is noted for its ease of use and strong focus on specialty in the retail and hospitality industries.
Ultimately, the choice between Odoo POS and Lightspeed POS will depend on your specific business needs, the level of integration required, future projection of your business in terms of growth and the ease of use desired.
Disclaimer
The information and tips shared on this blog are meant to be used as learning and personal development tools as you launch, run and grow your business. While a good place to start, these articles should not take the place of personalized advice from professionals. As our lawyers would say: “All content on WAO’s blog is intended for informational purposes only. It should not be considered legal or financial advice.” Additionally, Wave is the legal copyright holder of all materials on the blog, and others cannot re-use or publish it without our written consent.