Odoo vs. Lightspeed: Retailers' Guide to POS Systems.

Join us as we explore the features and usability of leading POS systems; Odoo vs Lightspeed, in this detailed comparison to help you find the ideal retail management software for your business.
9 August 2024 by
Jeri Wambeek
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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; 

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 
Module


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 
Module


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 
Programs / Discounts



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.


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.




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