Shopify POS Lite vs. Pro: A Comprehensive Comparison

If you operate an online store and need a solution to seamlessly manage both e-commerce and in-person transactions, Shopify POS is an excellent choice. Designed to streamline sales processes, this system integrates product, inventory, and transaction management into a single platform while offering a variety of helpful tools and features. With Shopify POS, you can provide customers with flexible shopping options such as local delivery, in-store pick-up, and direct shipping. Additionally, it includes built-in customer profiles, marketing tools, and integrations to help boost sales and increase revenue. However, the features you access depend on whether you choose the “Lite” version or the more advanced “Pro” plan. Here’s a closer look at how these two options compare.

Definition of POS Lite vs Pos Pro Shopify

What is Shopify POS Lite?

Shopify POS Lite is a free, basic version of Shopify's Point of Sale (POS) system, included with all Shopify plans. It allows merchants to manage in-person sales at physical stores, pop-up shops, or on-the-go. With Shopify POS Lite, you can handle product and inventory management, process payments, and manage customer information.

Best For:

• First-time in-person sellers.
• Solo retailers with few products.

What is Shopify POS Pro?

Shopify POS Pro is the advanced version of Shopify's Point of Sale (POS) system, designed for businesses that require more robust features for managing in-person sales. It is a paid upgrade from Shopify POS Lite, offering additional tools to streamline operations, enhance the customer experience, and improve business management for retailers with higher transaction volumes or more complex needs.

Best For:

• Multi-location & high-volume stores.
• Retailers need staff & inventory control.
• Seamless online & offline sales.

Outstanding Features of Shopify POS Lite vs Pro

To assist you in making an informed choice, let’s examine the key features of Shopify POS Lite and Pro.

Features: Shopify POS Lite

Basic Checkout Process

• Support for multiple payment methods, including cash, credit cards, and contactless payments.
• Discounts, custom sales, and tax adjustments at checkout.

Product Management

• Manage products, variants, and inventory directly from the POS app.
• Barcode support for faster product search and checkout.

Customer Profiles

• Save customer contact details to create profiles.
• View purchase history for personalized service.

Integration with Shopify Online Store

• Syncs with your online store for real-time inventory updates.
• Unified reporting for both online and in-store sales.

Receipt Options

• Email or text receipts for customers.

Basic Reporting

• Access basic sales summaries and performance metrics.

Cost

• Included with all Shopify plans at no extra cost.

Features: Shopify POS Pro

Advanced Inventory Management

• Inventory tracking across multiple locations.
• Stock transfers between stores.
• Low-stock alerts and inventory counts.

Omnichannel Selling Features

• Buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS).
• Ship from the store: Fulfill online orders directly from store inventory.
• Save and retrieve carts for a seamless customer experience.

Enhanced Customer Management

• Customizable customer profiles, including loyalty and purchase insights.
• Automated customer segmentation based on behavior and purchases.

Staff Permissions and Roles

• Detailed staff roles and permissions to control access.
• Staff activity tracking for accountability.

Advanced Analytics and Reporting

• Detailed reports for sales, staff performance, and product insights.
• Profitability metrics by product and location.

Custom Receipts

• Add branded elements to receipts for a professional look.

In-Store Experience

• Support for hardware integrations (e.g., barcode scanners, receipt printers, cash drawers).
• Smart inventory search and product recommendations during checkout.

24/7 Priority Support

• Access to priority customer support for faster resolution of issues.

Shopify POS Pro vs Lite: Advantages and Disadvantages

Breaking Down the Differences between Shopify POS Pro and Lite

Shopify POS Lite vs. Pro: Customization

• Shopify POS Lite: This plan allows merchants to customize the smart grid for efficient category organization and streamlined checkouts. The design can be optimized for both tablets and smartphones, ensuring a consistent user experience across devices. Merchants can also tailor their reports by selecting specific data fields—such as sales, inventory, customer details, or product performance—and applying filters to focus on particular segments or timeframes for deeper business insights.
• Shopify POS Pro: In addition to features like the Smart Grid and custom reporting, Shopify POS Pro allows merchants to customize printed receipt templates. This enables businesses to align receipts with their branding, ensuring a professional presentation. Merchants can enhance receipts by adding their store’s logo, modifying the color scheme, and including key details such as contact information or social media links.

Shopify POS Lite vs. Pro: Omnichannel Selling

Both Shopify POS Lite and Pro deliver a seamless customer experience, whether shopping in-store or online. By synchronizing product collections, customer profiles, and inventory levels, these systems ensure everything stays updated in real-time. This allows merchants to provide the most accurate information, such as product availability, for better customer service.

Shopify POS Pro offers customers a more versatile omnichannel experience with features such as:

• Local Pickup: Customers can place orders online and conveniently pick them up at a nearby store.
• In-store Purchases with Direct Shipping: Merchants can sell products in-store and ship them directly from their inventory.
• Online Purchases with In-store Exchange and Return: Customers can exchange or return items purchased online or from other locations at a store of their choice, with inventory updating automatically.
• Local Delivery: Customers can order online and have their items delivered directly from the store.

Shopify POS Lite vs. Pro: Staff Management

• Shopify POS Lite: Designed for businesses with smaller teams, Shopify POS Lite includes essential staff management features. Merchants can assign a unique PIN to each team member for system access, making it a practical choice for straightforward staff oversight and smaller workforces.

• Shopify POS Pro: Shopify POS Pro provides merchants with advanced tools to manage their workforce more effectively. Key features include:

  • Unlimited POS Staff: Add and manage an unlimited number of staff members with controlled access to the POS system, while restricting administrative privileges.
  • Staff Roles and Permissions: Customize staff roles and permissions to match your business needs. Employees will require manager approval to apply discounts or alter tax rates, adding an extra layer of security and oversight.
  • Track Staff Performance: Monitor staff performance by attributing sales to individual team members, helping to calculate commissions or rewarding exceptional work.

  With Shopify POS Pro, merchants can streamline operations, delegate responsibilities efficiently, and empower their teams to contribute to the business’s success, all while ensuring secure and controlled management.

Shopify POS Lite vs. Pro: Customer Management

Both Shopify POS Lite and Shopify POS Pro offer robust tools for fostering and maintaining strong customer relationships.

These systems allow you to create detailed customer profiles, storing key information such as contact details, purchase history, total spend, and personalized notes. By utilizing customer tags, shipping addresses, tax details, and marketing preferences, you can segment your audience and tailor your communications effectively.

Both POS plans also provide easy ways to reward customer loyalty by offering exclusive events, discounts, or content to loyal customers, whether they shop online or in-store.

Additionally, you can collect customer emails during checkout, enabling you to stay connected through marketing emails and promotions. By leveraging customer data and preferences, you can craft targeted, personalized email campaigns that engage your audience and drive sales.

Shopify POS Lite vs Pro: POS Hardware

Shopify POS Lite: The POS Lite plan is designed for smaller businesses or those just starting. It works with basic hardware like your smartphone or tablet, allowing you to use the Shopify POS app to process transactions. This plan doesn’t require any specialized hardware, but you can still connect peripherals like a receipt printer or barcode scanner if needed, though these are typically sold separately.

Shopify POS Pro: The Pro plan, on the other hand, offers more advanced hardware options, making it suitable for businesses with more complex needs. In addition to using your tablet or smartphone, Shopify POS Pro allows you to integrate a variety of specialized hardware. This includes POS stands, receipt printers, barcode scanners, cash drawers, and even self-checkout kiosks. It’s designed for businesses that need more robust and streamlined in-store operations. Shopify also offers hardware bundles for POS Pro, which can be purchased directly through Shopify’s hardware store.

Which Shopify POS Version is Appropriate for Your Business?

Both Shopify POS versions—Lite and Pro—offer distinct benefits depending on your business's needs and goals.

• Shopify POS Lite: Ideal for businesses just starting with omnichannel sales. It provides essential features for tracking sales and inventory, making it a great choice for small or emerging businesses. If you're testing the waters with in-person sales or have simple sales needs, POS Lite provides a cost-effective way to get started without additional expenses.
• Shopify POS Pro: Best for businesses that are committed to having a permanent physical store and plan to scale. POS Pro offers more advanced features for boosting sales, enhancing customer relationships, and managing staff. It includes tools for detailed reporting, multi-location management, and customer-specific pricing, making it ideal for businesses with more complexity. However, the added features come with a higher cost, especially when factoring in hardware and multiple locations.

WRAP UP

Shopify POS Lite and Pro are designed for different types of businesses. POS Lite is a great choice for small businesses and pop-up shops, offering essential features like checkout, order management, and integrated payments at no extra cost with any Shopify plan. On the other hand, POS Pro is built for growing businesses with more complex needs, providing advanced inventory management, staff permissions, detailed reporting, and omnichannel selling tools for an additional monthly fee per location.

Shopify is offering a promotion where new users can start with a 3-day free trial, followed by the first 3 months at $1 USD per month. Try Shopify POS here!