Square
Square is a geatt entry-level system. If you’re running one small site and just need payments + POS, it works. But when complexity increases — multi-location, reporting depth, operational control — that’s where Lightspeed is built to win.
Why we win
Why we lose
Built for UK customers
Built in Europe for European operators, fully compliant with regional needs, payments and fiscalisation.
Pricing perception
Square discounts hardware and software heavily to win deals, making upfront costs look cheaper.
Advanced Menu Management
Lightspeed supports advanced modifier structures that let you control preparation details, pricing logic and kitchen routing with precision.
Strong brand recognition globally
Square has a powerful global brand awareness and highly recognisable hardware that builds quick trust.
Multi-location control
Centralised menu management, shared items, location hierarchies and advanced permissions. Designed for operators with 2+ sites or franchise ambitions.
All-in-one approach
Square’s tightly bundled software + payments + hardware can feel convenient for smaller merchants who prefer a closed ecosystem.
Stronger integration ecosystem
180+ integrations across payments, delivery, loyalty, and more.
Local 24/7 Support
Teams on the ground in UK, not US-based only.
Bechmarks & Trends
Real-time data on how similar restaurants to you are performing in your neighbourhood. Toast doesn’t offer this.
Square is cheaper!
If you open a second site and can’t centrally manage menus, permissions and reporting, the operational overhead increases. That’s where cheaper systems start costing time. Did you know our customers see a 10% increase in their revenue after using Tableside?
We like Square’s hardware. It’s cheap!
Their hardware is clean and recognisable. Our focus is more on building the hardware setup around your workflow instead of fitting you into one ecosystem.
We don’t need complex reporting like comparing ourselves to other restaurants.
How do you currently compare performance between weekdays vs weekends, or site vs site? Lightspeed shows multi-location comparisons and margin-level insights. Square focuses more on daily summaries.
Category
Feature
Square
Lightspeed
Reservations
Reservation widget
❌ (limited, Square has Appointments)
✅
POS
Split & Merge Sales
Floor Plan & Quick Sale
Table modifiers & coursing
✅
✅
❌
✅
✅
✅
Order Anywhere
Pick-up orders
Delivery + Uber Eats
✅
❌
✅
✅
Payments
Tap to pay
Payments Support
Integrated Tipping
Partial/Split Payments
Adyen integrated in POS
✅
✅
✅
✅ (limited)
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
QR Ordering
Digital Menu Card
Order & Pay by Phone
Tableside Ordering
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
KDS
KDS
✅
✅
Reporting
Pulse App
Benchmark & Trends
❌
❌
✅
✅
Loyalty
Loyalty / Punch cards
✅
✅
Hardware
Hardware Shop
❌
✅
Support
24/7 Support
❌ (support is based in the US)
✅
Integrations
A wide range of third-party integrations
✅
✅
Team Management
Employee Scheduling
✅ (limited in comparison to LS)
❌
Offline Mode
❌
✅
Mobile POS/Handheld
✅
✅
Inventory Management
✅ (basic)
✅ (medium)
Free
£0/month
Unlimited devices
Unlimited locations
Mon–Fri 9:00–17:00 support
Plus
£69/month
Per month per location
Unlimited devices
30-day free trial
Custom
Custom (Available if you process more than £200,000 per year)
POS
Reporting
Payments
Hardware configuration + go live support