Tillhub
Founded in 2015 in Berlin and acquired by Unzer in 2022, Tillhub provides a cloud-based iPad POS tailored for small-to-medium hospitality businesses. Since the acquisition, Tillhub has been repositioned as the software “front-end” for Unzer’s payment ecosystem. Its primary markets are cafés, bars, food trucks, and small restaurants. It’s iPad-based with a heavy focus on all-in-one mobile terminals, like the POS Go. A key advantage is the seamless integration with Unzer’s payment gateway, offering “rent-free” hardware bundles to lock in processing volume.
Why we win
Why we lose
Features
Lightspeed offers Reporting & Advanced Insights, and a more advanced inventory tool.
Unified architecture
Tillhub is a generalist. If the prospect has a 50/50 split between a retail boutique and a café, Tillhub’s unified retail/gastro architecture is easier to manage than a hospitality-first system.
Advanced kitchen flow
Lightspeed’s KDS supports complex coursing, firing, and timing, whilst Tillhub’s kitchen tools are simpler and less suited for full-service dining.
Simplicity
For small owners who want one single contract for their bank, terminal, and software, Tillhub (via Unzer) provides a very simplified administrative experience.
Support
Lightspeed offers free 24/7 phone, chat, and email support globally, whilst Tillhub’s support times are location based (Berlin).
Hardware versatility
Tillhub’s POS Go is a compact handheld that integrates a printer and terminal. It’s a very attractive piece of hardware for small, mobile venues.
Stronger integration ecosystem
180+ integrations across payments, delivery, loyalty, and more. Tillhub prioritizes its own internal tools over a wide ecosystem of third-party apps.
Transaction costs
Lightspeed has lower transaction costs compared to Tillhub (10c per transaction).
Multi-location support
Lightspeed is more scalable than Tillhub and better suited for business with multiple locations.
“Tillhub is cheaper because I get the hardware for free (or rent-free) when I use their payments.”
Free hardware is almost always a loan, not a gift. It ties you into a specific payment processor (Unzer) where you might end up paying higher transaction rates that exceed the cost of the hardware over two years or so.
Lightspeed offers transparent pricing. We give you the choice of hardware that you own. More importantly, we offer integrated payments with competitive, flat-rate pricing. Don’t let a ‘free’ iPad today cost you thousands in transaction fees tomorrow.
“Tillhub’s POS Go includes a printer, scanner, and POS all in one handheld. Lightspeed needs separate devices.”
Their POS Go is a great gadget for a food truck, but in a high-volume restaurant, ‘all-in-one’ means if you drop that device, you lose your printer, your payment terminal, and your ordering system all at once.
Lightspeed uses pro-grade mobile hardware. Our Tap to Pay turns any smartphone into a terminal. If one device breaks, you can swap it for another in seconds. We prioritize 99.9% uptime over ‘all-in-one’ gadgets that can’t be easily serviced during a rush.
“Tillhub is simpler for my staff to learn. I don’t need all the extra data Lightspeed provides.”
Tillhub is simple because it lacks the depth of a true restaurant management system. It’s essentially a retail register with a ‘table plan’ button added on.
Lightspeed is just as easy for your waiters. But the extra data is for you, the owner. Our Advanced Insights feature tells you exactly which menu items lower your profits. Tillhub tells you what you sold; Lightspeed tells you how to make more money.
Category
Feature
Tillhub
Lightspeed
Cloud-based
✅
✅
iOS
✅
✅
Advanced order
❌
✅
Mobile POS
✅
✅
Reservations
Reservation widget
✅ Very basic
Only from POS
✅ Native and via integration
KDS
KDS
❌
✅
Inventory
✅ Basic
✅
Loyalty
Loyalty / Punch cards
❌
✅
Hardware
Hardware shop
✅
✅
Support
24/7 support
❌ Local daytime support only
✅
Integrations
Third-party integrations
❌ Limited
No information available
✅ Wide-ranged
180+ available integrations
Payment solution
✅ Via Unzer
✅
Tap to Pay
✅
✅
Base license
From €79/month
Basic gastro setup:
Table management
Inventory management
Offline functionality
Splitting payments & more.
Add-Ons
Separate recurring fees
Vouchers €10/month
Orderpro Plus (includes payment at table)€20/month, requires CCV A 920
TSE & Fiscalization €139/year
Setup & Hardware
One-time fees
Setup & training €149
Tablet stand €94
Epson printer €369
All devices here.