Gelato vs Lightspeed Pricing (2026)

How do these two stack up on price? Here's what each one costs, what you get, and where the value sits.

Gelato Lightspeed
Starts at Custom $89/mo
Number of plans 3 3
Free plan
Free trial
Pricing model hybrid flat-rate

Free

$0/mo
  • No upfront fees
  • No minimum orders
  • Payment and currency options
  • Multi-currency wallet
  • Local taxes and VAT handling

Gelato+

Custom
  • Personalization Studio
  • AI tools
  • Up to 33% off products year-round
  • 20% off premium apparel brands
  • Free shipping on premium apparel orders

Gelato Platinum

Custom
  • Personalized pricing
  • Price matching
  • Free samples

Basic

$89/mo
  • Retail POS
  • Registers
  • Integrated Payments
  • Inventory Management
  • Lightspeed Wholesale
  • NuORDER Catalog
  • PO Sync
  • Built-in Lightspeed eCommerce
  • Lightspeed Payments Card-present rate
  • Onboarding and professional service options
  • 24/7 Chat Support
  • Lightspeed Capital

Core

$149/mo
  • Retail POS
  • Registers
  • Integrated Payments
  • Inventory Management
  • Lightspeed Wholesale
  • NuORDER Catalog
  • PO Sync
  • Built-in Lightspeed eCommerce
  • In-store and online loyalty
  • Advanced sales, staff and inventory reports
  • Accounting, ecommerce and marketing integrations
  • Mobile Scanner POS App / Mobile Scanner App
  • Landed Costs
  • Lightspeed Payments Card-present rate
  • Onboarding and professional service options
  • 24/7 Chat Support
  • Lightspeed Capital

Plus

$289/mo
  • Retail POS
  • Registers
  • Integrated Payments
  • Inventory Management
  • Lightspeed Wholesale
  • NuORDER Catalog
  • PO Sync
  • Built-in Lightspeed eCommerce
  • In-store and online loyalty
  • Advanced sales, staff and inventory reports
  • Accounting, ecommerce and marketing integrations
  • Mobile Scanner POS App / Mobile Scanner App
  • Landed Costs
  • Insights (Forecasting, order recommendations & custom reporting)
  • API access
  • Workflows
  • Custom User Roles
  • SSO (Single Sign-ON)
  • Lightspeed Payments Card-present rate
  • Onboarding and professional service options
  • 24/7 Chat Support
  • 24/7 Phone Support
  • Lightspeed Capital

Gelato vs Lightspeed FAQ

Which one is cheaper?
One or both use custom pricing, so it depends on your specific needs.
Can I use either one for free?
Gelato has a free plan. Lightspeed doesn't — you'll need to pay from day one.
How do they charge?
Different approach here. Gelato uses hybrid pricing, while Lightspeed goes with flat-rate. That changes the math depending on your team size and usage.
Which one is a better deal?
Depends on what you need. Gelato: They're positioning against Printful and Printify by making the entry point genuinely free with no monthly commitment, then competing on margin recovery through discounts rather than undercutting base product prices. It's a mid-market play — not the cheapest per-unit option, but the subscription discount structure targets serious sellers who want predictable cost reduction without going enterprise. Lightspeed: They're firmly in the mid-to-premium tier for retail POS — more expensive than Square for Retail but competing head-on with Shopify POS and Clover. They're clearly going after established brick-and-mortar retailers who've outgrown entry-level tools, not first-time shop owners looking for the cheapest option.

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