NOVA & Lightspeed Comparison
Compare two leading retail POS platforms and discover which solution best matches your retail priorities, operational needs, and long-term growth goals.
Both are excellent.
Here’s who each one is for.
The right choice depends on where your business is today—and where you want it to be tomorrow.
Lightspeed is the better fit if…
- You manage a large or highly complex retail operation.
- Advanced inventory and purchasing workflows are your highest priority.
- You want extensive configuration options.
- You're looking for enterprise-style retail capabilities.
- You have the resources to tailor the platform to your operational needs.
NOVA is the better fit if…
- You operate a specialty retail business and want a platform built around your day-to-day operations.
- You value a guided implementation with dedicated onboarding and retail-trained support.
- You want powerful retail management without unnecessary complexity.
- You need inventory, employees, CRM, reporting, and payments working together.
- You want a platform designed to grow with your business.
Two powerful platforms.
Built for different retail priorities.
Growing & larger retail organizations
SMB specialty retailers
Highly advanced
Advanced & intuitive
Robust
Retail-focused operational insights
Highly configurable
Guided & streamlined
Dedicated support by plan
Live, personalized, retail-trained support included in all plans
Enterprise-style scalability
Practical retail growth
Compare what's included.
Compare more than the monthly price.
LIGHTSPEED RETAIL
Lightspeed Retail (X-Series) entry plan — core POS, inventory, and reporting for a single register.
Billed monthly; annual billing saves up to ~18% ($89/mo.).
Adds accounting integration and deeper analytics.
Billed monthly; annual billing saves up to ~18% ($149/mo.).
Adds advanced reporting, loyalty, and customization for scaling retailers.
Billed monthly; annual billing saves up to ~18% ($289/mo.).
NOVA — one price. all features included.
Why does NOVA Integrated cost less? Through our partnership with Propelr, we’re able to pass along $40/month in software savings to retailers who choose our integrated payment solution.
Same complete platform, every feature on — you pair it with the merchant partner of your choice.
All features included — no paywalls
Unlimited employees & customers
Live retail experts, whenever you need us
Choose integrated payments or keep your preferred processor
Cancel anytime — no questions asked
10-day free trial · no credit card
Lightspeed Retail (X-Series) plan pricing per lightspeedhq.com/pos/retail/pricing — verified July 25, 2026 (Basic / Core / Plus, monthly billing; annual saves up to ~18%). Lightspeed does not publish a single uniform card-processing rate (it is quoted by business and volume), so processing fees are not shown here. NOVA plan facts from novapointofsale.com/pricing.
Your POS should power more
than checkout
Choosing a POS isn’t just about accepting payments — it’s about choosing the platform you’ll rely on to run your business every day.
NOVA
BUILT TO RUN & GROW
NOVA helps retailers operate more efficiently and grow with confidence by bringing POS, operations, customers, employees, reporting, and payments together in one connected platform.
Increase Sales & Profitability
Drive profitable growth with customer insights, performance-based commissions, flexible pricing controls, product incentives, and integrated payments.
Backed by Retail Experts
Get onboarding, training, and responsive support from a team who understands both retail and software to keep your business growing.
Grow with Visibility
Monitor sales, inventory, employees, and performance with real-time dashboards, alerts, mobile access, and multi-location visibility.
Empower Your Team
Track performance, automate commissions, manage payroll, assign permissions, and motivate smarter selling with customizable incentives.
Know Every Customer
Connect purchase history, Smart CRM, loyalty, targeted marketing, and appointments to create more personalized customer experiences.
Make Better Decisions
Access real-time KPIs, profitability reports, inventory analytics, purchasing insights, and operational reporting.
Why retailers choose NOVA over Lightspeed
Lightspeed delivers enterprise-scale retail capabilities. NOVA is built for specialty retailers who want one connected platform that’s simple to manage, easy to scale, and designed for the way they work.
Purpose Built for Specialty Retail
- Inventory management
- Selling tools that increase revenue & profitability
- Flexible pricing & commissions
- Customer loyalty & CRM
Operational Simplicity
- Guided implementation
- Intuitive workflows
- Faster user adoption
- Built for day-to-day retail management
Actionable Visibility
- Real-time dashboards
- Mobile back-office access
- Multi-location insights
- Operational reporting
Personalized partnership
- Dedicated onboarding
- Personalized training
- Responsive support
- Long-term partnership
Thinking of Switching
Switching to NOVA is easier than you may think. Our team guides you through implementation, carefully migrates your data, and helps you go live with minimal disruption to your business.
Guided Implementation
A NOVA retail expert plans the move with you.
Data Migration
Catalog, customers, and history mapped item by item.
Minimal Downtime
Go live without closing the doors.
10 days free · no credit card required
Questions retailers ask
Can I migrate from Lightspeed to NOVA?
Your switch is guided end to end — guided implementation, data migration, and minimal downtime, with a NOVA retail expert working the move with you. Exactly what transfers depends on your catalog and setup. We map it together, item by item, before you commit to anything.
Can I try NOVA before deciding anything?
Yes. Try NOVA 10 days free, no credit card, cancel anytime, no questions asked.
Do I have to use a specific payment processor?
No. Choose the payment option that works best for your business. With NOVA Basic, you can keep your preferred payment processor. Or choose NOVA Integrated to combine your POS and payments in one solution while saving $40/month on your software subscription.
What will Lightspeed cost as my store grows?
Lightspeed Retail runs $109/mo (Basic), $179/mo (Core) and $339/mo (Plus), billed monthly with annual options. Lightspeed does not publish a uniform card-processing rate — payments pricing is quoted per merchant. Costs rise with add-ons and higher tiers as you scale.
Published plan pricing verified July 25, 2026.
What about AI?
AI has incredible potential, but it starts with clean, connected data. NOVA brings your inventory, customers, employees, reporting, and payments together in one platform, creating the foundation for meaningful AI-powered insights as our AI capabilities continue to evolve.
Inventory
Employees
Customers
Reporting
Payments
Live expert support
Lightspeed scales enterprise. NOVA scales specialty retail.
Lightspeed is a strong choice for retailers that require advanced inventory management, extensive configuration, and enterprise-style retail capabilities.
NOVA is designed for specialty retailers who want powerful retail management, operational visibility, and personalized support in a platform that’s intuitive, connected, and built to grow with their business.
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