Head to head
Compared side by side on published facts and the same six criteria every review is graded on — generated from the live directory, not a sales page.
Clover
POS System · 3.7/5 mean
Clover is a widely used, all-in-one POS platform (hardware + software + app marketplace) favored by small and medium retailers and restaurants and backed by Fiserv, offering broad functionality but with real-world variability in support and reseller pricing.
Read the full review →Lightspeed
POS System · 3.7/5 mean
Lightspeed Commerce is a global cloud-based POS and commerce platform that provides retail, restaurant, and ecommerce businesses with integrated payments, inventory management, analytics, and omnichannel selling tools.
Read the full review →Lightspeed holds the higher standing — by grade, then mean category score. The row-by-row picture below is what should actually decide it for your business.
Both graded against the same six criteria. How we grade · Last fact-checked September 2, 2026 and August 19, 2026.
| Criterion | Clover | Lightspeed |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing transparency | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| Feature set | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Ease of use | 4.0 | 4.0 |
Straight from each provider's published documentation. Where a number isn't published, we say so rather than estimate.
| Metric | Clover | Lightspeed |
|---|---|---|
| Online rate | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Monthly fee | Clover publishes $89.95/month (restaurant Growth) and $84.95-$104.90/month (retail Standard and Advanced); reseller quotes vary | Not disclosed |
| Payout | Not disclosed | Within 2 business days |
| Contract | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| In-person rate | Not disclosed | 2.6% + $0.10 (advertised on retail plans) |
| PCI fee | Depends on merchant service provider | Not disclosed |
| Statement fee |
From the Lightspeed review
Clover's app marketplace and modular hardware let merchants add functionality without custom engineering, backed by Fiserv's large acquiring network. Lightspeed holds up on pricing clarity — it publishes entry pricing and an advertised in-person rate while Clover's costs vary widely by reseller — and on deeper inventory management.
Pick Clover if you want modular countertop hardware with an app marketplace to extend it
Ideal for
Not recommended for
Ideal for
Not recommended for
The full reviews carry the pricing narratives, contract analysis and everything else behind these numbers — or let the matching funnel score the whole directory against your business.
| Customer support | 3.0 | 3.0 |
|---|
| Contract terms | 3.0 | 3.0 |
|---|
| Industry reputation | 4.0 | 4.0 |
|---|
| None listed, but platform fee of $5.00 |
| Usually none |
| Chargeback fee | Depend on reseller/acquirer contract | Often around $15–25 |
|---|
| Early termination | Depending on partner/reseller contract | Contract dependent |
|---|
| Last fact-checked | September 2, 2026 | August 19, 2026 |
|---|