Square for Restaurants vs Lightspeed Restaurant
POS & Ordering · Features checked on the official websites, Oct 2026.
Verdict
Pick Square for Restaurants if you want to start at $0/mo with published card fees and add Plus ($49) or Premium ($149) later. Pick Lightspeed Restaurant if you run a larger or hotel-attached operation that needs PMS integration and is fine with a quoted card rate and plans from $69 to $399 a month.
Who it's for
Square for Restaurants
Cafés, counter-service spots, food trucks and small restaurants that want a free plan and published processing rates.
Lightspeed Restaurant
Full-service restaurants, multi-location groups and hotel outlets that need PMS integration and deeper reporting.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Square for Restaurants | Lightspeed Restaurant |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing (checked Oct 2026) | Square Free $0/mo, Square Plus $49/mo, Square Premium $149/mo (Plus and Premium are per location); custom pricing (Square Pro) if you process over $250,000 a year | Starter $69, Essential $189 and Premium $399 (USD per month, as listed on the US restaurant pricing page), plus a custom-quoted Enterprise tier |
| In-person card fee (checked Oct 2026) | 2.6% + 15¢ (Free), 2.5% + 15¢ (Plus), 2.4% + 15¢ (Premium) | Not published on the pricing page; quoted |
| Kitchen display (KDS) | Square KDS app $30/mo per device on Plus, $20/mo on Premium; not in Free | KDS $30 per screen per month |
| Free plan | Y (Square Free, $0/mo) | Not highlighted |
| Online / QR ordering | Yes | Yes |
| Handheld tableside | Square Plus and Premium (not in Square Free) | Yes |
| Hotel PMS integration | Not highlighted | Yes |
| Multi-location | Yes | Yes |
| Offline payments | Y on every plan (declined if you don't reconnect within 24 hours) | Yes |
✓ Yes = advertised on the vendor's official website (checked Oct 2026). "Not highlighted" means we didn't see it on the main product page. It may exist, so confirm with the vendor. Prices shown were read on each vendor's official pricing page (checked Oct 2026) and change often, so confirm current pricing with the vendor before you buy.
Sources
FAQ
Is Square for Restaurants or Lightspeed Restaurant better?
Pick Square for Restaurants if you want to start at $0/mo with published card fees and add Plus ($49) or Premium ($149) later. Pick Lightspeed Restaurant if you run a larger or hotel-attached operation that needs PMS integration and is fine with a quoted card rate and plans from $69 to $399 a month.
Who should choose Square for Restaurants?
Cafés, counter-service spots, food trucks and small restaurants that want a free plan and published processing rates.
Who should choose Lightspeed Restaurant?
Full-service restaurants, multi-location groups and hotel outlets that need PMS integration and deeper reporting.
How much do Square for Restaurants and Lightspeed Restaurant cost?
The pricing rows in the table above were read on the official Square for Restaurants and Lightspeed Restaurant pricing pages (checked Oct 2026). Prices change often and some plans are quote-based, so confirm on each vendor's official pricing page before you buy.
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