Best for unified online and in-store4.5From From $39/mo (with Shopify plan)Shopify POS
One system for your Shopify store and in-person sales—single catalog, inventory, and orders.
Compare POS systems that unify online and in-store sales so inventory and orders stay in sync across your storefront and register.
Ecommerce businesses that also sell in person need a POS that shares one product catalog and inventory with their online store. Otherwise, you risk overselling, double data entry, and fragmented reporting. The right POS either is part of your ecommerce platform (e.g. Shopify POS) or integrates tightly so sales from the web and the register update the same stock and orders.
Our top POS picks for ecommerce businesses.
Best for unified online and in-store4.5From From $39/mo (with Shopify plan)One system for your Shopify store and in-person sales—single catalog, inventory, and orders.
Best for flexibility and low commitment4.6From Free software, hardware from $49POS with optional ecommerce and integrations so you can connect to multiple storefronts.
Best for retail + ecommerce integration4.4From From ~$69/moRetail POS that connects to ecommerce platforms so inventory stays in sync across channels.
Side-by-side at a glance.
| Software | Best for | Starting price | Standout feature | Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Shopify POS | Businesses whose storefront is on Shopify | From $39/mo (with Shopify plan) | Native unification of online and in-store | Read review |
Square POS | In-person-first with optional ecommerce | Free software, hardware from $49 | No required platform lock-in | Read review |
Lightspeed POS | Retail with ecommerce integrations | From ~$69/mo | Retail depth and channel sync | Read review |
What to look for when you choose POS software for ecommerce.
The biggest benefit of an ecommerce-aware POS is one product catalog and one inventory count for your website and your register. Sales from either channel update the same stock so you don’t oversell. Shopify POS does this natively on Shopify; Square and Lightspeed achieve it via integrations with ecommerce platforms.
Choose Shopify POS when your primary sales channel is or will be a Shopify store—you get the tightest unification. Choose Square when you want to avoid platform lock-in, don’t need Shopify for ecommerce, or sell in person first with ecommerce as a secondary channel. Both can work; the decision hinges on whether Shopify is central to your strategy.
Your POS should support the hardware you need at the register (terminals, printers) and report on combined online and in-person sales. Shopify POS reports natively across channels; Square and Lightspeed combine POS and ecommerce data via their dashboards and integrations.
Why we chose these tools for ecommerce.
Shopify POS is the best fit when your storefront is on Shopify. Online and in-store sales, inventory, and orders live in one system. There’s no sync delay or integration fragility—it’s one platform. The trade-off is the Shopify subscription; if you’re not on Shopify, Square or Lightspeed may be better.
Square suits ecommerce businesses that want flexibility. You can add Square Online or connect to other storefronts; inventory can sync via integrations. You’re not locked into one ecommerce platform, and you get free POS software and straightforward pricing.
Lightspeed fits retail businesses that also sell online and need deeper inventory and multi-location. It connects to ecommerce platforms so stock stays in sync. Choose it when you need more retail operational depth than Shopify POS or Square provide.
For more options across all use cases, see our best POS software. To compare platforms side-by-side, see our POS software comparisons.
Quick answers for this use case.