Tableview
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01 / 07Compare

Compare · POS Systems

Tableview vs. Lightspeed. More features, lower price.

Lightspeed is a well-known restaurant POS. Here's how it measures up against Tableview on the features that matter most to restaurant operators.

Starting at
$69/mo
Hardware
Your devices
Contract
Monthly
02 / 07Overview

Restaurant-grade tools, without the enterprise price.

Lightspeed's Restaurant plan starts at $189/mo, nearly three times Tableview's entry price. Tableview delivers KDS, advanced inventory, floor planning, and multi-location management without requiring an enterprise contract.

  • Tableview advantage

    Starts at $69/mo, over $120 less per location than Lightspeed's Restaurant plan.

  • Offline reliability

    Full offline mode for orders, receipts, and payments. Lightspeed requires internet for most features.

  • No lock-in

    Month-to-month contracts. Lightspeed requires annual commitment for best pricing.

03 / 07Feature comparison

Every feature, side by side.

How Tableview and Lightspeed compare on the capabilities restaurant operators care about most.

Feature

Tableview

From $69/mo

Lightspeed

From $189/mo

Pricing & contracts

  • Starting price
    From $69/mo
    From $189/mo (Restaurant plan)
  • Contract length
    Month-to-month, cancel any time
    Annual commitment for best pricing
  • Multi-location pricing
    Available on higher-tier plans
    Requires Enterprise plan
  • Setup / onboarding fees
    Free onboarding included
    Implementation fee varies by plan
  • Payment processing flexibility
    Choose your own processor
    Lightspeed Payments or third-party with added fee

Core POS features

  • Table management / floor plans
    Drag-and-drop floor editor
    Visual floor plan available
  • Course fire / multi-course dining
  • Menu modifier groups
    Unlimited nested modifiers
    Modifier groups supported
  • Split checks
    By item, seat, or custom amount
    By item or equal split
  • Offline mode
    Full offline for orders, receipts, and payments
    Limited, most features need internet
  • Tab management
    Open tabs with pre-auth support
    Bar tab support on Restaurant plan

Kitchen & operations

  • Kitchen display system (KDS)
    Built-in, no extra cost
    Available as add-on
  • Station routing
    Multi-station with priority rules
    Printer and KDS routing
  • Allergen management
    Menu-level allergen flags with front-of-house alerts
    Basic allergen labels
  • Recipe costing
    Advanced Reporting add-on
  • Prep tracking
    –

Inventory & procurement

  • Stock management
    Real-time tracking with depletion by recipe
    Ingredient-level tracking available
  • Low-stock alerts
    Automated alerts with par levels
    Alerts on Advanced plan
  • Supplier management
    Built-in supplier directory and ordering
    MarketMan or third-party integration
  • Purchase orders
    Generate, send, and reconcile in-app
    Via integration partner

Payments & hardware

  • Hardware flexibility
    Runs on any device: tablets, laptops, desktops
    iPad-based with Lightspeed hardware kit
  • Payment methods
    Cards, mobile wallets, QR codes, cash
    Cards, mobile wallets, cash
  • Contactless / NFC
  • Tipping
    Customizable tip prompts with tip pooling
    Tip prompts supported
  • Gift cards
    Digital and physical, no extra fee
    Available, fees may apply

Reporting & analytics

  • Real-time dashboard
  • Labour cost tracking
    Built-in labour vs. revenue reports
    Via Advanced Reporting add-on
  • Product mix analysis
  • Custom reports
    Build and schedule custom reports
    Pre-built reports, limited customisation

Support & integrations

  • 24/7 support
  • Onboarding assistance
    Dedicated onboarding specialist
    Guided onboarding on higher plans
  • Open API
  • Third-party integrations
    Open API + growing marketplace
    Solid integration ecosystem (200+ partners)
04 / 07Why switch

Why restaurants switch from Lightspeed.

Lightspeed is a solid product, but these are the pain points that drive restaurant operators to look for an alternative.

High monthly cost

Lightspeed Restaurant starts at $189/mo. Tableview gives you comparable features from $69/mo, saving over $1,400 a year per location.

Annual contract lock-in

Lightspeed offers the best pricing on annual plans, locking you in for 12 months. Tableview is month-to-month with no cancellation penalty.

iPad-only hardware

Lightspeed requires iPad hardware kits. Tableview runs on any device you already own, including Android tablets, laptops, and desktops.

Limited offline capability

Most Lightspeed features require an active internet connection. Tableview works fully offline, so your service never stops during outages.

05 / 07FAQ

Common questions.

How does Tableview compare to Lightspeed for restaurants?

Tableview offers a comparable feature set to Lightspeed Restaurant, including table management, KDS, inventory, and reporting. The key differences are pricing (Tableview starts at $69/mo vs. $189/mo), hardware flexibility (any device vs. iPad-only), and contract terms (month-to-month vs. annual).

Is Tableview a good Lightspeed POS alternative?

Yes. Tableview covers the core features restaurants need, including floor plans, course firing, split checks, supplier management, and real-time analytics, at a significantly lower price point. It also offers full offline mode and runs on hardware you already own.

How much does Lightspeed Restaurant POS cost?

Lightspeed Restaurant starts at $189/mo for their Restaurant plan. Advanced features like detailed reporting and priority support require higher-tier plans. Annual billing is required for the best rate. Tableview starts at $69/mo with all core features included and no annual commitment.

Can I switch from Lightspeed to Tableview easily?

Yes. Tableview provides a dedicated onboarding specialist who helps migrate your menu, floor plans, and settings. Most restaurants complete the transition in under a week with no disruption to daily service.

Does Tableview work on iPad like Lightspeed?

Tableview works on iPads, Android tablets, laptops, and desktops. Unlike Lightspeed, which requires a specific iPad hardware kit, Tableview lets you use the devices you already have.

Does Tableview support the same integrations as Lightspeed?

Tableview offers an open API and a growing integration marketplace. While Lightspeed has a large partner ecosystem built over many years, Tableview covers the most popular categories, including accounting, delivery, reservations, and payroll, and new integrations are added regularly.

06 / 07Other comparisons

See how Tableview compares to other POS systems.

07 / 07Get started

More features, lower price.

Get restaurant-grade tools without the enterprise price tag. See Tableview in action and compare for yourself.

  • Personalized feature walkthrough
  • Migration plan from Lightspeed
  • Custom pricing for your venue
  • No commitment required