Quick answer
- POS Lite: included free with every Shopify plan. Great for markets, events and small shops.
- POS Pro: paid add-on per location for staff roles, advanced inventory and retail reporting.
- Biggest win: one inventory and customer list across online and in-person sales.
Explore Shopify POS (opens in a new tab)
What is Shopify POS?
Shopify POS is the point-of-sale app that turns a phone, tablet or Shopify terminal into a checkout counter. Because it's part of Shopify, every in-person sale updates the same inventory, customer profiles and reports as your online store. There's no syncing between separate systems.
POS Lite vs POS Pro
| Feature | POS Lite | POS Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Included with Shopify plans | Paid add-on, per location |
| Accept payments in person | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shared online/in-store inventory | ✓ | ✓ |
| Customer profiles | ✓ | ✓ |
| Staff roles & permissions | Basic | Advanced |
| Omnichannel (buy online, pick up / ship to customer) | Limited | ✓ |
| Inventory counts & purchase orders | — | ✓ |
| Retail analytics | Basic | Advanced |
Who Shopify POS is best for
- Online stores that also sell in person at markets, pop-ups and events. POS Lite is perfect and costs nothing extra.
- Boutiques and small retailers who want online and in-store to work as one business.
- Growing multi-location retail that needs staff management and inventory transfers (POS Pro).
Restaurants and cafés with table service are usually better served by dedicated hospitality systems. See our best POS system for retail roundup for alternatives.
Hardware
You can start with just the POS app on a phone and a compact card reader. Shopify also sells countertop kits and all-in-one terminals for busier stores, plus receipt printers, scanners and cash drawers. Buy hardware from Shopify's hardware store to make sure it's compatible.
In-person payment rates
In-person card rates with Shopify Payments are lower than online rates and fall on higher plans. Like online sales, using Shopify Payments avoids extra transaction fees. See Shopify Payments.
Shopify POS vs Square
Square is free to start and excellent for in-person-first businesses like cafés. Shopify POS wins when online sales matter as much as in-store sales, because Shopify's online store is far more capable. Read Shopify vs Square Online for the full picture.
Our verdict
If you sell online and in person, Shopify POS is the easiest way to run both as one business. POS Lite alone is a big reason to choose Shopify over other store builders.
Explore Shopify POS (opens in a new tab)Frequently asked questions
Is Shopify POS free?
Shopify POS Lite is included with every Shopify plan at no extra cost. POS Pro, with advanced retail features, is a paid add-on per location.
Can I use Shopify POS without an online store?
Yes. Some merchants use Shopify mainly for in-person retail, though you still need a Shopify plan. Many start selling online later from the same admin.
What hardware does Shopify POS need?
At minimum, a phone or tablet running the Shopify POS app and a Shopify card reader. Larger shops add a receipt printer, barcode scanner and cash drawer.