Fivestars
Fivestars is a comprehensive customer loyalty and marketing platform that helps small businesses increase repeat visits through automated rewards, personalized messaging, and integrated payment processing solutions.
Lightspeed
Lightspeed provides a unified commerce platform that simplifies inventory management, sales tracking, and customer engagement for ambitious retail and hospitality businesses looking to scale their operations globally.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Fivestars | Lightspeed |
|---|---|---|
| Website | fivestars.com | lightspeedhq.com |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Subscription |
| Starting Price | Custom Pricing | $89/month |
| FREE Trial | ✘ No free trial | ✓ 14 days free trial |
| Free Plan | ✘ No free plan | ✘ No free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2011 | 2005 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, USA | Montreal, Canada |
Overview
Fivestars
Fivestars helps you turn one-time shoppers into lifelong customers by automating your retention marketing. Instead of managing messy paper punch cards, you get a digital loyalty program that captures customer data at the point of sale. You can automatically send personalized offers via text, email, or the Fivestars mobile app to bring people back during slow hours or special events.
The platform combines a customer-facing touch screen with powerful backend automation to track spending habits and visit frequency. You can see exactly which promotions drive revenue and adjust your strategy in real-time. It is designed specifically for local brick-and-mortar businesses like coffee shops, restaurants, and retail boutiques that want to compete with big-box rewards programs without the technical headache.
Lightspeed
Lightspeed is a comprehensive commerce platform designed to help you run your entire business from a single interface. Whether you manage a high-end retail boutique or a busy multi-location restaurant, you can sync your physical inventory with an online store, track sales in real-time, and manage staff schedules effortlessly. It eliminates the friction between offline and online selling by providing a centralized hub for all your data.
You can leverage advanced reporting to identify your best-selling products and optimize your stock levels across multiple locations. The platform also includes built-in payment processing and customer loyalty tools to help you build lasting relationships. It is specifically built for mid-market and enterprise-level businesses that require sophisticated features like multi-currency support and complex inventory matrixing to fuel their growth.
Overview
Fivestars Features
- Digital Loyalty Program Replace paper cards with a digital system that tracks points and rewards automatically at your checkout counter.
- Autopilot Marketing Send automated 'we miss you' messages and birthday rewards to customers who haven't visited in a while.
- Promotions & Announcements Blast one-time offers or event updates to your entire customer base via text and mobile app notifications.
- Customer Insights Access a detailed dashboard to see your total reach, visit frequency, and which customers spend the most.
- Integrated Payments Process credit card transactions and sign up loyalty members in one single step to speed up your lines.
- Fivestars Consumer App Get discovered by millions of local shoppers who use the Fivestars app to find rewarded businesses nearby.
Lightspeed Features
- Multi-Location Inventory. Track and move stock across all your physical stores and warehouses from one central dashboard in real-time.
- Integrated Ecommerce. Launch your online store automatically synced with your physical inventory to prevent overselling and simplify order fulfillment.
- Advanced Reporting. Access deep insights into your margins, unit costs, and employee performance to make data-driven decisions for your business.
- Lightspeed Payments. Accept all major payment types with transparent pricing and built-in hardware that integrates directly with your POS system.
- Customer Loyalty. Create custom rewards programs and targeted email campaigns to keep your customers coming back for more.
- Supplier Network. Order stock directly from thousands of integrated suppliers within the platform to streamline your procurement process.
Pricing Comparison
Fivestars Pricing
Lightspeed Pricing
- Retail POS terminal
- Lightspeed Payments
- One-on-one onboarding
- 24/7 customer support
- Basic reporting
- Integrated ecommerce
- Everything in Lean, plus:
- Accounting integrations
- Advanced ecommerce features
- Serial number tracking
- Work orders and repairs
- Additional payment options
Pros & Cons
Fivestars
Pros
- Extremely high customer adoption rate due to simple phone number sign-up
- Automated 'we miss you' texts effectively drive repeat foot traffic
- Large existing network of users helps new businesses get discovered
- User-friendly tablet interface requires almost no staff training
Cons
- Monthly subscription fees can be high for very small shops
- Hardware requirements may lead to counter space clutter
- Limited customization options for the mobile app interface
Lightspeed
Pros
- Excellent inventory management for complex product catalogs
- Clean and modern user interface is easy to navigate
- Reliable 24/7 customer support for technical issues
- Seamless integration between physical and online stores
Cons
- Higher starting price compared to basic POS systems
- Additional fees for extra registers can add up
- Steeper learning curve for advanced reporting features