Lightspeed alternative for UK restaurants and takeaways
Lightspeed suits plenty of businesses. If yours is a UK restaurant or takeaway that has outgrown it — or you are choosing for the first time — this is a fair look at where each fits, and what switching involves.
- Lightspeed and Posso side by side
- Who Lightspeed suits better, and who Posso suits better
- UK hospitality EPOS from £499 + VAT
Short answer
Posso is an alternative to Lightspeed for UK hospitality operators who want the till, kitchen display, online ordering, delivery-platform orders and card payments in one offline-first system with published prices. Lightspeed may suit you better if your business needs fit its own strengths, set out below. Posso starts at £499 + VAT with software from £25 + VAT a month.
How does Posso compare with Lightspeed?
Both take orders and payments; the differences are in what is included, how it is priced and what it is built for. Posso figures are our published prices; Lightspeed details are from Lightspeed's own UK website — check them there, as prices change.
| Posso | Lightspeed | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | UK hospitality — restaurants, takeaways, cafés, pubs and multi-site groups | Check with Lightspeed |
| Entry system price | From £499 + VAT (single-screen POS, kitchen printer, receipt printer, cash drawer) | See Lightspeed's UK pricing |
| Software | From £25 + VAT a month | See Lightspeed's UK pricing |
| Card processing | Posso Pay from 1% + 10p, quoted on turnover; Teya and Dojo also supported | See Lightspeed's UK pricing |
| Kitchen display | 21-inch screen £399 + VAT, one-off | See Lightspeed's UK pricing |
| Online ordering on your own site | Included; the customer pays a 60p service fee per order | Check with Lightspeed |
| Just Eat, Uber Eats, Deliveroo | £45/month, unlimited orders | See Lightspeed's UK pricing |
| Keeps trading offline | Yes — offline-first, syncs when the connection returns | Check with Lightspeed |
| Contract terms | Set out on your quote | Check with Lightspeed |
| UK support hours | Monday to Friday, 9am–9:30pm | Check with Lightspeed |
Prices checked: October 2026. Source: Lightspeed Restaurant UK pricing. Posso prices: EPOS pricing.
Who is Lightspeed better for?
Lightspeed sells separate point-of-sale products for restaurants and for retail, and positions itself towards established and multi-location businesses. If you run retail alongside hospitality and need retail stock tools, or operate across several countries, Lightspeed's breadth may suit you better.
Groups already using Lightspeed's wider ecosystem of integrations may also find staying simpler than switching. Check Lightspeed's own UK pages for what each plan includes.
Who is Posso better for?
Posso is built for UK hospitality sites that take orders from several places at once — counter, phone, table, kiosk, your own website and the delivery platforms — and need them in one kitchen queue. If that is your trade, it is the gap Posso fills: Just Eat, Uber Eats and Deliveroo orders arrive on the same screen at £45/month, missed calls can be answered by AI phone ordering at £1 per order, and your own drivers run on the driver app at 30p per delivery.
It is offline-first, so the till, kitchen screens and printers keep working when the broadband drops. Prices are published on the EPOS pricing page, UK support runs Monday to Friday, 9am–9:30pm, and hardware carries a two-year warranty. For the full picture of the system, see our EPOS system overview.
How do I switch from Lightspeed to Posso?
Switching takes a menu, a date and a few hours of training; the guide to replacing an old EPOS system covers every step in detail. The short version:
1. Check your current terms
Note any minimum term, notice period or hardware agreement with Lightspeed, and time the switch around it.
2. Export what you can
Download your sales reports and customer list before anything is switched off. Historic sales data does not transfer; your customer database can be brought across.
3. Send us your menu
A PDF, a photo or an export. We build it, with modifiers and prices, as part of free setup.
4. We configure before shipping
Systems are preconfigured and shipped plug-and-play.
5. Train the team
Staff training is included. Book it for a day when the people who use the till are in.
6. Run both until you are confident
Nobody switches off a working till on faith. Keep the old system available for the first service.
This is one part of the Posso EPOS system — the same till, kitchen display, ordering and card payments, set up for your type of venue. Every one-off and monthly cost is on the EPOS pricing page.
Lightspeed alternative — frequently asked questions
Is Posso a good alternative to Lightspeed for a restaurant or takeaway?
It is if you need several order channels in one kitchen queue — counter, phone, kiosk, your own website and the delivery platforms — and want the system to keep trading offline. If your needs match Lightspeed's strengths instead, staying may be the better choice.
Can I keep my Lightspeed card reader with Posso?
Not as an integrated terminal. Posso integrates card payments through Posso Pay, and Teya and Dojo terminals are also supported, so the amount pushes from the till to the terminal automatically.
Will my menu transfer from Lightspeed?
Yes — we rebuild it for you as part of free setup, including modifiers and prices. Your customer database can be brought across too; historic sales data does not transfer, so export your old reports first.
How much does Posso cost compared with Lightspeed?
Posso starts at £499 + VAT for a POS system, with software from £25 + VAT a month and card processing from 1% + 10p quoted on your turnover. Check Lightspeed's current prices on its own UK website and compare the total monthly cost for everything you need.
Does Posso work without the internet?
Yes. Posso is offline-first: orders, cash payments and kitchen printing keep working when the connection drops, and everything syncs when it returns.
How long does it take to switch from Lightspeed to Posso?
Systems are preconfigured and shipped plug-and-play. Allow time beforehand to check your current terms with Lightspeed and to agree your menu.
Get Your Free ePOS Demo Today
Tell us about your business and a member of the team will get back to you with a personalised demo, a quote, and answers to anything you want to check before you buy.
Prefer to talk? 0808 175 3956