Lightspeed is a well-known hospitality EPOS platform, but its published Restaurant packages range from €89 to €249 per month.
Many of the capabilities a restaurant may expect from a complete hospitality system are either add-ons to Lightspeed Basic or require moving to the €159 Core or €249 Pro package.
ithPOS takes a different approach.
From €39 per month, qualifying businesses receive a complete SkyTab EPOS package with the main hardware, integrated payments, local installation, cloud reporting and access to an extensive range of hospitality-management tools.
From a practical feature perspective, ithPOS provides most of the functionality that the typical restaurant, café, pub, hotel or takeaway would be seeking from Lightspeed Core or Pro—including Business Intelligence, marketing and loyalty, reservations and waitlist management, workforce tools, online-ordering capability and multi-location reporting.
Lightspeed Pro has some specialist tools without direct SkyTab equivalents, including Lightspeed AI, Tempo service-pacing analysis and competitor benchmarking. However, many independent hospitality businesses are unlikely to use these specialist features enough to justify a €249 monthly subscription.
The important question is therefore not simply:
Which system has the longest feature list?
It is:
Which system provides the functionality my business will actually use at the best overall cost?
For most Irish hospitality businesses, that is where ithPOS has a clear advantage.
Quick Verdict
ithPOS provides the stronger overall value proposition for most Irish hospitality businesses.
The €39 package includes the main EPOS display, printer, cash drawer and integrated payment terminal for qualifying businesses. It also includes access to cloud back-office reporting, Business Intelligence and several hospitality-management tools.
Lightspeed Basic starts at €89 per month but lists important capabilities such as Tableside, KDS, QR ordering, inventory, loyalty and online ordering as add-ons.
Lightspeed Core increases the subscription to €159 per month and includes two operational licences.
Lightspeed Pro costs €249 per month and includes three operational licences, allowing the merchant to select a stationary EPOS, Tableside device and Kitchen Display System.
Lightspeed may suit an operator that specifically requires its AI, service-pacing or competitor-benchmarking products.
For most independent and growing restaurants, cafés, pubs, hotels and takeaways, ithPOS provides more of the required everyday functionality for considerably less.
Pricing at a Glance
| Package | Monthly price | What the published price provides |
|---|---|---|
| ithPOS | From €39 | Main EPOS hardware, integrated payment terminal, cloud back office, Business Intelligence, installation and support |
| Lightspeed Basic | €89 | One stationary or tablet EPOS licence; several hospitality functions are add-ons |
| Lightspeed Core | €159 | Two licences selected from stationary EPOS, Tableside and KDS, plus advanced management tools |
| Lightspeed Pro | €249 | Three selected operational licences, Advanced Insights, AI, Tempo, benchmarking and additional online-ordering capabilities |
Lightspeed's official pricing matrix lists Basic at €89, Core at €159 and Pro at €249. Basic includes one operational licence, Core includes two selected licences and Pro includes three.
The ithPOS €39 package includes a display, receipt printer, cash drawer, integrated payment terminal, Lighthouse Business Manager access, menu-build consultation and initial project support. The offer is subject to eligibility and a minimum monthly card turnover.
Comprehensive Feature and Pricing Comparison
The table below compares ithPOS with the three published Lightspeed Restaurant plans. On desktop every column fits on screen; on smaller mobile screens you can scroll the table sideways.
| Capability | ithPOS €39 | Lightspeed Basic €89 | Lightspeed Core €159 | Lightspeed Pro €249 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Published monthly price | From €39 | €89 | €159 | €249 |
| Operational licences | Included main EPOS | 1 | 2 selected licences | 3 selected licences |
| Main EPOS display | Included | Hardware separate | Hardware separate | Hardware separate |
| Receipt printer | Included | Hardware separate | Hardware separate | Hardware separate |
| Cash drawer | Included | Hardware separate | Hardware separate | Hardware separate |
| Integrated payment terminal | Included | Hardware separate | Hardware separate | Hardware separate |
| Upfront hardware cost | €0 for qualifying businesses | Quote required | Quote required | Quote required |
| EPOS operating platform | Purpose-built Android hardware | Primarily Apple iOS | Primarily Apple iOS | Primarily Apple iOS |
| Integrated payments | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Table and floor management | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Menu management | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Product modifiers | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Course management | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Split bills and partial payments | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Tabs and open orders | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Handheld order taking | Optional hardware | Add-on | One of two licence choices | One of three licence choices |
| Pay at table | Available | Available | Available | Available |
| Kitchen Display System | Optional from €24 | Add-on | One of two licence choices | One of three licence choices |
| QR ordering and payment | Available | Add-on | Included | Included |
| Customer-facing display | Optional | Paid add-on | Paid add-on | Paid add-on |
| Payment-enabled customer display | Available | Separate payment terminal required | Separate payment terminal required | Separate payment terminal required |
| Cloud back office | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Standard reporting | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Business Intelligence | Included | Standard reporting | Advanced Insights | Advanced Insights |
| Customisable dashboards | Included | Limited | Included | Included |
| Sales and product analysis | Included | Included | Advanced | Advanced |
| Staff-performance reporting | Included | Included | Advanced | Advanced |
| Group By analysis | Included | Not highlighted | Included through insights | Included through insights |
| Report drill-down | Included | Standard reporting | Advanced reporting | Advanced reporting |
| Scheduled report emails | Included | Confirm availability | Available | Available |
| Multi-location reporting | Included | Confirm plan requirements | Included | Included |
| Browser-based remote reporting | Included | Back office and Pulse | Back office and Pulse | Back office and Pulse |
| Lightspeed AI equivalent | No direct equivalent | Not included | Lightspeed AI | Lightspeed AI |
| Service-pacing analytics | Operational reports | Not included | Tempo | Tempo |
| Competitor benchmarking | Not included | Not included | Benchmarks & Trends | Benchmarks & Trends |
| Inventory reporting | Available | Add-on | Included | Included |
| Marketing and loyalty | Included | Add-on | Included | Included |
| Reservations and waitlist | Included | Add-on | Add-on | Add-on |
| Workforce-management tools | Included | Add-on | Add-on | Add-on |
| Online ordering | Available | Add-on | Add-on | Included |
| Website Creator | Included in bundle | Order Anywhere add-on | Order Anywhere add-on | Included ordering capability |
| Delivery-platform integrations | Supported | Add-on | Add-on | Included integration access |
| Oracle OPERA PMS integration | Optional | Add-on | Add-on | Add-on |
| OpenTable integration | Available | Integration available | Integration available | Integration available |
| Nory integration | Available | Confirm through marketplace | Confirm through marketplace | Confirm through marketplace |
| Local Irish installation | Included | Confirm onsite scope | Confirm onsite scope | Confirm onsite scope |
| Menu-build consultation | Included | Confirm scope | Confirm scope | Confirm scope |
| Initial hypercare | Two weeks included | Personalised onboarding | Personalised onboarding | Personalised onboarding |
| 24/7 support | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Local Irish escalation | Included | International support structure | International support structure | International support structure |
| Hardware warranty | Lifetime on supplied hardware | Confirm quotation | Confirm quotation | Confirm quotation |
| Extra register or device | From €14 depending on device | €49 per extra register | €49 per extra register | €49 per extra register |
| Best suited to | Most independent and growing Irish hospitality businesses | Simple single-device venue | Businesses requiring two operational licences and advanced tools | Larger operators requiring three licences and specialist analytics |
Lightspeed's official matrix identifies Tableside and KDS as Basic add-ons, while Core includes two chosen operational licences and Pro includes three. Advanced Insights, AI, Tempo and Benchmarks & Trends are included in Core and Pro. Workforce, accounting, PMS and several other integrations remain add-ons across the plans.
ithPOS publishes its €39 package with included hardware, Lighthouse Business Manager, marketing and loyalty, reservations and waitlist tools, workforce management, online-ordering capability, installation and a lifetime hardware warranty. Optional SkyTab Glass and KDS equipment starts from €24 per month.
Comparison note: Feature availability may depend on hardware, integrations, payment agreements, contract terms and merchant eligibility. Businesses should obtain a written, like-for-like quotation before choosing an EPOS provider.
What Does ithPOS Include for €39?
The ithPOS package is not simply a software licence.
Qualifying businesses receive:
- SkyTab EPOS display
- Receipt printer
- Cash drawer
- Integrated wired or Wi-Fi payment terminal
- Lighthouse Business Manager access
- SkyTab Business Intelligence
- Integrated card payments
- Marketing and loyalty tools
- Reservations and waitlist management
- Workforce-management tools
- Website Creator
- Online-ordering capability
- Local installation
- Menu-build consultation
- Dedicated project support
- Two-week hypercare
- 24/7 support
- Lifetime warranty on supplied hardware
Optional devices can be added where required:
- SkyTab Mobile from €14 per month
- SkyTab Glass from €24 per month
- Kitchen Display System from €24 per month
- Customer Display from €24 per month
This allows the merchant to build the right system for the venue without having to move onto a €159 or €249 base software package.
The published ithPOS offer is subject to eligibility, contract terms and minimum card turnover.
The Real Comparison: A Complete Restaurant Setup
Consider a restaurant that requires:
- One main EPOS terminal
- One handheld ordering device
- One Kitchen Display System
- Integrated payments
- Business Intelligence
- Installation and support
An example ithPOS configuration could be:
| ithPOS component | Monthly price |
|---|---|
| Main SkyTab EPOS package | €39 |
| SkyTab Glass | €24 |
| Kitchen Display System | €24 |
| Total | €87 |
Lightspeed Pro includes three licences selected from its stationary EPOS, Tableside and KDS options and costs €249 per month.
Complete three-device setup: main EPOS + handheld + KDS
Indicative saving with ithPOS: €162/month • €1,944/year • €5,832 over three years. Published recurring prices only.
| Comparison period | Indicative difference |
|---|---|
| Monthly | €162 |
| Annually | €1,944 |
| Over three years | €5,832 |
The comparison does not include VAT, card-processing fees, optional integrations or contract-specific pricing. Lightspeed hardware should also be included in any final written quotation.
The products are not identical. Lightspeed Pro includes some proprietary analytical tools without direct SkyTab equivalents.
However, the ithPOS configuration provides the operational functionality most restaurants use every day at a substantially lower recurring cost.
SkyTab Business Intelligence
SkyTab provides considerably more than basic till reporting.
Business Intelligence is included with SkyTab POS and gives owners and managers browser-based access to the information they need to understand how the business is performing.
Capabilities include:
- Real-time sales and labour KPIs
- Customisable dashboards
- Sales-summary reporting
- Product-mix analysis
- Labour reporting
- Payment and tender analysis
- Voids and discounts reporting
- Group By analysis
- Drill To functionality
- Scheduled reports by email
- User and permission management
- Single-site reporting
- Multi-site comparisons
- Enterprise-wide reporting
Management can use the platform to understand:
- Which products are selling
- Which items are underperforming
- When the venue is busiest
- How labour compares with sales
- Which discounts and voids are being applied
- How payment types are changing
- How individual locations compare
- Which figures require further investigation
Business Intelligence can be accessed remotely through a compatible web browser using Lighthouse Business Manager.
SkyTab Business Intelligence is included with the SkyTab platform and supports browser-based reporting, KPIs, Group By and Drill To analysis, scheduled reports and multi-location management.
How Does It Compare with Lightspeed Advanced Insights?
Lightspeed Advanced Insights provides real-time menu, guest and staff analytics and is included in Core and Pro when the merchant uses Lightspeed Payments. Lightspeed also provides proprietary products such as AI reporting and Tempo service-pacing analysis.
These are useful specialist tools, but they do not mean that ithPOS merchants receive only basic reporting.
SkyTab Business Intelligence provides the detailed sales, product, labour, payment and multi-site information required by most hospitality operators.
The practical distinction is that ithPOS merchants do not need to move to a €159 or €249 subscription to access Business Intelligence.
Which System Is Better for Your Business?
Restaurants
ithPOS is the stronger-value option for most independent and growing restaurants.
It supports table management, split bills, kitchen workflows, handheld ordering, integrated payments, Business Intelligence and hospitality integrations without requiring a Pro-level base subscription.
Pubs and Bars
Pubs benefit from fast order entry, tabs, integrated payments, handheld ordering and reliable local support.
Optional mobile equipment can be added without moving the entire system onto a €159 or €249 plan.
Cafés and Counter Service
The €39 package includes the main equipment required for counter service.
The optional customer display and integrated payment options can also reduce counter clutter and improve the checkout experience.
Hotels
ithPOS supports optional Oracle OPERA integration, allowing hotel food-and-beverage operations to connect with supported PMS workflows.
Hotels should obtain a detailed quotation based on their PMS version, outlets and required revenue centres.
Takeaways
ithPOS supports direct online ordering and integrations with Just Eat, Deliveroo and Uber Eats.
This can reduce manual order entry and the need to manage several marketplace tablets.
When Might Lightspeed Make Sense?
Lightspeed may suit an operator that has specifically identified a requirement for:
- Lightspeed AI
- Tempo service-pacing analysis
- Benchmarks & Trends
- Lightspeed's guest-profile analytics
- A particular Lightspeed marketplace integration
- A large existing Lightspeed deployment
These are legitimate capabilities.
However, a business should not automatically pay for Lightspeed Pro simply because it appears to be the most complete package.
The merchant should first decide whether these specialist tools will generate enough measurable value to justify the higher subscription and any separate hardware or integration costs.
Final Verdict
Lightspeed is a capable hospitality EPOS platform, but its published pricing makes the difference in value clear.
Basic starts at €89 per month and lists several useful hospitality functions as add-ons.
Core costs €159 per month and includes two selected operational licences.
Pro costs €249 per month and includes three operational licences, Advanced Insights, AI, Tempo and competitor benchmarking.
ithPOS starts from €39 per month and provides qualifying businesses with:
- The main EPOS hardware
- An integrated payment terminal
- Integrated card payments
- Business Intelligence
- Marketing and loyalty
- Reservations and waitlist tools
- Workforce management
- Online-ordering capability
- Website Creator
- Local installation
- Menu consultation
- Project support
- 24/7 assistance
- Lifetime hardware warranty
Optional handhelds, Kitchen Display Systems and customer displays can then be added according to the needs of the venue.
Lightspeed offers a handful of specialist analytical features that do not have exact SkyTab equivalents.
For most Irish restaurants, cafés, pubs, hotels and takeaways, however, ithPOS provides most of the functionality they would be seeking from Lightspeed Core or Pro—from a standard price of just €39 per month.
More functionality included. Less upfront cost. Lower monthly pricing. Local Irish support.
For the typical Irish hospitality business, ithPOS is the better overall choice.
Comparing other hospitality EPOS providers too? Read our ithPOS vs SumUp comparison, our ithPOS vs Clover POS comparison, our ithPOS vs Square POS comparison and our ithPOS vs Toast POS pricing comparison.