Shopify vs Shopkeep

The last thing you want to do is invest in a POS system that doesn't have the features needed to smoothly run your business.

We're here to point out the important differences between Shopify and ShopKeep. Our goal is for you to confidently select the POS option that perfectly meets the needs of your operation.

Continue reading to learn more.

Choose Shopify If...

Shopify is an ideal solution for retailers with multiple sales channels, including in-store and online. This iOS-based point-of-sale system is great for growing businesses that have a large online presence.

Choose ShopKeep If...

ShopKeep is an excellent iPad-based POS system that works well for physical store retailers. With a comprehensive set of features for store management and cloud-based software to keep all data organized in one place, ShopKeep is one of the most convenient and streamlined business software solutions for retailers and food service providers.

Shopify POS VS ShopKeep POS System Comparison

	ShopKeep	Shopify
Ideal For	Smarll to medium-sized retailers and restaurants with an in-store focus	Small to medium-sized businesses with an eCommerce focus
Hardware Cost	$39 to $1,500	$49 to $299
Software Cost	$49 per month starting	$5 per month starting
Online Transactions	Quote-based	2.9% +$0.30
In-Person Transactions	Quote-based	2.7% flat rate
Mobile Device	Yes	Yes
Customer Service	24/7 Live Support	24/7 customer support through phone, live chat, and email
Contract	No contract	No contract required
What’s Missing	Current software upgrades and website-building features,	Industry-specific features for food-service businesses and in-depth reporting on lower-tier plans

Digging Into The Details

Shopify's Best Features:

Shopping Cart

One of the key features found in the Shopify POS system is the Shopping Cart feature. Shopify POS started off as a pure eCommerce system, and the Shopping Cart feature was there for customers to make easy payments, including credit card payments, PayPal payments, Apple payments, and more.

You'll find well over 100 payment processor gateways within the Shopify POS solution, making it one of the most flexible on the market today.

One great feature of the Shopping Cart is its automation capability.

It will calculate shipping rates automatically, process shipping fulfillment, detect mobile customers, and recover abandoned shopping carts. It's an incredibly robust tool with many hidden gem features to bring in more revenue.

You'll find integrated Level 1 PCI-compliant processing security in this tool as well, making sure every online customer purchase is safe.

Storefront

When it comes to eCommerce store solutions, Shopify POS has long been at the top. This is because the developers have created some of the most intuitive tools and features to help business owners make stunning eCommerce websites. Designing a sleek, modern, and user-friendly website that also aligns with your brand has never been easier.

Shopify POS offers a drag-and-drop store builder with well over 70 themes for you to choose from. It can be difficult to build a site that takes customers on a journey, though with Shopify POS, it's something you can do on a regular weekday.

To keep track of the most important storefront data, you can use the in-depth user dashboard.

Third-party Integrations

When it comes to third-party integrations, Shopify POS is one of the top-ranking point-of-sale solutions.

No matter what kinds of apps or additional software you're looking to integrate with, you can likely find it on the Shopify POS integration list.

The app market is one of the most extensive and reliable in the industry.

Because Shopify grew into an eCommerce giant at such an alarming rate, just about every SaaS that hit the market wanted to integrate with them.

You'll find more than 4,100 apps across a wide category range, including accounting, branding, customer service, marketing automation, inventory management, inventory planning, and much more.

We recommend pairing your system with Staffy for in-depth payroll management and Stocky for complex inventory management.

Mobile App

Both ShopKeep and Shopify POS have stellar mobile applications, which is why we want to spend some time talking about each one. The Shopify mobile app is easy to use, allowing you to manage your inventory, access data on your Shopify dashboard, and fulfill orders on your online store, as long as you have an internet connection.

The app works on iOS and Android devices, perfect for business owners who consistently find themselves on the go, yet want to keep track of their business no matter where they end up.

There is reason why users consistently rank the Shopify mobile app as one of the top mobile POS solutions on the market today. You get all the features you'd expect from full-fledged POS systems directly from your phone.

Local Delivery

The Local Delivery feature in Shopify POS is not one we often read about it, though because it is such a unique feature for a retail-centric POS solution, we felt the need to highlight it. You can use this system to accept online delivery orders, plan out routes for delivery drivers (both employee drives or third-party drivers from popular delivery apps), and send notification updates to customers every step of the way, allowing them to keep an eye on their order from the minute they pay to the minute it arrives at their doorstep.

In a world of contactless online ordering, having a local delivery feature for your store can bring in more business you may not see otherwise.

ShopKeep's Best Features:

Employee Management

The employee management suite is one of the strongest set of features in ShopKeep's retail software.

Whether you need to keep track of payments or schedules for your employees, or provide certain employees with specific permissions over others, you can do so with this intuitive portion of the software.

It's very easy to customize employee permissions. For example, you may only want to give your higher-level employees access to certain managerial aspects of your system, such as payroll, while other employees may only be granted access to refunds and returns.

The ability to add and edit employee information is easy too. Retail businesses often have high turnover rates, unless you own a small family business. The process of trying to integrate new employees into a complex system can be a daunting process. ShopKeep makes enrolling new employees easier than most other POS systems on the market today.

Pocket App

The Pocket App works on both iOS and Android devices, and has a wonderfully streamlined design, granting access to the most important elements of your business no matter where in the world you are.

The app delivers notifications about your storefront and online store in real-time. You can get stock alerts, employee clock-in and out alerts, sale alerts, and so much more, as long as you are connected to the internet. You can even go as far as making sales on the go!

Reporting and Analytics

Reporting and analytics are two crucial yet often overlooked features when it comes to POS systems. With these features, you get hard data regarding the ongoings of your business, such as loyal customers, best-selling items, successful vs. unsuccessful marketing campaigns, and so much more.

These data can act as insights into your business, helping you to make more informed decisions as you move forward and expand.

Though it may not be the most robust retail software in the industry, ShopKeep has one of the best and most extensive reporting and analytics feature sets out there.

The system is even stronger than it was when it first came out, thanks to its new average cost reporting and sales by discount tools.

All of the data you retrieve from the reporting suite can be consolidated, downloaded, and printed for you to store away on file. From everyday data regarding your macro daily operations or complex, in-depth data regarding the more nuanced elements of your business, ShopKeep can provide.

Customer Support

When you sign up with ShopKeep, you get excellent customer support. Again, this is another often overlooked feature when looking at POS systems.

ShopKeep has 24/7 live chat, allowing you to troubleshoot POS issues no matter what time it is. If your storefront is open late or you're working in a different time zone, having this 24/7 help line can be very beneficial.

Beyond the 24/7 live chat, ShopKeep has a major online database with customer forums, as well as access to the customer service team through text and email.

Shopify Drawbacks:

One of the biggest drawbacks of Shopify POS is that the company does not offer an offline mode. This means that an internet connection is necessary to make transactions and transfer data. As we all know, the internet can be spotty at times. The last thing you'd want is for your business to be in the middle of a rush without the ability to keep customers moving.

Another major drawback about Shopify is lack of true customer support. While the software is uncomplicated to use, and there is a large community of Shopify users to help you troubleshoot certain issues with major parts of your point-of-sale system, more complex issues often require help from a customer support team.

Many users have noted that getting ahold of someone over at Shopify can take a long time, and many businesses don't have extra time to spare.

ShopKeep Drawbacks:

One of the main drawbacks of ShopKeep is its lack of hardware. It's a bit odd considering the fact that it isn't as eCommerce-centric as Shopify. However, it seems as though after the merger with Lightspeed a few years ago, the company began focusing on making Lightspeed-branded hardware instead.

In addition, the hardware costs for the products ShopKeep does have can be quite expensive.

Unfortunately, this poured over into ShopKeep's software updates as well. New customers won't find any more ShopKeep software updates, meaning any current bugs will be present in the system from now until they decide to develop new upgrades (if ever).

Which is A Better Value?

Both Shopify and ShopKeep are excellent POS systems for hybrid retailers. You'll find high-quality eCommerce and store management tools within both of them, including inventory management, employee management, customer relationship management, and more.

We'd recommend ShopKeep POS more for medium-sized businesses, including retailers and restaurants that mainly focus on in-store operations, while Shopify is better for those who have their focus set on their eCommerce.

Of course, when all is said and done, both of these point-of-sale solutions are excellent choices for a wide range of businesses, and we highly recommend testing them out with a free trial beforehand to determine which one gels best with your specific needs.