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Head-to-head · Restaurant Payment Processing Software

Heartland Payments+ vs Lightspeed Restaurant

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 6 checks side by side
Higher score Heartland Payments+ #3 in Restaurant Payment Processing Software 9.0/10 Paid ✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Heartland
Lightspeed Restaurant #8 in Restaurant Payment Processing Software 8.4/10 Paid ✓ 0 of 5 features Visit Lightspeed

Heartland Payments+ leads on 0 checks, Lightspeed Restaurant on 0, and 6 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 6 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreHeartland Payments+ · 9.0/10
  • Most featuresHeartland Payments+ · 5 of 5

Heartland Payments+ scores higher on our rubric for restaurant payment processing software: 9.0 against 8.4 out of 10; our editors rank them #3 and #8.

Heartland Payments+ is the better fit for established restaurants wanting full payment coverage. Lightspeed Restaurant is the better fit for multi-location restaurants needing deep POS coverage.

  • Heartland Payments+ fits best

    Established restaurants wanting full payment coverage

  • Lightspeed Restaurant fits best

    Multi-location restaurants needing deep POS coverage

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Side by side

Feature Heartland Payments+ 9.0/10 Visit ↗ Lightspeed Restaurant 8.4/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.0 8.4
Ranking #3 in Restaurant Payment Processing Software #8 in Restaurant Payment Processing Software
Best for Established restaurants wanting full payment coverage Multi-location restaurants needing deep POS coverage
Pricing model Paid Paid
Starting price Not checked yet $69/mo
Free plan Not checked yet —
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Mobile Cloud, Mobile
Platforms Web, Android Web, iOS
Compliance PCI DSS SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, PCI DSS, 2FA
Integrations 900+ integrations 6 integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Heartland Payments+ 5/5 · Lightspeed Restaurant 0/5
Card-present payments ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Online payments ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Tableside payments ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Mobile payments ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Reconciliation tools ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Specs
Pricing model Flat_rate Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Supports card-present, online, tableside, mobile and offline payments
  • Includes digital wallets, payment links, virtual terminal and QR-code payments
  • Adds reporting, dispute management, encryption, tokenization and EMV security
  • Integrated payments, bill splitting, and contactless ordering
  • Multi-location reporting with offline operation and cloud synchronization
  • Reservations, inventory, floor plans, and API access in one platform
Cons
  • Pricing includes a percentage-based per-transaction fee
  • The listed platforms are web, Android and API
  • Its integrations span several business systems, requiring fit checks for each workflow
  • No free plan is available
  • Enterprise requires a personalized software and hardware package
  • The Starter location allowance is not specified
Our verdict

Heartland Payments+ is a paid payment-processing platform for restaurants and other businesses. It covers card-present transactions through terminals, readers and POS systems, along with online ordering, tableside payments through…

Read the review →

Lightspeed Restaurant is a cloud-based point-of-sale and restaurant management platform for cafés, bars, full-service restaurants, hotels, and multi-location hospitality businesses. It combines customizable menus, floor plans, tableside…

Read the review →
  1. Heartland Payments+Restaurant Payment Processing Software 9.0Paid
  2. Lightspeed RestaurantRestaurant Payment Processing Software 8.4Paid

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Heartland Payments+ — where it wins

    • Supports card-present, online, tableside, mobile and offline payments
    • Includes digital wallets, payment links, virtual terminal and QR-code payments
    • Adds reporting, dispute management, encryption, tokenization and EMV security

    Where it doesn't

    • Pricing includes a percentage-based per-transaction fee
    • The listed platforms are web, Android and API
    • Its integrations span several business systems, requiring fit checks for each workflow

  • Lightspeed Restaurant — where it wins

    • Integrated payments, bill splitting, and contactless ordering
    • Multi-location reporting with offline operation and cloud synchronization
    • Reservations, inventory, floor plans, and API access in one platform

    Where it doesn't

    • No free plan is available
    • Enterprise requires a personalized software and hardware package
    • The Starter location allowance is not specified
  • Heartland Payments+9.0/10 · Paid

    A broad restaurant payment platform covering service, online ordering and reporting.

    Visit HeartlandFull verdict →
  • Lightspeed Restaurant8.4/10 · Paid

    A broad restaurant POS for multi-location operators that need payments, ordering, and management tools.

    Visit LightspeedFull verdict →

More comparisons

All restaurant payment processing software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update