Lightspeed Alternatives: Why Growing Retailers Move to Stok.ly (POS + Retail ERP + WMS + AI)

Lightspeed Alternatives: Why Growing Retailers Move to Stok.ly

Lightspeed is widely adopted as a POS-first retail platform with inventory and ecommerce options.
Stok.ly is an inventory-centric retail ERP designed for retailers who have outgrown POS-first tools and now
need stronger multi-location replenishment, warehouse execution, B2B trade workflows, manufacturing/kitting and AI-driven planning.

Multi-location retail
POS + Shopify POS
Replenishment & transfers
WMS barcode workflows
B2B + trade desk
Built-in AI planning
Quick takeaway

If you primarily need a modern POS with inventory and standard retail operations, Lightspeed can be a strong fit.
If you are running multiple stores and warehouses and need ERP-grade control across replenishment, transfers, B2B trade,
warehouse execution and production planning, Stok.ly is designed to go further.

What is Lightspeed?

Lightspeed is best known for retail point-of-sale (POS) and payments, with inventory management tools and ecommerce options.
Many retailers adopt Lightspeed early because it gets stores transacting quickly while keeping basic stock control in one place.

Lightspeed is often chosen for

  • Fast POS rollout for single-store or small multi-store retail
  • Core inventory tracking and reporting inside the POS
  • Standard purchasing workflows (for example purchase orders)
  • Retail operations that do not require ERP-grade planning across multiple locations, channels and warehouses

Where retailers outgrow POS-first platforms

As retailers scale, the hard problems shift from “taking payments” to “running the supply chain” — keeping stock available,
moving it to the right place, and reducing manual planning effort across stores and warehouses.

Multi-location replenishment and transfers

Growing retailers often need policy-driven replenishment (minimums, service levels, days cover), automated inter-branch transfers,
and clear allocation logic across stores and warehouses. If replenishment becomes spreadsheet-led, the POS layer is no longer enough.

Product data and merchandising at scale

Retailers with large catalogues need robust product information management (PIM) to manage attributes, variants, channel-specific
content and bulk changes. POS-first ecosystems can support ecommerce, but product operations often become fragmented across tools.

Warehouse execution depth

When the warehouse becomes the heart of the business, you typically need barcode-driven receiving, putaway, bin management,
replenishment and picking controls beyond “basic” stock movements.

B2B trade, distribution and manufacturing

If you add B2B (quotes, trade pricing, account management) or manufacturing/kitting, you need workflows that connect demand,
purchasing and production planning—without manual workarounds.

What is Stok.ly?

Stok.ly is an inventory-centric cloud ERP designed for retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers operating across
multiple locations. It unifies inventory, purchasing, sales, warehousing, manufacturing and fulfilment in one platform.

Stok.ly capabilities relevant to Lightspeed customers

  • Multi-location retail management with real-time stock control
  • Native ePOS plus sophisticated Shopify POS integration
  • Warehouse Management with barcode scanning and paperless workflows
  • Automated replenishment including purchase automation and inter-branch transfers driven by policy rules
  • B2B workflows: quotes, trade pricing/discounts, account management and pre-allocation
  • Manufacturing & kitting: BOMs, component control and manufacturing orders
  • Integrations: 200+ ecommerce integrations and 70+ courier/freight integrations
  • Accounting integrations: major cloud accounting platforms (including Sage, Xero and QuickBooks)

Built-in AI for forecasting, replenishment and operational control

When retailers outgrow POS-first tools, planning becomes the bottleneck: forecasting demand, deciding what to buy, and moving stock
between stores and warehouses. Stok.ly includes AI built into the core platform to reduce manual planning and improve stock availability.

  • AI demand forecasting to inform purchasing, transfers and manufacturing demand planning
  • AI-generated purchase orders based on demand signals and constraints
  • AI-driven stock transfers based on sell-through and location-level demand
  • AI stock balancing across warehouses and retail locations
  • AI pick-face replenishment driven by pick rates and warehouse priorities
  • AI product and pricing management to keep catalogues and margins under control at scale

AI workflows can be configured to reflect your business rules (lead times, minimums, service levels, location priorities and supplier constraints).

Lightspeed vs Stok.ly: side-by-side

Capability Lightspeed Stok.ly
Core focus POS-led retail platform with inventory and ecommerce options Inventory-centric cloud ERP spanning retail, B2B, WMS and manufacturing
Multi-location replenishment Supports inventory tools and replenishment reporting; validate depth for policy-driven automation across stores/warehouses Policy-driven automation for replenishment, purchase orders and inter-branch transfers
Warehouse execution Retail inventory tools; validate barcode-led WMS depth for your operation Barcode-driven WMS with paperless receiving, picking, packing and replenishment
Product operations / PIM Ecommerce options and product sync; validate product data depth and catalogue operations at scale PIM-style operational control with bulk tools, product workflows and governance
B2B trade workflows Typically requires additional systems for full B2B quoting, pricing, accounts and allocation workflows Native B2B: quotes, trade pricing/discounts, account management and pre-allocation
Manufacturing/kitting Not typically positioned as manufacturing ERP Manufacturing & kitting with BOMs, component stock and manufacturing orders
AI-driven planning Inventory and replenishment enhancements exist; validate scope for forecasting-to-PO-to-transfer automation AI built into core across forecasting, POs, transfers, balancing, warehouse replenishment and manufacturing planning

If your operation is mainly POS and standard inventory, Lightspeed can be sufficient. If the business has moved into multi-location planning,
warehouse execution, B2B trade or manufacturing, the ERP layer becomes critical.

When it makes sense to move from Lightspeed to Stok.ly

Retailers typically consider Stok.ly when:

  • Replenishment and transfers are being managed manually or in spreadsheets
  • Multiple stores and warehouses require real-time inventory accuracy and operational controls
  • You need a single platform for POS retail plus B2B trade workflows
  • The warehouse needs barcode-led processes and pick-face replenishment
  • You are adding manufacturing/kitting or need demand-driven production planning
  • You want AI to reduce planning workload and improve availability

FAQs

Is Stok.ly a Lightspeed alternative?

Yes. Both support retail operations, but Stok.ly is typically evaluated when a retailer needs ERP-grade control across
multi-location replenishment, warehousing, B2B trade workflows, manufacturing/kitting and AI-driven planning.

Does Stok.ly support POS and Shopify POS?

Yes. Stok.ly includes a native ePOS and sophisticated Shopify POS integration, designed for retailers managing inventory across
stores, warehouses and online channels.

What is the biggest difference between Lightspeed and Stok.ly?

Lightspeed is typically POS-first. Stok.ly is inventory-first and designed to run end-to-end operations across retail, warehouse,
B2B and manufacturing workflows, with built-in AI to reduce manual planning.

For additional comparisons, see all Stok.ly comparisons.
See Stok.ly vs Brightpearl comparison, see Brightpearl.
See Stok.ly vs Orderwise comparison, see Orderwise.
See Stok.ly vs Cin7 comparison, see Cin7.
See Stok.ly vs Unleashed comparison, see Unleashed.
See Stok.ly vs Mintsoft comparison, see Mintsoft.
See Stok.ly vs Peoplevox comparison, see Peoplevox.
See Stok.ly vs Linnworks comparison, see Linnworks.
See Stok.ly vs Storefeeder comparison, see Storefeeder.
See Stok.ly vs Lightspeed comparison, see Lightspeed.
See Stok.ly vs Odoo comparison, see Odoo.
For product information, see What is Stok.ly.

© Stok.ly. This page is intended for informational comparison to support software evaluation.



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