Alternative · prices checked 2026-10-18
A Shopify POS alternative for shops that live on the shop floor
Shopify POS shines when the online store is the business. When the counter is the business, owners end up paying for a Shopify plan, POS Pro per location and apps for the back room. RetailPOS Studio starts from the shop floor and generates an online store from the same catalogue. Prices checked 18 October 2026 from public sources, with a fair view of where Shopify is better. Each competitor figure links to its source.
| RetailPOS Studio | Shopify POS | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $35 per location / month (Counter) | $89 per location / month (POS Pro), plus a Shopify plan from $39 |
| IMEI / serial tracking | IMEI or serial number per item, on Stockroom and Chain | Through third-party apps; check current plan |
| Warranties | Named warranties with a duration, printed on the invoice | Through third-party apps |
| Purchase orders | Purchase orders, receiving and purchase returns | Purchase orders through Shopify apps such as Stocky; check current plan |
| Supplier ledgers | Supplier ledger with pay terms, payments and running balance | Through third-party apps |
| Reward points | Reward points included on every plan | Through loyalty apps from the Shopify App Store |
| Multi-store | Multi-store with stock transfers on Chain | Multiple locations, POS Pro billed per location |
| Online store | Online store generated from your catalogue, on every plan | Shopify online store, the strongest part of the platform |
| Card processing | Works with your own card processor | Shopify Payments in supported countries; other processors may add fees |
| Arabic / Urdu | English, Arabic, Urdu, Spanish and Chinese interface and receipts | Many storefront languages; check POS interface for Urdu |
| UAE and Pakistan | Sold in the USA, the UAE and Pakistan | Shopify Payments availability varies; check the UAE and Pakistan |
| Contracts | No contract; cancel any time | Monthly, or a discount for annual |
Competitor details from public pricing pages and reviews, checked 2026-10-18: Shopify POS pricing guide (Style Factory). Vendors change plans; confirm before deciding.
Why people look
Why shops look for a Shopify POS alternative
- 1
Price per location adds up
Every new shop multiplies the bill. Owners planning a second or third branch compare what Shopify POS will cost at three locations against a plan where registers are included per shop.
- 2
Payments lock-in
Shopify encourages Shopify Payments, and using another processor can add fees in some countries. Owners want a POS that treats their own processor as normal.
- 3
Serial and IMEI tracking
Phone and electronics shops need every unit traceable for warranty claims. When that needs a higher tier or an extra app, owners start looking.
- 4
Language at the counter
Many shop teams work in Arabic, Urdu, Spanish or Chinese. A system whose interface and receipts speak the staff and customers’ language cuts training time and mistakes.
- 5
Where the shop is
Shopify Payments availability varies by country. Shops in the UAE and Pakistan want local pricing, local support and WhatsApp as a normal sales channel.
When Shopify POS is the better choice
Choose Shopify if most of your revenue is online, you want the deepest theme and app ecosystem, and the POS is secondary. Choose RetailPOS Studio if most sales happen at the counter, you want back-room tools built in rather than bought as apps, and a store generated from your catalogue is enough online. Test it on a real weekend of sales first.
Where Shopify POS is strong
- Best-in-class online storefront
- Huge app ecosystem
- Many sales channels
Where RetailPOS Studio is strong
- No base plan stacked on the POS fee
- Back-room tools built in
- Store generated from your POS catalogue
Switching
How to move from Shopify to RetailPOS Studio
- STEP 1
Export your products and customers
Download your item library and customer list from Shopify as CSV files. Keep the original files untouched so you can always go back to them.
- STEP 2
Map the columns
Match their columns to ours: name, SKU, barcode, category, cost, selling price, tax, stock per location. Our import template shows every field, and we check the file with you on a switching call at no charge.
- STEP 3
Import, then recount
Import products and customers, then do a fresh stock count before you trust the numbers. Counts drift in every system, and a switch is the cheapest moment to reset them.
- STEP 4
Run both for a weekend
Keep Shopify open in the background for your first busy weekend while you sell on RetailPOS Studio. When the totals match your expectations, cancel the old subscription.
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