Compare
Quetzal POS vs Shopify POS for specialty retailers
You don't have to choose. Many stores keep Shopify for the website and run the counter on Quetzal POS. Shopify POS is simpler if online sales lead, and it can take some card payments offline. Quetzal POS is US$40 monthly, with each additional location US$30, rather than C$119 per location for POS Pro.
In brief
Shopify POS wins in a few situations, and we'd rather say so.
Go with Quetzal POS (alongside your Shopify store) if:
- Most sales happen in the store, and you want trade-ins, counts and purchase orders at the register.
- You run two or more stores: US$30 per extra location instead of C$119 for POS Pro.
- You'd like to pick your in-store processor rather than use Shopify Payments.
Stay on Shopify POS if:
- Your website is the main business and you want one admin for everything.
- You must accept cards during internet outages, which Quetzal POS can't do.
- You're happy with Shopify Payments in person and apps for things like layaway.
- You sell in person only now and then. POS Lite comes with your Shopify plan ¹.
Side by side
| Quetzal POS | Shopify POS | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Professional US$40/month, connectors included ⁶ | A Shopify plan (Basic from C$49/month) plus POS Pro C$119/month per location, billed yearly ¹ |
| Each added store | US$30 a month ⁶ | POS Pro C$119/month per location ¹ |
| Payment processor | Any processor in store, no surcharge; Nuvei terminals optional | Shopify Payments generally required in person ³; 2.6% / 2.5% / 2.4% + 0¢ by plan ¹ |
| Commitment | No contract; pay monthly, cancel by contacting Quetzal | Monthly; POS Pro billed yearly; Plus is a 3-year term ¹ |
| Trade-ins | A dedicated register mode that restocks matching SKUs | Returns and exchanges ¹; no dedicated trade-in mode |
| Variants and inventory | Variant SKUs generated for you, plus guided counts and POs built in | Variants built in; purchase orders often through apps ² |
| Loyalty and gift cards | Part of every plan, the Free plan too | Gift cards built in; loyalty mostly through apps ¹ |
| Ecommerce | Connects to your Shopify store (WooCommerce too) | Native: one catalogue and one admin |
| Offline | Online only. Sales need a working connection | Stronger. Offline card payments within limits; no Interac offline in Canada ⁴ |
| Company | Quetzal Project Partners Inc., an Ontario company based in Mississauga | Shopify Inc., Ottawa, Ontario |
| Without the paid tier | Free plan: up to 20 SKUs, 1 location, loyalty and gift cards included ⁶ | POS Lite included with the Shopify plan, for basic in-person selling ¹ |
| Registers | As many as 5 lanes per location, each with its own drawer, printer and terminal | Unlimited registers per location (third-party) ² |
| Card terminals | Nuvei-integrated Verifone, Ingenico, PAX or Sunmi devices; rates on request | Shopify hardware; Interac rate not shown on the pricing page |
| Purchase orders | Send to suppliers, one-off vendors or a sister store; receive in parts; import from CSV | Often handled through apps (third-party) ² |
| Staff permissions | Manager and Clerk roles, section permissions, maximum discount % per employee, per-user location access | Unlimited staff and roles with POS Pro ¹ |
| Offline limits | Not available | Device and order limits; swipe, tap to pay on phone and manual entry not supported offline ⁴ |
Sources (6)
- Shopify POS pricing (Canada) (viewed 7 October 2026: Basic from C$49, Grow C$132, Advanced C$517, Plus from C$3,400 with a 3-year term; POS Pro C$119 per location billed yearly; in-person 2.6% / 2.5% / 2.4% + 0¢; third-party providers 2% / 1% / 0.6%)
- Capterra, Shopify POS reviews; Sonary, Shopify POS review (viewed 27 September 2026)
- Shopify Help Center, POS payment management (payment provider requirements for in-person selling; viewed 27 September 2026)
- Shopify Help Center, offline payments (viewed 7 October 2026)
- FirstPier, Shopify POS payment options; Shopify App Store, Layaway (viewed 27 September 2026)
- Quetzal POS pricing (prices in US dollars)
Year-one cost for two stores already on Shopify
Example: a retailer already selling online on Shopify Basic runs two physical stores. Software costs only, first year; card fees come on top in both columns.
| Shopify Basic + Quetzal POS | Shopify Basic + POS Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Online store | Shopify Basic C$49 × 12 = C$588 ¹ (you keep it) | Shopify Basic C$49 × 12 = C$588 ¹ |
| First location | Quetzal POS Professional US$40 × 12 = US$480 ⁶ | POS Pro C$119 × 12 = C$1,428 ¹ |
| Second location | US$30 × 12 = US$360 ⁶ | POS Pro C$119 × 12 = C$1,428 ¹ |
| Year one | C$588 + US$840 | C$3,444 |
| In-store processor | Nuvei terminals or your existing processor | Shopify Payments ³ |
Shopify's C$49 Basic price is “starting at”. Shopify showed a C$1/month offer for the first 3 months on 7 October 2026 ¹. Quetzal POS charges in US dollars.
Sources (6)
- Shopify POS pricing (Canada) (viewed 7 October 2026: Basic from C$49, Grow C$132, Advanced C$517, Plus from C$3,400 with a 3-year term; POS Pro C$119 per location billed yearly; in-person 2.6% / 2.5% / 2.4% + 0¢; third-party providers 2% / 1% / 0.6%)
- Capterra, Shopify POS reviews; Sonary, Shopify POS review (viewed 27 September 2026)
- Shopify Help Center, POS payment management (payment provider requirements for in-person selling; viewed 27 September 2026)
- Shopify Help Center, offline payments (viewed 7 October 2026)
- FirstPier, Shopify POS payment options; Shopify App Store, Layaway (viewed 27 September 2026)
- Quetzal POS pricing (prices in US dollars)
Shopify online, Quetzal POS at the counter
Keep Shopify online, run the store on Quetzal POS
Your website can stay on Shopify while the register runs on Quetzal POS.
- Connectors on Professional. Ask us what syncs for your setup.
- Bring your catalogue across from a Shopify-format CSV, with bulk images matched by filename.
A trade-in mode Shopify POS doesn't have
Shopify POS covers returns and exchanges, but has no dedicated trade-in mode ¹. Quetzal POS puts trade-ins, exchanges and misc items behind a single register button.
Tap any cart line to flip it into an exchange. Stock comes back automatically when the SKU matches, and reports list trade-ins separately.
Stock counts, purchase orders and reorder reports
- Guided stock counts. Scan the shelf and resolve variances in bulk.
- Purchase orders for suppliers or a sister store, received in parts when a shipment arrives short.
- Reorder reports. What to Buy ranks reorders by how fast items sell; Stale Inventory flags slow movers.
Payments and contracts
Shopify POS. For in-person sales, Shopify generally requires Shopify Payments where it's available ³, at 2.6%, 2.5% or 2.4% + 0¢ by plan ¹. Plans are monthly, but POS Pro is billed yearly and Shopify Plus is a 3-year term ¹.
Quetzal POS. At the counter you can stay with your current processor, and we add nothing on top. Integrated Nuvei terminals are the other route, with rates quoted on request. Billing is monthly with no contract, so leaving just means telling Quetzal. Up to 20 SKUs is free, and your Shopify online checkout doesn't change.
Bringing your counter onto Quetzal POS
- Keep Shopify. Your website stays on Shopify, untouched.
- Export the product CSV. Download your catalogue with Shopify's product CSV export. Quetzal POS reads Shopify-format files directly.
- Hook up hardware. Turn on the connector, pair terminals or your own processor, and add receipt printers.
- Switch over. Count stock, start selling on Quetzal POS, and let POS Pro lapse when its term ends.
Questions about Quetzal POS vs Shopify POS
Does Quetzal POS work with my Shopify store?
Shopify and WooCommerce connectors are available on the Professional plan. Ask us what syncs for your setup.
Do I need Shopify Payments to use Quetzal POS?
No. At the counter, Quetzal POS works with whatever processor you already use, without a surcharge, or with integrated Nuvei terminals. Online, your Shopify checkout keeps its current payment setup.
What does it cost for 2 locations?
Shopify Basic plus POS Pro at two locations is C$3,444 a year at list prices ¹. Keeping Shopify Basic and running both stores on Quetzal POS is C$588 plus US$840. Card processing is extra in both cases.
What happens when the internet drops, compared with Shopify POS?
Quetzal POS is online-only, so sales pause until the connection returns. Shopify POS can still accept some card payments offline, with Interac the exception in Canada ⁴.
Am I locked into a term with either one?
Not with Quetzal POS: it's billed monthly and you cancel by getting in touch. Shopify plans are monthly too, but POS Pro is billed yearly and Shopify Plus is a 3-year term ¹.
See Quetzal POS next to your Shopify store
In a demo we'll connect the dots between your Shopify catalogue, your in-store payments and each location. Prefer to try it yourself? The free plan covers 20 SKUs.
Other comparisons: Quetzal POS against Lightspeed Retail · How Square for Retail stacks up · Seven Lightspeed alternatives for Canadian stores
Quetzal POS wrote this comparison and has tried to treat Shopify POS fairly. Shopify details come from the public sources cited above, as of the dates given; if anything has changed, email sales@quetzalpos.com and we'll correct it.