Abacus vs Lightspeed:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Lightspeed had more branded searches than Abacus among POS systems in Australia. Lightspeed had about 1,000 branded searches, while Abacus had 390. Lightspeed made up 10.1% of all POS system searches we track, and Abacus accounted for 3.9%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about POS systems, Lightspeed appeared in all five answers and Abacus in one. Lightspeed was mentioned before Abacus in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Lightspeed, about 3 searches for every 1 for Abacus
Who does AI mention more?
Lightspeed, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Lightspeed, named ahead of Abacus in every answer
Follow Abacus vs Lightspeed and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Top POS systems in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Lightspeed appeared in all five answers. Abacus was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Lightspeed was listed before Abacus in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Square1st
Zeller2nd- Lightspeed3rd
Shopify POS4th
Idealpos5th
Abacus6th
SwiftPOS–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Square5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Lightspeed5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Zeller5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Shopify POS3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Idealpos1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Abacus1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- SwiftPOS0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about POS systems
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best POS system for a small business in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which POS system is best for a cafe or restaurant?”
Asked ChatGPT
“How do I choose a point of sale system for a retail shop?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“pos system”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best pos system for cafe”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in Australia on October 23, 2026.
Is Abacus or Lightspeed more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Abacus and Lightspeed by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven POS systems we track, month by month, from searches in Australia.
Share of searches by month for Lightspeed, Abacus. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Square | Shopify POS | Lightspeed | SwiftPOS | Idealpos | Zeller | Abacus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 49.9% | 14.7% | 11.3% | 10% | 6.7% | 1.9% | 5.4% |
| Nov 2025 | 50.7% | 15% | 11.5% | 10.1% | 5.5% | 1.6% | 5.5% |
| Dec 2025 | 45.6% | 13.8% | 13.8% | 11.3% | 7.5% | 1.7% | 6.1% |
| Jan 2026 | 45.6% | 16.5% | 12.7% | 11.1% | 7.5% | 1.8% | 4.9% |
| Feb 2026 | 44.6% | 16.1% | 12.4% | 12.4% | 7.3% | 1.4% | 5.9% |
| Mar 2026 | 46.1% | 16.8% | 13.6% | 10.5% | 6.2% | 1.8% | 5% |
| Apr 2026 | 50.5% | 14.9% | 11.5% | 10.1% | 5.5% | 2% | 5.5% |
| May 2026 | 52.3% | 15.5% | 9.7% | 9.7% | 5.7% | 1.4% | 5.7% |
| Jun 2026 | 58.2% | 14.1% | 8.8% | 7.8% | 4.2% | 3.4% | 3.4% |
| Jul 2026 | 60.2% | 11.9% | 9.1% | 8% | 4.4% | 2.9% | 3.6% |
| Aug 2026 | 57% | 10.6% | 10.6% | 9.3% | 5.1% | 3.4% | 4.1% |
| Sep 2026 | 54.4% | 13.1% | 10.1% | 8.9% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 3.9% |
How has the Abacus and Lightspeed comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Lightspeed was ahead of Abacus in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Abacus’ share of searches among POS systems in Australia moved from 5.4% to 3.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 480 to 390.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Lightspeed’s share of searches among POS systems in Australia moved from 11.3% to 10.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1K.
How did search popularity change for Australia POS systems in September 2026?
3 changes
In September 2026, Shopify POS overtook Lightspeed to rank 2nd among POS systems in Australia, with 13.1% of the searches.
In September 2026, Zeller overtook Abacus to rank 6th among POS systems in Australia, with 4.8% of the searches.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Abacus in Australia fell 18.8% over 12 measured months, from 480 to 390 in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Abacus’ and Lightspeed’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Abacus
1 branded search term
- abacus pos
Lightspeed
1 branded search term
- lightspeed pos
Other head-to-heads among POS systems
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.