Abacus vs Shopify POS:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Shopify POS had more branded searches than Abacus among POS systems in Australia. Shopify POS had about 1,300 branded searches, while Abacus had 390. Shopify POS made up 13.1% of all POS system searches we track, and Abacus accounted for 3.9%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about POS systems, Shopify POS appeared in three of the five answers and Abacus in one. Shopify POS was mentioned before Abacus in three out of four answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Shopify POS, about 3 searches for every 1 for Abacus
Who does AI mention more?
Shopify POS, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Abacus in 1
Who does AI recommend more?
Shopify POS, named ahead of Abacus in 3 of 4 answers
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Top POS systems in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Shopify POS was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. 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. Shopify POS was listed before Abacus in three out of four answers that named either.
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 Shopify POS more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Abacus and Shopify POS 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 Shopify POS, 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 Shopify POS comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Shopify POS 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, Shopify POS’s share of searches among POS systems in Australia moved from 14.7% to 13.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1.3K.
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 Shopify POS’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
Shopify POS
1 branded search term
- shopify pos
Other head-to-heads among POS systems
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