RetaPos vs Shopify POS

Shopify POS is built for online-first brands that also sell in person. RetaPos is built for physical retail stores that want a mobile-first POS with India GST, UAE VAT, and WhatsApp CRM at a fraction of the cost.

RetaPos: $399/year Shopify POS: $612+/year Retail-First vs E-Commerce-First No Transaction Fees

Quick Verdict

Which POS fits your business?

Choose RetaPos if…

  • You run a physical retail store with no online shop
  • You operate in India, UAE, or other global markets
  • You need WhatsApp CRM and GST/VAT billing
  • You want a full POS on any Android or iOS smartphone
  • You want zero transaction fees on every sale

Choose Shopify POS if…

  • Your primary sales channel is your Shopify online store
  • You need unified online + in-store inventory sync
  • You already use Shopify Payments and want one ecosystem
  • You operate primarily in the US, UK, Canada, or Australia
  • You have 500+ SKUs synced across online and physical stores

Both are good for…

  • Cloud-based POS accessible from any device
  • Inventory management with barcode scanning
  • Customer profiles and purchase history
  • Multi-payment method support
  • Discount and promotional pricing

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

RetaPos vs Shopify POS — head to head

Feature RetaPos Shopify POS
Annual Pricing $399/yr  ·  ₹6,000/yr $612+/yr ($51+/month Basic)
Trial / Guarantee 30-day money-back 3-day free trial
Primary Platform Android & iOS smartphones iPad & iPhone (limited Android)
Internet Requirement Wi-Fi or 4G/5G required Limited offline mode (Lite plan)
Transaction Fees (own payment) None 0.5%–2% if not using Shopify Payments
WhatsApp CRM
GST Billing (India) Via third-party app (extra cost)
VAT Billing (UAE / UK)
E-Commerce Integration
Inventory Tracking Up to 500 SKUs Unlimited SKUs
Loyalty Program Via third-party app (extra cost)
25+ Retail Category Templates
India / UAE Availability Available but GST requires app
Setup Time Under 30 min on smartphone Hours (theme + app setup)
Best For Physical retail — India, UAE & global Online-first brands adding in-person sales

The True Cost of Shopify POS

Shopify's base plan is just the starting point

Shopify Basic — Typical Annual Cost

  • Shopify Basic plan$612/yr
  • India GST app (if needed)~$120/yr
  • Loyalty app (e.g. Smile.io)~$300/yr
  • Transaction fee (non-Shopify payments, 2%)Variable
  • Subtotal (without tx fees)~$1,032/yr

RetaPos — Annual Cost

  • RetaPos International plan$399/yr
  • India GST billingIncluded
  • Loyalty programIncluded
  • WhatsApp CRMIncluded
  • Total$399/yr

Shopify pricing verified May 2026. App costs are indicative — verify on the Shopify App Store before purchasing.

Where RetaPos Outperforms Shopify POS

Key advantages for physical retail stores in global markets

Any Android Smartphone

Shopify POS is heavily iPad and iPhone-centric. RetaPos runs natively on any Android or iOS smartphone — the device your staff already has.

WhatsApp CRM Built-In

Send digital receipts, loyalty updates, and offers directly to customers' WhatsApp. Shopify has no native WhatsApp integration — it requires third-party apps.

India GST Out of the Box

Full CGST/SGST/IGST and GSTR report generation included in every plan. Shopify requires a paid third-party app to handle India GST correctly.

Built for Physical Retail

Shopify is e-commerce first — the POS is an add-on. RetaPos is designed exclusively for in-store retail with 25+ category-specific templates and workflows.

Frequently Asked Questions

RetaPos vs Shopify POS — common questions answered

Yes. RetaPos costs $399/year with all features included. Shopify Basic starts at $612/year, and a physical retailer in India typically needs additional apps for GST billing (~$120/yr) and loyalty (~$300/yr), pushing the real annual cost past $1,000. RetaPos includes these features in the base plan with no add-ons needed.

Not natively. Shopify's tax engine handles basic tax rates but does not generate GSTR-1 or GSTR-3B reports, split CGST/SGST/IGST, or handle HSN codes out of the box. Indian retailers typically install a paid third-party GST app from the Shopify App Store. RetaPos includes full India GST billing in every plan at no extra cost.

No. RetaPos is fully cloud-based and requires an active internet connection — Wi-Fi or 4G/5G mobile data. Shopify POS Lite has limited offline capability. If your store location has frequent internet outages and offline billing is a hard requirement, Shopify POS may be more suitable for that specific need.

RetaPos does not integrate directly with Shopify's online store — it is designed for physical retail only, with no e-commerce module. If unified online and in-store inventory sync is critical to your operations, Shopify POS is the more suitable choice. If your in-store and online operations are largely independent, RetaPos can serve your physical store more cost-effectively.

Yes. Export your product catalog and customer data from Shopify as CSV and import it into RetaPos. The RetaPos onboarding team helps you get set up within 30 minutes on your existing Android or iOS smartphone. There is no hardware to purchase and no lengthy installation process.

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