Shopify doesn’t offer a free plan, but it does provide a 14-day free trial. Its cheapest plan starts at $5 per month and is suitable for businesses just getting started because it’s meant for social selling. Square doesn’t charge a monthly fee, unless you’re paying for an add-on, such as payroll―$35 per month plus $5 per person, per month―or Loyalty rewards, starting at $45 per month. Both of these add-ons are available with Shopify, but only through a third-party integration.
At first glance, Shopify appears to have better processing rates. However, to get 2.4% plus $0 per transaction, you need its Advanced plan, which costs $299 per month. If your business processes a high volume of transactions, this might not be a big issue.
To get Square’s lowest processing rate of 2.5% plus 10 cents, a business needs the Plus or Premium plan, depending on whether it’s using Square for Retail or Square Appointments. Square for Retail’s Plus plan is $60 per month, per location, and Premium requires custom pricing. Square Appointments costs $29 per month, per location, for Plus and $69 per month, per location, for Premium.
Both Shopify and Square offer SSL certificates and have app marketplaces for integrations. Square offers a pay-as-you-go solution and Shopify offers a discount for paying for a year at a time, although you can pay month-to-month. An important distinction to understand about Shopify is that you’ll pay your monthly fee whether you make any sales, which can daunt new and fledgling businesses.
Featured Partners
Starting price
$2.90 per month
E-commerce (low-priced plan)
No
Starting Price
$14 per month
E-commerce (low-priced plan)
Yes
Starting price
$6.99 per month
E-commerce (low-priced plan)
Yes
Starting Price
$23 per month
E-commerce (low-priced plan)
Yes
Starting price
$1.95 per month
E-commerce (low-priced plan)
Yes
Bottom Line
Shopify is a great e-commerce platform for businesses that want to sell online, in-store or through social media. If you’re looking for an all-in-one solution that includes a POS, social selling and inventory management, Shopify is a good choice.
Square is best suited for businesses that need a simple way to accept payments and don’t want to commit to a long-term contract. If you’re selling online, in-person or via invoices, Square could be the right fit.
See how they compare to the competition in our full guide to the best e-commerce platforms.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/software/square-vs-shopify/
