Choosing the platform you will use for your business can make or break it. With so many options available, Square and Shopify often rise to the top as two of the most popular eCommerce solutions. But the question becomes which is right for your business – and you?

In this blog, we’ll break down the key differences between Square and Shopify based on ease of use, available features, pricing, and which business types would thrive.

Plus, we’ll share why Shopify is an excellent choice for small businesses and how you can get your store up and running in just five days with our ShopifyLaunch in 5 Challange.

Square vs Shopify

Square

Square’s features are geared more toward simplicity and integrated services. The platform has services that cater to a wide range of service types, such as:

• In-Person selling POS
• Invoices
• Appointment Bookings
• Subscriptions
• Contracts

With the wide range of features, each feature has its limits and would be challenging to scale after you reach a certain point. Its features make it great for hybrid small businesses, but it may need to change in the future if its needs increase. With that said Square continuously adds features and capabilities regularly to make it even easier for businesses to accomplish more.

For a full overview of the Square platform, Check out our Square Guide for Small Businesses

Shopify

Shopify shines in its vast array of eCommerce-specific features; it is eCommerce first but allows you to build out what you need through its app store. Unlike Square, they have the necessities of selling and expanding features they create as “add-on” apps so you can truly build the store how you need it without the unnecessary features you may never use.

They also have many integrations for different platforms where you may sell your products and allow you to use Shopify as a home base for inventory.

For a full overview of the Shopify platform, Check out our Shopify Launch guide for Non-Techies

Winner:

With the focus on eCommerce, Shopify is the clear winner, giving you all the tools necessary for your new store without features you will never need.

Website Building

In the website space, Square and Shopify don’t differ a lot. They both can launch your website online fairly quickly. Both platform’s website services connect directly with the admin dashboard.

Square Online

Square bought Weebly a couple of years ago to add the website functionality, and it has since added themes. For the free plan users, you can use a limited number of themes (2) for your website. As a paid plan member, you can choose from more business-specific themes. Currently, all themes in Square are created in-house, and there is no current way to use third-party themes. You can work with a Square partner to build your website, much like Shopify Experts.

One difference between Shopify is that you can have multiple websites under your one account on Square, and each can have its own paid plan.

Shopify

Shopify has a massive theme store with some free options available. The only restriction for themes is that the “Starter” plan has a specific theme, but you can install free themes or purchase upgraded themes for other plans.

Winner:

Shopify gives more options for free and paid with more customization options.

Pricing

Square

A major upside of Square is that you can use almost all of the services for free in a subscription capacity, but when you take payments, you will have to pay a transaction fee of 2.9% + $0.30 (per transaction).

With the many features on the Square platform, there isn’t a one-plan choice that covers a range of services. Each service (Square online, Appointments, Marketing, etc.) has plans to choose from based on your needs. For businesses just getting started, this is a very cost-effective option.

Shopify

Shopify’s pricing starts at $39/month for their basic plan; you can take the “Starter” route for $5/month with limitations. There are additional fees if you choose to add fees with subscriptions, purchase a paid theme (Starts at $300), and if you need to use a third-party payment gateway, but this investment helps when you are ready to scale your business up with Shopify Plus.

Winner:

Square is a better option for businesses looking to minimize upfront costs, but Shopify offers a streamlined subscription for businesses aiming to scale and grow.

Suitability for Specific Business Types

Square

This platform is best for small businesses that primarily sell in-person and want to expand to online sales. Square is ideal for service-based businesses, local retail shops, or food vendors with basic online selling needs.

Shopify

Best for businesses focused on scaling their online presence, including product-based companies, dropshippers, print-on-demand shops, and other shop types with complex needs.

Shopify’s flexibility and scalability make it a standout for growing e-commerce operations.

Winner:

Shopify is the clear winner for online-first businesses or those looking to have the ability to scale and customize based on their needs.

Overall Winner: Shopify

The Shopify platform is the apparent winner for eCommerce businesses based on the needs of online shops; it provides a robust foundation with the flexibility to customize based on your store’s needs and the freedom to expand services with a click of a button. Whether you’re launching a new store or transitioning from a smaller platform like Square, Shopify has the tools you need to thrive.

Ready to launch your Shopify store?

Join the “Shopify Launch in 5” Challenge!

If you’ve decided that Shopify is the right platform for your business, don’t let the fear of starting a new platform or procrastination keep you from launching.

With our “Shopify launch in 5” challenge, you’ll get:

• Step-by-step guidance to launch your Shopify store in just five days.
• Live and recorded sessions will walk you through everything from setup to launch.
• Personalized support, including Q&A and website reviews.

By the end of the challenge, you’ll have a fully functional Shopify store ready to start selling!

Sign up today to claim your spot and take the first step toward eCommerce success.

When choosing Square or Shopify for your eCommerce store, the right choice ultimately depends on your business’s needs and goals. Square is a great starting point for hybrid businesses or in-person vendors looking to expand online. At the same time, Shopify provides the tools and scalability required for businesses that are focused on online selling.

If you’re ready to launch your online store for the new year, join our “Shopify Launch in 5“ challenge today and take the guesswork out of getting started.