Shopify vs. Square

Scale without limits, offer unified shopping, and get the platform obsessed with commerce innovation. Just a few reasons the world's fastest-growing brands choose Shopify POS vs. Square.

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A store associate stands at a checkout counter as a customer completes their transaction. A second closeup image showcases the PIN entry screen on the POS Terminal. In the background, racks of clothing and a shelf of stylish accessories suggest a modern retail environment.

Used by millions in 175+ countries

Shopify named Leader in the mPOS marketscape

Stress-tested for growth at scale

Get enterprise-grade point of sale software and hardware to run your retail stores, all backed by the world’s most powerful ecommerce platform. IDC positions Shopify as a Leader for strengths in unified commerce platform, AI-driven personalization and insights, mobile first design and flexibility, global reach and scalability and ease of use and support.

14%+US ecommerce market share¹

50%as much as 50% conversion lift with Shop Pay, compared to guest checkout²

¹ The US ecommerce market is based on a combination of US Census Bureau data (Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales, not adjusted) and internal estimates.

² Based on an external study completed with a Big Three global management consulting firm in April 2023.

Made for the world’s fastest-growing brands

Manage complex product catalogs

Add unlimited SKUs and up to 2,000 variants per product with no impact to site performance.

Go global without multiple accounts

Switch to Shopify and use a single account to manage up to 1,000 locations.

Sell confidently without downtime

Conquer peak periods with POS Terminal and Countertop Kit. Process 10K+ checkouts per minute with 99.9% uptime.

With Shopify, our physical and online stores now communicate seamlessly, which makes our lives a lot easier as we scale. We’re spending less time fixing website issues and more time focused on growth. The results we’re seeing are really exciting.
Jennifer Devlin — Owner

8.9% lift in revenue from omnichannel selling

The truly, completely, all-in-one platform

Shopify POS is the only solution that allows you to streamline operations from one place and offer exceptional customer experiences that convert. This is omnichannel selling at its best.

250M+new customers. Help buyers find your store, know who they are, and grow your marketing list with the Shop app.

88%of Square replatformers agree Shopify better unifies in-store and online selling³

³ Based on an online survey of 1,000 Shopify POS customers. (November, 2023)

Flexible fulfilment, no matter your sales channel

Show realtime product availability

Instead of overselling, display accurate product availability online, whether it's on-hand at a store location or warehouse.

Offer flexible fulfilment options

Give customers control over how and where they buy with in-store pickup that works across multiple retail locations.

Endless aisle: 8.9% revenue lift

Offer shoppers the ability to purchase out-of-stock items from other locations. Close the sale and fulfill orders from where inventory lives.

Simplify returns and exchanges

Complete returns and exchanges for online orders in store right from Shopify POS to save time for your staff and customers.

Shopify makes the experience I want to offer customers possible, without burdening me with more admin work. It was easy to migrate, easy to learn, and makes running my business more straightforward than it used to be.
Mandalyn Renicker — Owner

300+ new features a year

Dedicated to the future of commerce

From infrastructure to cutting edge features, Shopify is the only platform innovating at the speed of commerce so you're always ahead of the competition.

A collection of labels showcasing recent product launches: Email capture at checkout, POS UI extensions, Ship to customer, Pick up in store, Inventory states, Shop Pay Instalments for Retail.

Thousandsof R&D employees, building the future of commerce

$1.5B+invested in R&D in 2025, up from $1.3B in 2024—all dedicated to commerce innovation

Shopify lives, breathes, and invests in commerce

Proven commerce experts

There’s no split mission: we’re built for commerce, not hospitality. Shopify strives to make commerce better for everyone.

Stay competitive

Get the unfair industry advantage with our team of engineers building 300+ new features a year to help you sell more.

Joining Shopify has been one of the wisest decisions we as a business have taken. Its features have unlocked new possibilities that help us reach our growth aspirations.

Platform extensibility + 21,000+ apps

Commerce for every size of business

Shopify understands no business is the same. With headless commerce, the Shopify App Store, and robust APIs, you can build your business any way you want.

21,000+apps for commerce, the biggest app ecosystem in the industry

10K+Shopify Partners supporting brands across the globe, from store builds to marketing strategy

Get the flexible platform that grows with your brand

Build your online brand your way

Choose from 100+ website themes and customise without limits to match the look and feel of your brand.

Integrate your tech stack

Install powerful business apps made for Shopify, extend your store’s functionality with dedicated APIs, and more.

Save time with custom workflows

Design a custom workflow to automate tasks without knowing code or build a bespoke solution with POS UI Extensions to extend functionality natively.

Shopify’s customizability has been so valuable. We have a beautiful website whose product collections are easy to navigate, and I can use metafields to show important product information to staff and customers.
Mandalyn Renicker — Owner

Featured Apps

Essential apps for when you make the switch

Smile.io

Power brand loyalty, boost repeat sales, and engage buyers with rewards, VIP programs, and referral incentives.

Get the app

Shopify Bundles

Increase average order values, give customers discounts, and move inventory at volume with custom product bundles.

Get the app

Easy Team POS Staff Management

Streamline staff management, from scheduling and payroll to sales performance, all from Shopify POS.

Get the app

Appointment Booking Appointo

Let buyers book a service or event offered online or in person. Send automated emails and SMS reminders.

Get the app

Migrate from Square to Shopify

Make the move to Shopify

80% of customers who switched from Square say they are satisfied with Shopify POS.³ Skip the hassle and migrate with minimal downtime. Get the support your business needs from a certified partner that specializes in migrating from Square to Shopify.

Icee Social

Experts focused on web development, ecommerce strategy, and consulting.

Connect with Icee Social

Maxburst

Web development and digital marketing agency specializing in B2B and DTC.

Connect with Maxburst

Sunrise Integration

Partner focused on store migration, custom builds, and full site redesigns.

Connect with Sunrise Integration

Square migration resources

Webinar

BKLYN Larder

Watch the panel discussion on why BKLYN Larder switched from Square to Shopify POS, and how the business has grown since.

Watch the webinar

Case Study

Offbeat Bikes

Switching from Square to Shopify POS helped this Chicago brand streamline inventory management and invoicing.

Read the case study

Frequently asked questions

Choose Shopify POS if you sell both online and in person, or plan to. Choose Square if you only need simple in-person payments.

Shopify connects POS, online store, checkout, inventory, customer profiles, and apps in one platform, so stock and customer records stay in sync across every channel. Square is easy to start with and offers $0 plans, but add ons can make monthly costs harder to predict and its commerce features are simpler to scale from.

While you can integrate Square POS with your online Shopify storefront, it’s not recommended.

If you’re looking to manage your business from one place, Shopify is the obvious choice. Shopify’s platform was designed to unify your in-store and online sales experience. Plus, Shopify is dedicated to constant innovation. With commerce features that support growth at scale, entrepreneurs have more time to focus on what matters most to their business. From winning back time spent on inventory management and fulfilment to converting and retaining more buyers, Shopify is the platform made for commerce.

Shopify’s monthly plans include POS, ecommerce, and payments with fast payouts. Card rates on Shopify’s Basic plan start at:

2.6% + 10¢ USD (in person, per transaction)
2.9% + 30¢ USD (online, per transaction)

The main difference is depth: Shopify is a commerce platform with retail POS built in, while Square is a payments and POS product with a website builder attached.

In practice that shows up in three places: storefront customization (100+ professionally-designed themes you can customize, against Square’s simpler templates), reporting (detailed analytics against limited insight), and how much of the business runs in one place—payments, inventory, orders, customers, shipping, fulfillment, and marketing, all syncing between in store and online.

Shopify is cheaper online. Shopify’s Basic plan charges 2.9% + 30¢ for online card payments, while Square’s $0 plan charges 3.3% + 30¢. In person the percentage matches at 2.6%, but Square adds 15¢ per transaction against Shopify’s 10¢, and Square charges 3.5% + 15¢ for manually entered payments where Shopify does not.

The difference sits around the rate. Shopify’s pricing plans include Shopify Payments, and premium plans lower your card rate as you grow.

For scaled retailers that need an enterprise-grade platform, Shopify POS averages 22% lower total cost of ownership and 25% lower annual software subscription and maintenance costs per retail store than the competition, and retailers using other POS systems report 89% higher annual third-party support costs per store. See the EY report.

Card rates on Shopify’s Basic plan start at:

2.6% + 10¢ USD (in person, per transaction)
2.9% + 30¢ USD (online, per transaction)

Square card rates on its $0 plan:

2.6% + 15¢ USD (in person, per transaction)
3.3% + 30¢ USD (online, per transaction)
3.5% + 15¢ USD (manually entered, per transaction)

⁴Shopify Payments is available to stores operating in certain countries/regions. Learn more about eligibility requirements and Shopify Payments terms and conditions

In the US, $3.20 on a $100 online sale or $2.70 in person, on Shopify’s Basic plan with Shopify Payments: 2.9% + 30¢ USD online and 2.6% + 10¢ USD in person.

Higher plans charge less: the same online sale costs $3.00 on Grow and $2.80 on Advanced. If you process with an outside provider instead, Shopify charges a third-party transaction fee of 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow or 0.6% on Advanced, and that provider charges its own rate separately.

The same $100 online sale costs $3.60 on Square’s $0 Free plan (3.3% + 30¢ USD). To get Shopify Basic’s online rate on Square, you have to move up to a paid Square plan.

⁵US rates in USD. Based on a single $100 order paid with a domestically issued standard consumer card through each platform’s online checkout. Excludes plan subscription fees, manually keyed transactions, premium/business and Amex cards, and internationally issued cards (Shopify adds 1%, Square adds 1.5%). Shopify rates require Shopify Payments, which is available in certain countries; rates vary by country. Square rates are for the Square Free plan; Square’s Payments API rate is 2.9% + 30¢ on all plans. Current as of September 23, 2026. Rates are subject to change, see shopify.com/pricing and Square’s pricing page for current pricing.