Business.com aims to help business owners make informed decisions to support and grow their companies. We research and recommend products and services suitable for various business types, investing thousands of hours each year in this process.
As a business, we need to generate revenue to sustain our content. We have financial relationships with some companies we cover, earning commissions when readers purchase from our partners or share information about their needs. These relationships do not dictate our advice and recommendations. Our editorial team independently evaluates and recommends products and services based on their research and expertise. Learn more about our process and partners here.
Square and Shopify provide popular POS systems. Learn how they work and which option is best for your growing business.
Check out The Best POS Systems of 2026 business.com recommends.
A modern point-of-sale (POS) system can help take your business to the next level. A cloud-based POS system provides the hardware and software necessary to accept customer payments and track sales while helping you connect online and offline sales.
Shopify and Square are two of the best POS systems for businesses in various industries. We researched both extensively to compare their pricing, hardware, e-commerce functionality and customer support to help you decide which option is best for your growing business.
Searching for a POS system and not sure where to start? Tell us a little more about your business and get customized quotes from qualified providers.
| Criteria | Shopify | Square |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Large retailers and e-commerce businesses with offline components | Small retailers and brick-and-mortar businesses that also sell online |
| Pricing | $39 to $399 monthly for full-featured plans $5 monthly for Shopify Starter (for “casual” sellers) | Free: $0 per month; Plus: $49 per location per month; Premium: $149 per location per month |
| Free trial | Yes (three days) | Yes (30 days for Plus and Premium) |
| Third-party integrations | Yes (over 8,000) | Yes (over 400) |
| Customer service | 24/7 chat support Online help center | Chat and email support; phone support 6 a.m.-6 p.m. PT Monday through Friday for the first 90 days on Free and ongoing with Plus; 24/7 phone support with Premium; Support Center, Seller Community and video resources available |
| Mobile app | Yes (iOS and Android) | Yes (iOS and Android) |
Shopify is a solid option for e-commerce businesses of all sizes and businesses with both e-commerce and brick-and-mortar stores.
If you’re an e-commerce business owner, you’re likely already familiar with the Shopify e-commerce platform – notable for helping business owners set up an online store and customize its settings. Its drag-and-drop store builder makes setting up a professional website easy, with an insightful dashboard delivering detailed analytics about your business.
But even if you don’t have or want a Shopify store, the platform’s POS hardware and software can help you accept payments online and in person using Shopify Payments for payment processing. Our Shopify review explains the platform’s seamless checkout options and other features.
The Shopify App Store provides over 8,000 apps that help with product design, SEO strategy, checkout and social selling. Source: Shopify
Square is an excellent POS system for small businesses, restaurants and retailers interested in e-commerce. Square supports online sales and ordering, making it easy to connect your online and in-person operations through the same POS system.
Square makes payment acceptance seamless and offers extensive customization options, allowing businesses to support numerous payment options, loyalty programs, gift cards, invoicing, online sales and more. Its POS hardware is sleek and adaptive, making it ideal for mobile payment acceptance via chip cards and contactless payments like NFC mobile payments.
We were impressed that Square offers a Free plan with no monthly subscription fee, which is incredibly helpful for smaller businesses that would benefit from a free POS system. Businesses that need more advanced features can upgrade to Plus or Premium. Our Square review details its POS software features, pricing and hardware options.
Square’s POS mobile app connects to its hardware, making accepting credit card payments with your phone seamless while on the go.
Here’s a closer look at each vendor’s pricing, hardware, customer support and e-commerce features, and how they compare.
Shopify
We like Shopify’s transparent pricing and terms, which make it easier for businesses to evaluate the platform’s POS functionality versus its costs.
Here’s an overview of its plans and pricing, including Shopify Payments processing fees. Every tier comes with a POS Lite software subscription with in-person selling features. You’ll pay an additional $89 monthly if you upgrade to a Shopify POS Pro subscription, which includes more robust in-person features like customer loyalty insights.
Service plan | Monthly fee | Rate | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
Basic | $39 | Online transactions: 2.9 percent + $0.30 In-person transactions: 2.6 percent + $0.10 | Online store; unlimited products, multiple sales channels, standard analytics, Shopify Lite POS software with in-person selling features, gift card support, QR code product details |
Grow | $105 | Online transactions: 2.7 percent + $0.30 In-person transactions: 2.5 percent + $0.10 | All Basic features, plus: additional staff accounts, shipping discounts, additional shipping features, lower processing rates |
Advanced | $399 | Online transactions: 2.5 percent + $0.30 In-person transactions: 2.4 percent + $0.10 | All Grow features, plus: 15 staff accounts, eight inventory locations, advanced reporting tools, third-party calculated shipping rates |
Outside of its primary offerings, as noted above, Shopify has several more niche offerings, including the following:
Square
Here’s a breakdown of Square’s plans and other costs:
Plan | Pricing | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
Square Free | $0 per month |
|
Square Plus | $49 per month per location | Everything in Free, plus:
|
Square Premium | $149 per month per location | Everything in Plus, plus:
|
Square uses flat-rate processing, with rates that vary by plan:
Transaction type | Square Free | Square Plus | Square Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
In person | 2.6 percent + $0.15 | 2.5 percent + $0.15 | 2.4 percent + $0.15 |
Online | 3.3 percent + $0.30 | 2.9 percent + $0.30 | 2.9 percent + $0.30 |
Online API | 2.9 percent + $0.30 | 2.9 percent + $0.30 | 2.9 percent + $0.30 |
Manual entry or card on file | 3.5 percent + $0.15 | 3.5 percent + $0.15 | 3.5 percent + $0.15 |
Square also offers a range of proprietary POS hardware. New Square accounts may qualify for one free magstripe reader, while additional hardware starts at $59.
Square also offers an array of add-ons, including the following:
Service or add-on | Price |
|---|---|
Virtual Terminal | No monthly fee; processing fees apply |
Square Payroll | $35 per month + $6 per person paid |
Square Kiosk App | $50 per device per month with Plus; $30 with Premium |
Square KDS App | $30 per device per month with Plus; $20 with Premium |
ACH invoice payments | 1 percent, $1 minimum; $10 cap with Plus and Premium |
Text marketing | Plus includes 500 messages, then $0.03 each; Premium includes 2,500 messages, then $0.015 each |
Gift card loads | 2.5 percent with Free and Plus; no load fee with Premium |
Square Restaurant Inventory by MarketMan | $99 per month per location with Plus or Premium |
The Square POS app for iOS lets you accept contactless payments via your smartphone and the Square Reader. Source: Apple App Store
Square wins when it comes to pricing for growing businesses. Its Free plan has no monthly subscription fee and includes POS software, online selling and other core business tools. As your business grows, you can upgrade to Plus or Premium for more advanced features.
The cost of a new POS system involves several components, including software, hardware and transaction fees. Be sure to take all of those into consideration when comparing POS systems.
Square
Square offers a range of POS hardware for businesses that accept credit card payments in person or on the go. New Square accounts may qualify for a free magstripe reader. Additional Square hardware includes:
The Square Register is an all-in-one POS system with two user-friendly displays, intuitive software and built-in payments. Source: Square
Shopify
In addition to its free tap-to-pay iPhone functionality, Shopify offers the following POS hardware:
The Shopify POS Go enables efficient, user-friendly in-store transactions and facilitates effortless payment processing. Source: Shopify
The two companies are fairly evenly matched when it comes to hardware. Both Square and Shopify provide high-quality, affordable hardware. However, Square provides a free magstripe.
Shopify
Shopify provides 24/7 chat support on all service plans and offers online resources, including video tutorials and webinars, to help you get started. You can request a callback via the Help Center, but there’s no direct line for phone support. You also have access to the Shopify Community, where you can get your questions answered by other Shopify users.
Square
Square offers chat and email support on all plans. Free customers have phone support from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT Monday through Friday for the first 90 days, while Plus customers receive ongoing phone support during those hours. Premium customers receive 24/7 phone support. Square also offers a Support Center, Seller Community and video resources.
Both companies provide excellent customer service. However, Shopify does not offer phone support, while Square offers phone support with all plans, with availability varying by subscription tier. Square Premium customers receive 24/7 phone support, so we’re giving Square the win here.
Square’s cloud-based POS software supports a variety of business types, including restaurants, retailers and service businesses. Its Free, Plus and Premium plans offer industry-specific features, allowing businesses to choose the functionality they need without using separate POS products.
Shopify
Shopify is an excellent option for e-commerce businesses that want to use its e-commerce features in addition to its POS functionality. The company provides:
Square
Square is also a multifaceted solution with payment processing, e-commerce and POS functionality. E-commerce businesses will appreciate the following features:
Shopify wins this category. It offers a broader spectrum of e-commerce features than you’ll get with Square.
One of the unique things about Square is its industry-specific cloud-based POS software. Square has three industry-specific offerings: Square for Retail, Square for Restaurants and Square Appointments. While Shopify doesn’t offer industry-specific packages, it does offer some industry-specific features in its POS app.
Both Shopify and Square offer POS hardware and software that make it easy to sell in person and online. The better solution for your business will depend on your specific needs.
Shopify is ideal for e-commerce businesses and anyone who wants to set up an online store. The drag-and-drop web builder makes it easy for beginners, and the service works well for businesses of all sizes. Shopify is also a good choice for businesses that want to try social selling along with in-store and online sales. Shopify will most appeal to businesses that want an all-in-one solution to handle e-commerce functions, in-store sales, payment processing and POS functionality.
Square is an excellent option for brick-and-mortar retailers that want a straightforward way to accept payments while expanding into online sales. Square can be a good fit for businesses with a limited budget thanks to its Free plan and POS software that works on mobile devices. Square also suits businesses that want industry-specific features for retailers, restaurants and appointment-based businesses.
The difference between Shopify and Square comes down to their costs and feature sets. Shopify and Square both offer POS systems for online and brick-and-mortar businesses. Square offers a Free plan with no monthly subscription fee, while Shopify charges a monthly fee. Shopify is the better option for e-commerce businesses, while Square is better for brick-and-mortar businesses.
Whether Square or Shopify is cheaper depends on which plan you sign up for and what equipment you purchase. Hardware and software costs vary — some of Square’s hardware is more expensive than what Shopify offers, but Square doesn’t charge a monthly fee for its Free plan. Also, new Square accounts may qualify for a free magstripe reader.
How much Shopify and Square take per sale varies between vendors, plans and transaction types. If you sign up for Shopify’s Basic plan, you’ll pay 2.9 percent plus $0.30 per transaction and 2.6 percent + $0.10 for in-person transactions. The transaction fee gets cheaper if you upgrade your plan, but you’ll pay more in monthly fees. With Square, in-person processing costs 2.6 percent + $0.15 with Free, 2.5 percent + $0.15 with Plus and 2.4 percent + $0.15 with Premium. Online transactions and invoices cost 3.3 percent + $0.30 with Free and 2.9 percent + $0.30 with Plus and Premium. Custom pricing is available for businesses that process over $250,000 in credit card transactions.
There are many other POS systems to consider if you’re not sold on Shopify or Square. If you’re looking for a restaurant-focused POS system, consider TouchBistro. Read our TouchBistro review for specifics on pricing and features. Additionally, Clover is a top-notch all-in-one POS system with durable hardware and a robust mobile app. Our Clover review takes a deep dive into its features and options.
Jeremy Bender contributed to the reporting and writing in this article.
Check out The Best POS Systems of 2026 business.com recommends.
