AI Help for Retail › Compare › Square for Retail vs Shopify POS
Square for Retail vs Shopify POS (2026): which point-of-sale fits your shop?
Try Square for Retail →Try Shopify POS →
Nobody pays us to rank one above the other, and every dollar figure below comes from the vendor's own pricing page. Each tool also has a full write-up: Square for Retail and Shopify POS.
The short version:
- Monthly price: Square for Retail has a Free plan at $0/mo per location (Plus $49, Premium $149). Shopify POS needs a paid Shopify plan: Basic $39/mo includes POS Lite; the Retail plan is $89/mo per location.
- Card fee: both also take a fee on every sale. Square's in-person rate is 2.6% + 15 cents on the free plan, 2.5% + 15 cents on Plus. Shopify's rate depends on your plan; confirm it before you switch.
- Online plus in store: Shopify POS is built to run your website and shop floor off one stock count. Square handles online too, but Shopify is the stronger fit when online sales matter.
- Simplest to start: Square. Free plan, quick hardware, and you are ringing up sales the same day.
- Rule of thumb: mostly in-store and want to start free -> Square. Real online side you want tied to the counter -> Shopify POS.
Common questions
Is Square or Shopify POS cheaper for a small shop?
On the monthly fee, Square: its Free plan is $0/mo, while Shopify POS needs a paid Shopify plan starting at $39/mo (Basic, which includes POS Lite). But the monthly fee is only half the cost. Both take a card fee on every sale, so what you actually pay depends on your sales volume too. For a shop that just wants a till with no monthly bill, Square wins on price. Confirm current pricing and card rates with each vendor.
Which one is better if I sell online and in the store?
Shopify POS. It was built to run your website and your shop floor off one stock count, so a sale in the store drops your online stock and the other way around. Square can do online too, but Shopify is the stronger fit when your online sales are a real part of the business rather than a side note.
Do I need the paid plans, or is free enough?
Many small shops run fine on Square's free plan for a good while; you only move up to Plus ($49/mo per location) when you want the deeper stock, staff, and loyalty tools. On Shopify, POS Lite comes with the $39/mo Basic plan and covers casual in-person selling; the $89/mo Retail plan adds the fuller in-store features like better staff roles and smarter inventory. Start on the lowest tier that does the job and move up only when you feel the ceiling.
Square for Retail vs Shopify POS: side by side
| Square for Retail | Shopify POS | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | Free $0/mo per location; Plus $49/mo; Premium $149/mo | Comes with a paid Shopify plan: Basic $39/mo (POS Lite); Retail plan $89/mo per location (POS Pro) |
| Card fee per sale | In person 2.6% + 15 cents on Free; 2.5% + 15 cents on Plus | Set by your Shopify plan; confirm the current rate with Shopify |
| Strongest at | Fast, simple in-store selling with no monthly bill to start | One stock count across your website and your shop floor |
| Online store | Yes, and fine for a light online side | Its core strength; the online store is built in |
| What the AI helps with | Sales and stock summaries, drafting item and email text inside Square | Product copy and email drafting; forecast and reorder help in the Shopify tools |
| Who it suits | A shop that sells mostly in person and wants to start free | A shop where online sales are a real part of the business |
Prices are each vendor's published rate, checked 2026-08-14. Card rates and plan features change, so confirm the current numbers with each vendor before you switch.
What does each one actually cost you?
Two costs, always: a monthly fee and a card fee per sale. Square for Retail's monthly fee can be $0 -- the free plan is real, not a trial -- so a small shop can start with only the card fee, which is 2.6% + 15 cents for an in-person swipe on that plan. Move to Plus at $49/mo per location and the in-person rate drops to 2.5% + 15 cents, plus you get deeper stock and staff tools. Premium is $149/mo per location.
Shopify POS rides on a paid Shopify plan. The Basic plan is $39/mo and includes POS Lite, which covers casual in-person selling. The $89/mo Retail plan (per location) adds the fuller in-store features. Shopify also takes a card fee that depends on your plan, so check that rate against your Square number before you decide. For where this fits in a shop's stack, see the full retail software comparison.
Which one handles online and in-store stock better?
Shopify POS, and it isn't close for a shop that sells both ways. Shopify started as an online store, so its whole design keeps one stock count: sell a sweater at the counter and your website stock drops by one, and a website order pulls from the same shelf number. No counting twice, no overselling the last one.
Square can run an online store too, and for a shop that sells mostly in person with a light web presence, that's plenty. But if your online orders are a real slice of the week, Shopify's one-stock-count design saves you the headache. If forecasting stock is the part that hurts, our guide to AI inventory forecasting walks through it.
Which is quicker to get running?
Square. You can sign up free, tap in a few products, and take a card today; the hardware is cheap and the setup is famously simple. That low bar is a big part of why so many small shops start there.
Shopify POS takes a bit more setup because you are also standing up (or connecting) an online store. That's the trade: more to set up, but you come out with your website and counter tied together. If you were going to build the website anyway, it's not extra work -- it's the same work, done once.
So which should your shop pick?
Same job, different shape. Pick by how you sell:
Choose Square for Retail if…
- You sell mostly in the shop and a light online side is all you need.
- You want to start with no monthly fee and only pay the card fee.
- Simple and fast beats feature-deep, at least while you find your feet.
Choose Shopify POS if…
- Online orders are a real part of your week, not an afterthought.
- You want one stock count across your website and your counter.
- You are fine paying from $39/mo (or $89/mo for the fuller in-store plan) to get that.
Sources
Prices verified from each vendor's own pricing page, vendor-published, checked 2026-08-14: squareup.com retail pricing (Free $0/mo per location; Plus $49/mo; Premium $149/mo; in-person card rate 2.6% + 15 cents on Free, 2.5% + 15 cents on Plus) and shopify.com/pos pricing (POS Lite included with Basic $39/mo; Retail plan / POS Pro $89/mo per location). Card rates and tiers change, so confirm current pricing with each vendor. Last reviewed: 2026-08-14.
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