Softwr

E-commerce & Retail · head to head

3dcart vs Square

3dcart logo

3dcart

E-commerce & Retail

All-in-one ecommerce platform for online retailers

From
$19/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Square logo

Square

E-commerce & Retail

Powering the economy

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Square has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 3dcart limited scalability compared to enterprise e-commerce platforms; Square plus plan pricing not specified in documentation
  • They diverge on capability: 3dcart covers Store builder, Square covers Point of sale.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which 3dcart and Square actually diverge.

Attributes where 3dcart and Square differ
Attribute3dcartSquare
Starting price$19/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebPOS (Mobile app), Web
Founded19972009

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (E-commerce & Retail).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in 3dcart

  • Store builder
  • Unlimited products
  • Shopping cart
  • Inventory management
  • Email marketing
  • SEO optimization
  • Mobile responsive

Only in Square

  • Point of sale
  • Invoicing
  • Payroll
  • Banking
  • QuickBooks
  • WooCommerce
  • Wix
  • PCI DSS

Both cover

  • Payment processing

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

3dcart

No use cases recorded yet. See the 3dcart review.

Square

  • Accept payments with all-in-one POS applicationnot 3dcart
  • Online ordering and basic website creationnot 3dcart
  • Invoicing and appointment bookingnot 3dcart
  • Staff scheduling and loyalty programmesnot 3dcart

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

3dcart

  • Limited scalability compared to enterprise e-commerce platforms
  • Payment processing tied to Shift4 Payments after acquisition
  • Fewer advanced marketing and analytics features than competitors

Square

  • Plus plan pricing not specified in documentation
  • Processing fees differ by tier but exact rates not detailed
  • Free plan pricing mentioned but specific features for Plus unclear
  • Text marketing charged at 3¢ per message after first 500 included

Pricing, plan by plan

3dcart

$19/month
  • Starter$19/month
    • Unlimited products
    • Basic templates
    • Email support

Square

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Square review.

Which should you pick?

Choose 3dcart if

  • You need store builder.
  • You also want unlimited products.
3dcart review

Choose Square if

  • You need point of sale.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on POS (Mobile app), Web.
  • You also want invoicing.
Square review

Questions people ask

Is 3dcart or Square better?
Neither clearly leads. 3dcart starts at $19/month and Square at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, 3dcart or Square?
Square has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $19/month for 3dcart and Free for Square.
Does 3dcart or Square run on more platforms?
3dcart runs on Web. Square runs on POS (Mobile app), Web.
Can I use Square for free?
Yes. Square has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. 3dcart starts at $19/month.
What can 3dcart do that Square cannot?
3dcart covers Store builder, Unlimited products, Shopping cart, Inventory management. Square covers Point of sale, Invoicing, Payroll, Banking. Both handle Payment processing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

3dcart: What is the starting price for 3dcart?

3dcart (now Shift4Shop) starts at $19/month with no setup fees, transaction fees, or hidden fees.

Source
3dcart: Does 3dcart include hosting?

Yes. 3dcart includes web hosting, domain support, and built-in website building tools with no separate hosting costs.

Source
3dcart: What happened to 3dcart?

Shift4 Payments acquired 3dcart in November 2020. The platform is now operated under the name Shift4Shop but maintains the same core functionality and pricing.

Source
3dcart: Does 3dcart offer free templates?

Yes. 3dcart provides dozens of professionally designed, industry-specific templates that are mobile-friendly, SEO optimized, and highly customizable.

Source
3dcart: What payment methods does 3dcart support?

3dcart integrates with multiple payment gateways including Shift4 Payments, Stripe, PayPal, and other major payment processors.

Source
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Related pages

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