Software · head to head
Ecwid vs Square
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Ecwid the $5 a month Starter plan caps the catalogue at 10 products; Square plus plan pricing not specified in documentation
- They diverge on capability: Ecwid covers Omnichannel selling, Square covers Point of sale.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Ecwid and Square actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown), founded (2009).
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 Ecwid
- Omnichannel selling
- Product catalog
- Inventory management
- Email marketing
- Analytics
- Mobile app
- API access
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.
Ecwid
- Adding a store to an existing website or social pagenot Square
- Selling physical goods and digital downloads from one cataloguenot Square
Square
- Accept payments with all-in-one POS applicationnot Ecwid
- Online ordering and basic website creationnot Ecwid
- Invoicing and appointment bookingnot Ecwid
- Staff scheduling and loyalty programmesnot Ecwid
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Ecwid
- The $5 a month Starter plan caps the catalogue at 10 products
- Staff accounts start at the Business plan, and are limited to 2 until the Unlimited plan
- Abandoned cart recovery requires the Business plan at $65 a month
- In person selling through POS integration is Unlimited only, at $149 a month
- The Venture plan at $35 a month still caps products at 100
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
Ecwid
Free- FreeFree
- Up to 10 products
- Basic storefront
- Standard payment methods
- Unlimited$99.08/month
- Unlimited products
- Advanced features
- Priority support
Square
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Square review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Ecwid if
- You need omnichannel selling.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want product catalog.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Ecwid or Square better?
- Neither clearly leads. Ecwid starts at Free and Square at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Ecwid or Square?
- Ecwid starts at Free and Square at Free.
- Does Ecwid or Square run on more platforms?
- Ecwid runs on Web. Square runs on POS (Mobile app), Web.
- Can I use Ecwid for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Ecwid best used for?
- Ecwid is most often used for adding a store to an existing website or social page, selling physical goods and digital downloads from one catalogue. Of those, adding a store to an existing website or social page and selling physical goods and digital downloads from one catalogue are not what Square is typically brought in for.
- What can Ecwid do that Square cannot?
- Ecwid covers Omnichannel selling, Product catalog, Inventory management, Email marketing. Square covers Point of sale, Invoicing, Payroll, Banking. Both handle Payment processing.