Is Etsy or Square better?

Neither clearly leads. Etsy starts at On request and Square at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Etsy or Square?

Square has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Etsy and Free for Square.

Does Etsy or Square run on more platforms?

Etsy 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. Etsy starts at On request.

What is Etsy best used for?

Etsy is most often used for selling handmade crafts and unique items, reselling vintage goods and collectibles, marketing handpicked curated products, operating storefront with secured payment processing. Of those, selling handmade crafts and unique items and reselling vintage goods and collectibles are not what Square is typically brought in for.

What can Etsy do that Square cannot?

Etsy covers Shop setup, Product listings, Shop customization, Order management. Square covers Point of sale, Invoicing, Payroll, Banking. Both handle Payment processing.

E-Commerce · head to head

Etsy vs Square

Etsy

E-Commerce

Global marketplace for handmade, vintage, and unique items

From: On request
Rated: -

Full review Website

Square

E-Commerce

Powering the economy

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only Square has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: Etsy transaction fees at 6.5% of sale price; Square plus plan pricing not specified in documentation
They diverge on capability: Etsy covers Shop setup, Square covers Point of sale.
Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Etsy and Square actually diverge.

Attributes where Etsy and Square differ
Attribute	Etsy	Square
Starting price	On request	Free
Pricing model	transaction	freemium
Free tier	No	Yes
Platforms	Web	POS (Mobile app), Web
Founded	2005	2009

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

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 Etsy

Shop setup
Product listings
Shop customization
Order management
Shipping labels
Reviews & ratings
Shipping protection

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.

Etsy

Selling handmade crafts and unique itemsnot Square
Reselling vintage goods and collectiblesnot Square
Marketing handpicked curated productsnot Square
Operating storefront with secured payment processingnot Square

Square

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

Where each one falls short

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

Etsy

Transaction fees at 6.5% of sale price
Payment processing fee of 3% plus $0.25 per transaction
15% offsite ads fee for sales from Etsy external advertising
No monthly subscription covers fees - all fees per transaction

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

Etsy

On request

Seller Fees$0.2/listing
- Listing fee per item for 4 months
Transaction Fee$6.5/percent
- 6.5% of sale price including shipping
Payment Processing Fee$3/percent
- 3% of sale price plus $0.25 per transaction
Offsite Ads Fee$15/percent
- 15% of sale price when sale results from Etsy external advertising

Square

Free

FreeFree
- Accept payments with all-in-one POS app
- Online site builder (ordering profiles, basic websites, online stores, booking sites)
- Item library and inventory tracking
Plus$null/mo
- All Free plan features
- Advanced POS features for food, retail, and appointments
- Lower processing fees on card transactions

Which should you pick?

Choose Etsy if

You need shop setup.
You also want product listings.

Etsy 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 Etsy or Square better?: Neither clearly leads. Etsy starts at On request and Square at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Etsy or Square?: Square has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Etsy and Free for Square.
Does Etsy or Square run on more platforms?: Etsy 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. Etsy starts at On request.
What is Etsy best used for?: Etsy is most often used for selling handmade crafts and unique items, reselling vintage goods and collectibles, marketing handpicked curated products, operating storefront with secured payment processing. Of those, selling handmade crafts and unique items and reselling vintage goods and collectibles are not what Square is typically brought in for.
What can Etsy do that Square cannot?: Etsy covers Shop setup, Product listings, Shop customization, Order management. Square covers Point of sale, Invoicing, Payroll, Banking. Both handle Payment processing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Etsy: What is the listing fee on Etsy?

Each listing costs $0.20 and is active for 4 months. You only pay transaction and payment processing fees when you make a sale.

Source

Square: Does Square offer a free plan?

Yes, Square's free plan includes an all-in-one POS app, online site builder, item library and inventory tracking, invoicing, appointment scheduling, staff calendars, and checking and savings account access. No subscription fees are charged.

Source

Etsy: What are Etsy's transaction and payment fees?

Etsy charges 6.5% transaction fee on the sale price including shipping, plus 3% and $0.25 for payment processing per transaction. If a sale results from Etsy's external advertising, an additional 15% offsite ads fee applies.

Source

Square: What does Square Plus add compared to the free plan?

Square Plus adds advanced POS features for food and retail, lower processing fees on card transactions, custom loyalty programs, unlimited email marketing campaigns, text messaging, and staff scheduling and attendance tracking.

Source

Etsy: Are there monthly subscription costs?

No, Etsy does not require a monthly subscription. You pay per listing ($0.20) and transaction-based fees when you make sales.

Source

Etsy: What types of items can I sell on Etsy?

Etsy allows items you made, designed, handpicked, or sourced that meet Creativity Standards. The marketplace focuses on unique, handmade, or vintage goods rather than mass-produced items.

Source

Etsy vs Square

Etsy

Square

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Etsy

Only in Square

Both cover

What people use each for

Etsy

Square

Where each one falls short

Etsy

Square

Pricing, plan by plan

Etsy

Square

Which should you pick?

Choose Etsy if

Choose Square if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Etsy

More on Square

Keep looking

Other head to heads