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Software · head to head

Magento vs Square

Magento logo

Magento

Software

Open-source ecommerce platform for enterprise retail

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Square logo

Square

Software

Powering the economy

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Magento magento Open Source is available under the OSL v3 license as a free self-hosted edition, but Adobe sells a separate proprietary Adobe Commerce edition with additional B2B, page builder and cloud features not included in the open source code; Square plus plan pricing not specified in documentation
  • They diverge on capability: Magento covers Multi-store management, Square covers Payment processing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Magento and Square actually diverge.

Attributes where Magento and Square differ
AttributeMagentoSquare
Pricing modelopen-sourcefreemium
PlatformsWebPOS (Mobile app), Web
Founded20082009

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Magento

  • Multi-store management
  • Advanced product catalog
  • Customer segmentation
  • Order management system
  • Inventory management
  • Progressive Web App
  • GraphQL API
  • Security & compliance

Only in Square

  • Payment processing
  • Point of sale
  • Invoicing
  • Payroll
  • Banking
  • QuickBooks
  • WooCommerce
  • Wix

What people use each for

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

Magento

No use cases recorded yet. See the Magento review.

Square

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

Where each one falls short

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

Magento

  • Magento Open Source is available under the OSL v3 license as a free self-hosted edition, but Adobe sells a separate proprietary Adobe Commerce edition with additional B2B, page builder and cloud features not included in the open source code

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

Magento

Free
  • Magento Open SourceFree
    • Unlimited products
    • Multiple storefronts
    • Advanced marketing
  • Adobe Commerce$20000/year
    • All Open Source features
    • 24/7 enterprise support
    • Managed cloud hosting

Square

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Square review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Magento if

  • You need multi-store management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want advanced product catalog.
Magento review

Choose Square if

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

Questions people ask

Is Magento or Square better?
Neither clearly leads. Magento 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, Magento or Square?
Magento starts at Free and Square at Free.
Does Magento or Square run on more platforms?
Magento runs on Web. Square runs on POS (Mobile app), Web.
Can I use Magento for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What can Magento do that Square cannot?
Magento covers Multi-store management, Advanced product catalog, Customer segmentation, Order management system. Square covers Payment processing, Point of sale, Invoicing, Payroll.
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