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Software · head to head

OpenCart vs Square

OpenCart logo

OpenCart

Software

Open-source ecommerce platform for business

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: OpenCart openCart is GPLv3 licensed and free to self-host, but there is no official vendor-hosted SaaS; most payment gateway and shipping integrations beyond the basics require paid extensions from OpenCart's own third-party marketplace.; Square plus plan pricing not specified in documentation
  • They diverge on capability: OpenCart covers Product management, Square covers Payment processing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which OpenCart and Square actually diverge.

Attributes where OpenCart and Square differ
AttributeOpenCartSquare
Pricing modelopen-sourcefreemium
PlatformsWebPOS (Mobile app), Web

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 OpenCart

  • Product management
  • Multi-store support
  • Payment gateways
  • Shipping integration
  • Customer management
  • Coupon system
  • SEO optimization
  • Reporting tools

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.

OpenCart

No use cases recorded yet. See the OpenCart review.

Square

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

Where each one falls short

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

OpenCart

  • OpenCart is GPLv3 licensed and free to self-host, but there is no official vendor-hosted SaaS; most payment gateway and shipping integrations beyond the basics require paid extensions from OpenCart's own third-party marketplace.

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

OpenCart

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Core ecommerce features
    • Free support
    • Extensions available

Square

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Square review.

Which should you pick?

Choose OpenCart if

  • You need product management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want multi-store support.
OpenCart 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 OpenCart or Square better?
Neither clearly leads. OpenCart 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, OpenCart or Square?
OpenCart starts at Free and Square at Free.
Does OpenCart or Square run on more platforms?
OpenCart runs on Web. Square runs on POS (Mobile app), Web.
Can I use OpenCart for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What can OpenCart do that Square cannot?
OpenCart covers Product management, Multi-store support, Payment gateways, Shipping integration. Square covers Payment processing, Point of sale, Invoicing, Payroll.
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Related pages

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