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Software · head to head

Shopkeep vs Square

Shopkeep logo

Shopkeep

Software

Cloud-based POS for small businesses

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Square logo

Square

Software

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: Shopkeep unreliable inventory control across multiple locations; Square plus plan pricing not specified in documentation
  • They diverge on capability: Shopkeep covers Inventory management, Square covers Invoicing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Shopkeep and Square actually diverge.

Attributes where Shopkeep and Square differ
AttributeShopkeepSquare
Starting price$49/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsiPad, WebPOS (Mobile app), Web
Founded20082009

Identical on both: 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 Shopkeep

  • Inventory management
  • Customer profiles
  • Sales analytics
  • Employee management
  • Mobile POS
  • Reporting

Only in Square

  • Invoicing
  • Payroll
  • Banking
  • QuickBooks
  • WooCommerce
  • Wix
  • PCI DSS
  • EMV compliant

Both cover

  • Point of sale
  • Payment processing

What people use each for

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

Shopkeep

No use cases recorded yet. See the Shopkeep review.

Square

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

Where each one falls short

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

Shopkeep

  • Unreliable inventory control across multiple locations
  • Cloud-dependent with no offline transaction processing capability
  • Dropped Bluetooth connections cause lost sales and payment processing failures

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

Shopkeep

$49/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Shopkeep review.

Square

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Square review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Shopkeep if

  • You need inventory management.
  • You work on iPad, Web.
  • You also want customer profiles.
Shopkeep review

Choose Square if

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

Questions people ask

Is Shopkeep or Square better?
Neither clearly leads. Shopkeep starts at $49/month and Square at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Shopkeep or Square?
Square has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $49/month for Shopkeep and Free for Square.
Does Shopkeep or Square run on more platforms?
Shopkeep runs on iPad, 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. Shopkeep starts at $49/month.
What can Shopkeep do that Square cannot?
Shopkeep covers Inventory management, Customer profiles, Sales analytics, Employee management. Square covers Invoicing, Payroll, Banking, QuickBooks. Both handle Point of sale, Payment processing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Shopkeep: How much does Shopkeep cost?

Shopkeep by Lightspeed pricing varies by plan. Customers must request quotes for current pricing, which has shifted since the Lightspeed acquisition.

Source
Shopkeep: What hardware does Shopkeep require?

Shopkeep operates on iPad tablets, cloud-based systems, and traditional cash register setups, requiring third-party hardware integration.

Source
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Related pages

More on Shopkeep

More on Square

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