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Spree Commerce vs Square

Spree Commerce logo

Spree Commerce

Software

Complete open source ecommerce solution

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: Spree Commerce multi-vendor marketplace, B2B commerce and multi-tenant white label modules are Enterprise Edition only and licensed separately from the open source core; Square plus plan pricing not specified in documentation
  • They diverge on capability: Spree Commerce covers Multi-store support, Square covers Payment processing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Spree Commerce and Square actually diverge.

Attributes where Spree Commerce and Square differ
AttributeSpree CommerceSquare
PlatformsWebPOS (Mobile app), Web
Founded20072009

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), 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 Spree Commerce

  • Multi-store support
  • Multi-currency
  • Multi-language
  • REST API
  • GraphQL support
  • Mobile-ready
  • SEO optimization
  • Flexible taxonomy

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.

Spree Commerce

  • Self hosting an open source Rails ecommerce storefront and APInot Square
  • Building a headless commerce backend behind a custom frontendnot Square
  • Running a multi vendor marketplace or B2B store on the Enterprise modulesnot Square

Square

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

Where each one falls short

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

Spree Commerce

  • Multi-vendor marketplace, B2B commerce and multi-tenant white label modules are Enterprise Edition only and licensed separately from the open source core
  • Enterprise Edition pricing is quoted per customer depending on modules and scale, with no published rate
  • Support with guaranteed response times and a success manager comes only with Enterprise Edition
  • The free Community Edition is self hosted, so hosting, upgrades and Ruby on Rails maintenance are the operator's responsibility

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

Spree Commerce

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full platform access
    • Community support
    • All core features
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Premium support
    • Custom development
    • SLA guarantees

Square

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Square review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Spree Commerce if

  • You need multi-store support.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want multi-currency.
Spree Commerce 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 Spree Commerce or Square better?
Neither clearly leads. Spree Commerce 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, Spree Commerce or Square?
Spree Commerce starts at Free and Square at Free.
Does Spree Commerce or Square run on more platforms?
Spree Commerce runs on Web. Square runs on POS (Mobile app), Web.
Can I use Spree Commerce for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Spree Commerce best used for?
Spree Commerce is most often used for self hosting an open source rails ecommerce storefront and api, building a headless commerce backend behind a custom frontend, running a multi vendor marketplace or b2b store on the enterprise modules. Of those, self hosting an open source rails ecommerce storefront and api and building a headless commerce backend behind a custom frontend are not what Square is typically brought in for.
What can Spree Commerce do that Square cannot?
Spree Commerce covers Multi-store support, Multi-currency, Multi-language, REST API. Square covers Payment processing, Point of sale, Invoicing, Payroll.
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Related pages

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