Software · head to head
Square vs BigCommerce
BigCommerce
Software
Enterprise ecommerce platform for ambitious merchants
- From
- $29.95/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Square has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Square plus plan pricing not specified in documentation; BigCommerce listed on G-Cloud 14 by reseller CTI Digital Limited at £14,000 per instance for a managed BigCommerce implementation
- They diverge on capability: Square covers Payment processing, BigCommerce covers Multi-channel selling.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Square and BigCommerce actually diverge.
| Attribute | Square | BigCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $29.95/month |
| Pricing model | freemium | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | POS (Mobile app), Web | Web |
Identical on both: 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 Square
- Payment processing
- Point of sale
- Invoicing
- Payroll
- Banking
- QuickBooks
- WooCommerce
- Wix
Only in BigCommerce
- Multi-channel selling
- Built-in SEO
- Abandoned cart recovery
- Customer segmentation
- Marketing automation
- B2B functionality
- API access
- Advanced security
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Square
- Accept payments with all-in-one POS applicationnot BigCommerce
- Online ordering and basic website creationnot BigCommerce
- Invoicing and appointment bookingnot BigCommerce
- Staff scheduling and loyalty programmesnot BigCommerce
BigCommerce
No use cases recorded yet. See the BigCommerce review.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
BigCommerce
- Listed on G-Cloud 14 by reseller CTI Digital Limited at £14,000 per instance for a managed BigCommerce implementation
Pricing, plan by plan
Square
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Square review.
BigCommerce
$29.95/month- Standard$29.95/month
- Unlimited products
- 2 staff accounts
- Basic reports
- Plus$79.95/month
- All Standard features
- Up to 5 staff accounts
- Advanced reports
Which should you pick?
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Square or BigCommerce better?
- Neither clearly leads. Square starts at Free and BigCommerce at $29.95/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Square or BigCommerce?
- Square has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Square and $29.95/month for BigCommerce.
- Does Square or BigCommerce run on more platforms?
- Square runs on POS (Mobile app), Web. BigCommerce runs on Web.
- Can I use Square for free?
- Yes. Square has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. BigCommerce starts at $29.95/month.
- What is Square best used for?
- Square is most often used for accept payments with all-in-one pos application, online ordering and basic website creation, invoicing and appointment booking, staff scheduling and loyalty programmes. Of those, accept payments with all-in-one pos application and online ordering and basic website creation are not what BigCommerce is typically brought in for.
- What can Square do that BigCommerce cannot?
- Square covers Payment processing, Point of sale, Invoicing, Payroll. BigCommerce covers Multi-channel selling, Built-in SEO, Abandoned cart recovery, Customer segmentation.