Software · head to head
Square vs Ecwid
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Square plus plan pricing not specified in documentation; Ecwid the $5 a month Starter plan caps the catalogue at 10 products
- They diverge on capability: Square covers Point of sale, Ecwid covers Omnichannel selling.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Square and Ecwid actually diverge.
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 Square
- Point of sale
- Invoicing
- Payroll
- Banking
- QuickBooks
- WooCommerce
- Wix
- PCI DSS
Only in Ecwid
- Omnichannel selling
- Product catalog
- Inventory management
- Email marketing
- Analytics
- Mobile app
- API access
Both cover
- Payment processing
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 Ecwid
- Online ordering and basic website creationnot Ecwid
- Invoicing and appointment bookingnot Ecwid
- Staff scheduling and loyalty programmesnot Ecwid
Ecwid
- Adding a store to an existing website or social pagenot Square
- Selling physical goods and digital downloads from one cataloguenot Square
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
Ecwid
- The $5 a month Starter plan caps the catalogue at 10 products
- Staff accounts start at the Business plan, and are limited to 2 until the Unlimited plan
- Abandoned cart recovery requires the Business plan at $65 a month
- In person selling through POS integration is Unlimited only, at $149 a month
- The Venture plan at $35 a month still caps products at 100
Pricing, plan by plan
Square
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Square review.
Ecwid
Free- FreeFree
- Up to 10 products
- Basic storefront
- Standard payment methods
- Unlimited$99.08/month
- Unlimited products
- Advanced features
- Priority support
Which should you pick?
Choose Square if
- You need point of sale.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on POS (Mobile app), Web.
- You also want invoicing.
Choose Ecwid if
- You need omnichannel selling.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want product catalog.
Questions people ask
- Is Square or Ecwid better?
- Neither clearly leads. Square starts at Free and Ecwid at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Square or Ecwid?
- Square starts at Free and Ecwid at Free.
- Does Square or Ecwid run on more platforms?
- Square runs on POS (Mobile app), Web. Ecwid runs on Web.
- Can I use Square for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- 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 Ecwid is typically brought in for.
- What can Square do that Ecwid cannot?
- Square covers Point of sale, Invoicing, Payroll, Banking. Ecwid covers Omnichannel selling, Product catalog, Inventory management, Email marketing. Both handle Payment processing.