Softwr

E-Commerce · head to head

Shopkeep vs Square

Shopkeep logo

Shopkeep

E-Commerce

Cloud-based POS for small businesses

From
$89/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Square logo

Square

E-Commerce

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 all plans require 24/7 phone and chat support; no tiered support options; Square plus plan pricing not specified in documentation
  • They diverge on capability: Shopkeep covers Inventory management, Square covers Invoicing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Shopkeep and Square actually diverge.

Attributes where Shopkeep and Square differ
AttributeShopkeepSquare
Starting price$89/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsiPad, WebPOS (Mobile app), Web
Founded20082009

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (E-Commerce).

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

  • All plans require 24/7 phone and chat support; no tiered support options
  • Prices vary by business type and industry with additional service fees possible
  • Extra locations and registers incur additional charges beyond base plan cost

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

$89/month
  • Basic$89/month
    • Retail POS platform
    • 1 register included
    • Integrated Payments 1.5%
  • Core$149/month
    • All Basic features
    • Advanced management tools
    • Business growth support
  • Plus$289/month
    • All Core features
    • Advanced customization
    • Established retail operations support

Square

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Accept payments with all-in-one POS app
    • Online site builder (ordering profiles, basic websites, online stores, booking sites)
    • Item library and inventory tracking
  • Plus$null/mo
    • All Free plan features
    • Advanced POS features for food, retail, and appointments
    • Lower processing fees on card transactions

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 $89/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 $89/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 $89/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: What is included in the Lightspeed Retail Basic plan at $89 per month?

The Basic plan includes 1 register, retail POS platform, integrated payments at 1.5% card-present rate, inventory management, Lightspeed Wholesale access, NuORDER Catalog with 5 million+ products, built-in eCommerce, loyalty programs, and 24/7 support.

Source
Square: Does Square offer a free plan?

Yes, Square's free plan includes an all-in-one POS app, online site builder, item library and inventory tracking, invoicing, appointment scheduling, staff calendars, and checking and savings account access. No subscription fees are charged.

Source
Shopkeep: How much can I save by paying annually instead of monthly?

Shopkeep (Lightspeed Retail) offers up to 18% discount when paying annually instead of month-to-month. All three plans (Basic, Core, Plus) qualify for this annual discount.

Source
Square: What does Square Plus add compared to the free plan?

Square Plus adds advanced POS features for food and retail, lower processing fees on card transactions, custom loyalty programs, unlimited email marketing campaigns, text messaging, and staff scheduling and attendance tracking.

Source
Shopkeep: What additional costs should I budget beyond the monthly subscription?

Beyond the monthly plan cost, extra locations require additional charges, extra registers incur per-register fees, and hardware (terminals, scanners, iPad devices) have separate costs. Integrated payment processing charges 1.5% per transaction.

Source
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