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Square vs Squarespace Commerce

Square logo

Square

Software

Powering the economy

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Squarespace Commerce logo

Squarespace Commerce

Software

All-in-one website builder and ecommerce platform

From
$14/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; Squarespace Commerce the entry plan charges a 2% transaction fee on online store sales on top of payment processing
  • They diverge on capability: Square covers Payment processing, Squarespace Commerce covers Website builder.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Square and Squarespace Commerce differ
AttributeSquareSquarespace Commerce
Starting priceFree$14/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsPOS (Mobile app), WebWeb
Founded20092003

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 Square

  • Payment processing
  • Point of sale
  • Invoicing
  • Payroll
  • Banking
  • QuickBooks
  • WooCommerce
  • Wix

Only in Squarespace Commerce

  • Website builder
  • Ecommerce platform
  • Mobile optimization
  • Email marketing
  • Analytics
  • Domain registration
  • SSL certificate
  • Customer accounts

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 Squarespace Commerce
  • Online ordering and basic website creationnot Squarespace Commerce
  • Invoicing and appointment bookingnot Squarespace Commerce
  • Staff scheduling and loyalty programmesnot Squarespace Commerce

Squarespace Commerce

  • Running a store on a hosted website builder with managed hostingnot Square
  • Selling products, services and memberships from one sitenot 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

Squarespace Commerce

  • The entry plan charges a 2% transaction fee on online store sales on top of payment processing
  • Digital content and membership sales carry their own fee, up to 7% on the lowest tier
  • The entry plan is limited to 2 contributors
  • Reaching a 0% transaction fee requires moving up from the entry plan

Pricing, plan by plan

Square

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Square review.

Squarespace Commerce

$14/month
  • Personal$14/month
    • Website builder
    • Free domain
    • Analytics
  • Business$23/month
    • All Personal features
    • Ecommerce functionality
    • Inventory management

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.
Square review

Choose Squarespace Commerce if

  • You need website builder.
  • You also want ecommerce platform.
Squarespace Commerce review

Questions people ask

Is Square or Squarespace Commerce better?
Neither clearly leads. Square starts at Free and Squarespace Commerce at $14/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Square or Squarespace Commerce?
Square has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Square and $14/month for Squarespace Commerce.
Does Square or Squarespace Commerce run on more platforms?
Square runs on POS (Mobile app), Web. Squarespace Commerce runs on Web.
Can I use Square for free?
Yes. Square has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Squarespace Commerce starts at $14/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 Squarespace Commerce is typically brought in for.
What can Square do that Squarespace Commerce cannot?
Square covers Payment processing, Point of sale, Invoicing, Payroll. Squarespace Commerce covers Website builder, Ecommerce platform, Mobile optimization, Email marketing.
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