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Software · head to head

Square vs Swell Commerce

Square logo

Square

Software

Powering the economy

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Swell Commerce logo

Swell Commerce

Software

Headless ecommerce for modern brands

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Square plus plan pricing not specified in documentation; Swell Commerce each plan carries an annual revenue ceiling, and exceeding it is charged as a percentage of the excess: 2 percent on Starter down to 0.4 percent on Unlimited
  • They diverge on capability: Square covers Payment processing, Swell Commerce covers Headless architecture.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Square and Swell Commerce differ
AttributeSquareSwell Commerce
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
PlatformsPOS (Mobile app), WebWeb
Founded20092019

Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 Square

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

Only in Swell Commerce

  • Headless architecture
  • GraphQL & REST APIs
  • Subscription commerce
  • Multi-currency support
  • Inventory management
  • Custom checkout
  • Webhook integrations
  • Developer-friendly SDK

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

Swell Commerce

  • Running a headless commerce backend with APIs for a custom storefrontnot Square
  • Selling subscription products alongside one off purchasesnot Square
  • Operating multi currency stores from one commerce backendnot 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

Swell Commerce

  • Each plan carries an annual revenue ceiling, and exceeding it is charged as a percentage of the excess: 2 percent on Starter down to 0.4 percent on Unlimited
  • Starter at $29 a month allows 2 admin users and includes only 100,000 API requests and 1GB of storage per month
  • Additional API requests cost $5 per 100,000 and extra storage $5 per GB
  • Role based permissions and developer support are restricted to the Unlimited plan at $2,250 a month
  • Advanced reports and priced currencies require the Standard plan or higher
  • Published prices are the billed yearly rates, so monthly billing costs more

Pricing, plan by plan

Square

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Square review.

Swell Commerce

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Unlimited products
    • API access
    • Basic support
  • Standard$299/month
    • Everything in Community
    • Priority support
    • Advanced features
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Everything in Standard
    • Dedicated support
    • SLA guarantees

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 Swell Commerce if

  • You need headless architecture.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want graphql & rest apis.
Swell Commerce review

Questions people ask

Is Square or Swell Commerce better?
Neither clearly leads. Square starts at Free and Swell Commerce at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Square or Swell Commerce?
Square starts at Free and Swell Commerce at Free.
Does Square or Swell Commerce run on more platforms?
Square runs on POS (Mobile app), Web. Swell Commerce 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 Swell Commerce is typically brought in for.
What can Square do that Swell Commerce cannot?
Square covers Payment processing, Point of sale, Invoicing, Payroll. Swell Commerce covers Headless architecture, GraphQL & REST APIs, Subscription commerce, Multi-currency support.
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