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Software · head to head

Square vs WooCommerce

Square logo

Square

Software

Powering the economy

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
WooCommerce logo

WooCommerce

Software

The flexible, open-source ecommerce platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Square plus plan pricing not specified in documentation; WooCommerce the plugin is free but you must supply and pay for WordPress hosting, which WooCommerce itself puts at $25 to $350 per month for most stores
  • They diverge on capability: Square covers Payment processing, WooCommerce covers Product management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Square and WooCommerce actually diverge.

Attributes where Square and WooCommerce differ
AttributeSquareWooCommerce
PlatformsPOS (Mobile app), WebWeb
Founded20092011

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), 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 WooCommerce

  • Product management
  • Shopping cart
  • Payment integration
  • Shipping management
  • Tax calculations
  • Customer accounts
  • Order management
  • Inventory tracking

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

WooCommerce

  • Running an online store inside an existing WordPress sitenot Square
  • Selling physical, digital or subscription products with full control of the codenot Square
  • Building a customised commerce workflow through plugins and hooksnot 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

WooCommerce

  • The plugin is free but you must supply and pay for WordPress hosting, which WooCommerce itself puts at $25 to $350 per month for most stores
  • Functionality such as subscriptions and bookings comes from paid extensions priced at $29 to $299 per year each, renewed annually
  • Card payments through WooPayments cost roughly 2.50 to 2.90 percent plus 30 cents per transaction
  • Total cost depends on how many extensions a store needs rather than a single published plan price

Pricing, plan by plan

Square

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Square review.

WooCommerce

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Core ecommerce features
    • Unlimited products
    • Community support
  • Premium$299/year
    • All Free features
    • Premium support
    • Performance optimization

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 WooCommerce if

  • You need product management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want shopping cart.
WooCommerce review

Questions people ask

Is Square or WooCommerce better?
Neither clearly leads. Square starts at Free and WooCommerce at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Square or WooCommerce?
Square starts at Free and WooCommerce at Free.
Does Square or WooCommerce run on more platforms?
Square runs on POS (Mobile app), Web. WooCommerce 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 WooCommerce is typically brought in for.
What can Square do that WooCommerce cannot?
Square covers Payment processing, Point of sale, Invoicing, Payroll. WooCommerce covers Product management, Shopping cart, Payment integration, Shipping management.
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