Square Retail vs Shopify
Choose Square Retail if your priority is an in-store retail POS with a free plan; choose Shopify if your priority is an online store with in-person selling connected to it. Both support retail checkout and inventory management, but their pricing works differently: Square charges per location for its paid plans, while Shopify requires a store subscription and charges separately for POS Pro at locations that need advanced retail features.
Last updated October 27, 2026.
At a glance
| Dimension | Square Retail | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Primary focus | Retail-focused point of sale | Online commerce with integrated POS |
| Online store | Square Websites | Full-featured store on paid plans |
| Starting subscription | Square Free: $0/month; processing fees apply | Basic: $39/month, or $29/month billed yearly |
| Advanced retail plan | Square Plus: $49/month per location | POS Pro: $89/month per location in addition to a Shopify plan |
| Basic in-person card rate | Square Free: 2.6% + 15¢ | Shopify Basic: 2.6% + 10¢ |
| Retail inventory tools | Purchase orders and vendor management on paid plans | Advanced in-store inventory tools with POS Pro |
| Inventory locations | Stock tracking across locations; numeric limit not published | 10 on Basic, Grow, and Advanced |
| Sales channels | In-store, online, and social | In-store, online, social, and marketplaces |
| POS platforms | iOS and Android; Square hardware | iOS and Android; compatible POS hardware |
| Integrations | Square App Marketplace | Thousands of Shopify apps |
| Support | Phone, chat, and email; phone hours vary by plan | 24/7 live chat; priority phone support on Plus |
Scroll the table sideways to compare each row.
Which should you choose?
Choose Square Retail if
- Retailers starting with in-person sales
- Businesses seeking a POS plan with no monthly fee
- Stores needing purchase orders and vendor management on a paid plan
- Sellers using Square hardware and payments
Choose Shopify if
- Merchants building an online storefront
- Businesses selling online and in person from one Shopify account
- Sellers using social and marketplace channels
- Stores willing to add POS Pro for advanced in-store workflows
The verdict
Square Retail is the better fit for a retailer starting with counter sales, especially one that wants to begin without a monthly subscription or needs Square’s retail inventory tools. Shopify is the better fit for a merchant building an online storefront and selling through additional channels while keeping store and POS orders together. The deciding factor is whether your business starts with the physical checkout or the online store; compare processing fees and any per-location upgrades before choosing.
Square Retail vs Shopify: common questions
- Is this comparison worth publishing?
- Yes. Square Retail and Shopify are both available to buy, and both serve retailers choosing how to sell in person and online. Their different starting points make the comparison useful.
- Can Shopify replace Square Retail at a physical checkout?
- Shopify offers an in-person POS on its paid plans. Retailers who need advanced staff permissions, in-store inventory workflows, or flexible pickup options can add POS Pro at eligible locations.
- Can Square Retail also sell online?
- Yes. Square Retail can connect in-store sales with a Square online store and keep stock updated across locations and channels.
- Does either product have a free plan?
- Square Free has no monthly subscription fee, though payment-processing fees apply. Shopify offers a trial, but its Basic plan has an ongoing subscription fee.
- How much do advanced in-store features cost?
- Square Plus costs $49 per month per location. Shopify POS Pro costs $89 per month per location in addition to a Shopify subscription.
- How do their in-person payment fees compare?
- Square publishes a 2.6% plus 15¢ rate for tapped, dipped, or swiped payments on Square Free. Shopify lists 2.6% plus 10¢ for in-person card payments on Basic. Rates differ on other plans and payment types.
- Do both support inventory across locations?
- Yes. Square Retail updates stock across locations and channels; Shopify syncs POS inventory with its online store and other sales channels. Shopify lists 10 inventory locations on its Basic, Grow, and Advanced plans.
- Can Square Retail and Shopify be used together?
- Square describes a third-party Thrive Inventory integration that syncs a Square catalog and inventory with Shopify. Using both adds an integration to manage rather than giving you a single native POS-and-store setup.