Introduction
When it comes to building an online eCommerce store online, it becomes essential to choose an ideal platform that provides you with all the required features and functionalities in your budget. There’s a good reason why Square and Shopify are so popular with e-commerce users. Moreover, both companies offer offline point-of-sale solutions (POS) to complement their online services. Even when we look at the platforms’ capabilities, Shopify and Square inventory management and other capabilities are on par.
The decision ultimately comes down to your specific needs as a business owner when it comes to deciding between the two. It is essential to realize that just because both solutions offer POS features doesn’t mean they are created equally, so we have to look at who wins the battle between Shopify POS vs. Square POS and decide which platform you should choose. Therefore, to help you make the best decision, in this article, we will talk about Shopify and Square and let you decide which will suit your business.
What is Shopify?
Shopify is one of the leading eCommerce platforms in today’s time that was specially designed for retail businesses initially. Still, businesses working on a large scale are using the eCommerce platform to their advantage. Today businesses from different niches rely on Shopify to develop their web presence online as it helps them to pave their way in the digital space through Shopify’s functionality. Businesses consider Shopify their first preference for building their online stores, which is why Shopify is a popular eCommerce platform.
The other reason the platform is user-friendly is its huge ecosystem of apps and services that helps businesses create or customize the store according to their needs and requirements. The number of features and functionality offered by the platform reduces the complexities for businesses to develop and build websites. Regarding pricing, Shopify does not offer a free plan, but the company offers a free trial of 14 days. The cheapest plan starts at $5 per month and is suitable for businesses just getting started since it’s aimed toward social selling.
Pricing: Starts from $29-$299
Pros of Shopify
Incredible Marketing & SEO Tools
As an eCommerce retailer, marketing is crucial, and Shopify makes it much more manageable. Social media, email marketing, product reviews, and social media are among Shopify’s marketing tools. As well as creating discount coupons, Shopify also provides built-in tools. Your Google Ad campaigns or PPC social ads will look great when you create landing pages with Shopify. Through its SEO features and clean coding, Shopify offers you one of its potential advantages: boosting your website rank.
Flexibility
Shopify is known for flexibility, and it is one of its top features. In Shopify, you will find several tools that allow you to customize it for the needs of your business efficiently. In addition to displaying sale items, offering coupons, and adjusting shipping options, Shopify allows you to customize your site. In addition to order fulfillment, shipping, payment, and inventory management, Shopify offers helpful systems for these activities. Additionally, hundreds of professional, accessible, and highly customizable Shopify themes are available to help you customize the look and feel of your store.
Customer Service
Whether you have a question about running your store or need assistance with Shopify, experts are available 24/7. Through the Shopify Help Center, you can also access community forums and other helpful documents. The customer support offered by Shopify is reliable and easy to access compared with many different platforms.
Also read: Enhance Your Shopify Store’s Design
Cons of Shopify
Limited Customization
Despite its support for customization, there are some limitations to Shopify’s customization features. The Shopify Liquid theme customization feature differs from other platforms that use PHP. Since the Liquid setup is unfamiliar to many web designers, many users may need help to customize their themes or spend hours learning how to use the software. Although with the help of an experienced and expert Shopify developer, you can take care of it.
Pricing
Shopify becomes much more expensive when you factor in their monthly fees compared to some eCommerce platforms. Also, it might be costly for beginners with less budget to set up their online store. Although the platform offers you a 14-day free trial, after that, you will have to go for the paid plans to continue. As a beginner, you still want a basic plan with limited features. There are also transaction fees associated with Shopify unless you use the company’s in-house payment gateway, Shopify Payments.
What is a Square?
As one of the best eCommerce platforms for small or early-stage businesses, Square is a low-cost platform that allows you to start selling without signing up for a premium plan. The Square eCommerce website builder is easy to use, offers excellent customer support, and has a great sales feature, but it could be more flexible in design.
With its Point of Sale app and feature, the eCommerce platform is known for its convenience and can be downloaded free to smartphones and tablets. It gives business owners the comfort of managing their shop’s finances, staffing, and customer base from a single screen, giving them easy access to the data they need. Many businesses benefit from Square’s POS offerings, but larger eCommerce businesses may feel constrained by Square.
The Square payment service best suits businesses that want to accept payments easily without committing to a long-term contract. Square could be the right fit for you in terms of online, in-person, or invoice sales. Business owners with limited resources, brick-and-mortar shops, businesses on a budget, and food businesses will find it ideal. The free version of Square doesn’t charge a monthly fee unless you purchase the paid version.
Pricing: Starts from $12-$72
Pros of Square
Competitive & Transparent Pricing
There are no monthly or setup fees associated with Square’s Point of Sale software. Some competitors offer free trials, but Square offers a fully functional version for free that doesn’t expire. You don’t need to sign a long-term contract if you pick a paid version; what you pay is easily understood.
Ease of Use
Users with no technical or design skills can take advantage of Square Online’s easy-to-customize templates. Square Online doesn’t require Square POS, but those with Square POS will find it easier to use: Inventory, customer information, loyalty programs, and other Square features will automatically transfer to Square Online once you log in.
Cons of Square
Limited Third-Party Marketplaces
It is only possible to sell through Square through third-party marketplaces like Instagram. There are, however, some notable omissions, such as Amazon, Walmart, and eBay. It is still possible for you to sell in these outlets, but you will need to manage them separately or place them on another e-commerce platform.
Insufficient Customer Support
It is believed that customer support of Square eCommerce needs to be better. While the Shopify platform supports 24/7 customer support to its users, the same is not the case with Square. You get customer support from the eCommerce platform for specific hours only. So if you need assistance from their customer support team, you will have to wait for their working hours to start!
Limited Payment Options
The eCommerce platform has its own payment online system option, Square Pay. However, it also accepts payments via all major credit cards PayPal, Stripe, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. The range in comparison may seem decent, but it only seems small compared to Shopify’s selection of various payment options.
FAQs about Shopify vs Squarespace
What’s The Difference Between Square & Shopify?
In terms of pricing and primary uses, Square and Shopify differ most dramatically. Square doesn’t charge a monthly fee unless you purchase additional services, such as payroll or loyalty, while Shopify does. Furthermore, Shopify focuses primarily on being an e-commerce platform, while Square majorly focuses on being a payment processor.
Can You Use Square With Shopify?
Shopify does not support the Square payment gateway, so store owners cannot connect and accept Square payments.
Is Square Free?
It is possible to set up an online store and sell products for free with Square’s free plan. There is also a fee per transaction charged by Square Online. For each transaction through your store, you will be charged 2.9% + $0.30, and the price depends on your plan.
Which is Better For Scalability: Shopify or Square?
The long-term growth potential of Shopify is much greater than Square Online’s. With its number of multichannel functionality and blogging tools, thousands of apps, and more advanced analytics, Shopify is the best solution for creating and supporting your store’s online presence.
Should Small Businesses Go For Shopify?
Shopify can be an excellent option for businesses that primarily sell products online. The platform lets you track inventory and allows you to upload an unlimited number of products. Because Shopify is an easy-to-use platform, you can create a professional-looking website without the need to hire a designer.
Final Judgment: Square vs Shopify
Taking a final assessment of Shopify vs Square, both are excellent in their areas. To create an eCommerce store that fits your needs and requirements, you will have to make a final decision considering your needs and requirements before choosing the right platform for you.
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The above points may sound like there is no clear winner in this Square vs Shopify showdown, as both companies offer brick-and-mortar and online store-building tools. Shopify has become a top choice for multichannel businesses, and online businesses since the features it provides to its users are worth every penny. Also, as a business, you will only be creating new websites sometimes, considering the time, money, and hassle. Also, once you choose a platform to build your website with, you won’t be able to switch to another, so Shopify stands out as the best option for creating an eCommerce store for businesses to build their online presence over the long run.
Are you looking for assistance in building a Shopify store for your business? Don’t worry about that, as you can always rely on us. At Huptech Web, we have a team of highly skilled Shopify developers who will help you create a highly functional Shopify store for your business that will help you generate higher revenue through your online proceeds!
