The verdict
- Pick Square if you sell mostly in person. Square Free costs $0 a month at 2.6% + 15¢ per in-person sale. A slow month costs you nothing extra.
- Pick Shopify if you run an online store too. On the $39 Basic plan, Shopify charges 2.9% + 30¢ online, against 3.3% + 30¢ on Square Free. By our math, that covers the plan once you sell about $9,750 a month online.
- In person, the rates are close. Shopify Basic charges 2.6% + 10¢. It saves 5¢ a sale, so it covers its $39 plan only past about 780 in-person payments a month.
- Shopify adds a fee if you use another processor. On Basic, that’s 2% of each sale, on top of the other provider’s fees.
| Feature | Square Checked Oct 19, 2026 | Shopify POS Checked Oct 19, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Flat rate | Flat rate |
| In person | 2.6% + 15¢ | 2.6% + 10¢ |
| Online | 3.3% + 30¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Keyed in | 3.5% + 15¢ | 3.5% + 10¢ |
| Monthly cost | $0 (Free plan) | $39 (Basic plan) |
| Contract | No contract | Monthly or yearly billing |
| Payouts | Next business day free (payments before 5 PM PT); faster for a fee | Not published |
| True cost: first year at $10K/month | $3,899 (est.) | $4,117 (est.) |
| Visit | Visit Square | Visit Shopify POS |
The Shopify rates in the table are for its Basic plan with Shopify Payments, billed monthly at $39. Billed yearly, Basic is $29 a month.
What a month costs
These are estimates. They use Square’s Free and Plus plans and Shopify’s Basic plan billed monthly, through Shopify Payments, with standard US cards. They leave out hardware and Shopify’s POS Pro add-on.
Example 1: a small shop, $5,000 a month, all in person, 200 payments.
- Square Free: 2.6% × $5,000 = $130, plus 200 × 15¢ = $30. About $160 a month.
- Shopify Basic: 2.6% × $5,000 = $130, plus 200 × 10¢ = $20, plus $39 for the plan. About $189 a month.
Example 2: a bigger shop, $20,000 a month, half in person (400 payments) and half online (200 orders).
- Square Free: in person 2.6% × $10,000 = $260, plus 400 × 15¢ = $60. Online 3.3% × $10,000 = $330, plus 200 × 30¢ = $60. About $710 a month.
- Square Plus: in person 2.5% × $10,000 = $250, plus $60. Online 2.9% × $10,000 = $290, plus $60. Plan $49. About $709 a month.
- Shopify Basic: in person 2.6% × $10,000 = $260, plus 400 × 10¢ = $40. Online 2.9% × $10,000 = $290, plus 200 × 30¢ = $60. Plan $39. About $689 a month.
One catch for Shopify: it charges more for premium cards online, 3.5% + 30¢ on Basic, and adds 1% for international cards online. The more of those you take, the smaller its lead. Try your own month in the Square fee calculator or the fee calculator.
Differences that matter beyond rates
Monthly fee. Square Free is $0. Square Plus is $49 and Premium is $149, each per location. Shopify’s Basic plan is $39 a month, or $29 billed yearly. Grow is $105 and Advanced is $399, billed monthly.
Store features. Shopify says POS Lite is “included in every plan.” Features like staff roles, inventory management and returns at any location need POS Pro at $89 a month per location, billed yearly. Shopify recommends POS Pro for stores with “a lot of foot traffic, multiple tiers of staff, or a large inventory catalog.”
Using another processor. Shopify adds a third-party transaction fee of 2% on Basic if you don’t use Shopify Payments.
Marketplace orders. Shopify charges 1% on synced marketplace orders over 50, up to $99 a month.
Typed-in cards. Square charges 3.5% + 15¢ on every plan. Shopify Basic charges 3.5% + 10¢.
Hardware. Square lists its Reader at $59 and Terminal at $299. Shopify lists its POS Terminal at $349.
Payouts. Square: next business day, free, for payments before 5 PM PT. We couldn’t confirm Shopify’s US payout timing from its pricing pages.
Contracts. Square says there are “no hidden fees or locked-in contracts.” Shopify bills monthly or yearly.
Pick Square if
- Most of your sales are in person, under about 780 payments a month.
- You want $0 a month in slow months.
- You don’t need a full online store, or your online sales are small.
Pick Shopify if
- You already sell online, or plan to, and want one system for your store and your counter.
- You sell more than about $9,750 a month online.
- You’ll use Shopify Payments, so you avoid the third-party transaction fee.
More on each: our full pages on Square fees and Shopify POS fees. Comparing retail systems? See our retail POS page or Square vs Stripe.
Common questions
Is Shopify POS cheaper than Square?
For in-person sales only, Square Free usually is, because it has no monthly fee. Shopify's Basic plan costs $39 a month. For online sales, Shopify charges 2.9% + 30¢ against 3.3% + 30¢ on Square Free. By our math, Shopify's lower online rate covers its $39 plan once you sell about $9,750 a month online.
Do I need Shopify POS Pro?
Only for some retail-store features. Shopify says POS Lite is included in every plan for casual in-person selling. Features like staff roles, inventory management and returns at any location need POS Pro, at $89 a month per location billed yearly. Shopify recommends POS Pro for busy stores with many staff or a big catalog.
Can I use Shopify without Shopify Payments?
Yes, but it costs more. Shopify adds a third-party transaction fee when you use another payment provider: 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced and 0.2% on Plus. That's on top of what your other provider charges. Square doesn't list a similar fee, since you take payments through Square itself.
Which is better for in-person sales, Square or Shopify?
On rates, they're close. Square Free charges 2.6% + 15¢ and Shopify Basic charges 2.6% + 10¢. Shopify saves 5¢ a sale but costs $39 a month, so by our math it only pulls ahead past about 780 in-person payments a month. If you pay Shopify yearly, at $29 a month, that drops to about 580.