Lightspeed eCom vs Square Online (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Square Online: it is third in our ranking of online store builders, and it grades higher too, 2.6 against 1.6.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Square Online grades higher on value for money, the free plan and features. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Lightspeed eCom
Online store that syncs with Lightspeed Retail point of sale
Square Online
Online store builder that shares stock and payments with Square POS
Which one is for you
Pick Lightspeed eCom if
- Fits if you run a physical shop and want one stock list online and in store
- Works for shops that want marketplaces and social channels from one catalog
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want only a web store, because eCom comes inside the retail plans
- Pricey if you add tills or shops: extra locations and registers are charged on top
- Watch out: the pricing page shows an annual toggle, and its billing basis isn't confirmed
- Skip it if you want a free plan or trial, as none is listed
Pick Square Online if
- Fits if you already take payments with Square in a shop, café or restaurant
- Works for orders customers collect or you deliver locally as well as ship
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you just want your own domain, as that takes Square Plus at $49 a month per location
- Skip it if you use a different till, since sharing stock with Square's point of sale is the main reason to pick it
- Tight if you stay free, with a Square web address and online cards at 3.3% + 30¢ instead of 2.9% + 30¢
- Pricey if you want live carrier rates at checkout, which need Premium at $149 a month per location
- Watch out: Plus and Premium are billed per location, with no yearly rate on record
How we grade them
| 1.6GPALightspeed eComWeak | 2.6GPASquare OnlineGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D$89 a month, which is where the category's dearest tenth begins, and that is a retail till plan with eCom inside it. eCom isn't priced alone, and Core is $149 and Plus $289. | CA store on your own domain means Square Plus at $49 a month per location, with no yearly rate on record. That's the dear end of this category, though Plus covers Square's point of sale and invoices too. Square's own cut is its card rate: 2.9% + 30¢ online on Plus. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial are on record. | BSquare Free is a store with no monthly fee: SEO tools, pickup, local delivery and shipping labels. The catches are a Square web address and online cards at 3.3% + 30¢ rather than 2.9% + 30¢. There's a 30-day trial of Plus or Premium too. |
| Features | CA site builder, marketplace and social channels, synced stock and gift cards across shop and web. What Core and Plus include for eCom isn't spelled out. | BIt covers the whole job: a builder with SEO tools, one stock count with your shop, pickup, local delivery, bulk labels with discounted US rates, and Afterpay. Abandoned-cart emails need Plus and live carrier rates need Premium at $149, but the core is all there. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You set up a till system and a website together, and connect each sales channel. | CNo App Store rating on record for the store itself. If your items are already in Square they carry over, but you're still building a site from layouts, so it lands on a C. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, with Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Google Shopping, Amazon, eBay and Walmart, or a link to an existing WordPress, Wix or Weebly site. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Facebook, Instagram, Google and Afterpay, and a Wix store can sync to the Square catalog. It's a short list, and there's no desktop app. |
| Best for | a web store tied to a shop's till | shops already taking payments with Square |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Lightspeed eCom and Square Online. How we grade
Price against what you get
Lightspeed eCom starts at $89 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Square Online starts at $49 a month and scores 2.7.
Square Online scores higher and starts $40 a month lower. Of the other online store builders on the chart, 7 score higher than Lightspeed eCom for less, and 4 score higher than Square Online for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Lightspeed eCom also covers email campaigns.
- Square Online also covers shipping labels.
At a glance
| Lightspeed eCom | Square Online | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free plan |
| Starts at | $89 per month (Retail POS Basic with built-in eCommerce) | $49 per location / month (Square Plus) |
| Free plan | None | Square Free: a store on a Square web address with SEO tools, pickup, local delivery and shipping labels, and no monthly fee. Online card payments cost 3.3% + 30¢, and a custom domain needs Plus. |
| Free trial | None listed | 30-day free trial of Square Plus or Square Premium |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Lightspeed | Block, Inc. |
| Price read from | lightspeedhq.com | squareup.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Lightspeed eCom
- The pricing page lists eCommerce inside the Retail POS plans; no standalone eCom price is shown there, so the plan prices are the POS prices.
- Only the Basic plan is labeled with a Basic eCommerce tier; what Core and Plus include for eCom is not spelled out.
- Extra locations and additional registers are charged on top of the base plan cost.
Square Online
- Square Free cannot connect a custom domain; that takes Square Plus at $49 a month per location.
- Online card payments cost 3.3% + 30¢ on Square Free against 2.9% + 30¢ on Plus and Premium.
- Plus and Premium are Square-wide plans billed per location, which also cover point of sale, invoices, staff and booking tools.
- Real-time carrier shipping rates at checkout need Square Premium at $149 a month per location.
Key features
Lightspeed eCom
- Website builder and themes
- Build a site from scratch with free and paid themes, or connect Lightspeed to an existing site on WordPress, Wix or Weebly.
- Sales channels
- Sell through Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Google Shopping, Amazon, eBay and Walmart from the same catalog.
- Synced inventory
- Products and stock levels sync between eCom and Lightspeed Retail, including across multiple locations.
- Marketing tools
- Facebook and Google ads, built-in SEO settings, abandoned cart emails and an AI blog writer are listed.
- In-store and online customer features
- Gift cards and loyalty points work across store and web, and checkout fills in known customer details.
- Shipping and local pickup
- Integrated shipping, local pickup and scheduled local delivery are offered alongside online or curbside payment.
Square Online
- Website builder with SEO tools
- Build a single ordering page or a multi-page store with layouts, a blog and SEO tools, and run several Square Online sites from one account.
- Shared catalog with Square POS
- Items, stock and discounts are shared with Square Point of Sale, so stock is tracked across shop locations and online. A Wix store can also sync to the Square catalog.
- Pickup, delivery and shipping
- Offer in-store or curbside pickup, local delivery by staff or couriers, and shipping, with bulk label printing and discounted US shipping rates on every plan.
- Payments built in
- Square processes cards, digital wallets and Afterpay installments. Afterpay costs the seller 6% + 30¢ per sale, and cards issued outside the US add 1.5%.
- Marketing and social selling
- Coupons, pop-ups and lead forms on every plan, Facebook and Instagram connections with Facebook ads, and abandoned-cart emails from Square Plus.
Plans
Lightspeed eCom
Retail Basic$89
per month; annual toggle shown, billing basis unconfirmed
Retail POS with 1 register and a built-in Basic Lightspeed eCommerce site. eCom is not sold separately on this page.
Retail Core$149
per month; annual toggle shown, billing basis unconfirmed
Adds loyalty, advanced reports and accounting and marketing integrations to Retail POS; eCommerce is listed in the plan.
Retail Plus$289
per month; annual toggle shown, billing basis unconfirmed
Adds AI document import, landed costs and Insights forecasting to Retail POS; eCommerce is listed in the plan.
Square Online
Square Free$0
Website builder with SEO tools, pickup, delivery and shipping labels; online card payments cost 3.3% + 30¢ and in-person ones 2.6% + 15¢.
Square Plus$49
per location / month
Custom domain, expanded design and custom code, abandoned-cart emails, reviews, preorders and subscriptions, with online card payments at 2.9% + 30¢.
Square Premium$149
per location / month
Adds real-time shipping rates, advanced reporting and 24/7 phone support, with online cards at 2.9% + 30¢ and in-person at 2.4% + 15¢.
Square ProCustom
For businesses processing over $250,000 a year: custom pricing and processing fees, arranged with Square's sales team.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Lightspeed eCom or Square Online?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Square Online is cheaper to start with: $49 a month, against $89 a month for Lightspeed eCom. Lightspeed eCom starts at $89 per month (Retail POS Basic with built-in eCommerce), and Square Online starts at $49 per location / month (Square Plus).
Which has a free plan, Lightspeed eCom or Square Online?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Square Online has a free plan. Lightspeed eCom does not.
Which platforms do Lightspeed eCom and Square Online run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Square Online lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.