The Square Online Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Square Online in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Square Online
The Insider’s Guide
Online store builder that shares stock and payments with Square POS
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among online store builders, read from Square Online’s own pages.
Made by Block, Inc. · checked Oct 18, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Square Online’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Square Online’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 18, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 6 of the 9 other online store builders we grade
Square Online is the website and online store builder inside Square, the payments and point-of-sale company. A store shares its items, stock and discounts with Square Point of Sale, and takes orders for pickup, local delivery or shipping. The free plan has no monthly fee and charges only card processing, while the paid Square plans add a custom domain, more store features and lower card rates.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Square Online, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No App Store rating on record for the store itself.
- 1
Best for shops already taking payments with Square
The free plan is a real store with no monthly fee.
- 2
Paid plans start at $49 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $49 per location / month (Square Plus).
- 3
There is a free plan
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.
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
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.
- 8
A 2.6 GPA, above 6 of 9
That is against the other online store builders we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Square Online you would be making checkout, card payments and sales tax handled for you. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Square Online at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $49 per location / month (Square Plus)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 30-day free trial of Square Plus or Square Premium
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Block, Inc., since 2009
- Category
- Online Store Builders
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for shops already taking payments with Square
Square Online makes most sense if you already use Square at the till: the store shares its items, stock and discounts with Square Point of Sale, and handles pickup, local delivery and shipping. The free plan is a real store with no monthly fee. Your own domain is the catch, as that needs Square Plus at $49 a month per location.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | A 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 | B | Square Free is a real 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 | B | It 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 | C | No 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 | B | Web, 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. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Square Online is for
- Great if you already take payments with Square in a shop, café or restaurant
- Handy when customers collect orders or you deliver locally as well as ship
- Good for trying an online store with no monthly fee at all
Who it is not for
- 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 draw
Good to know
Good for
- Shops and restaurants that already take payments with Square in person
- Small sellers who want to start a store with no monthly fee
- Businesses offering pickup or local delivery alongside shipping
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$49
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Square Online has a free plan. Paid plans start at $49 per location / month (Square Plus).
That's the dear end of this category, though Plus covers Square's point of sale and invoices too.
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 Pro
Custom
For businesses processing over $250,000 a year: custom pricing and processing fees, arranged with Square's sales team.
The free plan
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.
Trying it first
30-day free trial of Square Plus or Square Premium
Read from squareup.com on Oct 18, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android
Online store builder that shares stock and payments with Square POS. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: inventory, online store, shipping labels.
Web, iPhone and Android, with Facebook, Instagram, Google and Afterpay, and a Wix store can sync to the Square catalog.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Wix
- Afterpay
Square Online is made by Block, Inc., and has been around since 2009.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
6/9
Other online store builders it is graded above
Square Online's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 6 of the 9 other online store builders we grade, and level with 1.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 7 of 9) and worst on value for money (C, above 1).
Its paid plans start at $49 a month, against a middle price of $29 for the category: 6 of the 7 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 4 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 10 online store builders we grade, cut by the letter each got. Square Online’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 1 of 9
- BFree plan and trialAbove 7 of 9
- BFeaturesAbove 5 of 9
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 9
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 2 of 9
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 8 online store builders. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Square Online is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Square Online you would be making checkout, card payments and sales tax handled for you. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.6 is higher than 6 of the 9 other online store builders we grade. It costs $588 a year.
What you could make
- Inventory: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- Checkout, card payments and sales tax handled for you.
- Discounted carrier rates and labels, which take an agreement with each carrier.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It plugs into other products, Wix, Facebook and Instagram among them.
- Sharing with other people, which means accounts and invitations.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Square Online’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Ecwid, Shopify, Wix, Big Cartel and Squarespace
The 5 tools Square Online is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.2GPA
Ecwid
From $5/mo
Online store you can add to any website or run as its own site.
- Square Online has a free plan. Ecwid does not.
- Ecwid also covers digital downloads.
- 2.8GPA
Shopify
Free trial · from $29/mo
Hosted commerce platform for online, in-person and social selling.
- Square Online has a free plan. Shopify does not, though it has a free trial.
- Shopify also covers email campaigns.
- 2.8GPA
Wix
Free plan · from $17/mo
Drag-and-drop website builder with an AI agent and business apps.
- Square Online also covers inventory, online store and shipping labels.
- Wix also covers templates, AI agents and no-code.
- 2.8GPA
Big Cartel
Free plan · from $12/mo
Simple online store for artists, makers and independent sellers.
- Big Cartel also covers digital downloads.
- 2.6GPA
Squarespace
Free trial · from $19/mo
Template-based website builder with an online store and invoicing.
- Square Online has a free plan. Squarespace does not, though it has a free trial.
- Square Online also covers inventory, online store and shipping labels.
- Squarespace also covers templates, forms and invoicing.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Square Online free?
Square Online has a free plan. Square Free: a store on a Square web address with SEO tools, pickup, local delivery and shipping labels, and no monthly fee.
How much does Square Online cost?
Square Online lists 4 plans. Square Free: $0.
What platforms does Square Online work on?
Square Online is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does Square Online have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Square Online is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Square Online have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Square Online is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Square Online open source?
Square Online is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
What does Square Online integrate with?
Square Online's listing names Wix, Facebook, Instagram, Google and Afterpay.
Does Square Online have a free trial?
Yes. 30-day free trial of Square Plus or Square Premium.
Who makes Square Online?
Square Online is made by Block, Inc. It dates from 2009.
What are the alternatives to Square Online?
The closest alternatives to Square Online in our directory are Ecwid, Shopify, Wix, Big Cartel and Squarespace.
How does Square Online compare with other online store builders?
Square Online's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 6 of the 9 other online store builders we grade, and level with 1.
Is Square Online good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Square Online C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $49 a month, against a middle price of $29 for the category: 6 of the 7 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Square Online?
To replace Square Online you would be making checkout, card payments and sales tax handled for you.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Square Online’s own pages on Oct 18, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 18, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Square's own pages on 18 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Block, Inc. Prices change, so check squareup.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
2,068
Tools graded, in 57 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
2,068
tools graded
57
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Square Online, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/square-online
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Square Online: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 18, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/square-online
Know someone choosing between online store builders?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/square-online/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded online store builders after Square Online, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Online Store Builders Insider's GuideEvery one of the 10 online store builders we grade, compared
- Big Cartel Insider's GuideSimple online store for artists, makers and independent sellers2.8 GPA
- Shopify Insider's GuideHosted commerce platform for online, in-person and social selling2.8 GPA
- BigCommerce Insider's GuideHosted ecommerce platform with plans set by yearly sales2.6 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Square Online’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Square Online is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Block, Inc. Prices and plans change: check squareup.com before you buy.