POS Systems · October 2026
Square vs Shopify POS: the easiest way to take payments or retail plus online
Square
Shopify POS
Square is a point of sale system for retail, restaurants, salons and appointment businesses. Square Free has no monthly subscription, so you pay only processing fees when you take a payment, and paid plans add advanced features for each industry. It includes inventory tracking, online ordering, invoices, gift cards, loyalty, staff scheduling, reporting and offline payments, with hardware from card readers to registers and kiosks.
Shopify POS is the in-person side of a Shopify store. It shares one back office with your online shop, social channels and marketplaces, so inventory, customers and orders stay in sync, and it supports buy online, pick up in store and ship-to-customer sales. It needs a Shopify plan, and POS Pro adds features for larger retailers.
The difference: Square is the simplest start for any small business, Shopify POS is for retailers selling online too.
| Square Our pick | Shopify POS | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 9.6/10 · Outstanding | 9.3/10 · Excellent |
| Rank | #1 in POS Systems | #2 in POS Systems |
| Price | — | $5.00 |
| Highlights |
|
|
| Get Deal | Get Deal |
Our verdict
Square leads for most readers because you can start taking payments without a subscription and grow into more features later. It covers cafes, restaurants, shops and appointment businesses with industry-specific tools, its hardware range is broad, and payments keep working offline for a while if the internet drops. For a small business that mainly sells in person, it is the easiest place to begin.
Shopify POS is the better choice if online sales matter as much as the counter. Because your store and your POS share inventory and customer records, you avoid selling stock you no longer have, and options like buying online for in-store pickup work without extra setup. It suits product retailers, from a single shop to several locations and pop-ups, especially those already on Shopify.
Compare processing rates for your own sales volume before deciding, since that is where most of the cost sits.
Get Deal — SquareRead the full reviews: Square review · Shopify POS review · or see all our POS Systems picks.