01Plans and fees
Square's own plans page lists Free at $0, Plus at $49 a month and Premium at $149 a month, each per location, with a 30-day free trial on the paid plans. Tech.co's review, updated October 20, 2026, lists online card fees of 3.3% plus 30 cents per order on Free and 2.9% plus 30 cents on Plus and Premium.
| Plan | Monthly | Online card fee (Tech.co) | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 3.3% + 30c | Website builder, SEO tools, pickup, delivery and shipping |
| Plus | $49 per location | 2.9% + 30c | Expanded customization, QR ordering, subscriptions |
| Premium | $149 per location | 2.9% + 30c | Real-time shipping rates, advanced reporting, 24/7 phone support |
02Where Square Online is strong
For a cafe, shop or market stall already using Square at the counter, this is the path of least resistance.
- Your in-person Square items, inventory and orders sync with the online store.
- Restaurants and cafes get pickup, delivery and QR ordering.
- No monthly fee on the free plan, so a small store costs only card fees.
- Built-in SEO tools and selling on search and social channels.
03Where it falls short
Square Online is a store builder first. Layouts are section-based with fewer design options than Squarespace, blogs are basic, and the free plan's card fee is higher than the paid plans'. Square's plan comparison lists connecting a custom domain among the features beyond the free tier, and Tech.co notes 24/7 phone support only on Premium.
Do the maths on fees: the free plan's higher rate can cost more than Plus once online sales are large enough. How much does Shopify take per sale? shows how to run the same comparison for Shopify.
04Square Online vs the alternatives
Is Shopify worth it? and the best website builder for ecommerce cover the store-first options.
| If you... | Choose |
|---|---|
| Already sell in person with Square | Square Online |
| Want a store as the main business | Shopify |
| Care most about design | Squarespace |
| Want many apps and features | Wix |
05When the free plan stops being cheapest
The free plan's online card fee is 3.3% plus 30 cents per order on Tech.co's figures, against 2.9% plus 30 cents on Plus. The 0.4 point difference is worth $49 a month once online sales reach about $12,250 a month, so most small sellers are better off staying free. Below that, the extra features of Plus are the only reason to pay.
Run the same sum with your own numbers before upgrading, and remember Plus and Premium charge per location if you run more than one.
06Setting up a Square Online site
For a restaurant, add the menu, hours and ordering link to your Google Business Profile as well; Google Business Profile vs a website explains why both matter.
- 1Start from your Square accountYour items, prices and photos carry over from the point of sale.
- 2Choose how customers get ordersPickup, local delivery, shipping, or a mix.
- 3Pick a layout and add pagesHome, shop, about and contact cover most small businesses.
- 4Test an orderPlace a real order and refund it to check every step.
- 5Publish and connect your domainA custom domain needs a paid plan.
07Who should not use Square Online
If you do not use Square in person, the main advantage disappears. Content-led businesses (consultants, studios, creators) usually get a better site from a general builder, and stores that want deep customization or many apps usually do better on Shopify.
What people who tried it say
Freelancers on Hacker News pick platforms by what the client already uses and can maintain, which is the strongest argument for Square Online in a business already running on Square.
- Ask HN: Freelance website builders/maintainers, what's in your 2024 toolkit?Hacker News
Freelancers split between coded stacks and hosted builders; one noted that Webflow agencies made sites predictable enough to sell at flat rates, and another said they had moved marketing sites to Framer.
Looking for more first-hand opinions? Search Reddit for “square website builder”. We link the live threads rather than summarizing them, so you read them in full.
Our take
if Square is already at your counter, start on Square Online's free plan. Move to a design-led builder only when the site, not the store, becomes the priority.
Where this falls short
Fees and plan features change and differ by country. Card fee figures are from Tech.co's review; check Square's current fee page before relying on them.
Sources
- 1.Square Online plans · Square
- 2.Square Online store review · Tech.co
Researched and written by the Orlume team · Updated October 2026
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