What is Square Online?
Square Online is a website and online store builder from Square that connects directly to Square's payments and point-of-sale system. It lets businesses publish a site, sell products, and take orders for pickup, local delivery or shipping. Because it shares a catalog and inventory with Square POS, items sold in a shop and online stay in sync without manual updates.
The service is especially common with restaurants, cafes and retailers that already use Square in person. A free plan covers the site builder, SEO tools and online ordering, and you only pay processing fees on sales. Paid plans add more design control, QR code ordering, subscriptions, real-time shipping rates and advanced reports, and they lower some card rates.
Square Online at a glance
How does Square Online work?
- Sign in with a Square account
Create or use an existing Square account so the site can share your item library and payments.
- Build the site
Choose a layout, add pages and customize branding in the site editor.
- Sync items and set fulfillment
Pull in items from your Square catalog and turn on pickup, local delivery or shipping.
- Publish and promote
Publish the site and list items on search and social channels, or add QR code ordering on paid plans.
- Manage orders in one place
Online orders flow into the same Square dashboard and devices used for in-person sales.
Square Online key features
Website builder with SEO tools
A no-code editor for business sites and stores, with basic SEO settings included on every plan. Templates help restaurants and shops look professional without a designer.
Inventory sync with Square POS
Online and in-store sales share one catalog, so stock levels update automatically. This saves updating stock in two places.
Pickup, delivery and shipping
Offer curbside pickup, local delivery or shipping, with real-time shipping rates on Premium. Each option can be turned on or off to suit the business.
QR code ordering
Available on Plus and higher, letting diners or shoppers order from their phones. Orders arrive alongside in-person sales in the Square dashboard.
Subscriptions
Plus and Premium support recurring product subscriptions. Customers can reorder on a regular schedule.
Text message marketing
Paid plans include a monthly allowance of marketing texts, with more on Premium. Messages can promote offers to opted-in customers.
Advanced reporting
Premium adds deeper sales reports and 24/7 phone support. This helps owners spot best sellers and busy periods.
Why use Square Online?
- Square Online has a genuinely free plan, so you only pay processing fees when you make a sale.
- It connects to Square POS out of the box, which keeps online and in-store inventory aligned.
- Built-in pickup and delivery options suit restaurants and local shops.
- Payments, orders and customers all live in one Square dashboard.
- Paid plans unlock lower in-person card rates and extra tools without switching platforms.
Who is Square Online best for?
A good fit for
- Restaurants and cafes that take online orders for pickup or delivery
- Retailers already using Square POS
- Small local businesses that want a free starter store
- Sellers who want one system for in-person and online payments
Less suited to
- Brands that need deep design control or complex custom pages
- Large online-first stores that need an extensive app ecosystem
- Businesses that want to use a payment processor other than Square
Square Online pricing
| Pricing model | Freemium |
|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes |
| Free trial | 30 days on Plus and Premium |
| Starting price | $0/month (Free); Plus is $49/month per location |
Free charges only processing fees, with online card payments at 3.3% plus 30 cents. Plus ($49/month per location) and Premium ($149/month per location) add features and lower online and in-person rates. Square Pro is custom priced for high-volume sellers.
Prices checked October 2026. Vendors change plans often, so confirm on the official Square Online pricing page before you buy.
Square Online pros and cons
Pros
- Free plan with no monthly fee
- Native sync with Square POS and inventory
- Strong tools for pickup, delivery and QR ordering
- Simple setup for existing Square users
Cons
- Higher online card rate on the free plan
- Limited design flexibility compared with Squarespace or Webflow
- Tied to Square as the payment processor
Square Online integrations and platforms
Available on
Square Online alternatives
See the full shortlist in Best Website Builders.
Square Online FAQ
Is Square Online free?
Yes. Square Online has a free plan with no monthly subscription. It includes the website builder, SEO tools, pickup, delivery and shipping, and selling on search and social. You pay processing fees on each sale, and online card payments cost more on the free plan than on paid plans.
What is Square Online used for?
Square Online is used to create a business website and online store that connects to Square payments and POS. Restaurants use it for online ordering, and retailers use it to sell products for pickup, local delivery or shipping while keeping inventory in sync with their physical store.
Is Square Online good for beginners?
Yes. Square Online is simple to set up, especially if you already use Square for in-person payments, because your items and payment settings carry over. The editor is straightforward. The tradeoff is less design flexibility than builders aimed at designers, which matters less for small local businesses.
Square Online vs Shopify: what's the difference?
Square Online is free to start and fits businesses that already use Square for in-person sales, especially restaurants. Shopify has no free plan but offers a far larger app ecosystem, more themes and more advanced ecommerce tools. Online-first brands tend to prefer Shopify, while local businesses often choose Square Online.
How much does Square Online cost?
The Free plan costs nothing per month. Plus costs $49 per month per location and Premium costs $149 per month per location, and both come with a 30-day free trial. All plans pay card processing fees, which are lower on paid tiers. High-volume sellers can request custom Square Pro pricing.
Sources
This overview is based on Square Online's official website and documentation, checked October 2026.