Shift4Shop vs Square Online
A side-by-side look at Shift4Shop and Square Online. On our scoring, Square Online comes out ahead — but the right pick depends on your priorities.
| Platform | Shift4ShopAll-in-one | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| SellingScene score | 3.8/5 | 4.1/5 |
| User rating | 3.7 | 4 |
| Reviews | 540 | 1,320 |
| Pricing | ||
| Starting price | Free | Free |
| Pricing model | free in the US with Shift4 Payments | free plan + processing fees |
| Transaction fees | 0% with Shift4 Payments | 2.9% + 30¢ online |
| Hosting & setup | ||
| Hosting type | Fully hosted (SaaS) | Fully hosted (SaaS) |
| Free trial | Free with Shift4 Payments | Free plan available |
| Staff accounts | By plan | Role-based |
| Product limit | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Payments & security | ||
| Payment gateways | Shift4 + 100+ gateways | Square (primary) |
| SSL included | Yes | Yes |
| PCI compliant | Yes | Yes |
| Gift cards | Yes | Yes |
| Catalog & content | ||
| Themes / templates | 100+ themes | Template-based |
| App marketplace | App store & integrations | Square App Marketplace |
| Multi-currency | Yes | No |
| Multi-language | Yes | No |
| POS included | Yes | Yes |
| Abandoned cart recovery | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in blog | Yes | No |
| Tools & flexibility | ||
| Drag-and-drop editor | Yes | Yes |
| API access | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | No | Yes |
| Support channels | 24/7 phone, chat, email (US) | Phone & chat (business hours), email |
| Actions | Read review | Read review |
Why pick Shift4Shop?
Shift4Shop (formerly 3dcart) offers a deep, feature-rich platform that becomes free if you process payments through Shift4. That bargain comes with dated interfaces and a payment lock-in that does not suit everyone.
Best for: US sellers who will use Shift4 payment processing
Read the full Shift4Shop reviewWhy pick Square Online?
Square Online is the obvious add-on for businesses already running Square POS in the real world. The free plan is genuinely usable, though serious online-first brands will outgrow its lighter feature set.
Best for: Retail & restaurants already using Square
Read the full Square Online review