Compare the best ecommerce platforms and online store builders for US businesses. See subscription costs, transaction fees, features, and integrations side by side, all in US dollars.
Square Online | WooCommerce | Squarespace | Wix | BigCommerce | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Est. platform cost | $0/mo | $15/mo | $16/mo | $29/mo | $39/mo | $39/mo |
| Est. processing fees | $435/mo | $435/mo | $435/mo | $435/mo | $435/mo | $435/mo |
| Est. total cost | $435/moCheapest | $450/mo | $451/mo | $464/mo | $474/mo | $474/mo |
| Ratings | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| User rating | 4.6Capterra (330) | 4.5Capterra (1,042) | 4.6Capterra (1,200+) | 4.4Capterra (10,704) | 4.4Capterra (339) | 4.5Capterra (6,694) |
| Plans & Pricing | ||||||
| Entry plan /mo | $0 (Free) | $0 (open source) | $16/mo (Basic) | $29/mo (Core) | $39/mo (Standard) | $39/mo (Basic) |
| Third-party gateway fee | 0% | 0% | 3% (Basic), 0% (Core+) | 0% | 0% | 2% (Basic) |
| Native processing rate | 2.9% + 30c (online) | Via gateway (WooPayments / Stripe) | 2.9% + 30c (Stripe) | 2.9% + 30c (Wix Payments) | Via partners (no native processor) | 2.9% + 30c (Basic, online) |
| Typical app costs /mo | $0 | $0 to $40/mo | $0 to $25/mo | $0 to $40/mo | $15 to $80/mo | $40 to $150/mo |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes (open source) | No | Yes (no e-com) | No | No |
| Hosting (if self-hosted) | Included | ~$15/mo (managed) | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Contract required | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Platform & Store | ||||||
| Products allowed | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited (Commerce) | Unlimited (Core+) | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| App/plugin ecosystem | Square Marketplace | Thousands | 40+ extensions | 500+ apps | 1,000+ apps | 10,000+ apps |
| Free themes | ~3 | Thousands | 100+ | 900+ | ~14 free | ~13 free |
| Staff accounts | Limited | Unlimited | 1 to 2 | Unlimited | Unlimited | 2 (Basic) |
| Mobile store app | Yes | Yes (WooCommerce app) | Yes | Yes (Wix Owner) | Yes | Yes (excellent) |
| Built-in blog | No | Yes (WordPress) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dropshipping support | No | Via plugins | Via extensions | Via apps | Via apps | Native (DSers, Oberlo legacy) |
| Digital products | Yes | Yes | Yes (Commerce plans) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-channel selling | Facebook, Instagram, Google | Via plugins (Google, Amazon, Facebook) | Limited (social sharing) | Facebook, Instagram, Google, Amazon (via apps) | Amazon, eBay, Facebook, Instagram, Google, Walmart | Amazon, eBay, Facebook, Instagram, Google, TikTok, Pinterest |
| POS integration | Built-in (Square POS) | Via plugins | No | Via Wix POS | Via apps | Built-in (Shopify POS) |
| Technical skill required | None | Basic to Developer | None | None | Basic | None |
| AI | ||||||
| AI features | Native (AI site builder, AI copy, Photo Studio) | Via plugins (WordPress AI) | Native (Blueprint AI builder) | Native (AI Site Builder, Astro assistant) | Native (BigAI Copywriter) + apps | Native (Sidekick assistant, Magic copy/images) |
| MCP / AI agents | Native MCP (dev/ops, beta) | Native MCP (developer preview) | Via 3rd-party (+ ChatGPT checkout) | Native MCP (site/dev) | Native MCP (Storefront) | Native MCP (Storefront) |
| Integrations & Support | ||||||
| Payment gateways | Square only | 100+ | Stripe, PayPal | 70+ | 65+ | 100+ |
| Abandoned cart recovery | Yes (Plus+) | Yes (via plugins) | Yes (Core+) | Yes | Yes (Plus+) | Yes (all plans) |
| Multi-currency | No | Yes (via plugins) | No | Limited | Yes | Yes |
| Customer support | Business hours, phone + chat | Community + paid | 24/7 email; live chat (business hrs) | 24/7 online | 24/7 chat, phone, email | 24/7 chat, email, phone |
| API available | REST API | REST API | Limited | REST API (Velo) | REST + GraphQL | REST + GraphQL (excellent) |
| Webhooks | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Custom checkout | No | Yes (fully customizable) | No | Limited | Yes (Checkout SDK) | Limited (Plus only for full) |
Self-hosted platforms require separate hosting. Estimates use entry-level managed hosting. Actual costs vary by hosting provider, traffic, and extensions.
Independent, side by side breakdowns of the matchups merchants ask about most.
Our team can help you evaluate your options based on your products, budget, and growth plans.
