square online alternatives

why look beyond square online?

• the free plan’s limits: square branding, no custom domain, and retail preorders only on plus ($49 a month).
• no shoppers included: it’s your own site, so orders come only from people you send.

the best square online alternatives, compared

in no particular order. we make wareby, so weigh our take on it with that in mind.

1. 1

   hotplate

   best for: chefs and bakers who sell in drops to a following they already have

   what it costs

   $0 a month. you pay 2.9% + 30¢, customers pay 5% + 55¢

   who finds you

   your own followers, through your link

   what’s good

   • built around preorder windows and pickup times
   • followers get a text every time you post a menu
   • instant or next-day payouts

   watch out for

   • not a marketplace: it won’t bring you new customers
   • customers pay a service fee on every order by default
   wareby vs hotplate
2. 2

   shopify

   best for: sellers with their own audience who want full control

   what it costs

   $39 a month ($29 billed yearly) + 2.9% + 30¢ a sale

   who finds you

   people you send to your site

   what’s good

   • your own brand, design and web address
   • low per-sale fees as you grow
   • local pickup, local delivery and in-person selling included

   watch out for

   • you bring every visitor
   • a monthly fee from the start, plus paid themes and apps if you want them
   wareby vs shopify
3. 3

   big cartel

   best for: artists and small shops with a handful of products

   what it costs

   free for up to 5 products. $15 a month for more

   who finds you

   people you send to your site

   what’s good

   • no transaction fee from big cartel, just card processing (2.9% + 30¢ with stripe)
   • simple, and made for artists

   watch out for

   • product limits on every plan
   • your own domain needs a paid plan
   • you bring every visitor
4. 4

   squarespace

   best for: a polished site with a small store

   what it costs

   $19 a month billed yearly + a 2% transaction fee, or $29 with none

   who finds you

   people you send to your site

   what’s good

   • clean templates that look good with little work
   • a free domain for the first year on yearly plans

   watch out for

   • the basic plan adds a 2% fee to every sale
   • you bring every visitor
5. 5

   wareby

   best for: local makers who want people nearby to find them and order ahead

   what it costs

   free to open. 10% + 3% + 30¢ a sale on the free plan

   who finds you

   shoppers within 25 miles, plus your own link

   what’s good

   • only verified, independent local shops: a real person checks each one
   • pickup windows and your own delivery area built in
   • one cart across shops, so neighbors can order from several makers at once
   • no listing fees, no ad fees, no service fee for shoppers

   watch out for

   • a sale fee on every order, higher than running your own store
   • it’s new, so there are fewer shoppers today than on the giant platforms
   how wareby compares

questions people ask

sources

1. square: online store plans
2. square support: the square online website footer
3. hotplate help center: understanding hotplate’s pricing
4. hotplate blog: what hotplate does
5. shopify: pricing
6. big cartel: the gold plan
7. squarespace: pricing
8. wareby: seller plans

we checked every fee and fact about other companies on october 12, 2026, on their own pages. fees change, so check theirs before you decide. spot something out of date? email hello@shopwareby.com and we’ll fix it.

etsy, amazon handmade, ebay, shopify, square online, wix, squarespace, big cartel, hotplate, bakesy, castiron, instagram, facebook marketplace, nextdoor, doordash, uber eats and grubhub are trademarks of their owners. wareby isn’t affiliated with any of them, and we make wareby, so weigh our opinions with that in mind.