Square Online is Square's online store builder, and Square has renamed it Square Websites to put the website tools front and centre. Square says only the name has changed: you can still build a full store for free on the Square Free plan, with no monthly fee or startup cost, and pay a processing fee when you make a sale.
That rename is why searching the old name lands you on confusing pages. The other thing to know up front: it's built to sit on top of Square's point of sale and payments, so it shines when you already sell in person with Square, and the best shipping tool, real-time shipping rates, is on the top plan rather than Free. Everything below is from Square's US pages as of October 2026; UK, Australian and Canadian readers will see their own plans on their local Square site.
What happened to Square Online
Square's FAQ answers this directly. It renamed Square Online to websites to better highlight the website-building tools, and all the same features you'd use today are included to create a full online store. If you set up a Square Online store a while ago, nothing you rely on has been taken away. You'll just see the word Websites in the menus and on Square's pages.
Square Websites plans and what each one adds
Square lists three plans for its online store, plus custom pricing for bigger sellers. There's no locked-in contract on any of them, and Square says you can upgrade or cancel anytime.
| Plan | What Square's page lists |
|---|---|
| Free | Website builder with SEO tools, pickup, local delivery and shipping, sell on search and social |
| Plus (labelled Best value) | Expanded site customisation, advanced item settings, QR code ordering and subscriptions |
| Premium | Real-time shipping rates, advanced reporting, 24/7 support |
| Square Pro | Custom pricing if you process over $250,000 a year |
Read the Free row closely, because it does more than people expect: you can take orders for pickup, local delivery and shipping, and sell through search and social, without paying a monthly fee. Subscriptions and QR code ordering are the first paid features you'd miss, and real-time shipping rates only arrive on Premium. For what each sale costs, see this breakdown of Square's fees.
What the store builder can do
Square says there's no coding involved. On the design side, you pick a layout and personalise it with your brand colours, fonts and images, or start from one of Square's e-commerce themes. On the product side, you can list unlimited items with photos, descriptions and variations, or import them straight from Square POS. Customers can create accounts to track orders and see product recommendations, and you can spotlight new products, best sellers, sale items or related products.
For launches, Square lets you schedule product drops and flash sales and promote them with pop-ups and banners. Hosting is free with no restriction on bandwidth, and every site gets a free SSL certificate for a secure 128-bit encrypted connection, which also lets customers check out on your own domain.
Pickup, delivery and shipping
- Shipping, with discounted shipping and accurate rates calculated in real time. Real-time shipping rates are listed on Premium.
- Free in-store pickup for online orders.
- Local delivery with third-party couriers or your own staff.
How it links to your shop counter
This is the strongest reason to pick Square's builder. The online store integrates with Square Point of Sale, so your in-person and online sales sit in one system. Customer data such as sales history and loyalty points lives in one directory across every channel, and inventory is managed across all your locations and channels so you don't sell the same last item twice.
For marketing, Square lists built-in SEO tools and integrations with Google and Meta, including Instagram, Facebook Shops, Google Food Ordering and Google Product Listings. You can run email and text campaigns through Square Marketing, starting from a customisable template, and post a campaign on Facebook at the same time as you send the email. You can also add a loyalty programme, sell eGift cards on your site, and create a simple shoppable page from your Instagram feed. Square also shares one statistic worth reading carefully: a 38% average increase in revenue for Square sellers who added a website. That's Square's own figure, based on comparing Square sellers in the six months before and after their first website transaction in 2024.
How to launch a Square store
- Create a free Square account.
- Choose a single ordering page or a multi-page online store.
- Add your products, or sync them from Square POS.
- Set up payments, then shipping, pickup or delivery.
- Connect your own domain or buy and register a new one, then publish.
If you'd rather not build it yourself, Square lets you hire a Square Specialist for store design, setup, custom web development and SEO.
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My verdict
If you already sell in person with Square, its website builder is a sensible first store, because your stock and your customer list stay in sync without you lifting a finger, and the Free plan covers pickup, delivery and shipping. If you plan to sell mostly online and expect to add lots of apps and integrations, compare it first. My Square vs Shopify comparison is the one to read before you commit.
Frequently asked questions
Is Square Online free?
Yes, on the Square Free plan. Square says there are no monthly fees or startup costs, just a processing fee when you make a sale, as of October 2026.
What happened to Square Online?
Square renamed it Square Websites to highlight its website-building tools. Square says all the same features are included and only the name has changed.
Does Square Online include hosting?
Yes. Square includes free web hosting with no restriction on bandwidth and a free SSL certificate.
Can I use my own domain with Square?
Yes. You can connect a custom domain you already own, or buy and register a new one, then publish your site.
Does Square Online sell on Instagram and Facebook?
Square lists integrations with Instagram, Facebook Shops, Google Food Ordering and Google Product Listings, and you can create a shoppable page from your Instagram feed.
Can I offer local delivery and pickup with Square?
Yes. The Free plan lists pickup, local delivery and shipping. Local delivery can use third-party couriers or your own staff.
