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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Shopify Point of Sale (POS) vs Square Point of Sale (POS)

Shopify Point of Sale (POS) 4.4★ · Free to download 60
Winner Square Point of Sale (POS)
Square Point of Sale (POS) 4.8★ · Free to download 80

Square Point of Sale is generally more reliable and easier to use for basic transactions, while Shopify POS struggles with frequent bugs and interface changes.

Full reviews: Shopify Point of Sale (POS) · Square Point of Sale (POS)

Square POS offers a more stable and user-friendly experience for processing payments, despite some issues with fund holds and customer support. Shopify POS, while integrated with its e-commerce platform, is plagued by persistent bugs, connectivity problems, and frustrating interface updates that disrupt sales.

Head to head

Ease of Use & Interface edge: Square Point of Sale (POS)R1R3R15R21
Shopify Point of Sale (POS) Shopify POS users frequently complain about constant, disruptive interface changes that make the app harder to use and require staff to relearn functions R3R49. Some find the new interface less intuitive and poorly designed . There are also issues with login, such as being stuck on the location selection screen R15R21 or unable to log in if a PIN is forgotten R1R25.
Square Point of Sale (POS) Square POS is generally praised for being easy to use and beginner-friendly . However, recent updates have introduced some usability issues, such as difficulty viewing the top line of the notes field R69, problems with selecting date ranges for reports , and a confusing new checkout display for cash vs. card prices R62. Some users also dislike interface changes that make it harder to finish charges .
Reliability & Performance edge: Square Point of Sale (POS)R6R10R11R12
Shopify Point of Sale (POS) Shopify POS is heavily criticized for being buggy, laggy, and prone to crashing R6R10. Users report issues with payment processing, including tap-to-pay not working reliably R6R11R12 and card readers frequently disconnecting R46. Barcode scanning often fails . Recent updates are frequently cited as the cause of these problems, leading to frozen screens, disappearing buttons, and inability to complete sales R10.
Square Point of Sale (POS) Square POS generally offers reliable payment processing, with many users finding it hassle-free . However, some users report issues with tap payments not working on certain devices or swipe cards not functioning . There are also reports of transactions saying 'processed' but actually failing and the free version being glitchy with features beyond immediate POS .
Features & Functionality tieR5R8R9R23
Shopify Point of Sale (POS) Shopify POS offers good integration with the online store R23 and features like email/text receipts . However, users desire better inventory management for staff R8, the ability to email receipts through the regular Shopify interface R5, and the return of a 'save cart' feature . There are also specific complaints about inability to process returns for contactless payments R9, issues with discount decimal points R9, and problems with barcode scanning for variants . Some users also note the lack of a kiosk mode and missing functionality for in-store pickup at a later date .
Square Point of Sale (POS) Square POS allows customization of products for easy access and offers features like dark mode . Users appreciate the ability to get money next day or same day R114. However, some features are problematic, such as invoice creation deleting content when switching apps and issues with accessing savings funds . Users also desire support for multiple business accounts within the app and find the hardware compatibility to be an issue .
Price & Value tieR66R93R112R114
Shopify Point of Sale (POS) Shopify POS is free to download, but users do not explicitly discuss its value or pricing in the provided reviews, focusing more on functionality and bugs.
Square Point of Sale (POS) Square POS is also free to download, and users generally find its service worth the fees, even if they are considered a 'little bit much' R112. Some users complain about high fees R66R93 and the 2.6% + 10% on tap payments R66. However, the absence of charges if not used is appreciated R114.
Support & Account Management edge: Shopify Point of Sale (POS)R21R25R33R61
Shopify Point of Sale (POS) Shopify POS users report issues with customer support, with one user stating there's 'no support' for setup problems R25. While one user found support helpful for a specific fix R21, another mentioned support denying issues that were later resolved by an update R33.
Square Point of Sale (POS) Square POS users frequently report significant issues with account access and support. Many are blocked from their accounts due to changed phone numbers or identity verification problems, with no alternative contact options R61R70. Square is also criticized for holding funds for extended periods , deactivating accounts without clear reasons , and not providing proof of delivery for cards . Customer service is often described as unhelpful or difficult to reach .
Pick Shopify Point of Sale (POS) if

You are already deeply integrated with the Shopify e-commerce platform and prioritize a unified system, and you are prepared to troubleshoot frequent bugs and interface changes R23R49.

Pick Square Point of Sale (POS) if

You need a generally reliable and easy-to-use POS system for basic transactions and don't mind potential issues with fund holds or customer support .

Evidence note: Shopify POS reviews are heavily skewed towards recent negative experiences, particularly concerning updates and bugs, which may not fully reflect its lifetime rating. Square POS reviews, while generally positive, show a significant recurring theme of problems with fund access and account deactivation, which are critical issues for businesses.

Frequently asked

Which app is better for processing payments quickly?
Square Point of Sale generally offers faster and more reliable payment processing, with users frequently praising its ease of use and quick transactions R114. Shopify POS, in contrast, often experiences lag, connectivity issues with card readers, and problems with tap-to-pay functionality, which can slow down checkout R6R12R46R54.
Do these apps have good customer support?
Shopify POS has mixed reviews for its support, with some users finding it helpful for specific issues R21 but others reporting a lack of support for critical setup problems R25. Square Point of Sale, despite its high overall rating, receives frequent and severe criticism for its customer support, particularly regarding account access, identity verification, and resolving issues with held funds R61R70.
Are there frequent updates that change the app interface?
Yes, Shopify Point of Sale users frequently complain about constant and disruptive interface changes with almost every update, making the app harder to use and requiring staff to relearn functions R3R49. Square Point of Sale also has updates that change the interface, which some users find inconvenient or buggy R62R69.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R1] Shopify Point of Sale (POS) 1/5 · US Forgotten pin… locked out forever: Will not let you log in to change pin number if you forget. So the app is useless to me. Deleting until their AI can figure it out I guess…
  2. [R3] Shopify Point of Sale (POS) 3/5 · US Stop changing the interface design.: It keeps changing and only gets worse.
  3. [R15] Shopify Point of Sale (POS) 3/5 · US Stuck On Select Location During Login: Worked great all of last year, but the newest update has made it unusable. It logged us out for the update, and now when we try to login, it gets stuck on the select location page. We click our location and then the select location button, and just keep getting prompted to reselect the location over and over again. Completely ruined our market yesterday beca
  4. [R21] Shopify Point of Sale (POS) 3/5 · US Updated: App doesn’t work. now FIXED: Spoke with an employee of the company. We were able to get it fixed. Had to force quit. Haven’t used it yet though, but I’m able to see my items on the app. I keep deleting and reinstalling. iOS and app up to date. Keeps giving me an error message about location and won’t let me type or exit out which is why I delete and reinstall.
  5. [R6] Shopify Point of Sale (POS) 3/5 · US Laggy.: Very slow and tap to pay works only sometimes. It will say there are connectivity issues but running a speed test on a laptop on the Dane WiFi says the WiFi is fast. Even changing between screens that don’t require payment can sometimes take a while.
  6. [R10] Shopify Point of Sale (POS) 1/5 · US HORRIBLE UPDATE: Please fix this, the newest update is ruining our in store sales. Every time someone checks out the buttons for cash go away and we had to force close and try and click it fast before the buttons disappear and then we have to force close the app between every purchase because the screen won’t clear and freezes and then doesn’t even give us an option to print a receipt. The new upd
  7. [R11] Shopify Point of Sale (POS) 4/5 · US Tap and Pay not working: The Tap and Pay refused to work on my iPhone 15 ProMax on a craft show day. I hadn’t used it since December. As I have had a similar problem in the past, I assumed it was an update. When I went to test it a few days later to troubleshoot it, it was suddenly working fine. Hopefully whatever the problem was, it was resolved.
  8. [R12] Shopify Point of Sale (POS) 3/5 · US Great in theory: Mostly works great with one major flaw. The contactless payment rarely works when needed. There is usually some update that needs to happen (my apps are set to update automatically but for some reason this one never does) or some other troubleshooting you can do to get it to work eventually but it’s of little help when you’re trying to use it with a customer. You don’t want to sit
  9. [R5] Shopify Point of Sale (POS) 4/5 · US X: All I want to do is email a receipt, why can't I do that thru the regular shop interface online!?
  10. [R8] Shopify Point of Sale (POS) 4/5 · US Needs inventory management: Everything’s pretty great except I want staff to have access to inventory but not all the reports
  11. [R9] Shopify Point of Sale (POS) 3/5 · US No customer info?: It’s impossible to do returns because every single sale from contactless payment says “no customer”. We have to give customers a gift card as credit instead. Not great and an awkward experience for customers. You can’t do discounts with decimals point percentages off (like 12.22%) to get an even number on a sale item. So that makes us have to do manual discounts we have to app
  12. [R23] Shopify Point of Sale (POS) 5/5 · US Excellent: This app is the online store on your physical location.
  13. [R66] Square Point of Sale (POS) 3/5 · US Payment: This stupid app never transfer the money when it’s exposed to and then it won’t verify oh you got the bank account number in there. Why do you need to verify then you take 2.6% +10% on tap so if order is $250 they taking $7.33 for using a service. This is highway robbery. You just like Uber. You just like Lyft you like DoorDash.
  14. [R93] Square Point of Sale (POS) 3/5 · GB Good app… HIGH fees: Whilst app manufacture and ongoing support requires money to make it happen it’s frustrating that more users producing more profits don’t enable fee reduction for use ! A FAIR balance of low fees against increase of usage by more customers would attract even more users to utilise this app.
  15. [R112] Square Point of Sale (POS) 4/5 · US Juan: I like the service that square provides for my company, is really easy and reliable, they charge a little bit much but it’s worth it for the service
  16. [R114] Square Point of Sale (POS) 5/5 · US So Easy: I love to use the Square reader. It is so easy to run the chip cards with the chip reader. You can get your money either the same day or next day. Makes it so simple and worry free! It doesn’t cost that much and if you don’t use it, there is no charge.
  17. [R25] Shopify Point of Sale (POS) 1/5 · US Onboarding nightmare: I thought a washing machine had the worst UX but Shopify is a POS literally. I was trying to help someone receive payments and the app is stuck in the create a pin screen and nothing works. No support, just dead on delivery.
  18. [R33] Shopify Point of Sale (POS) 3/5 · GB Great when it works: POS is a great app but it seems everytime they do an update it breaks something. The most recent being the search function, notes says it’s updated but I spent 2 days with it saying random items didn’t exist. Spoke to support and they said there wasn’t anything wrong but all of a sudden after a further small update it’s all working again. Hmm. It’s a shame it’s so great when i
  19. [R61] Square Point of Sale (POS) 2/5 · US Not happy with this app: I have an account that I’m completely blocked out of. I changed my cell number and now it wants to send me a text to confirm my account. They give no other options such as email. They have no way of contacting the support team. It’s very frustrating. Please fix this issue. Please respond to this with a way for me to contact you.
  20. [R46] Shopify Point of Sale (POS) 1/5 · US Persistent Reader Connectivity Issue Unsolved: They clearly know this is an issue, but their solution has been to sell additional hardware that doesn’t actually solve the problem. They gaslight you into thinking you are the only one having the issue despite extensive evidence online that all merchants encounter these issues. As a 10 year customer, I’m looking elsewhere due to the impact this has o
  21. [R54] Shopify Point of Sale (POS) 3/5 · GB Ok: It’s an ok app. Search and quick sale functions are great. Card payments are a little slow. Takes a while to connect and have to explain to customers about activating contactless is a little tedious. But overall not a bad app.
  22. [R70] Square Point of Sale (POS) 1/5 · US Doesn’t verify my identity: This app doesn’t want to verify my identity after entering my correct and legal credentials and proceeds to not let me access tap payments. and don’t even want to bother with customer support.
  23. [R49] Shopify Point of Sale (POS) 2/5 · US Can yall STOP with the updates??: The interface of the app changes every. damn. month. Who did you hire for this, and why are they perpetually dissatisfied with their own work? In a busy retail space when new employees get hired all the time, it’s a huge headache to re-learn how to use the app every couple of weeks. The checkout is different, the discounts are different, the buttons get shuffled a
  24. [R62] Square Point of Sale (POS) 5/5 · US Checkout: I love using square but… I don’t like the new updated checkout where it pops up the prices. Like… if I press the button (tap, insert or swipe) the top shows the cash price and the little itty bitty number below shows the card price, like that needs to be swapped. It needs to be clear not just for the workers but also the customers. Mistakes are made when people squint their eyes like it’
  25. [R69] Square Point of Sale (POS) 3/5 · US Last Update Made “Notes” Field Difficult: I was satisfied with the Square app up until now but the last update changed that. I can no longer view the top line of the Notes field while I’m editing it. Please fix!

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store