Karina Fabian

Both Clover and Square offer easy-to-use point-of-sale (POS) software and hardware, giving you the ability to sell in-store, online, and via mobile. Clover can operate with thousands of merchant services, giving you a choice of payment processor. Square, meanwhile, does its own payment processing and, unlike Clover, offers free POS software. Clover and Square are both highly rated by real-world users and have places in several of our lists for best POS and payment processing providers. Although the two providers are well-matched, some significant differences impact their respective use cases. Here are our recommendations as you consider Clover vs Square: : Best for larger businesses wanting to choose their own payment processor : Best for small businesses wanting a free or mobile option While Clover did not make the list of our top POS systems, it did earn a respectable 3.78 out of 5 in our evaluation. Square, on the other hand, topped the list as the best POS system for 2023 with an impressive 4.48 out of 5. In this article, we compare Square vs Clover for pricing, management tools, register features, ease of use, and expert score. Clover vs Square Overview Comparison Pricing *Both Square and Clover offer financing options if you cannot pay upfront For the pricing category, Square beat Clover with an impressive 4.69 out of 5. Although the payment processing fees through Clover are competitive with Square’s, Square offers a free POS system, less expensive hardware options, and bulk discounts for high-volume sellers. Note, however, that many of Square’s advanced programs are add-ons and will cost you an additional monthly fee. Clover, in contrast, has higher monthly software fees but includes advanced features in all of its plans. Register Features While both Square and Clover score very well in the register features category, Square came out just ahead of Clover with a 4.5 out 5 in our evaluation. Both POS systems can accept all forms of modern payments (mobile, card, cash, invoice, check), have virtual terminals, and can conduct basic sales. But Square has more advanced features and an easier-to-use interface. Square offers a greater number of customization options, can integrate with social channels without a third-party integration and manage BNPL payments, and includes more marketing tools—all things that Clover lacks. Additionally, Square has business management features that allow you to manage sales, track products, connect with customers, and view reports. As our top pick for the best retail POS system, Square is ideal for newer and brick-and-mortar businesses that want a flexible, all-in-one POS and payment processor that is easy to use and includes all the register features you could need. Management Features In the management features category, Square edged out Clover with a 3.31 out of 5. For the most part, Square leads because, for every subcategory, it offers an in-house option that is preloaded or easily added to each Square POS account. Clover, on the other hand, requires third-party integrations to offer marketing outreach, payroll, ecommerce, and payments tools. Square provides everything small businesses need to run their business on one easy-to-use platform that users can start selling with immediately. With Clover, businesses need to add third-party tools, leading to a more demanding management experience. Ease of Use *Averaged across multiple sites Square is our choice for ease of use. While it does not provide personalized assistance, users generally don’t need it, and its how-to section is thorough and includes illustrations and videos. It ranked highest not only overall but also for customer support. Expert Score Overall, Square scored higher than Clover in the expert score section because of our experience using the software, its popularity, and the overall value it provides to customers. Clover also did well in these areas. However, it is more expensive than Square and requires more integrations (and leg work). While needing to integrate with third-party platforms for things like ecommerce and marketing might mean more work, Clover also gives you the opportunity to choose your own providers. This, especially when it comes to payment processors, might actually allow you to save money, if you are a large enough company. How We Evaluated Clover vs Square In our evaluation of the best POS system software, we looked at five main categories: pricing, register features, management tools, ease of use, and expert score. Then, we compared how Square and Clover performed in these categories for this side-by-side review. Click through the tabs below for an in-depth look at our criteria: Bottom Line A Square vs Clover comparison shows that both offer user-friendly POS systems, online ordering, and payment processing solutions. has more flexibility and a free mPOS that makes it great for solopreneurs and startups looking to grow. It’s also more affordable, so if you’re just launching your business, it’s a good option.  comprehensive POS and programmable hardware make it the best choice for established businesses that already have a merchant account or that want to shop around for one that offers interchange-plus pricing.

With a good salon point-of-sale (POS) system, you cannot only take appointments and process payments more easily but also track customer preferences, inventory, and, in some cases, payroll information. We looked at the top POS systems and selected the best specifically for salons. The best six salon POS systems for small businesses are: : Best overall salon POS system : Best free POS with online directory for reaching new clients : Best for managing walk-in appointments or virtual consultations : Best for health or medical businesses needing intake forms or SOAP notes : Best for beauty salons and barber shops, especially those that rent booths : Best for massage therapists looking for a simple, affordable option Salon POS Systems Compared *All the salon POS systems provide email and text marketing, although some charge past a certain number of texts in a month or include this tool in higher plans. **Fresha, Vagaro, and MassageBook host online directories of their users where customers can look up services in their area. Square Appointments: Best Overall Salon POS Systems ranks No. 1 on our list for its versatility and excellent toolset as well as its ease of use. In addition to scheduling, it has a POS system that consistently makes our lists for best POS system, best retail POS system, and best inventory POS systems. The plan prices are competitive and even the free one includes text reminders, ecommerce, employee time tracking, customer notes, and inventory tracking. Square earned a 4.74 out of 5. It maxed out our pricing, expert score, and back office tools categories. It lost points because it lacked integrated intake forms―consider Vagaro or MassageBook for those—and also because most of its marketing and loyalty tools cost extra. Fresha: Best Free POS System for Small Salons Wanting Increased Visibility is a free POS system that’s built specifically for salons and spas. This simple, flexible booking and payment processing software includes full retail sales capabilities, inventory tracking, analytics, and marketing tools. Like Square, Fresha is free for unlimited team members but is not as feature-rich as Square or others on our list. However, it includes you in its online catalog, making it the best choice for budget-minded salons looking for increased visibility. Fresha earned a 4.73 out of 5. Its user-friendly interface, customer-facing business directory, low price point, and detailed booking features earned the system a high score. A lack of payroll reporting and traditional gift card management prevented Fresha from earning a perfect mark. Vagaro or Square are the best choices if you need payroll. DaySmart Salon: Best for Managing Walk-in & Virtual Appointments is the most expensive POS system we reviewed for more than three users, but it offers features the others do not, such as integrated teleconsulting and a walk-in kiosk. This makes it a good choice for salons with walk-in customers and virtual appointments. The feature set is fantastic and it accommodates booth rentals. DaySmart Salon earned a 4.66 out of 5 in our evaluation. It scored high across the board, except for price, where it ties with Rosy Salon for last place. However, at the second level ($69) plan, you’ll find marketing, time clock, and client loyalty functions—tools you may have to pay extra for with other providers, such as Square or Vagaro, or get as a third-party application. Vagaro: Best for Health & Fitness Businesses, or Businesses That Need SOAP Notes offers an excellent span of features for scheduling, customer management, payments, and more, although you may have to pay extra for some. We were especially impressed with its payroll tools, something no other POS software had as completely. However, its recurring appointments, invoicing, and SOAP notes are why we chose it for service businesses tied to health and medical centers. Vagaro earned a 4.49 out of 5 in our evaluation, with excellent marks across the board. It lacks a free plan like Square and Fresha, and charges for tools that others like DaySmart or Rosy Salon include in their plans, such as advanced marketing tools, intake forms, and its check-in app. Depending on the tool, DaySmart may be cheaper than Vagaro with the add-ons. It was second to Square for integrations. Rosy Salon: Best for Hairstylists & Booth Rentals is a newcomer to our list, but brings a lot of unique tools for stylists, including a special plan for booth renters, suggestive upselling, and smart scheduling. Its pricing is comparable to Vagaro’s, and it offers payment processing with multiple merchant services as well as through CardConnect. Overall, we liked it for established hair salons, especially those that rent booths to independent contractors. Rosy earned 4.47 out of 5 on our list. Pricing was its lowest score because it lacks a free plan, and is more expensive than several when using it for over five stylists or calendars. However, it rated high for all categories, losing points for a couple of advanced features and because it lacks form creation. MassageBook: Most Affordable for Solo Massage Therapists is designed for independent massage therapists, especially those that work with insurance. While not as extensive in features as more expensive plans like DaySmart Salon or Vagaro, it offers an online directory where new clients can find you, strong scheduling tools suited to massage, and intake forms and SOAP notes. MassageBook earned a solid 3.79 out of 5. It lacks inventory, employee, commission, and product tracking, although you can glean some of this information in the Sales reports. (Look at Square or DaySmart Salon for better tools.) However, it got perfect scores for price, being cheaper than DaySmart Salon and Vagaro, and appointment and customer management tools. How We Evaluated Salon & Spa POS Systems We’ve considered nearly a hundred different POS systems, selecting those that best serve salons and spas, which meant scheduling and ease of use were necessary. Then, we looked for vital features for customer management and marketing, plus specialty features like intake forms, resource management (so that spas can book appointments based on available rooms or chairs, not just available providers), and no-show protection (with stored credit cards or prepayment). Finally, we considered extra employee management tools, including tipping, commissions, break management, and booking notifications. Based on our criteria,  is the best salon POS. It’s a top-notch POS system with an excellent scheduling plan, plus it has a free plan for smaller businesses while offering tools to grow with you. Click through to see the scoring criteria: Salon POS Systems Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Bottom Line All the salon and spa POS software on our list are great choices. They provide comprehensive calendar tools, text messages to confirm appointments, client notes, and the ability to sell packages, memberships, and at least some types of gift certificates. As you decide what’s best for you, look at specific features (like marketing or SOAP notes) and monthly fees, as well as anticipated transaction fees. Square Appointments earns the top rank because it’s affordable, user-friendly, and full of POS, inventory, and appointment management tools for online or in person. It’s a versatile system that can grow with your business. Visit Square to start Appointments for free.

When comparing Payanywhere vs Square, they may appear interchangeable because they both offer a free card reader and an app with point-of-sale (POS) tools. Plus, the credit card processing fees are similar: Payanywhere charges 2.69% per transaction; Square, 2.6% plus 10 cents per transaction. However, Square gets better reviews, offers better software, and generally provides a better value than Payanywhere, although small sellers with average sales below $20 will pay less in transaction fees by choosing Payanywhere. : Affordable option for small sellers consistently processing under $5,000 monthly with an average transaction value lower than $20. : Best for most small businesses, individuals, seasonal or occasional sellers, and those wanting free online and in-store POS systems. Payanywhere vs Square Quick Comparison *We include both Square and Payanywhere in our evaluation of best merchant services where Square took the top spot. Payanywhere did well but did not make our final list. Why Square Is Best for Most Businesses Square tops our list of the best merchant services, best mobile credit card processors, and best POS systems for small businesses. It offers the best all-purpose payment and software solution for individuals, new businesses, and small businesses. In addition, it has advanced paid plans and tools for midsize businesses, from banking services to payroll, and offers custom solutions for large businesses, including reduced rates for high-volume sales. Thus, it can grow with you. It is free and effortless to use and requires no application or commitment. See our guide to Square to learn more about its different product offerings to see if it’s right for your business. See why Square tops so many of our evaluations: Best merchant services Best mobile credit card processing Best POS systems Best mobile POS Best for Affordability: Square *ACH payments available only through Square Invoices. The processing fees are similar, but if you need more hardware than a simple card reader, Square is by far the cheaper option. Its terminals are well-regarded by users and come with the software free. Payanywhere charges a subscription fee for software on its devices and has a $3.99 per month inactivity fee (after 12 months) if you stop using the app without canceling your subscription. When Payanywhere Might Be More Affordable Payanywhere’s 2.69% processing fee seems higher than Square’s 2.6% plus a 10-cent transaction fee. For most businesses, it is. However, for sellers with average sales below $20, such as cafes selling cups of coffee, Square’s fee per transaction would be higher than Payanywhere’s additional 0.09% charge per transaction. So, for merchants with low price points, Payanywhere could be more economical. Best for Payment Processing: Square Our scores for Payanywhere and Square in other articles make Square a clear winner. Both Square and Payanywhere offer flat-rate and transparent pricing for new and small merchants. Once your business starts to grow, Payanywhere will switch you over to a traditional merchant account that uses a tiered pricing model. Generally, we don’t recommend tiered pricing models for small businesses because they can be unpredictable. Learn more about Payanywhere’s pricing and plan options. Meanwhile, Square does not offer tiered pricing. However, it offers custom discount rates for businesses processing over $250,000 annually. If your business does process this much, it’s likely neither Square nor Payanywhere is your best option. See our list of the best merchant services for small businesses to find the right payment solution for you. Best for POS App: Square Square is the clear winner when it comes to sales features and functionality. While Payanywhere provides the basics for in-person and online transactions, Square offers many more online sales and customer management features. Square is a recognized leader in sales for both in-store and online. Its free POS system is powerful enough for busy retailers and restaurants but simple enough for the hobbyist who only sells a few items at the farmers market. In 2019, it opened its services to cannabidiol (CBD) businesses. It offers more features than Payanywhere for customer support, and the paid plans have even greater functionality. To see all of Square’s app features, read our Square POS review. When to Use Payanywhere One handy feature Payanywhere offers that Square does not is mobile barcode scanning. Scan the barcode with your phone, and it can pull up the product. This barcode scanner can save you money on equipment and make it easier for employees on the floor to look up items for a customer. Otherwise, Payanywhere is good when it comes to brick-and-mortar or mobile sales—but not on the level of Square. It does not offer a loyalty program, and most extra functions like marketing will require third-party integrations. Further, its online offerings are weak, consisting of only payment links and a virtual terminal. Best for Ease of Use: Square Setting up and using Payanywhere and Square are equally easy, but when you get to the reliability of each payment processor, you can break that tie and give the win to Square. Just comparing how intuitive each app is designed, Square pulls ahead. Square Is a Household Name for a Reason Square became a household name because it brought payment processing to the small sellers without access to a merchant account—and it made it ridiculously easy to accept credit card payments. The app has easy-to-learn menus and categories, and the language used makes sense. The user experience (UX) is an essential part of an intuitive interface, and Square gets it right with its POS app. You can create new items for your inventory, apply a discount to sales, and set up sales tax without having any prior experience. Square gets points for designing an app that’s not only user-friendly but also stable. I’ve never had it freeze or crash and payments always go through. Payanywhere Is Easy to Set Up But Can Be Unreliable Getting started with Payanywhere is easy enough. If you choose the Pay As You Go plan, you’ll choose the reader you want and fill out a form with your contact information; then you can sign in and start setting up your profile and inventory. The Payanywhere app is easy to use, and it includes a Test Drive feature, which allows you to try it out before you commit. As it applies to apps and payment processing software, intuition is such a subjective thing. But when comparing Payanywhere to Square, it doesn’t quite hit the intuitive mark. You can switch between a typical terminal view and retail view, and it isn’t immediately obvious where to go to find inventory (Payanywhere labeled this setting “Themes”). Despite how easy Payanywhere makes it to start accepting credit cards for payment, it has some issues. The app often freezes, won’t load photos, and crashes—and you have to kill the app, then restart it to use it again. These are the sorts of glitches you don’t need when you’re trying to accept someone’s credit card, and you could quickly lose a customer’s trust. Best Hardware: Square Square and Payanywhere boast similar hardware offerings, with mobile card readers for the phone, a handheld mobile terminal, and a standalone terminal. Hardware prices are also somewhat similar but Payanywhere’s software for its smart terminals are an add-on cost. When to Choose Payanywhere Since our last update, Payanywhere removed its 2-in-1 mobile card reader which they offer for free for new merchants. Its 3-in-1 card reader is still available for $59.95 and is ideal for business owners who prefer a more handy, single device to carry around when accepting payments on the go. Payanywhere also offers a more ergonomic terminal that is easier to carry than the Square Terminal. Bottom Line In the battle of Payanywhere vs Square, you could go either way because the two payment processors are so similar and competitive. The free basic POS apps from both companies are easy to use and close to equal in their offerings. Square, however, offers more in terms of functionality, stability, and ease of use. It is an excellent payment processor and free POS system for any individual or small business owner. It includes support for ecommerce sellers and mobile and storefront sellers. You can get started accepting payment as soon as you create an account with Square. Sign up for free today.

Ecommerce growth is expected to be 10.4% worldwide in 2023, according to Oberlo. To take advantage of this growing market, you need to be able to accept credit cards online. The best online payment processors handle popular payments like ACH transfers, offer buy now, pay later (BNPL) integrations, and provide online payment pages for your website and tools for invoicing and social selling. We’ve reviewed dozens of payment processors over the years and found the best five for small businesses. : Best overall : Best for high-volume sales : Best for retailers wanting to add an online option : Best payment gateway : Best for selling on social media (and as an additional payment option) Online Payment & Credit Card Processors Compared See fullscreen table × Because we selected the best, you can expect all of the services listed to have PCI compliance and bank-level data encryption. They also offer excellent fraud control for free, and some even have advanced fraud prevention tools for an extra cost. Other common shared features include: No contracts No hidden fees Deposit speeds of at least two days Some customer information storage Access to BNPL (sometimes through a third party) Integrations with common ecommerce websites Stripe: Best Overall Online Payment & Credit Card Processors is a highly popular credit card processor that often makes our lists for the best merchant services and payment gateways, specifically for its online payment processing tools. Its invoicing and inexpensive ACH transaction fees also make it a good choice for B2B payment processing. Stripe has the most integrations of any software on our list, and its detailed help sections make it a favorite for websites and other software developers. Stripe earned 4.39 out of 5 on our rubric. It lost points in pricing because some of its excellent tools come with additional fees. Nonetheless, it had top scores for payment and sales tools and is the most versatile (for more free tools and interchange-plus pricing, check Helcim). Helcim: Best for High-volume Online Credit Card Processing If you don’t need all the versatility and integrations Stripe can provide, is a cheaper alternative while still offering a high-quality credit card processing service. Helcim offers interchange-plus pricing, which is generally cheaper. In addition, it offers free tools for invoicing, recurring payments, ecommerce, and a virtual terminal. It works for international credit card processing and has Level 2 or Level 3 processing capability for B2B/B2G sales. Helcim came in second with a 4.28 out of 5 on our rubric. We were impressed with the wide range of tools for the price. It lost some points here and there, but the biggest hit was for its real-world user review score. Actual customers rate it 3.96 out of 5 stars averaged over multiple sites—still a good score, but the rest on our list rated over 4 stars. Square: Best for Retailers Also Needing Online Payment Processing often tops our lists for credit card processors for retail, mobile, and more. Here, we find it the best for retailers that may have a physical store but are expanding online, or are looking to start an online store with the option of selling at physical locations as well. Its online and physical systems sync, making bookkeeping a breeze, and it offers excellent tools that can grow with your business. Square earned 4.07 out of 5. Its rates are average compared to the others on our list, and you cannot process payments outside the country where you set the account—go to Stripe if you sell internationally. You should also look to Helcim if you want B2B sales. Square has some good integrations but primarily works within the Square ecosystem. However, it provides excellent invoicing, subscription, ecommerce, and virtual terminal tools. Plus, it has a CRM and is very easy to use. Authorize.net: Best Online Credit Card Processing Payment Gateway is an extremely popular payment processing system. You can use it as a full payment processor or find a different merchant account with better rates and use Authorize.net as the payment gateway to take advantage of its integrations and tools. Regardless, you do pay a $25 fee and have access to its free invoicing, POS, checkout tools, and customer information management system. Autorize.net ranks No. 1 on our list of the best payment gateways. Authorize.net earned 3.91 out of 5 in our evaluation. Its integrations, pricing, and ease of use gave it a top-place expert score, while the monthly fee brought its pricing score to 2.5, the lowest on our list. It does well with payment and sales features, with the most notable drawback being the lack of an ecommerce site or checkout pages. However, it does have easy-to-make buy buttons. PayPal: Best for Selling on Social Media & as an Additional Payment Option is one of the most popular payment methods today, often used in conjunction with other payment types. In fact, studies have shown that offering PayPal as an option can increase the number of completed sales online by . PayPal also offers easy-to-use “buy now” buttons for social media and hosting for product information, so you can sell on social media without an ecommerce platform. As a payment processor itself, it offers excellent online rates and its own BNPL tool. It can also accept cryptocurrency, something we did not find in Helcim or Authorize.net. We don’t recommend it for virtual terminals or invoicing, however, because of the extra fees attached and the high cap on e-check processing. PayPal earned 3.84 out of 5. It was reasonably strong in all areas, but the extra charges for some tools brought down the scores. It had the highest real-world user score, however: 4.67 out of 5 stars, averaged over multiple sites. Stripe was just behind it with 4.64 out of 5 stars. How We Evaluated Online Payment Processors We began with the dozens of credit card processors and merchant services that we’ve reviewed for various lists. Then we considered those that were especially suited for online sales. Most provide in-person and mobile payment processing, too, but for this list, we looked specifically at online features like checkout pages, invoices, and online rates. It’s no surprise, then, that , which usually gets a callout for its online solutions, placed first on this list. Its programmability, tools, and plethora of integrations make it the top choice. Click through to see the scoring criteria: Online Payment & Credit Card Processors Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Bottom Line When choosing the best online payment processor for your business, price is the first consideration, but it’s not the only one. You should consider how easy it is to incorporate the credit card processor into your website and whether you need additional tools like payment buttons, social selling, or more. Fortunately, nearly all payment processors have online tools, and some are especially adept at ecommerce. Stripe was designed for online environments, with great rates and amazing integration capabilities. If you just need simple checkout and invoicing tools, it has those too. Stripe only charges by transaction, so sign up for an account and get started accepting credit cards online today.

Before you can set or negotiate an employee’s pay level, you’ll want to compare salaries using compensation data you’ve gathered for similar roles at other companies. The best salary comparison tools provide you access to a wide range of data—from staff wages and bonuses to employee benefits—that cover many job types, skills, and positions across industries and locations. Some are free to use and include both employee- and employer-reported salaries, while others offer paid solutions that provide market pay data sourced from salary benchmarking studies. We evaluated a variety of solutions and narrowed the list down to our top six salary comparison tool recommendations. : Best overall salary comparison tool : Best for a blend of employee- and employer-reported and job posting data : Best for education and consultants : Best for employers needing easy-to-understand salary research reports : Best for employers looking for a compensation scenario builder : Best for companies that need unique data filters to view salary data Only need a quick check? If you are only looking for a “sanity check” on a salary, there are simple, searchable databases that let you filter by job and location. These are usually aimed at job seekers, but can provide a good basis for comparison: Salary Comparison Tools Compared See fullscreen table × *Every product on our list offers at least some of its services for free. These include: Salary by job and location Range of salary Reports (most are downloadable) Search for a single job by title and location Bureau of Labor Statistics: Best Overall Salary Comparison Tools The  (BLS) salary survey is the largest of its kind. It’s a highly scientific government-run survey that’s free to download. The data is sourced from quarterly nationwide employer surveys and has the most robust filtering and download capabilities. This helps you account for organizational, regional, and other data variations in compensation. However, the quarterly reports are summaries; the job-specific searchable reports are updated each May. Earning an overall rating of 4.12 out of 5, the BLS scored high in pricing, comparison tools, and reporting given its free salary research reports, nationwide employer-reported data, and multiple filter options. It was rated poorly in ease of use primarily because of its dated-looking website, which makes it difficult to navigate through wage reports. Indeed: Best for Employee-reported, Employer-reported & Job Posting Data is one of the largest job posting sites on the market. It has a robust set of salary data that is a blend of information pulled from past and current job postings on Indeed, including those anonymously reported by employees and employers. It’s completely free to use, and because Indeed captures data from so many companies, it’s a good tool for competitor analysis. Scoring 4.06 out of 5 in our evaluation, Indeed earned perfect marks in pricing, given its free salary research tools. It scored the lowest in reporting because it doesn’t let you download salary comparison reports. Plus, it doesn’t have robust data filters like Payscale, Salary.com, and the BLS do. Read Full Indeed Review PayLab: Best for Consultant Services & Academia If your focus is on salary research for academic or consulting purposes, then check out partnership program. It offers you access to all your country’s data in exchange for participation in its research. PayLab is one of the few on our list that provides salary information for countries outside the US. It offers sample salaries of over 700 job positions in over 36 countries in Europe, Africa, and Asia. PayLab earned 3.94 out of 5 on our rubric. It took a big hit on pricing since its free tool is extremely limited for employers. However, it did very well on comparison tools, reporting, and ease of use, with the second-highest ease of use score after ZipRecruiter. ZipRecruiter: Best for Employers Needing Easy-to-Understand Salary Comparison Reports is an online talent marketplace and recruitment solution for posting jobs and finding qualified candidates. It also offers a salary comparison tool that contains compensation information from job listings posted on its site and third-party data sources (like ADP). The results of its salary research are easy to understand, plus it has a short yet helpful summary that explains the average annual pay and pay range for the position selected. It earned an overall score of 3.91 out of 5 in our evaluation. Its ease of use and free-to-use salary comparison tools contributed to its high scores. However, ZipRecruiter’s lack of data filters and downloadable salary research reports prevented it from scoring higher on this list. Read Full ZipRecruiter Review Payscale: Best for Businesses Looking to Create Custom Compensation Scenarios is an easy-to-use tool that includes robust employee- and employer-reported data (although not job posting data like Indeed). It has a wide range of compensation management and survey tools like Salary.com, although Payscale lets you build your own compensation scenarios in case you need to create new positions or a completely new business. This allows you to get a holistic idea of your staffing costs, more so than the other salary comparison tools in this guide (although PayLab will let you set up cumulative positions for multiple salaries at once). The reports are simple and easy to understand, but the plethora of job titles can make it difficult to get the right title comparison. It scored 3.72 out of 5 in our evaluation, with perfect marks in comparison tools and ratings of 3 and up in reporting capabilities and ease of use. However, the non-transparent pricing of its paid salary survey solutions and services hurt its overall score. Salary.com: Best for Businesses Wanting Unique Filters to View Compensation Data is one of the oldest sources of salary data on the web—the company was founded in 1999. It has 100% employer-reported survey data purchased from data collectors and even offers a wide range of compensation management and salary survey products. The information is updated monthly and can be filtered in ways unavailable on other sites, such as salary views based on performance and management level. Salary.com’s pricing hurt its score the most, bringing it to 3.69 out of 5. It earned a perfect score for its robust comparison tools, with the unique filters making it stand out. Plus, it had high scores for ease of use. It has a free-to-use salary calculator, but you have to pay extra if you want to download the report. We also found the add placement more intrusive than others on our list. Tips for Using Salary Comparison Tools Conducting salary research is a critical part of creating your company’s compensation program. It helps ensure that you’re paying employees at par with market rates, enabling you to attract qualified candidates and improve employee retention as well. Regardless of which salary comparison tool you use, here are a few key things you should do. How We Chose the Best Salary Comparison Tools We looked at several salary comparison tools, comparing each solution’s data sources and the types of pay information supplied. We also considered other features like downloadable reports, the amount of data available, and ease of use. And while most have free salary research tools, we checked whether it offers a paid version that’s affordably priced. Click through the tabs below for a more detailed breakdown of our evaluation criteria. Bottom Line Regardless of your company size and the type of business you have, you should be using salary comparison tools to determine whether or not your salary package is on par with the market. Having access to up-to-date salary data also helps you create compensation strategies for attracting new hires and retaining current employees. Some even provide insights on HR best practices such as for hiring qualified candidates, onboarding new hires, and more. We found that the  offers the best value for money. It’s free to use with a rich data set that comes from nationwide surveys run by the government. The salary ranges for positions, multiple filters, and different data points included (like salary quartiles, pay by years of work experience, and extensive industry coverage) are also super helpful. You can even download its reports and charts in various file formats—all at no cost. Get started with the BLS’s salary research tools today.

Inventory management software should help businesses easily track items or parts throughout the supply chain, give performance insights, and have industry-specific features. We considered over a dozen inventory control systems for price, features, quality, and how well they work for specific business needs. Based on our evaluations, the best inventory management software for small businesses are: : Best overall inventory management software : Best for retailers : Best for B2B retail : Best for rental companies : Best for manufacturing companies : Best for restaurants Cin7 : Best for growing ecommerce companies : Best for repair shops and services : Best for volume sellers and dropshippers Inventory Management Software Compared *If you use Lightspeed Payments, the price goes down to $89–$249. **This service limits the number of users but lets you add employees at a reduced price. Best Inventory Management Software Quiz Take this quick quiz for a personalized recommendation without leaving the page: Zoho Inventory: Best Overall Inventory Management Software for Small Businesses Lightspeed Retail: Best Small Business Inventory Software for Retailers Agiliron: Best Inventory Software for B2B Retail EZRentOut: Best Small Business Inventory Software for Rental Companies Katana: Best for Manufacturing Companies MarketMan: Best Inventory Software for Restaurants Cin7 Orderhive: Best Small Business Inventory Software for Growing Ecommerce Companies Orderry: Best Small Business Inventory Software for Repair Shops & Services Ordoro: Best Inventory Software for Volume Sellers & Dropshippers How We Evaluated Inventory Management Software We looked primarily for inventory-first programs as opposed to POS programs with inventory. We then narrowed our list of over two dozen software systems to those that are easy to use and have pricing plans suited for SMBs. After that, we evaluated for inventory tracking, reports, low-stock alerts, and more. We also gave points for handling multiple warehouses or sales channels, integrations, and customer support. Based on these benchmarks, is the best inventory management software for small businesses. It received the highest overall score (4.49 out of 5) among the inventory platforms we reviewed. Click through the tabs below for our full evaluation criteria: Bottom Line The right inventory management software for your small business can save you time, headaches, and money. Many are tied to point-of-sale systems, but some work alone or with accounting software and are designed for specific industries, from warehouses to rentals and repair shops. Overall, we found Zoho Inventory the best suited for most small businesses because of its price point and ease of use. It offers the most important features needed to run a smooth store and ecommerce program. Visit Zoho and try it for free. You May Also Like… Find out how to organize inventory for small businesses Learn how to prevent inventory shrinkage Read about what a point-of-sale (POS) system is, then review our top picks for the best POS systems

The best inventory management software, whether used on its own or with a point-of-sale (POS) system, should make it easy for businesses to track products, tools, and assets. Unlike paid software, free inventory management software usually limits the features you can use. We considered plans with enough for a small business or solopreneur to get started, forever-free subscriptions with options to upgrade, and cloud-based, easy-to-use systems. Based on our evaluations, the six best free inventory management software for small businesses are: : Best overall : Best for retailers : Best for large inventories : Best for small international businesses : Best for manufacturing and repair shops : Best app with mobile barcoding and scanning Free Inventory Management Software Compared See fullscreen table × All the products that made our list had to have a minimum of features that include: Real-time tracking Inventory counts Barcode scanning Granular inventory (variants, modifiers) Basic reports Customer shipping information Knowledge base Odoo: Best Overall Free Inventory Management Software , a fully open-source inventory system, takes the top spot for free inventory management software because it does so much―even automated purchase orders (POs) and expiry date tracking. It’s completely unlimited, making it great for small businesses with huge inventories, and for a small fee, you can tie it to Odoo’s dozen other sales and marketing tools. Odoo also integrates with ecommerce systems. Odoo earned 4.38 out of 5. It had a perfect score on pricing because it offers so much free. The inventory tools are excellent, but a few, such as multichannel management and customer relationship management (CRM), require another Odoo app. It took a big hit for only having email and forum support, but it does offer training videos. Real-world customers liked it, but it did not rate as highly as Square or Zoho, which brought the expert score down. Square: Best for Retailers & Storefronts is best known for its POS capabilities for retailers and restaurants, landing it at the top of our lists of the best POS systems and leading free POS systems. However, it also includes Square’s inventory management tools completely for free for up to 300 locations. Considering all that Square accounts come equipped with—in-store sales, ecommerce integrations, mobile capabilities, POS—it is the best all-in-one solution for retailers looking to manage inventory for free and sell in-store and online as well as via invoice and mobile. This software earned an overall score of 4.35 out of 5 on our evaluation, just below Odoo, which has more features for inventory management itself. Square, however, earned excellent scores for ease of use, pricing, and our expert value score. The only things that kept Square from scoring higher were the lack of kitting abilities; limited customer service hours; and reporting, vendor management, and POs locked behind a paywall. Like Zoho, Square has an excellent mobile app, where you can conduct sales and also scan items and perform inventory counts. Zoho: Best for Businesses With Large Inventories (Single Location) free plan came in third because it allows unlimited inventory, a strong range of integrations, low stock alerts, kitting and bundling options, and shipping tools, allowing you to print packing slips and generate discounted shipping labels from major logistics providers like United States Postal Service (USPS) and UPS right from your dashboard. Zoho is our top-rated inventory software for all small businesses, and its mobile app also makes it the best choice for entrepreneurs who do their work on the go. We rated Zoho Inventory 4.3 out of 5. Unlike Square, Zoho’s free plan limits users, locations, monthly sales orders, shipping labels, and shipment tracking. Its customer relationship management software surpasses Odoo’s free plan. Plus, it’s easy to use and has high real-world user ratings for its online program and its mobile apps. SalesBinder: Best for Small International Businesses offers excellent inventory software that works in more than 130 countries and a wide array of currencies. Its intuitive interface also includes lots of room for customization so that you can make it work how you need it to, wherever you are in the world. SalesBinder’s free plan does not allow integrations—look at Zoho or Odoo for that. Its free plan also limits monthly records, which it counts as inventory items, accounts, or orders—no other inventory tracker on our list sets limits this way. However, it has robust features for recording and tracking inventory and strong sales and CRM features. Overall, SalesBinder scored 3.52 out of 5 in our evaluation. It performed well in the inventory features and expert score categories. SalesBinder could’ve scored better if it had no product or user limits and allowed integrations in its free plan. For large inventories, consider Odoo or Square. Real-world users rate it highly, however. ABC Inventory: Best for Repair Shops & Manufacturing Although a locally installed system with an older interface, by Almyta Systems offers an excellent choice for budget-conscious manufacturers or repair shops with simple needs. It has features like unlimited custom fields, 10 custom drop-down lists for extra properties, and up to 20 levels in its bill of materials. ABC Inventory offers dozens of features specifically for manufacturing inventory, such as work orders, approvals, repair and maintenance orders, and special serials for manufacturing or engineering. Neither Zoho nor Square come equipped with these manufacturing-specific tools. In our evaluation, ABC Inventory earned 3.58 out of 5. It did well in pricing because it lets you track unlimited products by location but took a huge hit in ease of use for its dated interface and lack of live customer support. The software can only be installed on PCs and cannot integrate with any other programs automatically. If you need an option with more included integrations, Square is your best bet. Sortly: Best Mobile Inventory App With Barcoding and Scanning is a cloud-based inventory management platform that provides activity tracking, multilocation tracking, barcoding, and audit trails. Its noteworthy feature, however, is its built-in barcode and QR scanner mobile app that works even in offline mode. You can scan incoming and outgoing inventory even when your phone app doesn’t have a signal—Sortly will sync automatically as soon as you’re back online. Its offline abilities paired with its multilocation tracking make Sortly ideal for on-the-go inventory management across multiple locations. Note that Zoho also has an offline mode to its mobile app, but Sortly offers inventory for multiple locations. On our inventory management evaluation, Sortly scored 3.3 out of 5. The absence of low-stock alerts and integrations on its free plan as well as its item limits, prevented it from earning high scores. Like Square, it lacks PO tools. However, its interface is cloud-based and modern, setting it apart from ABC Inventory. How We Evaluated Free Inventory Management Software We only considered forever-free inventory systems that also offer paid versions or add-ons at a price suited for small and midsize businesses (SMBs). In this evaluation, we prioritized those that are cloud-based and easy to use. We sought a range of inventory management software, not just those in a POS system or that work for retail. Click through the tabs below for a more detailed breakdown of our evaluation criteria. Bottom Line When deciding which free inventory management platform to use, consider the following: Does it integrate with the platforms I currently use in my business? Does it offer room for growth, such as plan upgrades? What type of support can I get as a free user? If you are looking for free inventory management tools that work with sales, such as for a retail or storefront business, consider POS software, such as . Most include primary inventory functions or have integrations. However, standalone free inventory management software works well for offices, warehouses, dropshippers, or stores that already have sales platforms that they prefer. Overall, we found Odoo the best inventory management software for small businesses. Its open-source, totally free system works great for large inventories and multiple locations, and it has an excellent set of features. You can even integrate it with your other software. Visit Odoo and sign up today.

Stripe is a favorite among startups and tech-savvy businesses for online payment processing because it offers highly versatile software for creating custom checkouts. However, it’s not the best online payment processor for everyone. Some businesses want something simpler and cheaper or a solution that provides a (point-of-sale) POS or virtual terminal payment processing. We evaluated dozens of credit card processors to find the best alternatives to Stripe: : Best overall Stripe alternative : Best for ecommerce : Best for high-volume sales : Best for high-risk businesses : Best for growing storefronts needing recurring payments : Best for small mobile restaurants and retailers : Best for wholesale pricing with no percentage markup : Best for nonprofits : Best payment gateway : Best for those wanting a traditional merchant account Stripe Alternatives Compared Square: Best Overall Stripe Alternative is a highly popular and well-rated payment processor that usually tops our lists because of its free POS system and ability to grow with your business. Unlike Stripe, you can start selling immediately upon signing up for Square—no programming is needed. The POS system is top-notch and works not only for stores but for restaurants, spas, salons, and service industries. It offers an integrated online store and a mobile app for selling on the go. Plus, as your business grows, it offers additional software for loyalty plans, marketing, and even payroll. Its banking services include checking and savings accounts and loans. While Stripe does not have these services, it does connect to a network of banks to let you create cards and financial products for your customers, something Square cannot do. Square appears on our lists of: PayPal Alternatives Best Merchant Services Best Free Merchant Services Best Mobile Credit Card Processors Best Virtual Terminals Best Credit Card Payment Apps Best Retail Payment Processors Best Payment Gateways Cheapest Credit Card Companies Square Pricing Monthly fee: $0 Card-present transaction fee: 2.6% + 10 cents Ecommerce and invoice transaction fee: 2.9% + 30 cents Card-not-present transaction fee: 3.5% + 15 cents ACH Fee: 1% (minimum $1) Afterpay (Buy-Now-Pay-Later) fee: 6% + 30 cents per applicable transaction Instant payout fee: 1.5% Chargeback fee: None; up to $250 per month for chargeback protection Card reader: $49 For all its versatility, however, Square is a closed system. It does not allow other payment processors and cannot match Stripe for integration into websites or complex payment processing needs. Learn more in our review of Square vs Stripe. PayPal: Best for Value-added Payment Options for Ecommerce rivals Stripe as one of the most popular online payment processors. However, where Stripe is more difficult to implement and maintain, PayPal has a reputation for being user-friendly for both customers and merchants. It accepts all types of payments, including credit cards and bitcoin, works internationally, and offers a free POS system, Zettle. Zettle works on countertop systems and smartphones. Further, PayPal lets you easily add buttons to your website, social media, or online store. However, PayPal really shines as an additional payment option. In fact, studies have shown that customers are 2.8x more likely to convert when PayPal is visible. PayPal makes it easy to offer its payment processing alongside other credit card processors. PayPal Pricing (US) POS fee: $0 Standard card-present fee: 2.99% + 49 cents* Card-present fee (Zettle): 2.29% + 9 cents Keyed-in fee (Zettle): 3.49% + 9 cents Online transaction fee: 3.49% + 49 cents* International transaction fee: 1.5% fee, 3%–4% spread for currency conversion Chargeback fee: $20 Dispute fee: $15 Instant transfer fee: 1.5% Card reader: $29 for the first; $79 for additional *The fixed fee of 49 cents is US-only. Fixed fees vary by country of business. Despite its versatility, Stripe is the better option for customization. Stripe also accepts more currency types than PayPal (135 vs 25), and the former has more powerful API and SDK tools for programming special cases. Additionally, Stripe has fewer complaints of held funds than PayPal. Discover more in our Stripe vs PayPal article. Stax by Fattmerchant: Best for High-volume Sales Stripe offers custom rates for high-volume sales, but Stax’s interchange-plus rates are cheaper. There is a monthly fee to consider, but if you do enough credit card transactions, the savings may cover the monthly fee and still save you money. stacks up to Stripe in terms of functionality and features. Stax says it integrates with over 90% of third-party POS systems but most through Zapier. Further, if you want it programmed directly into your software, Stax Connect has in-depth API and SDK support. Stripe, meanwhile, has direct integrations. Of course, Stax is still ahead in the in-person sales category, with more choices of POS hardware and a native mobile app. Businesses also enjoy the ability to send custom payment links to customers. Stax Pricing Monthly fee: $99–$199 Card-present transaction fee: Interchange + 8 cents* Card-not-present transaction fee: Interchange + 15 cents* Optional software packages: $29–$129 monthly for features like reporting dashboard, ACH payments, invoicing, Text2Pay, web-hosted payments, recurring payments, chargeback manager, and dedicated support Chargeback fee: $25 Custom plans available for businesses processing over $500,000 annually Stripe, of course, blows away Stax—and all the others—by having over 1,250 integrations in addition to its powerful programming tools. Even Stax itself says Stripe is better known for online payments, while Stax takes a more holistic approach. *Interchange rates are what the issuing credit card company charges, and vary by card type and use. Learn more in our article on interchange fees. PaymentCloud: Best for High-risk Merchants If you run a business that sells high-risk items or is considered a high-risk business for other reasons, you may not be able to work with Stripe. It sometimes imposes restrictions, such as setting up a funds reserve—if it approves you at all. (Stripe also has definite prohibitions for businesses dealing with high-risk jurisdictions such as Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and the Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk Regions). There are also restrictions against Russia. If this is your business, look into . It’s our top-recommended high-risk merchant account. Although it does work with regular merchants, PaymentCloud specializes in high-risk businesses and products. It works with over 10 banks and walks you through the application process to get you approved. Pricing is customized depending on your situation, but user reviews say the terms are competitive. In addition, other merchant services will refer high-risk clients to PaymentCloud. PaymentCloud Pricing Note: These prices have changed since our last update. No application fees, setup fees, or annual fees Monthly fee: Starting at $0, depending on business type and use case Medium-risk transaction fee: 2.69%–3.29% High-risk transaction fee: 2.95%–4.25% Large volume discounts available Medium-risk: 2.25%–3.4% High-risk: Call for quote Interchange + pricing available depending on use case; call for more information Payment gateway fee: $15/month Chargeback fee: $25–$45 PaymentCloud offers the fastest payout of those on our list, saying it gets funds into your account in seconds rather than days. Stripe has same-day deposits—but at an additional fee. PaymentCloud will handle integration into your CRM, accounting software, POS solutions, and more. Stripe leaves this process to your team. Unlike others on our list, PaymentCloud also offers a wide range of POS systems and hardware, from Ingenico to Clover. Stripe’s offerings are far more limited. Helcim: Best for Growing Storefronts Needing Recurring Payments is one of several on our list with interchange-plus pricing but has one advantage: no monthly fees. Plus, it automatically scales the rates to your level of sales, so you don’t need to change plans or apply for discounts. Compared to Stripe, Helcim is a much cheaper solution for businesses doing high-volume sales, especially if they expect to scale up. It also offers free POS software, which Stripe does not have (unless you create it), making Helcim ideal for storefronts. It processes credit cards and ACH payments and has invoicing and recurring billing tools (Stripe charges 0.5%+ for recurring billing). It also has a native POS app for countertop or mobile—something Stripe lacks—and native tools for taking food orders, managing inventory, and managing customers. Helcim Pricing Monthly fee: $0 Card-present transaction fee: Interchange plus 0.1% + 5 cents to 0.3% + 8 cents Card-not-present transaction fee: Interchange plus 0.2% + 10 cents to 0.5% + 25 cents Chargeback fee: $15, but Helcim refunds the charge for disputes settled in your favor Card reader: $109 Automatic volume discounts Like Stripe, it has a built-in checkout portal, although Stripe offers more templates and customizations. Helcim lets you embed payments into your website or app and process payments without handling the sensitive information associated with payments. Overall, these native features and very affordable interchange-plus pricing make Helcim a great fit for busy storefronts. In fact, Helcim is our top pick for retail credit card processing companies. Payanywhere: Best for Small, Mobile Restaurants & Retailers For businesses that primarily do steady, in-person sales, is a great app. Its rates are competitive, especially since it is a simple percentage. This makes it cost-effective for businesses with low-ticket sales such as coffee, souvenirs, and snacks. (Online, however, Stripe has much better transaction fees.) Payanywhere has a free mobile POS app that works for small restaurants and food trucks and integrates with delivery systems. Like Stripe, you can get a virtual terminal and recurring billing. In addition, it offers employee management tools through Homebase, including time clocks, scheduling, and hiring—Stripe does not offer these. Payanywhere now offers free same-day payouts which was previously offered with a 1% fee. Payanywhere Pricing Card-present processing fee: 2.69% Keyed-in processing fee: Starting at 3.49% + 19 cents per transaction Invoice and recurring payment processing: 3.49% + 19 cents POS software: $0 Inactivity fee: $3.99 per month after 12 months of inactivity Card readers: $59.95 Terminals: From $9.95 per month or $349 one-time Free same-day deposit Offers pay-as-you-go and long-term contracts Early termination fee (if on contract): $295 Stripe is better in that it does not have an inactivity fee; Payanywhere charges $3.99 per month after 12 months without processing transactions. Payanywhere also does not process international credit cards, making it better for domestic sales. Payment Depot: Best for Wholesale Pricing With no Percentage Markup offers interchange-plus pricing, with no distinction between online and in-person transactions. While owned by Stax (another alternative that also offers wholesale rates in exchange for a monthly subscription), it’s better suited for smaller businesses because its monthly prices are cheaper. For this reason, Payment Depot makes our list of the cheapest credit card processing companies. Of course, the pricing is much cheaper than Stripe’s, even considering the monthly fees. It also has fewer complaints than Stripe when it comes to held funds or canceled accounts. Like Stripe, Payment Depot has a third-party mobile POS, plus a choice of free third-party virtual terminals. Also like Stripe, it may offer business funding to its members that qualify and has a very high user satisfaction rate and strong third-party integrations. Payment Depot Pricing Monthly fee: $59–$99 (based on processing volume) Contract length: Month-to-month, no long-term contract Card-present processing fee: Interchange plus 8 cents Card-not-present processing fee: Interchange plus 15 cents Chargeback fee: $15 No setup, cancellation, chargeback and other miscellaneous fees Custom pricing for >$500,000 in processing annually Hardware: Starts at $49 Payment Depot falls short of Stripe in that it is only for US merchants. You also need to apply and be approved, whereas Stripe lets you sign up and go. It also lacks billing and invoicing, except through other payment gateways (Stripe has these tools). iATS: Best for Nonprofits & Donations iATS and Stripe are both on our lists as best for: PayPal Alternatives Credit Card Processing for Nonprofits You can use Stripe for nonprofits, but is built especially for these unique businesses. It does not list pricing online, but we’ve seen flat rates listed anywhere from 2.49% to 3.2% + 26 cents, making it competitive with Stripe. Over 14,000 nonprofits work with iATS, and one of its specialties is working with customer relationship management software. For example, its Brickwork processing app for Salesforce makes it easy to accept donations, track donor information, and manage donors from the Salesforce app. Like Stripe, this payment processor relies heavily on integrations. iATS does not have its own POS system, but it lets you create online forms for your website. However, it can also create a standalone solution, which includes hosted pages and forms, to which you can add a shopping cart using its Aura program. Stripe will embed into websites but not build one for you. iATS easily integrates into donation-specific software. iATS Pricing iATS also differs from Stripe in that it can give your donors the option of covering their transaction fees for you. While a small addition for your donor, this can save you a great deal of money in processing fees. Monthly fee: $0 Transaction rates: Not on its website; reports say 2.49% to 3.2% + 26 cents ACH processing: Not on its website, but others say it costs 26 cents per transaction One-year contract, with six months automatic renewal iATS takes longer to process payouts than Stripe. It requires a one-year contract and works only with certified nonprofit organizations, whereas Stripe can be used for charity or for-profit businesses. Authorize.net: Best Payment Gateway is a well-known payment gateway that integrates easily into other payment solutions. While it charges a monthly fee, it is reliable and does not charge chargeback fees. You can use it as a payment gateway alone (choosing your own merchant account) or as a payment processor, where it sets you up with a merchant account. This flexibility earned Authorize.net the top spot in our evaluation of the best payment gateways. It can handle high-risk businesses through its partners and even has partnerships for other business solutions for shipping, compliances, fraud prevention, and more. While it does not integrate as extensively as Stripe, it does have partnerships with developers who can design integrations for you. Authorize.net Pricing Monthly fee: $25 All-in-one processing fee: 2.9% + 30 cents per transaction, or 10 cents per transaction and 10 cents batch fee ACH/e-check processing fee: 0.75% per transaction Chargeback fee: $0 POS system: $0 for Mobile POS app Virtual terminal: $0 Card readers: $65 Terminals: Third party Stripe reaches more countries, accepts a greater variety of payments, and integrates with more systems, whereas Authorize.net offers more of a plug-and-play solution. Also, despite Stripe being more programming-heavy, users give it a better usability rating than Authorize.net, which they say can take some effort to set up and has an older-looking interface. Chase Payment Solutions: Best Traditional Merchant Account is one of the biggest names in the banking industry and is a direct processor of credit card transactions. Thus, if you don’t need a lot of specialized integrations but are more interested in straight processing online and in-person, then it may be able to supply your needs and offer a quicker payout, especially if you have a Chase Business checking account. It offers a mobile POS app, and an online store, plus billing and invoicing. Like Stripe, Chase processes international payments, but it beats Stripe in its other business offerings—like checking and savings, loans, and credit cards. This makes it a good choice for businesses just starting out that need more than payment processing. It tops our list of the best checking accounts for small businesses. Chase Payment Solutions Pricing Monthly fee: $0 Processing fee: From 2.6% + 10 cents to 3.5% + 10 cents ACH Processing: $25 per month for 25 transactions, 25 cents for each additional, or 1% for certain platforms Cancellation/early termination fee: $0 Chargeback fee: $25–$100 per transaction Deposit speed: Same-day deposit and next-day funding Hardware options: $49.95–$399 As a direct processor, Chase makes payment processing simpler; funds are transferred faster for as long as you have a checking account with Chase. However, there have been frequent reports of poor customer service and some complaints over contracts that ended up with users having to pay cancellation fees. How We Evaluated Stripe Alternatives When looking for the best alternatives to Stripe, we considered dozens of excellent payment processors, many of which have features on other best-of lists for merchant accounts and payment processing. We then narrowed it to those that met a need that Stripe did not, or which did something better than Stripe, whether with a tool or as a cheaper alternative. In general, nearly all of these require less programming knowledge, especially when it comes to integrations and POS systems. Stripe Alternatives Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) When is Stripe better than competitors? Stripe is a favorite among programmers because of its versatility and easy-to-use tools. Even users without programming experience say that the tools are not difficult if you need basic things like invoices and a checkout page. Plus, with over 1,000 native integrations and an API with excellent directions, it can work with just about any software you need. Thus, we think it’s the best for online payment processing. Is Stripe the best payment gateway? Stripe is an excellent payment gateway and has placed in several of our best-of lists for payment processing for various needs. However, whether it's the best depends on what you need the payment gateway for. The article above offers excellent alternatives for situations where Stripe might not be the best choice. What is the best Stripe alternative for small business? It depends on what you want out of your payment processor. Our article lists 10 excellent alternatives that meet needs Stripe cannot or that do something better than Stripe. Where can I learn more about Stripe vs other payment solutions? We offer one-on-one comparisons for the following products: Stripe vs Square Stripe vs Shopify Stripe vs PayPal Stripe vs Braintree Chargebee vs Stripe Adyen vs Stripe Where can I learn more about using Stripe? Stripe offers an excellent help section with detailed documentation. In addition, you can check out our article on using Stripe’s payment processing tools. Bottom Line If you have specialized payment processing needs or a wide range of online payment venues, then Stripe may be your best choice. It’s extremely popular among developers for its extensive toolset and ease of use—for programmers. Those who are not tech-savvy or do more sales in person may fare better with a simpler payment processor. Additionally, those doing high-volume online sales may save more money with a payment processor that does interchange-plus processing. All told, is the best Stripe alternative. It offers rates comparable to Stripe but has a powerful free POS system, online store, virtual terminal, and other tools that make it a better choice. Plus, it’s easy to use and highly rated by real-world users. Sign up for a free account and get started today.