Square is a free point-of-sale (POS) system and payment processor many small businesses use as an affordable, all-in-one solution. Although Square once dominated the market, many competitors now offer comparable products and services. Depending on your business, you may find better functionality (and reliability) at a similar price point using an alternative.
The top Square competitors for 2024 are:
- Clover: Best Square alternative for low-cost, industry-specific POS
- PayPal Zettle: Best POS for PayPal users
- Helcim: Best low-cost payment processing for growing sales
- Stripe: Best for online payment processing
- SumUp: Best for occasional sellers or low-ticket sales
- Lightspeed: Best Square alternative for inventory management
- Shopify: Best Square competitor for ecommerce
- Toast: Best alternative for restaurants that have outgrown Square’s features
Top Square Competitors Compared
Best For | Monthly Fee | Online Processing Fee | In-person Processing Fee | Mobile Card Reader Cost | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Small retail, restaurants, and professional services | $0–$89 | 2.9% + 30 cents | 2.6% + 10 cents | $59 for contactless and chip | |
Small retail, restaurants, and professional services | $14.95–$114.85 | 3.5% + 10 cents (Based on Fiserv rates) | 2.3% + 10 cents–2.6% + 10 cents (Based on Fiserv rates) | $49 | |
PayPal Business merchants with a storefront | $0–$30 | 2.5% | 1.75% | $36 for first reader; $74 per additional reader | |
Established businesses and B2Bs | $0 | Interchange plus 0.15%–0.5% + 15 cents–25 cents | Interchange plus 0.15%–0.4% + 6 cents–8 cents | $99 | |
Businesses needing custom online checkouts | $0–$10 | Starts at 2.9% + 30 cents | Starts at 2.7% + 5 cents | $59 | |
Seasonal retail and restaurants | $199–$289 | 3.25% + 15 cents | 2.6% + 10 cents | $49 | |
Businesses with large or complex inventories | $69–$399 | 2.6% + 30 cents | 2.6% + 10 cents | Custom quote | |
Ecommerce businesses | $0–$89 + $39–$399 (Ecommerce account) | 2.4% + 30 cents–2.9% + 30 cents | 2.4%–2.7% | $49 | |
Small, full-service restaurants | $0–$165+ | 2.99% + 15 cents–3.5% + 15 cents | 2.49% + 15 cents–2.99% + 15 cents | $0–$627 | |
Top Reasons to Look for a Square Alternative
- Compatibility: Square does not work with high-risk merchants or certain restricted product sales. It’s also not the optimal choice for ecommerce-heavy businesses or those with complex inventories.
- Stability: Though widespread outages are rare, it is more common for individual Square accounts to be frozen.
- Customer support: It can be difficult to reach Square’s live support, and when you do, the quality of support can vary. Some users have reported this to be especially true if you’re using the free Square subscription.
- Greater customization: Square doesn’t offer a lot of customization options with its interface or features.
That said, Square is still our top pick.
Square’s transparent prices, low or no monthly fees, full ecosystem of tools, and user-friendly software make it our top-recommended POS solution for small businesses. Check out our Square POS review, guide to the best POS systems, and guide to the leading merchant services to learn more.
Clover: Best Square Alternative for Fully Integrated, Industry-specific POS
Pros
- Affordable payment processing rates
- Advanced business management tools
- Built-in customer loyalty program
Cons
- Tied to the Clover ecosystem
- Hardware options are costly and tied to each subscription plan
Why We Picked Clover As A Square Alternative
- Clover offers solid retail and checkout tools.
- Clover offers proprietary hardware.
- Clover works with most payment processors, while Square users are limited to its built-in payment processing.
- Clover allows for multiple integrations with delivery platforms.
Clover is a top Square alternative because it offers a lot of the same features and benefits. It features an advanced and all-in-one POS and payment processor, customer loyalty programs, employee scheduling, and proprietary hardware. We also highly recommend Clover if you want a Square alternative for affordable iOS-based credit card readers with payment apps.
Use Clover if you want to keep your current merchant account while upgrading Clover’s system. Unlike Square software, which only works with Square Payments, Clover can be purchased through many different merchant account providers. Note, though, that Clover hardware is tied to the original merchant account and cannot be reprogrammed.
- Monthly software fee:
- Retail: $14.95–$64.90
- Quick-service restaurants: $54.95–$69.90
- Full-service restaurants: $84.95–$114.85
- Service businesses: $14.95–$49.95
- Payment processing: Depends on payment processor
- Fiserv rates:
-
- In-person: 2.3% to 2.6% + 10 cents
- Online: 3.5% + 10 cents
- Hardware: $49 to $1,799
Learn more about fees in our guide to Clover pricing.
Like Square, Clover is cloud-based and offers everything that a standard POS does, including payment processing, inventory management, and analytics reporting. It also has advanced customer loyalty, order management, and employee scheduling features, which are more comprehensive and integrated than Square’s.
Other features include:
- Credit card preauthorization
- Next-day deposits
- Offline payment processing
- Customer profiles and promotions
- User permissions
Clover Go | Clover Flex | Clover Mini | Station Solo | Station Duo |
Mobile card reader | Handheld POS system | POS countertop device | All‑in‑one POS | Dual‑screen POS |
$49 | $599 or $35–$85 per month for 36 months | $799 or $45–$100 per month for 36 months | $1,699 or $125–$160 per month for 36 months | $1,799 or $135–$140 per month for 36 months |
Get a more in-depth comparison of Clover vs Square in our guide.
PayPal Zettle: Best Square Competitor for PayPal Users With Storefronts
Pros
- Trusted payment processor
- Predictable, flat, affordable processing rates
- Free POS, no long-term contract
Cons
- Limited POS features
- No offline mode
- Inexplicably frozen funds or accounts
Why We Picked Zettle As A Square Alternative
- Zettle lets merchants accept PayPal payments in-store at no extra cost.
- Zettle offers affordable mobile card readers.
- Zettle offers a free mobile POS app.
- Payment processing fees for PayPal Zettle generally are cheaper than Square’s.
- Zettle’s mobile card reader can process chip and contactless payments.
Zettle uses PayPal for its payment processing and provides a POS system for tablets or mobile. Startups can get a PIN pad card reader and begin accepting payments immediately, or purchase an entire POS system. The software is free to use, with affordable processing rates, and allows you to accept PayPal payment options in-store. If customers often ask if you accept PayPal at checkout, then PayPal Zettle is your best alternative to Square.
Use PayPal Zettle to set up a storefront for your online business that runs on PayPal. PayPal payments are now accepted at physical shops like Walmart, Best Buy, and Home Depot. But you don’t have to be a big name or have deep pockets to start accepting PayPal in your store—all you need is a free PayPal Business account. Read our guide on how to set up a PayPal Business account.
- Monthly software fee: $0–$30
- Payment processing rates:
- In-person: 1.75%
- Online: 2.5%
- Mobile card reader: $36 for first reader; $74 per additional reader
- Offers discounted rates for qualifying nonprofit organizations
PayPal offers a variety of standout products, such as Payflow, which makes our list of the best payment gateways. However, what makes PayPal Zettle stand out is that, unlike Payflow, it doesn’t require integration for PayPal users to accept payments. As one of the easiest means to accept recurring payments, it is the best choice even for microbusinesses.
Other PayPal Zettle features include:
- Accepts international credit cards
- $1 transaction minimum
- Can process up to $500,000 in 24 hours ($10,000 per transaction) for chip and PIN transactions
Mobile Card Reader | PayPal Terminal | Store Kit Portable | Store Kit Range |
$36 for first reader; $74 per additional reader | From $187 | $325 | From $520 |
Get a more in-depth comparison of Square vs PayPal (as payment tools and POS systems) in our guide.
Helcim: Best Low-cost Payment Processing for Growing Sales
Pros
- No monthly fee
- Free invoicing tools
- Automatic volume discounts
- Interchange plus pricing lowers card processing fees
Cons
- Not ideal for low-volume businesses
- Limited back office integration
- Expensive mobile card reader
Why We Picked Helcim As A Square Alternative
- Helcim offers a free plan, no long-term contracts, and a tablet-based POS system.
- Helcim offers volume-based interchange-plus pricing; Square uses a simple flat rate.
- Helcim offers multicurrency features that Square does not have.
- Helcim is a great choice as a free merchant account.
Helcim offers the cheapest payment processing for growing businesses that comes with free tools for invoicing and recurring billing. It also includes multicurrency payment processing features, so you can receive international sales in your local currency at no extra cost. However, while it has in-person hardware similar to PayPal Zettle, the device is among the most expensive mobile card readers.
Use Helcim if you have an established business with growing sales for both commercial retail and business-to-business (B2B). It offers zero monthly fees, automated volume discounts, and an excellent recurring payments platform. However, you may find it lacking in terms of back-office integration.
- Monthly software fee: $0
- Payment processing:
- Online transactions: Interchange plus 0.15% to 0.5% + 15 to 25 cents
- In-person transactions: Interchange plus 0.15% to 0.4% + 6 to 8 cents
- Domestic ACH/ Wire transfers: 0.5% + 25 cents, $5 return fee
- Chargeback fee: $15 (refundable if dispute is won)
- Hardware: $99
Of all the Square alternatives in our list, only Helcim offers interchange plus pricing—and without a monthly fee. This pricing structure is often reserved to large-volume merchants but Helcim makes it available for small businesses—even for startups. Automated discounts begin if your monthly sales reach more than $25,000 per month.
For businesses looking for zero-cost payment processing, Helcim provides an easy way to pass on the processing fees to the customer through Fee Saver. With this feature, businesses can collect convenience fees that are equivalent to the processing fees when a customer pays an invoice or online.
Specific Helcim features include:
- Multi-currency payment processing
- Free mobile payment app and POS
- Multichannel sales management
- Recurring billing and subscriptions management
- JavaScript-based payment security functionality with Helcim API
Helcim Card Reader | Helcim Smart Terminal |
$99 | $329 |
Get a more in-depth comparison of Helcim vs Square (as both payment processors and POS systems) in our guide.
Stripe: Best Square Competitor for Online Payment Processing
Pros
- No monthly fee
- Fully customizable with open APIs
- Wide range of payment methods
Cons
- Higher processing rates than Square
- Fewer in-person payment options
- Technical skills required to set up
Why We Picked Stripe As A Square Alternative
- Stripe offers free-to-use payment processing.
- Both Stripe and Square offer application programming interfaces (APIs) but Stripe offers better customization.
Use Stripe if you accept online business orders requiring flexible payment tools for checkout pages, payment links, and even invoicing. Customization is Stripe’s key feature. It offers open API software that allows businesses with the technical resources to build a branded checkout experience, making it one of our top payment gateways. It is also one of our recommended B2B payment solutions because of its compatibility with a variety of payment types and billing processes.
Although Stripe started as an online-only platform, its release of the Stripe Terminal to accommodate in-person payments has made it a solid Square alternative to process online payments for businesses of all sizes. Because it is so popular, many ecommerce platforms and website builders have Stripe Payments built right into their software.
- Monthly software fee: $0–$10 (Stripe Checkout)
- Payment processing:
- Ecommerce: Starts at 2.9% + 30 cents
- Touchless: 2.9% + 30 cents
- Virtual terminal: 2.9% + 30 cents
- Card-present (in-person): Starts at 2.7% + 5 cents
- Keyed-in: 3.4% plus 30 cents
- ACH: 0.8%, $5 cap
- Hardware: $59–$349
Stripe is a popular choice for custom online checkouts and is, therefore, a good Square alternative for businesses looking to streamline their customer checkout experience. However, unlike most of the other options on this list, Stripe is strictly a payment processor, with extremely basic POS features (pretty much non-existent when compared to most Square competitors).
Specific Stripe features include:
- Customizable in-app checkouts
- Hosted checkout pages with easy setup
- Recurring billing, payment plans, subscriptions, and memberships
- Ability to receive funds from transactions on a two-day rolling basis
- Ability to choose from a weekly or monthly deposit schedule
Learn how to accept online credit card payments and set up recurring billing.
You can purchase Stripe credit card readers from the Stripe dashboard once you sign up for a merchant account.
Get a more in-depth comparison of Stripe vs Square (as payment processors) in our guide.
SumUp: Best for Occasional Sellers & Low-ticket Sales
Pros
- Free payment app
- Most affordable 3-in-1 card reader
- SumUp Business Account has no up-front, monthly, or annual costs
Cons
- POS software has separate monthly fee
- Lacks same-day funding options
Why We Picked SumUp As A Square Alternative
- Like Square, SumUp offers a pay-as-you-go subscription.
- SumUp offers more mobile card reader options than Square.
- SumUp has business hours customer support.
- SumUp has an outstanding credit card payment app.
Not many competitors can compare with Square’s mobile payment solution, but SumUp comes close. It is a payment processor with a free payment app and a wide range of very affordable mobile card readers that allow you to access more payment processing features as you upgrade.
Use SumUp if you have a seasonal business that often sells at different locations such as farmers markets, tourist spots, and trade fairs. Like Square, SumUp does not charge any monthly fees and transaction rates are competitive. It also does not impose add-on costs for accepting payments from foreign credit cards. However, this provider’s ecommerce tools are limited, so if you need this feature, consider Shopify instead.
Essentials Plan | Pro Plan | |
---|---|---|
Monthly fee | $199 | $289 |
In-Person fee | 2.6% + 10 cents | 2.6% + 10 cents |
Invoicing fee | 2.9% + 15 cents | 2.9% + 15 cents |
Keyed-in fee | 3.5% + 15 cents | 3.5% + 15 cents |
Hardware bundle cost | $799 | $799 |
Installation fee | $399 | $399 |
SumUp is designed for mobile-based businesses, so you won’t find advanced POS features and tools similar to Square’s. You will, however, find additional payment methods—such as digital invoicing, refunding, and dynamic tip processing—as you upgrade your SumUp hardware.
More SumUp features include:
- Two-step easy signup
- Pay-as-you-go subscriptions
- Affordable 3-in-1 mobile card readers
- Design, sell, and accept digital gift cards as a payment method
- Weekly or daily promotions (depends on POS plan)
- Appointment booking
SumUp Plus | SumUp Solo |
Magstripe, chip, and contactless card reader | Touch-screen card reader and report viewing device |
$39 | $129 |
Get a more in-depth comparison of SumUp vs Square in our guide.
Lightspeed: Best Square Alternative for Managing Large Inventory
Pros
- Fully integrated, industry-specific POS
- Granular matrix inventory features
- Integrated ecommerce platform (requires plan upgrade)
Cons
- Pricey subscription plans
- User interface (UI) can take time to learn
- Limited offline functionality
Why We Picked Lightspeed As A Square Alternative
- Both Square and Lightspeed offer industry-specific POS systems.
- Lightspeed offers more sophisticated inventory management.
- Lightspeed’s reporting tools are significantly more robust.
- Lightspeed also has in-house payment processing with flat-rate fees.
- Both systems provide an integrated ecommerce platform, though Lightspeed’s is more sophisticated.
Lightspeed is the closest to Square in the sense that it’s also an all-in-one POS system with industry-specific options, built-in payment processing, hardware, ecommerce, industry-specific software, and business management tools. But while Square provides a more affordable solution, Lightspeed’s inventory management, ecommerce, and reporting tools are more robust.
Use Lightspeed if your business has outgrown Square’s inventory management capabilities. Essentially, Lightspeed sets the standard for inventory management. So, if you’re looking for a POS that has greater functionality and granularity than Square’s, then Lightspeed is your best option.
- Monthly software fee:
- Retail POS: $69–$199 (annual pricing) or $89–$269 (monthly pricing)
- Restaurant POS: $69–$399
- Payment processing:
- Chip, Tap & Swipe: 2.6% + 10 cents
- Keyed-in: 2.6% + 30 cents
- Hardware: Custom-quoted; around $49 to $1,000 based on similar products from third-party websites
Apart from inventory, Lightspeed also comes with strong reporting features and analytics tools that every growing business needs as it scales. You’ll also find a suite of integrations to customize the system easily based on your requirements.
Lightspeed’s most notable features include:
- Advanced matrix inventory
- Multichannel management
- Ecommerce platform
- Built-in and customizable reports
- Automated data visualization
- Built-in purchase ordering
- Automated return management
- More than 3,000 preloaded vendor catalogs
You will find Lightspeed in our list of most recommended POS inventory systems for its advanced inventory features that can handle multiple revenue streams. For its restaurant software, Lightspeed’s inventory tools make it an excellent choice for quick service restaurants. It also made our list of multichannel POS systems.
Mobile Tap and Chip | Wise POS E | WisePad3 | Verifone Series |
You may purchase Lightspeed hardware when you sign up for a Lightspeed account.
Get a more in-depth comparison of Square vs Lightspeed in our guide.
Shopify: Best Square Competitor for Online Retail Businesses
Pros
- Complete online store builder
- Integrates multichannel and social media selling
- Thousands of apps to choose from
Cons
- Requires a separate monthly fee for ecommerce subscription
- Checkout lacks customizability
- Very limited offline payment options
Why We Picked Shopify As A Square Alternative
- Shopify is better than Square for online sales.
- Both systems offer month-to-month billing and discounts for high-volume sellers.
Shopify is the Square competitor with the most robust ecommerce offering, making it our top recommendation for the best ecommerce platform. You can build automated cart abandonment emails, create custom promotions and discounts, and leverage Shopify’s suite of shipping tools and services. Compared to Square, it offers more advanced and comprehensive features, but at a higher cost.
Use Shopify if you want to run your business primarily from a website. Small businesses can set up and customize an online store and use Shopify’s payment processing and POS tools to build a well-rounded retail command center. It comes with integrated social selling, local delivery, and curbside pickup options—a great way for retailers to get started on other channels.
- Monthly software fee: $39–$399 (Ecommerce), $0–$89 (POS)
- Payment processing:
- In-person: 2.4% to 2.7%
- Online: 2.4% + 30 cents to 2.9% + 30 cents
- Hardware: $49–$459
Shopify’s other features include:
- Staff logins with secure PIN passcodes
- Detailed retail analytics and reporting
- Mobile dashboard app to track trends, manage inventory, and contact customers
- 24/7 support via phone, email, and live chat
- Shipping discounts up to 88%
- Discount codes
- Marketing and ecommerce automations
Like Square. Shopify also offers tightly integrated online and in-person payment solutions. It is also our top-ranking multichannel POS system for native online businesses.
Shopify Tap & Chip Reader | Shopify Countertop Kit | Shopify POS Go |
$49 | $459 | $299 |
Get a more in-depth comparison of Shopify vs Square in our guide.
Toast: Best for Businesses That Have Outgrown Square’s Restaurant Features
Pros
- Advanced restaurant POS and hardware features
- Pay-as-you-go plan with $0 upfront cost
- Free starter POS software
Cons
- No delivery and CRM tools in the basic plan
- Expensive to upgrade
- Requires long-term contract
Why We Picked Toast As A Square Alternative
- Both Square and Toast offer free starter POS software, but Toast is exclusively for restaurants
- Both offer proprietary hardware.
- Only Toast offers free starter kit hardware, though this comes with higher transaction fees compared to Square.
Toast is one of the most popular and reliable all-in-one restaurant POS system providers that, like Square, comes with its own payment processing and industry-grade proprietary software. It’s built for restaurants, so you’ll get streamlined inventory management and payment tools along with a complete suite of industry-specific functionalities making it the best Square competitor for restaurants.
Use Toast if you run a full-service restaurant that has outgrown Square’s restaurant POS software. Toast is fully loaded with restaurant-specific functions that can easily keep up with your growing business. While hardware is expensive, it offers a starter kit with zero upfront cost and zero monthly fee. Note, however, that this comes with a two-year contract, and you pay for the hardware with a portion of your sales.
- Monthly fee:
- Standard plan: $0–$165 (base fee), $50–$75 (optional upgrade)
- Pay-as-you-go plan: $0 (base fee), + 0.5% per transaction
- In-person processing:
- Standard plan: 2.49% + 15 cents
- Pay-as-you-go plan: 2.99% + 15 cents
- Keyed-in and invoice processing:
- Standard plan: 3.50% + 15 cents
- Pay-as-you-go plan: 2.99% + 15 cents
- Hardware Fee:
- Standard plan: $627–$1,234 upfront cost
- Pay-as-you-go plan: $0 upfront cost
- Contract length: 2 years
Toast’s software is significantly more advanced compared to Square for Restaurants although if you look closely, Square’s paid plans offer more value, with more features available at $60/mo compared to Toast’s $69/mo plan. However, Toast is known for matching prices if you are switching from a different POS provider with the proper documentation.
Other notable Toast features include:
- Fully integrated restaurant POS software
- Kitchen display system
- Advanced inventory management and recipe costing with xtraCHEF
- Workforce management
- Menu and table management
- Digital ordering and delivery
- Loyalty and marketing tools
Countertop Kit | Handheld Kit | Guest Self-Service Kit |
---|---|---|
Countertop Terminal Starter Kit | Handheld Terminal Starter Kit | Self-service Kiosk |
Pay upfront: $875 + $69 per month or Pay-As-You-Go: $0 and 2.99% + 15 cents per in person transaction | Pay upfront: $627 + $69 per month or Pay-as-You-Go: $0 and 2.99% + 15 cents per in-person transaction | Pay upfront: $1,234 + $99 per month or Pay-as-you-Go: $0 and 2.99% + 15 cents per in-person transaction |
If Square no longer meets your restaurant requirements but you feel that Toast’s pricing is not for you, or it has too many bells and whistles that your restaurant still doesn’t need, consider other competitors to Square such as:
- Lightspeed Restaurant: Best for quick-service restaurants with advanced inventory features and works on iPads. Monthly fee starts at $69/month.
- Loyverse: A free restaurant POS software (upgrades from $5–$25/month), also best for quick-service restaurants. It works with a number of payment processors and hardware.
Get a more in-depth comparison of Toast vs Square for Restaurants in our guide.
How We Evaluated Square Competitors & Alternatives
As an all-in-one solution, Square is often compared not only against POS systems, but also with payment processors, credit card readers, online platforms, and more. We started by identifying areas where Square’s features fall short and rounded up a number of possible provider options. We then evaluated each potential alternative in terms of the following:
Pricing
Square is known for its straightforward pricing structure, making it a benchmark for transparency and cost-effectiveness. To determine suitable alternatives, we analyzed the pricing models of various providers to identify cost-saving opportunities and potential drawbacks. We looked at subscription fees, transaction fees, hardware costs, and any hidden charges that might affect a business’s bottom line.
Hardware
Square’s hardware offerings, including card readers, terminals, and accessories, play a pivotal role in its ecosystem. To gauge the suitability of alternatives, we examined the hardware options provided by each top Square alternative. We aimed to recommend alternatives that not only meet but also potentially exceed the hardware standards set by Square, ensuring seamless and efficient operations for businesses of all sizes. We also checked whether each potential alternative offers proprietary hardware, as Square does.
Features
Square boasts a wide range of features, encompassing point-of-sale capabilities, payment processing, inventory management, and more. To identify viable alternatives, we compared the features and scrutinized the functionality, customization options, integration capabilities, and scalability of each alternative.
Ease of Use
User-friendly interfaces and intuitive software are essential for any business looking to transition from Square to an alternative solution. We assessed the ease of use of each alternative by considering factors such as setup complexity, user training requirements, and overall user experience.
Finally, we matched each of our chosen Square alternatives to different business types that have outgrown Square’s POS, payment processing, and business management solutions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Click through the sections below to learn more about the most common questions we get about Square competitors.
As an all-in-one solution, Square competition varies depending on which tool or aspect of the business is being considered. For instance, for inventory management, we consider Lightspeed as the top Square competitor. For hardware solutions, Square’s biggest competitor is Clover. Shopify tops as the top ecommerce alternative to Square, while PayPal and Stripe competes with Square for payment processing services.
Credit card processing comes with strict security regulations for safe credit card processing both online and in-person. Companies like Square observe PCI compliance to ensure that proper fraud prevention and monitoring are in place when accepting credit card transactions.
Know what type of business you have, which channels you sell from, and how much you sell every month. This will help you determine the type of payment method and pricing structure to look for.
Small businesses with low-volume sales benefit from predictable pricing with zero monthly fees. Larger businesses can save more with wholesale interchange plus pricing in exchange for one monthly subscription cost.
Bottom Line
Square competitors like Clover, PayPal, Helcim, Stripe, SumUp, Lightspeed, Shopify, and Toast provide comparable features for certain business types. Some merchants may find these companies a better match in terms of inventory management, customization, and payment processing to grow their particular sales platform.
Though there are scenarios when you would want to use these top Square alternatives, Square is our top-recommended POS and payment processing solution. It has no monthly fee and is easy to set up and use. It’s a great fit for new businesses, mobile businesses, and businesses with small average transactions. Plus, you are never locked into any long-term contract. Create a free Square account today.