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7 Best Square Competitors of April 2024

Whether you’re switching from Square to a new provider or you just want to explore your options, factor in must-have features, software fees and hardware costs.
By Lisa A. Anthony, Karrin Sehmbi
Last updated on January 2, 2024
Edited byChristine Aebischer
Fact checked and reviewed

⏰ Estimated read time: 7 minutes

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The best Square competitors offer similar core capabilities and have competitive in-person or online processing rates. A handful of these point-of-sale (POS) systems come with free software plans, like Square does, while others focus on paid subscriptions with industry-specific features. If you’d like to learn more about Square’s strengths and downsides, check out NerdWallet’s Square POS review.
Here are our picks for the best Square competitors and why you might choose them.

Best Square Competitors

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Estimates assume an average interchange fee of 1.81% + $0.10, based on our latest available data. Estimates provided reflect online and in-person transactions, but exclude any keyed transactions. Estimates are based on the lowest monthly plan and processing fees for each provider.

Product
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Shopify Retail POS

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on Shopify POS's secure website

Get an estimated monthly cost for your business.
4.0/5

Best for E-commerce platform integration

In-person: 2.6% + $0.10

Online: 2.9% + $0.30

$39.00

and up for e-commerce plans with POS Lite; Can upgrade to POS Pro for an extra $89.

Get an estimated monthly cost for your business.
Learn more

on Shopify POS's secure website

Toast POS

Learn more

on Toast POS's secure website

4.5/5

Best for Full-service restaurants

2.49% + $0.15

if you buy hardware upfront; 3.09% + $0.15 for pay-as-you-go option.

$0.00

Quick Start Bundle; $69 Core plan; $165 Growth plan. Custom plan also available.

Learn more

on Toast POS's secure website

Clover POS

Learn more

on Clover POS's secure website

4.0/5

Best for Industry-specific plans

In-person: 2.3% + $0.10

Online: 3.5% + $0.10

$14.95

and up.

Learn more

on Clover POS's secure website

Payment Depot

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on Payment Depot's secure website

4.0/5

Best for High-volume payment processing

0.2% + $0.00

to 1.95%, plus interchange.

$79.00

and up.

Learn more

on Payment Depot's secure website

Lightspeed Retail POS

Learn more

on Lightspeed Retail POS's secure website

3.5/5

Best for Inventory management

In-person: 2.6% + $0.10

Online: 2.9% + $0.30

$89.00

for Lean plan, $149 for Standard plan, $269 for Advanced plan.

Learn more

on Lightspeed Retail POS's secure website

SumUp

Learn more

on SumUp's secure website

4.0/5

Best for Touchscreen card reader

In-person: 2.75% + $0.00

Online: 3.25% + $0.15

$0.00

For card readers; $199 for Essentials POS plan; $289 for Pro POS plan.

Learn more

on SumUp's secure website

PayPal Zettle

4.0/5

Best for Mobile POS app

In-person: 2.29% + $0.09

Online: 2.89% + $0.49

$0.00

Our pick for

E-commerce platform integration

Shopify Retail POS

Learn more

on Shopify POS's secure website

Monthly fee
$39.00

and up for e-commerce plans with POS Lite; Can upgrade to POS Pro for an extra $89.

Our pick for

Full-service restaurants

Toast POS

Learn more

on Toast POS's secure website

Payment processing fees
2.49% + $0.15

if you buy hardware upfront; 3.09% + $0.15 for pay-as-you-go option.

Monthly fee
$0.00

Quick Start Bundle; $69 Core plan; $165 Growth plan. Custom plan also available.

Our pick for

Industry-specific plans

Clover POS

Learn more

on Clover POS's secure website

Monthly fee
$14.95

and up.

Our pick for

High-volume payment processing

Payment Depot

Learn more

on Payment Depot's secure website

Payment processing fees
0.2% + $0.00

to 1.95%, plus interchange.

Monthly fee
$79.00

and up.

Our pick for

Inventory management

Lightspeed Retail POS

Learn more

on Lightspeed Retail POS's secure website

Monthly fee
$89.00

for Lean plan, $149 for Standard plan, $269 for Advanced plan.

Our pick for

Touchscreen card reader

Learn more

on SumUp's secure website

Monthly fee
$0.00

For card readers; $199 for Essentials POS plan; $289 for Pro POS plan.

Our pick for

Mobile POS app

PayPal Zettle

Monthly fee
$0.00

PayPal Zettle: Best for mobile POS app

Why we like it: This all-in-one POS system offers one of the lowest flat-rate transaction fees, making it an affordable option for starting a business. It also integrates with accounting software such as QuickBooks. To get started, you can buy a Store Kit Mini for $249 or browse other ready-made hardware kits and POS systems. Read our full PayPal Zettle review.

SumUp: Best for mobile

SumUp: Best for touchscreen card reader

Why we like it: SumUp lets you accept in-person and mobile payments or use a virtual terminal to process payments by phone. The app includes a digital cashier so you can receive cash payments and send digital receipts. Pricing is straightforward with no monthly contract, and you pay fees only for the transactions you process. Read our full SumUp review.

Shopify Retail POS: Best for e-commerce platform integration

Why we like it: This POS system can help you market to customers, manage inventory and combine in-store and online sales. You can try it for free for three days. Plans include a monthly or annual billing option. You can also change your plan later, regardless of whether you want to upgrade or downgrade. Read our full Shopify POS review.

Toast POS: Best for full-service restaurants

Why we like it: Toast is specifically designed for restaurants. The Quick Start Bundle offers payment processing with optional add-ons so you can customize features to match your business needs. Other plans offer lower rates for card-present transactions but higher startup costs. Read our full Toast POS review.

Payment Depot: Best for high-volume payment processing

Why we like it: Payment Depot is an alternative to consider if you want lower credit card transaction fees. Instead of a flat rate, you pay the actual interchange rate that applies to the transaction plus a monthly fee. Because Payment Depot processes only the payment, you’ll need to have your existing terminal reprogrammed, use a free virtual terminal or buy POS hardware. Read our full Payment Depot review.

Clover POS: Best for industry-specific plans

Why we like it: Clover is an all-in-one system that lets you accept in-store, mobile, online and phone payments. It works for restaurants, retail stores and service businesses, and the transaction rate is lower than that of some competitors. Read our full Clover POS review.

Lightspeed Retail POS: Best for inventory management

Why we like it: Lightspeed offers competitive transaction pricing along with a complimentary onboarding session to help you get started. Plus, there’s free dispute management and chargeback assistance. You can also find a large number and variety of integrations in the Lightspeed app marketplace. Read our full Lightspeed POS review.
Last updated on January 2, 2024

Methodology

NerdWallet’s point-of-sale systems provider ratings reward companies whose products and services are priced well and work in a variety of payment scenarios, among other criteria. Ratings are based on weighted averages of scores in several categories, including cost, system capabilities, contract requirements, customer service and integrations and add-ons. Learn more about how we rate point-of-sale (POS) systems providers.
These ratings are a guide, but services, hardware and pricing can vary widely from business to business and provider to provider. We encourage you to shop around and compare several providers.
NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines.
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