Best Square Competitors
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Input your business’s monthly transaction details and we’ll help you sort from the best valueProduct | Cost Estimate | Payment processing fees | Cost Estimate | Learn more | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shopify Retail POS Learn more on Shopify POS's secure website | Get an estimated monthly cost for your business. | 4.5/5 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 | 4.0/5 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 Starter Kit; $69 Point of Sale plan; custom Build Your Own plan. | 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 | $0.00 and up. | Learn more on Clover POS's secure website | ||
Payment Depot Learn more on Payment Depot's secure website | 4.5/5 Best for Tailored interchange-plus rates | 0.2% + $0.00 to 1.95%, plus interchange. | $0.00 | 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 | $109.00 for Basic plan, $179 for Core plan, $289 for Plus plan. | Learn more on Lightspeed Retail POS's secure website | ||
SumUp Learn more on SumUp's secure website | 4.5/5 Best for Touchscreen card reader | In-person: 2.6% + $0.10 Online: 3.5% + $0.15 | $0.00 for card readers only; $99 for Connect Lite plan; $199 for Connect Plus plan; $289 for Connect Pro 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: 3.49% + $0.09 | $0.00 |
Our pick for
E-commerce platform integration
Shopify is made specifically for retail operations with a strong online presence. Square’s retail POS plans include an e-commerce site, but Shopify’s e-commerce platform offers significantly more online themes and customization options.
Shopify Retail POS
on Shopify POS's secure website
and up for e-commerce plans with POS Lite; Can upgrade to POS Pro for an extra $89.
Pros
- No long-term contracts or termination fees.
- All plans include an online store.
- Built specifically for online sellers.
- 24/7 chat support.
Cons
- No free plan options.
- Cannot process cards in offline mode.
Our pick for
Full-service restaurants
Square has its own set of POS plans for restaurants, but Toast takes those capabilities a step further with advanced reporting add-ons and 24/7 phone support for all merchants. You can also opt for higher processing rates to cover hardware costs instead of paying upfront or through a monthly payment plan.
Toast POS
on Toast POS's secure website
if you buy hardware upfront; 3.09% + $0.15 for pay-as-you-go option.
Starter Kit; $69 Point of Sale plan; custom Build Your Own plan.
Pros
- Free plan available for restaurants with up to two POS terminals.
- 24/7 support via web messaging.
- Offers helpful related services, like payroll and team management software, that integrate closely with its POS system.
- Built specifically for restaurants with in-house delivery platform available, among other industry-specific features.
Cons
- Requires a two-year contract and charges early termination fees.
- Online payment processing rates are more expensive than competitors.
- Charges setup fee, and offline mode includes hidden cost of backup router.
- Online ordering is considered an add-on for all plans.
Our pick for
Industry-specific plans
Square’s restaurant plan can be a good fit for a variety of restaurant types, but Clover breaks its options down more granularly with separate plans for quick-service and full-service restaurants. Its full-service plans are more expensive than its quick-service ones and offer additional features, like table mapping.
Clover POS
on Clover POS's secure website
and up.
Pros
- Free plan available if you’re only using a mobile card reader.
- 24/7 phone and email support.
- All restaurant plans include no-fee online ordering, and retail plans let you integrate with existing online stores.
Cons
- Promotions require a three-year contract.
- Charges termination fees, though they may be waived in certain cases.
- Online payment processing rates are more expensive than competitors.
- Popular accounting integrations are only available through third-party apps.
Our pick for
Tailored interchange-plus rates
The biggest difference between Square and Payment Depot is their pricing models. Square charges a flat rate, while Payment Depot uses interchange-plus pricing, which allows for more flexibility and passes interchange savings to the merchant.
Payment Depot
on Payment Depot's secure website
to 1.95%, plus interchange.
Pros
- Businesses save when customers use cards with low interchange rates.
- No cancellation fees.
- Compatible with several POS hardware providers, including Clover.
- 24/7 phone support.
Cons
- Markups vary by business
- Website doesn’t disclose hardware pricing.
Our pick for
Inventory management
Lightspeed Retail has more advanced inventory management features than Square, like the ability to sync product details from popular business-to-business supplier catalogs so you don’t have to manually enter that information yourself. Advanced reports include “dusty inventory,” which helps you identify products that aren’t selling and may need to be discounted.
Lightspeed Retail POS
on Lightspeed Retail POS's secure website
for Basic plan, $179 for Core plan, $289 for Plus plan.
Pros
- Includes detailed inventory management tools for creating product variants.
- Free one-on-one onboarding session for all new merchants.
- 24/7 phone and live chat support.
- Generate unlimited barcode labels.
Cons
- No free plan options.
- Lowest-tier plan doesn’t include e-commerce features.
- Charges termination fee and may require annual contract.
- Does not include a virtual terminal or offline mode.
Our pick for
Touchscreen card reader
SumUp has the same in-person processing rates as Square (2.6% plus 10 cents) but offers alternative hardware options, like a small touchscreen card reader for taking mobile payments. This is ideal for businesses that process transactions on the go and want to print receipts or display customers’ total purchase amounts.
SumUp
on SumUp's secure website
for card readers only; $99 for Connect Lite plan; $199 for Connect Plus plan; $289 for Connect Pro plan.
Pros
- Low cost.
- No contract.
- No monthly fee.
Cons
- Software has limited features.
- POS software plans are expensive.
Our pick for
Mobile POS app
Both Square and PayPal Zettle have free mobile apps for accepting payments on the go, whether you’re at a pop-up or farmers market. PayPal Zettle’s in-person transaction rates, however, are a bit lower, making it a reasonable alternative if you just need the basics.
PayPal Zettle
Pros
- No monthly software fees for accepting in-person payments.
- No long-term contract or termination fees.
- Accepts a variety of payment types, including Venmo and PayPal payments.
- Inexpensive card reader with a keypad, plus built-in payment processing and a free mobile app lets you quickly accept in-person payments on the go.
Cons
- Accepting online transactions involves additional monthly fees, depending on your gateway.
- No offline mode.
PayPal Zettle: Best for mobile POS app
- $29 for first card reader; additional readers cost $79. Price includes USB cable.
- $199 for terminal only.
- $239 for terminal with barcode scanner built in.
- $229 for Store Kit Mini (tablet stand with card reader and dock).
- $339 for Store Kit Portable kit with mobile card reader and printer.
- $479 for Store Kit Standard (tablet stand, card reader, dock and printer).
- $699 for Store Kit Plus (adds barcode scanner).
- 2.29% plus 9 cents for in-person and QR code transactions.
- 3.49% plus 9 cents for manual-entry card transactions.
- 2.99% plus 49 cents for invoicing (payment made with card).
- 3.49% plus 49 cents for invoicing (payment made with PayPal).
SumUp: Best for touchscreen card reader
- $54 for SumUp Plus card reader.
- $64 for SumUp Plus cradle bundle.
- $99 for SumUp Solo touchscreen.
- $169 for SumUp Solo Printer Bundle.
- SumUp POS bundle is quote-based.
- 2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions.
- 2.90% plus 15 cents for online invoice transactions.
- 3.5% plus 15 cents for card-not-present transactions.
Shopify Retail POS: Best for e-commerce platform integration
- $29 for Shopify Basic when billed annually (or $39 when paid monthly).
- $79 for regular Shopify when billed annually (or $105 when paid monthly).
- $299 for Shopify Advanced when billed annually (or $399 when paid monthly).
- Custom pricing for Shopify Plus.
- All e-commerce plans come with POS Lite for selling in-person. Upgrading to POS Pro for brick-and-mortar businesses costs an extra $89 per location.
- $5 for Starter plan, which includes one POS Lite location.
- $79 (when billed annually) for Retail plan, or $89 when paid monthly; includes one POS Pro location.
- $49 for Tap & Chip card reader.
- $219 for Tap & Chip countertop kit (iPad not included).
- $299 for Shopify POS Go mobile device.
- $349 for Shopify POS terminal.
- $459 and up for POS terminal countertop kits.
- 2.5%, 2.7% or 2.9% plus 30 cents for online payments for Advanced, Shopify or Basic plan, respectively.
- 2.4%, 2.5% or 2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person payments for Advanced, Shopify or Basic plan, respectively.
Toast POS: Best for full-service restaurants
- $0 for Starter Kit plan.
- $69 Point of Sale plan.
- Custom plans available.
- $799.20 for Handheld Starter Kit (but $0 if you agree to a higher processing fee).
- $1,024.20 for Countertop Starter Kit (but $0 if you agree to a higher processing fee).
- $1,339.20 for Guest Self-Service Starter Kit (but $0 if you agree to a higher processing fee).
- 3.09-3.69% plus 15 cents per transaction, if you choose a pay-as-you-go plan.
- 2.49% plus 15 cents for card-present transactions, if you pay for hardware upfront.
- 3.50% plus 15 cents for card-not-present transactions, if you pay for hardware upfront.
Payment Depot: Best for tailored interchange-plus rates
Clover POS: Best for industry-specific plans
- $0 for Clover Go Payments, Retail Starter and Personal Services Starter plans.
- $14.95 for Clover Go Essentials, Professional Services Starter and Standard and Home & Field Services plans.
- $49.95 for Retail Standard, Personal Services Standard and Advanced and Professional Services Advanced plans.
- $59.95 for Quick-Service Dining Starter and Standard plans.
- $69.90 for Retail Advanced plan.
- $79.90 for Quick-Service Dining Advanced plan.
- $89.95 for Full-Service Dining Starter plan.
- $109.90 for Full-Service Dining Standard plan.
- $129.85 for Full-Service Dining Advanced plan.
- $199 for chip, swipe and contactless Clover Go card reader.
- $279 for countertop card reader.
- $599 for Clover Flex mobile POS with receipt printer and slimmer Flex Pocket with no printer.
- $799 for Clover Mini POS.
- $799-$899 + $25 per month for kitchen display system.
- $1,699 for Clover Station Solo.
- $1,799 for Clover Station Duo.
- $3,499 + $34.95 per month for self-ordering kiosk.
- 2.3% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions for most plans, though rates may also vary by hardware type.
- 2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions on Retail Starter, Personal Services Starter and Professional Services Standard plans, as well as Home & Field Services Standard and Advanced plans.
- 3.5% plus 10 cents for online or keyed-in transactions.
Lightspeed Retail POS: Best for inventory management
- $109 for Basic plan ($89 if billed annually).
- $179 for Core plan ($149 if billed annually).
- $289 for Plus plan ($239 if billed annually).
- $79 for Mobile Tap V2 card reader.
- $199 for iPad stand or swivel stand.
- $299 for WisePOS E countertop reader.
- $429 for Lightspeed Lite Server for data backup and offline mode functionality.
- 2.6% plus 10 cents per in-person transaction.
- 2.9% plus 30 cents for online transactions.
Free POS plan available.
No long-term contracts or termination fees.
Offers specialized plans for restaurants, retail stores and appointment-based businesses.
Has in-house payroll and banking services.
May not be robust enough for larger small businesses.
Flat-rate payment processing isn’t the most cost-effective option, especially for higher-volume businesses.
Not compatible with Windows operating systems.
