Clover vs. Square: Which Is Right for Your Business in 2026?
Square is an all-in-one solution with simple pricing, but Clover allows you to set up your own merchant account.
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Clover and Square can both help businesses in a wide range of industries. The biggest difference between these point-of-sale (POS) systems is how they process payments.
Choose Square if you want a turnkey, all-in-one solution. Need more customization for your specific business? Clover is the better fit.
Clover is better for:
✔️ A more customized payments and POS solution.
✔️ Lower in-person processing fees.
✔️ Around-the-clock phone support.
Square is better for:
✔️ A simple payments and POS solution.
✔️ Quick startup process.
✔️ Free POS plan and inexpensive hardware.
Clover pros and cons at a glance
Pros
Free plan option for Clover Go card reader.
In-person processing rates are as low as 2.3% plus 10 cents.
Can purchase POS systems from third-party payment processors.
24/7 phone support.
Cons
Must sign a 3-year contract to receive promotional pricing.
Popular accounting integrations cost extra.
Square pros and cons at a glance
Pros
Free plan options for full POS system setups and card readers.
Offers helpful related services, like payroll, that integrate closely with its POS system.
No long-term contracts or termination fees.
All plans include a free online store.
Cons
Free plan processing rates can be expensive.
Complex industries might prefer a more specialized system.
Free plan only has phone support for first 90 days.
Undecided on Square and Clover?
Explore NerdWallet’s list of top POS systems, which includes both options, along with a handful of other popular choices for various industries.
Clover vs. Square: Head-to-head comparison
| Clover | Square |
|---|---|
| Monthly POS software costs | |
| $0 to $129.85 per month. | $0 to $149 per month. |
| Payment processing fees | |
|
|
| Hardware costs | |
|
|
| Customer service | |
| Phone support available 24/7, plus chat support. | Chat and email support in all plans. Free plan includes phone support only for the first 90 days. Plus plan subscribers can access phone support weekdays 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT. Premium plan subscribers receive 24/7 phone support. |
More details on Clover’s plans and pricing
Monthly POS software costs:
- $0 for Clover Go Starter, Retail Basic and Personal Services Basic plans.
- $29.95 for Clover Go Essentials, Professional Services Basic, Home and Field Services Starter and Standard plans.
- $84.95 for Retail Standard and Professional, Personal Services Standard and Advanced, and Home & Field Services Advanced plans.
- $89.95 for Full-Service Dining Starter and Quick-Service Dining Starter and Standard plans.
- $104.90 for Retail Advanced plan.
- $109.90 for Full-Service Dining Standard and Quick-Service Dining Advanced plans.
- $129.85 for Full-Service Dining Advanced plan.
Payment processing fees:
- 2.3% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions on Full-Service and Quick-Service Restaurant plans.
- 2.5% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions on all Retail plans, Professional Services Standard and Advanced plans, all Personal Services plans and the Home and Field Services Advanced plan.
- 2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions on the Home and Field Services Standard plan.
- 3.5% plus 10 cents for online or keyed-in transactions.
Hardware costs:
- $199 for chip, swipe and contactless Clover Go card reader.
- $349 for countertop card reader.
- $749 for Clover Flex mobile POS with receipt printer.
- $699 for slimmer Flex Pocket with no printer.
- $849 for Clover Mini POS.
- $799-$899 + $25 per month for kitchen display system.
- $1,799 for Clover Station Solo.
- $1,899 for Clover Station Duo.
- $3,499 + $34.95 per month for self-ordering kiosk.
You can get a Clover POS system directly from Clover or through its partners, including Wells Fargo, PNC, Citi, Payment Depot and more.
More details on Square's plans and pricing
Monthly POS software costs:
- $0 for Square Free plan.
- $49 for Square Plus plan.
- $149 for Square Premium plans.
Payment processing fees:
- 2.6% plus 15 cents for in-person transactions with Free plan.
- 3.3% plus 30 cents for online transactions with Free plan.
- 2.5% plus 15 cents for in-person transactions with Plus plan.
- 2.4% plus 15 cents for in-person transaction with Premium plan.
- 2.9% plus 30 cents for online transactions with Plus and Premium plans.
- 3.5% plus 15 cents for manually keyed transactions.
Hardware costs:
- $0 for Square magstripe-only card reader ($10 for each additional reader) or if using Tap to Pay for iPhone (iPhone not included).
- $59 for Square Reader contactless and chip card reader.
- $149 for Square Stand iPad POS or Square Stand Mount (iPad not included; monthly financing available).
- $149 for Square Kiosk for self-serve ordering.
- $299 for Square Terminal mobile card reader with built-in printer (monthly financing available).
- $399 for Square Handheld portable POS system with built-in barcode scanner (monthly financing available).
- $799-$899 for Square Register two-screen system (monthly financing available).
- $1,189 and up for Square Register hardware kit with cash drawer and printer.
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Where Clover stands out
Flexibility in payment processing
You can get an individual merchant account with Clover. Or, you can choose to work with a different payment processor. More than 3,000 retailers sell Clover products. And many of them offer their own payment processing services, too. If you already have a merchant services account, you can call Clover to see whether it’s supported. Just make sure to buy hardware directly from that provider. Otherwise, it might not be programmed correctly.
There are pros and cons to having your own merchant services account rather than working with a payment service provider (PSP), like Square. In particular, PSPs allow you to start accepting payments almost immediately. But because they combine other businesses’ funds into one account, there’s a greater chance of account freezes. When you have your own merchant account, you don’t cede control of your funds in that way.
Lower in-person transaction fees
Clover's in-person rate for restaurants is 2.3% plus 10 cents per transaction. And that applies to all restaurant plan tiers. Retail plans, meanwhile, charge 2.5% plus 10 cents per in-person transaction. This is still low compared to most competitors — especially Square.
Square's in-person costs range from 2.4% to 2.6% plus 15 cents per purchase. And you have to subscribe to the highest-tier Premium plan to access the 2.4% rate. These costs can add up over time, particularly for high-volume businesses.
If you’re looking for the most affordable POS solution, try out our credit card processing fees calculator. It can help you determine if Clover or Square is cheaper for your specific business.
Where Square stands out
Easier merchant account process
Square users become sub-merchants under the company’s aggregated merchant account. That way, they don’t have to open their own individual merchant accounts. This shortens the startup time because there's no credit check or lengthy application.
When you buy a Clover POS system, however, you have to apply for a merchant account. If you already have a merchant account and don’t want to switch, this may be a plus — provided your existing account is supported. But if you’re just starting to accept payments, it could introduce extra confusion.
» MORE: What is a payment processor?
More affordable POS hardware
You can start using Square with its free, quarter-sized card reader. You just need to connect it to a smartphone. Clover doesn’t offer any free hardware options, and its card reader alone costs $199.
Square’s other hardware options, like its register, are also much less expensive than the Clover equivalents. Both providers, however, do allow you to pay off your hardware in installments. This can reduce the upfront cost.
Free online store
Square lets businesses build a website for free. And, unlike many of its competitors, it doesn’t charge extra for online ordering capabilities. You can upgrade your plan if you’d like your own custom domain name and extra features.
With Clover, retailers must pay extra to build an online store or integrate with an existing one. Its restaurant plans, however, do include online ordering pages at no added cost.
Is Clover or Square right for your business?
Clover is better for businesses that need a customized payment solution and are willing to take the time to open their own merchant account. These steps can make the shopping process more complex. But they could save you money on transaction fees. Plus, temporary freezes are less likely. These have been a source of frustration for some Square users.
Square is better for businesses looking for a straightforward and quick sign-up process. It has reasonably priced hardware options and all-in-one processing services. These can support most of a business's payments and POS needs. Its in-house payroll software makes it even more of a one-stop-shop.
Clover and Square alternatives
Payment processing fees 0.40% + 8¢plus interchange, in-person; 0.50% + 25¢ plus interchange, online. | Payment processing fees 2.49% + 15¢if you buy hardware upfront; 3.09% + $0.15 for pay-as-you-go option. |
Monthly fee $0 | Monthly fee $0Starter Kit; $69 Point of Sale plan; custom Build Your Own plan. |
Helcim: Best for interchange-plus pricing. Helcim passes interchange fees along to the business instead of charging a flat rate (like Clover and Square do). This can be cost-effective for high-volume businesses. Read our full Helcim review.
Toast: Best for restaurants. Toast was created specifically for restaurants. Its built-in features, like reservation management, make it a better fit for full-service restaurants. Read our full Toast review.
PayPal POS: Even less expensive in-person rates. PayPal POS charges 2.29% plus 9 cents for every in-person transaction. That's cheaper than both Square and Clover. Its online rates can be steep and difficult to navigate, though. Read our full PayPal POS review.
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Methodology
NerdWallet independently reviews point-of-sale (POS) system providers before determining our top picks. We collect the data for our software ratings from products’ public-facing websites and from company representatives. Our editorial team reviews information on a regular basis for consistency and accuracy.
We also periodically update our scoring system to reflect changing industry norms and business needs. For instance, in 2026, we added a payroll integration category to our POS systems rubric. It’s important that POS systems can sync up with payroll software to minimize manual data entry and keep track of employee hours.
NerdWallet’s POS system 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 POS system 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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