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Square

Unified online + in-person payments

4.5(12,600)FreemiumAPIPOS SystemsPayment Gateways
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Free to start

Square is unified online + in-person payments, best for Retail, food & omnichannel SMBs. It is a freemium tool that is free to start, rated 4.5/5 across 12,600 reviews#1 of 5 POS systems we track.

Overview

Square shines for businesses selling both online and in person, with free POS hardware/software, flat fees, and an all-in-one ecosystem for retail and food.

Key features

  • In-person & online payments
  • Free POS software
  • Flat-rate fees
  • Invoicing
  • Hardware ecosystem

Pros & cons

Pros

  • Great for in-person
  • Transparent flat fees
  • Free POS

Cons

  • Less developer-flexible
  • Funds holds for new accounts

Integrations

Shopify (limited)WooCommerceQuickBooksWixZapier

Free

Free
  • 2.6% + 10¢ in person
  • Free POS app
Get started
Most popular

Online

Custom
  • 2.9% + 30¢ online
  • Online store
Get started

How Square compares

MeasureSquareCategory average
Rating4.5/54.3/5
Starting priceFree$89/mo
Rank by rating#1 of 5
Public APIYes4 of 4 offer one

Is Square right for you?

A good fit if…

  • • You are retail, food & omnichannel SMBs.
  • • Your use case is brick-and-mortar + online.
  • • Your use case is restaurants.
  • • Your use case is pop-ups.
  • Great for in-person matters to you.

Look elsewhere if…

  • Less developer-flexible would be a dealbreaker.
  • Funds holds for new accounts would be a dealbreaker.

Frequently asked questions

How much does Square cost?+

Square is free to start. It is a freemium product.

Does Square have an API?+

Yes, Square offers an API for integrations and automation.

Who is Square best for?+

Square is best suited for Retail, food & omnichannel SMBs. Common use cases: brick-and-mortar + online, restaurants, pop-ups.

Is Square better than other POS systems?+

Among the 5 POS systems we track, Square ranks #1 by rating (4.5/5 against a 4.3/5 category average).

Does Square have a free plan?+

Yes — Square offers a free "Free" plan.