Finance & Banking Software
Square
Point-of-sale and payments platform for in-person and online sellers, with free and paid subscription tiers that lower processing rates.
Solo / FreelancerSmall businessMedium businessNorth America
Last reviewed Jul 17, 2026 · Pricing verified Jul 17, 2026
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DEV-TOP · horizontalOur take
Best for in-person and hybrid retail/hospitality sellers who want free POS software to start, with a clear cost-benefit path to a paid tier once transaction volume makes the lower processing rate worth the subscription — exact Plus/Premium monthly fees vary by product line and need direct confirmation for your specific business type.
Choose this if...
- Retail, hospitality, and service businesses needing in-person point-of-sale hardware and software
- Sellers who want free software to start and can evaluate upgrading once volume justifies lower processing rates
Look elsewhere if...
- You're a purely online/API-first business without in-person sales — Stripe is generally simpler for that use case
- You process a lot of manually-entered/card-not-present transactions — that rate (3.5% + 15¢) doesn't improve with paid tiers
Visit Square
This is a direct link to Square— we don't currently earn anything from it.
Pricing
Verified Jul 17, 2026 against Square's own pricing page.
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Key limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | — | Card-present (tap/dip/swipe): 2.6% + 15¢; online: 3.3% + 30¢; manually-entered/card-on-file: 3.5% + 15¢; invoices (ACH): 1%, $1 minimum |
| Plus | — | — | Card-present: 2.5% + 15¢; online: 2.9% + 30¢; manually-entered: 3.5% + 15¢; invoices (ACH): 1%, $1 min, capped at $10; subscription price varies by product line — VERIFY exact monthly fee |
| Premium | — | — | Card-present: 2.4% + 15¢; online: 2.9% + 30¢; manually-entered: 3.5% + 15¢; invoices (ACH): 1%, $1 min, capped at $10; subscription price varies by product line — VERIFY exact monthly fee |
Free tier reality
The Free plan has no monthly software fee — you only pay per-transaction processing rates (e.g. 2.6% + 15¢ card-present). Plus and Premium add a monthly software subscription (exact price varies by which Square product — POS, Retail, Restaurants, Appointments — and wasn't pinned down to one universal number during this pass) in exchange for lower processing rates and more advanced features, so higher-volume sellers can save more on processing than they pay in subscription fees. Cash and check payments are free on every plan; card-not-present/manually-entered rates (3.5% + 15¢) don't improve between tiers.
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DEV-MID · rectanglePros
- Genuinely free tier with no monthly software fee, just per-transaction rates
- Processing rates improve on paid tiers, rewarding higher-volume sellers
- Combines POS hardware, software, and payments in one integrated system
Cons
- Plus/Premium exact monthly subscription price varies by specific Square product line and wasn't confirmed as one universal number — verify for your product line before publishing final pricing
- Manually-entered/card-not-present rate doesn't improve between tiers, unlike card-present and online rates
- Primarily strong in a handful of countries — not a truly global payments solution like Stripe or Adyen
Key features
- Free point-of-sale software and hardware options
- In-person, online, and invoice payment acceptance
- Tiered processing rates that improve with paid subscriptions
- Team management and payroll add-ons
- Inventory and catalog management
Integrations
- VERIFY
Platforms
- web
- ios
- android
Regional fit
Primarily US, Canada, UK, Australia, Japan, Ireland, France, and Spain — full feature/hardware availability varies significantly by country.
- North America
Best for
Alternatives
Stripe
Pick this instead if: Developers and technical teams wanting maximum flexibility and API control
Mercury
Pick this instead if: US startups and small businesses wanting free checking with modern software
Brex
Pick this instead if: Startups wanting unlimited corporate cards with no per-user fee at the entry level
Ramp
Pick this instead if: Smaller teams wanting unlimited cards and expense automation without a per-user fee
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DEV-BOTTOM · horizontalWas this review of Square helpful?
Square FAQ
Questions about this tool
Is Square free?
Yes, there's a free tier. The Free plan has no monthly software fee — you only pay per-transaction processing rates (e.g. 2.6% + 15¢ card-present). Plus and Premium add a monthly software subscription (exact price varies by which Square product — POS, Retail, Restaurants, Appointments — and wasn't pinned down to one universal number during this pass) in exchange for lower processing rates and more advanced features, so higher-volume sellers can save more on processing than they pay in subscription fees. Cash and check payments are free on every plan; card-not-present/manually-entered rates (3.5% + 15¢) don't improve between tiers.
How much does Square cost?
Free. We verify pricing directly against Square's own pricing page — see the pricing table above for the full breakdown of plans, and check the verified date before making a decision, since software pricing changes often.
Who is Square best for?
Retail, hospitality, and service businesses needing in-person point-of-sale hardware and software Sellers who want free software to start and can evaluate upgrading once volume justifies lower processing rates
Who should avoid Square?
You're a purely online/API-first business without in-person sales — Stripe is generally simpler for that use case You process a lot of manually-entered/card-not-present transactions — that rate (3.5% + 15¢) doesn't improve with paid tiers
Does Square work well outside the US?
Primarily US, Canada, UK, Australia, Japan, Ireland, France, and Spain — full feature/hardware availability varies significantly by country.
What are the best alternatives to Square?
Worth comparing: Stripe, Mercury, Brex, Ramp. See the Alternatives section above for why you might pick one of these instead.