Square
The Astronaut's Review
Expert analysis by The Software Astronaut
Astronaut's Score
The Verdict
The payment ecosystem from in-person to online commerce.
Our Take
Square provides payments, POS, and commerce tools starting with simple card readers and scaling to complete business management.
Best For
- Small businesses accepting payments
- Retail and restaurants
- In-person and online commerce
- Those wanting ecosystem
Consider Alternatives If
- Online-only with developer needs (use Stripe)
- Very high volume
- Custom payment flows
Rating Breakdown
In-Depth Analysis
Overview
Square is a commerce ecosystem providing payment processing, point-of-sale, online store, payroll, and banking services.
Ease of Use
Square is designed for accessibility. Getting started is quick. The ecosystem grows with your business.
Key Strengths
- Easy to start
- In-person and online
- POS solutions
- Business ecosystem
- No monthly fees for basics
- Square Banking
Limitations to Consider
- Transaction fees
- Less developer-focused than Stripe
- Account holds possible
- Limited customization
Pricing Analysis
2.6% + 10¢ for in-person. 2.9% + 30¢ for online. Hardware varies.
Final Thoughts
Square is excellent for small business commerce. Stripe is preferred for developers. The ecosystem is comprehensive.
Top-Rated Alternatives
Explore other highly-rated E-commerce options to find the best fit for your needs.
Popular Integrations
Square works seamlessly with these popular tools to enhance your workflow.
Note: Integration availability may vary based on your subscription plan. Visit the official Square website or check our individual product pages for the most up-to-date integration information.
About Square
Payments & business tools
Key Features
Feature Availability
| Feature | Square |
|---|---|
Cloud-Based Accessible from any device with internet | |
Mobile App Native mobile applications available | Partial |
API Access Programmatic access for integrations | Partial |
Free Trial Try before you buy | |
Free Tier Permanently free plan available | |
24/7 Support Round-the-clock customer assistance | Partial |
SSO/SAML Enterprise single sign-on | Partial |
Data Export Export your data anytime | |
Integrations Connect with other tools | |
Custom Branding White-label capabilities | Partial |
Pricing Overview
Free software, 2.6% + 10¢ per tap or dip
Integration & API
- API Supported
- Yes
- API Auth Methods
- API KeyOAuth2
- API Protocols
- REST
- Native Integrations
- ShopifyStripePayPalSquare
- Marketplace
- Yes
- Zapier
- Yes
Security & Compliance
- Certifications
- PCI DSS Level 1
- Encryption
- AES-256TLS 1.2
- Compliance
- GDPRPCI DSS
- Uptime SLA
- 99.9%
Customization
- Custom Objects
- No
- Custom Fields
- Yes
- Custom Workflows
- No
- Custom Reports
- Yes
- Custom Branding
- Yes
- Coding Capability
- Yes
Mobile
- Mobile App
- Yes
- Platforms
- iOSAndroid
- Mobile Pricing
- Included
Delivery & Infrastructure
- Deployment Type
- Public Cloud
- Browsers
- ChromeFirefoxSafariEdge
- Data Centers
- USA
- Languages
- EnglishSpanishFrenchJapanese
Pricing & Licensing
- Contract Duration
- Pay-as-you-go
- License Mix
- No
- Trial Days
- Not specified
- Currency
- USD
Support
- Channels
- PhoneEmailChatHelp Center
- Hours
- 24/7
- Dedicated Manager
- Yes
- Training
- Yes