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Square vs Stripe
Short answer: Pick Square if you want unified POS and business operations; pick Stripe if you want comprehensive payments and billing infrastructure. Square has a free plan; Stripe is paid.
Which to pick
Pick Square if you want…
- Unified POS and business operations
- A free plan to start with (Square Free)
Pick Stripe if you want…
- Comprehensive payments and billing infrastructure
- API-first payment processing
- Integrations with Stripe Checkout (on Stripe's list, not Square's)
Side by side
- What it is
- Square:Square provides an all-in-one POS, payments, and business management platform for in-person and online sales.
- Stripe:Stripe provides a payments platform for businesses to accept payments, manage billing, and move money globally.
- Best for
- Square:Unified POS and business operations
- Stripe:Comprehensive payments and billing infrastructure
- Who it’s for
- Square:Small to medium businesses that need payments, staff scheduling, and inventory tools.
- Stripe:Businesses of any size needing online, in-person or subscription payments
- Pricing
- Square:Freemium
- Stripe:Paid
- Free plan or trial
- Square:Free plan (Square Free) · Free trial
- Stripe:—
- Plans
- Square:Square Free $0/mo. · Square Plus $49/mo. per location · Square Premium $149/mo. per location
- Stripe:Standard 2.9% + 30¢ per successful tran
- Works with
- Square:iOS, Android
- Stripe:iOS, Android, Stripe Checkout
Square features
- All-in-one POS. Accept tap, dip, swipe, online, and mobile payments from a single app.
- Team management. Schedule shifts, track attendance, and run payroll from the dashboard.
- Customer growth tools. Loyalty rewards, email/text marketing, and online booking sites.
- Inventory & menu control. Item library, real-time menu updates, and bulk editing for food, retail, and services.
- Analytics & reporting. Instant cash-flow view, advanced reporting, and AI-driven business insights.
- Hardware ecosystem. Square Register, Stand, Terminal, Handheld, Kiosk and Reader devices integrate with the software.
- Integrations marketplace. Connects with hundreds of third-party apps for accounting, e-commerce, and more.
Stripe features
- Global payment acceptance. Supports 135+ currencies and payment methods for online and in-person transactions.
- Subscription billing. Handles recurring billing, usage-based pricing and automated invoicing.
- Embedded finance. Offers card issuing, stablecoin payments and embedded financial services for platforms.
- Fraud and risk tools. AI-powered Radar fraud protection and dispute management.
- Developer-friendly APIs. Pre-built UI components and APIs to integrate payments quickly.
- Instant payouts. Provides instant payouts via debit card or bank account for a fee.
Square vs Stripe FAQ
What is the difference between Square and Stripe?+
Stripe focuses on developer-centric payment APIs, while Square offers a full POS and business suite.
Should I use Square or Stripe?+
Pick Square if you want unified POS and business operations or a free plan to start with (Square Free). Pick Stripe if you want comprehensive payments and billing infrastructure, API-first payment processing or integrations with Stripe Checkout (on Stripe's list, not Square's).
Is Square or Stripe free?+
Square has a free plan (Square Free) and paid plans. Stripe is paid.
Do Square and Stripe integrate with the same tools?+
Partly. Both list iOS and Android. Stripe also lists Stripe Checkout.
On DevHunt
Based on each tool's website and DevHunt data. Details may change; check the official sites.