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A Square is a device used to accept cards for payment at point-of-sale (POS) terminals in restaurants, cafes, and grocery stores. The company has been able to expand its business by securing partnerships with companies as diverse as Lyft and Twitter. However, despite having more than 400 million card readers installed worldwide, there are still major players that can compete head on against the financial institution’s offerings.
The “square competitors in europe” is a blog post that lists the 7 best Square Competitors for POS and Credit Card Processing.
Many small companies utilize Square as a free point-of-sale (POS) system and payment processor since it is a cost-effective, all-in-one solution. Though Square used to be the industry leader, several of its rivals now provide similar goods and services. Using an alternative may provide greater functionality or a cheaper price point, depending on your company.
Alternatives to Square include:
- Clover is the best low-cost Square replacement for retail, restaurant, and service organizations, with a fully integrated POS.
- Lightspeed is ideal for expanding businesses that need sophisticated inventory or Management of many locations.
- Stripe: For fully customized online payment processing, Stripe is the best Square alternative.
- For mobile POS and payments, Zettle (PayPal) is the best option to Square.
- For ecommerce and retail organizations, Shopify is the best Square replacement.
- For cafés and small businesses, Loyverse is the best free POS Square replacement.
- Depot for Payments is the best Square alternative for cutting transaction costs.
Overview of Square Competitors
Square is one of the finest point-of-sale systems and credit card processors available, particularly for new and small companies. The initial card reader is free and has fixed payment processing rates, making it simple to budget. Other company tools, such as marketing, payroll, and email marketing, are also available. Once your firm has begun to expand and you’re in it for the long haul, it’s likely time to utilize a Square alternative. There are Square competitors that are more prepared to satisfy your expanding payment and point-of-sale demands.
Square also offers industry-specific POS software, like Square for Retail, Square for Restaurants, and Square Appointments, all of which come with free and pro-level subscriptions. As a result, Square can grow with you if you’re a small company searching for a POS solution.
Loyverse is a decent free POS option (though it doesn’t come with built-in payment processing), and Zettle (PayPal) is a popular mobile and online POS and payment solution if you haven’t gone beyond Square but are searching for a different solution with comparable functionality.
Clover is the best Square alternative for fully integrated point-of-sale systems.
Clover
What We Enjoy
- Payment processing charges are more inexpensive than Square.
- Features for advanced business management
- Program to reward loyal customers
What Isn’t There
- A monthly charge is required.
- Clover is a part of the Clover ecosystem.
- Hardware is more expensive than other Square options.
In comparison to Square
- Clover’s monthly membership begins at $9.95, whereas Square provides a free option.
- Both systems provide the greatest retail and checkout features for companies with one or more locations.
- Square outperforms Clover in terms of flexibility and interoperability with iOS and Android devices, but Clover needs proprietary hardware.
- Both systems provide in-person and online payment processing, as well as different delivery platform interfaces.
Clover is a top Square alternative because it offers a lot of the same features and benefits. It features an advanced and all-in-one POS and payment processor plus Program to reward loyal customerss, employee scheduling, and proprietary hardware.
Clover may be acquired via a variety of merchant account providers, unlike Square software, which is exclusively compatible with Square Payments. As a result, it’s great for companies who wish to use their own payment processor or already have a merchant account. Clover also has a monthly cost that companies should include into their budgeting.
Clover is also a great option if you’re looking for a Square-like mobile POS system or low-cost iOS credit card readers with payment applications.
Pricing for Clover
- $9.95–$69.95 per month for software
- 2.3 percent–3.5 percent + 10 cents for payment processing
- Hardware ranges from $29 to $1,649
Clover Characteristics
Clover, like Square, is cloud-based and includes all of the features of a traditional POS, including as payment processing, inventory management, and analytics reporting. It also delivers more extensive and integrated customer loyalty, order management, and staff scheduling functions than Square can provide. There are also the following features:
- Pre-authorization of a credit card
- Deposits made the next day
- Payments are processed offline.
- Promotions and customer profiles
- Permissions granted to users
More information on how Clover compares to Square can be found in our side-by-side Clover vs Square comparison.
Lightspeed: Advanced Inventory’s Best Square Alternative
Lightspeed
What We Enjoy
- POS system that is fully integrated and industry-specific
- Features of a granular matrix inventory
- Platform for integrated ecommerce
What Isn’t There
- Subscription plans that are too expensive
- Vendor management is not included.
- Inadequate offline functionality
In comparison to Square
- Square’s subscription package is more cost-effective, starting with unlimited usage of its POS, while Lightspeed’s subscription plans vary from $69 to $239 per month.
- Lightspeed offers a more sophisticated inventory management with its Features of a granular matrix inventory compared to Square’s inventory management tools.
- Both systems provide in-house payment processing with transaction costs that are fixed.
- Both systems offer Platform for integrated ecommerce – though Lightspeed’s is more sophisticated.
For organizations who have outgrown Square’s inventory management features, Lightspeed is the ideal Square alternative. It leads our list of the best POS inventory solutions because of its comprehensive inventory capabilities that can manage numerous income streams, and it also makes our top multichannel POS systems list. Lightspeed’s inventory features make it an ideal option for bakery POS with many locations, as well as fast service restaurants, in terms of restaurant software. It’s also our #1 selection for iPad POS systems in restaurants.
Pricing at Lightspeed
- $69–$239 per month for software
- Processing fees range from 2.6 percent plus 10 cents to 2.6 percent plus 30 cents.
- Hardware costs between $500 and $1,000.
Features of Lightspeed
Lightspeed is a cloud-based point-of-sale system that redefines inventory management. It has robust reporting and analytics capabilities that every growing company needs as it expands. You’ll also discover a number of connections that allow you to simply adapt the system to meet your needs.
The following are some of Lightspeed’s most prominent features:
- Matrix inventory with advanced features
- Management of many locations
- Platform for ecommerce
- Reports that are pre-built and may be customized
- Data visualization that is automated
- Purchase ordering is built-in.
- Returns management that is automated
- Over 3,000 vendor catalogs are already pre-loaded.
Are you looking for a restaurant POS system that includes sophisticated inventory management? Read the rest of our Lightspeed for Restaurants review. For a complete analysis, visit our Square vs. Lightspeed comparison.
Stripe: The Best Online Payments Alternative to Square
Stripe
What We Enjoy
- There is no monthly cost.
- With open APIs, it’s completely customisable.
- Many payment options are accepted, including ACH and AliPay.
What Isn’t There
- Processing speeds are faster than Square.
- There are fewer choices for making payments in person.
- To set up and manage the system, you’ll need a lot of technical resources.
In comparison to Square
- There is no monthly cost to utilize either system’s payment processing service.
- Chargebacks with Square are free, whereas chargebacks with Stripe cost $15 per instance.
- Depending on the transaction, failed transaction costs for both systems range from $4 to $15 (for Stripe) and $5 to $15 (for Square).
- For online transactions, both platforms charge 2.9 percent + 30 cents.
- While Square offers an API, Stripe is a more versatile payment processing platform that was created with the goal of integrating with any system.
Stripe is a strong Square alternative for companies of all sizes to accept online payments. It provides open API software that enables companies with technical abilities to create and personalize a branded checkout experience, making it a top payment gateway in terms of customization. Stripe is also our best recommended B2B payment solution due to its compatibility with a wide range of payment methods and invoicing procedures.
Stripe began as an online-only platform and is a popular option for bespoke online checkouts, but it has subsequently introduced Stripe Terminal to accept in-person payments as well.
Pricing using Stripe
- Monthly software fee: $0 per month for software per month for software per month for software
- For card transactions, the processing fee is 2.9 percent plus 30 cents.
- Hardware ranges from $59 to $299.
Features of the Stripe
For companies with the resources to tailor the checkout experience, Stripe is the best Square rival. Stripe is designed to effortlessly connect to your current tech stack and process payments, with developer-friendly tools, open APIs, and no embedded hardware. Stripe, unlike the majority of the other solutions on this list, is only a payment processor. As a result, its point-of-sale capabilities are quite minimal (pretty much non-existent when compared to most Square alternatives).
Specific Features of the Stripe include:
- In-app checkouts that may be customized
- Recurring billing, payment plans, subscriptions, and memberships are all examples of recurring billing.
- On a two-day rolling basis, receive money from transactions.
- Choose between weekly or monthly deposits.
More information on how Stripe compares to Square can be found in our side-by-side Stripe vs Square comparison.
For mobile POS and payments, Zettle (PayPal) is the best option to Square.
Zettle (PayPal)
What We Enjoy
- Payment processor that is well-known and well-respected.
- Flat processing charges that are predictable and reasonable
- Processing of international payments
What Isn’t There
- POS functionalities are limited.
- There is no offline mode.
- Funds have been frozen for no apparent reason.
In comparison to Square
- Both technologies enable users to take payments using low-cost mobile card readers. Only Square, however, provides a free magstripe reader.
- Both systems come with a free mobile point-of-sale app.
- Payment processing fees for Zettle (PayPal) are from 2.29% to 3.46% + 9 cents per transaction whereas Square charges 2.6% + 10 cents to 3.5% + 15 cents per transaction.
- Zettle (PayPal) provides a more sophisticated mobile card reader with more features but it does not support offline mode like Square.
In July of this year, PayPal purchased Zettle, a European mobile POS system, and made its services accessible to US company owners. Zettle accepts payments via PayPal and offers a comprehensive POS system for tablets and mobile devices. Startups may buy a PIN pad card reader and start receiving payments right away, or they can buy a whole POS system. This free system, along with low processing speeds, makes it a viable Square competitor for mobile POS users.
Zettle (PayPal) Pricing
- Monthly software fee: $0 per month for software per month for software per month for software
- 2.29 percent to 3.46 percent + 9 cents for payment processing
- $29 for the hardware
- Nonprofit organizations that meet certain criteria are eligible for a discount.
Zettle (PayPal) Features
With its one-click payments, PayPal tops our list of best payment gateways as the most trusted alternative for small companies, but Zettle stands out since it needs no integration to begin taking payments if you are already a PayPal account. PayPal is also a good option for micro and occasional enterprises since it is one of the simplest ways to take regular payments.
Other Zettle (PayPal) features include:
- The minimum transaction amount is $1.
- Processing of international payments
- For chip and PIN transactions, it can handle up to $500,000 per 24 hours ($10,000 per transaction).
- To begin receiving payments, no integration is required.
More information on how PayPal compares to Square can be found in our side-by-side Square vs PayPal comparison.
Shopify: Ecommerce’s Best Square Alternative
Shopify
What We Enjoy
- An all-in-one web shop creator
- Multichannel selling is integrated.
- There are tens of thousands of applications to pick from.
What Isn’t There
- Expenses are higher than those of other Square options.
- Customizability is lacking in the checkout process.
- Offline payment alternatives are quite restricted.
In comparison to Square
- Both systems include a free POS system, but you’ll need a Shopify web membership, which may cost anything from $9 to $299 each month.
- Square enables retail, restaurants, appointments, and general-purpose enterprises, while Shopify is exclusively compatible with retail firms.
- Square is more suited to brick-and-mortar enterprises, whereas Shopify is better suited to internet sales.
- For high-volume vendors, both platforms provide month-to-month invoicing and lower processing costs.
Shopify is the Square competitor with the most robust ecommerce offering, making it our top recommendation for best Platform for ecommerces. Small businesses can build and customize a complete online store and use Shopify’s payment processing and POS tools to build a well-rounded retail command center.
Shopify also offers social selling integration, local delivery, and curbside pickup. Shopify is more expensive than Square, but it provides more powerful and comprehensive features. It’s also our #1 recommendation for native internet companies looking for multichannel POS solutions.
Pricing on Shopify
- $29–$299 per month for software
- Processing of payments: 2.4–2.7 percent
- Hardware ranges from $19 to $229
Features of Shopify
Both Shopify and Square provide fully integrated online and in-person payment systems, as well as point-of-sale capabilities like as inventory management, customer profiles, and gift cards. You may also use Shopify’s suite of shipping tools and services to generate automatic cart abandonment emails, design custom promotions and discounts, and use Shopify’s range of shipping tools and services. It’s a fantastic method for merchants to get their feet wet in new channels.
Other Shopify features include:
- Employees use secure PIN passcodes to log in.
- Existing barcodes are supported, and new ones may be created.
- Sort items by kind, season, category, and sale, for example.
- Retail analytics and reporting in great detail
- Track trends, manage inventory, and contact consumers on the move with this mobile dashboard app.
- Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through phone, email, and live chat.
- Integrates with third-party gear and has a full range of proprietary hardware.
Read our entire Shopify vs Square comparison to discover more about how Shopify’s POS, payment, and online shop capabilities compare to Square.
Loyverse is the best free POS software alternative to Square.
Loyverse
What We Enjoy
- POS, KDS, customer display, and analytics reporting are all free to use.
- Loyalty program for free
- Product varieties and inventory breakdown
What Isn’t There
- Third-party integrations are limited.
- The majority of inventory tools are supplementary.
- Full-service restaurants are missing features.
In comparison to Square
- Loyverse will need you to register a separate merchant account with a third-party supplier, while Square has a built-in payment processor.
- Offline mode is supported by both platforms.
- Both Square and Loyverse provide a free POS system, however Loyverse does not provide restaurant POS system options, while Square customers may upgrade to a more industry-specific restaurant POS system.
- Loyverse, unlike Square, does not provide mobile credit card processing using a mobile credit card reader.
Loyverse is a free POS and inventory management software dedicated to helping small food-based businesses like cafes and restaurants. Its built-in Program to reward loyal customers sets it apart from Square, though other features are comparable, including order management, kitchen display systems (KDS), and cross-device compatibility. Loyverse also includes features dedicated to managing tickets, including split bills, saved tickets, and menu modifications.
Pricing for Loyalists
- Monthly software fee: $0 per month for software per month for software per month for software
- Processing of payments is dependent on the processor.
- No proprietary hardware is used.
- Optional monthly add-ons range from $5 to $25.
Features of Loyverse
While Loyverse does not have built-in payment processing (you’ll have to find a suitable third-party partner), it does contain robust POS and inventory management capabilities that are excellent for new and small food-based enterprises. The smartphone app makes it simple to get started. You can add menu items, import inventory, create staff accounts, and manage a client directory in minutes.
More specific Features of Loyverse include:
- For iOS and Android, there is a free POS app.
- Scannable barcodes
- Tickets may be created, saved, and edited.
- CSV files, low stock notifications, purchase orders, and inventory value reports are all available for import.
- Permissions at the employee level, access privileges, time cards, and more
Read our comparison of the top free POS systems to discover how Loyverse compares to Square and other free POS systems.
Depot for Payments: The Lowest Transaction Fees Square Alternative
Depot for Payments
What We Enjoy
- Fees that are predictable
- There are no commitments and no cancellation fees.
- Online, in-store, and mobile processing all in one membership
What Isn’t There
- A monthly charge is required.
- Merchants are subjected to an application procedure.
- Chargeback settlement is a time-consuming procedure.
In comparison to Square
- Depot for Payments requires a subscription to its platform that ranges from $79 to $199 per month whereas there is no extra monthly charge to use Square Payments.
- Depot for Payments integrates with many popular online platforms and POS systems, meanwhile Square Payments is only compatible with the Square platform and apps that integrate with Square.
- Online, in-store, and mobile processing are all supported by both platforms.
- High-risk merchants are incompatible with both platforms.
- Depot for Payments offers 24/7 customer support while Square’s phone support is only available from Monday to Friday, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Pacific time.
Depot for Payments is one of the Square competitors on this list that uses a subscription-based membership model. Essentially, merchants pay a monthly fee in exchange for discounted wholesale payment processing rates. As such, Depot for Payments offers some of the cheapest credit card processing for established businesses that process over $10,000 in sales every month. Depot for Payments doesn’t offer a dedicated POS solution; like Stripe, it’s dedicated strictly to payment processing.
Depot for Payments Pricing
- $79–$199 per month for software
- Interchange adds 5–15 cents per transaction for payment processing
- No proprietary hardware is used.
Depot for Payments Features
Because Depot for Payments is a focused payment processor rather than a POS solution, it offers many advanced features for processing. This includes a variety of accepted payment methods, Deposits made the next day, and seemingly infinite integration options. Chargebacks are also included in your monthly subscription, so there are no added chargeback fees like those that other Square alternatives apply.
More Depot for Payments features include:
- Processing fees that are reasonable
- Contracts that be renewed on a month-to-month basis
- Hardware integrations that are adaptable
- When using Authorize.net, you get a free virtual terminal.
To see how Depot for Payments compares to Square and other top payment processors, read our guide to the best merchant services for small businesses.
Conclusion
When it comes to POS and payment processing solutions for your company, there are numerous Square rivals to choose from. The first stage is to decide on your primary sales platform (online, in-person, or multichannel) and which functions are most essential to you, such as inventory management, marketing, and personnel management. You should be able to narrow down your top alternatives from there.
Though there are scenarios when you would want to use a Square alternative, overall, it is our top-recommended POS and payment processing solution. Square has There is no monthly cost., is easy to set up, and is super simple to use. It’s a great fit for new businesses, mobile businesses, and businesses with small average transactions. Plus, businesses are never locked into any long-term contract. Square should be visited. to create a free account.
Square should be visited.
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The “Square vs. Stripe” is a comparison of the two competitors that offers payment processing services for businesses and consumers. Reference: square vs stripe.
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