Square vs Stripe vs PayPal vs Authorize.net: which should you pick?
A side-by-side look at price, features, quality and value across the leading payment platforms options — so you can choose the right one in minutes.
Visit squareup.comBest POS hardware
Lowest entry price among the options compared here.
Online API less robust
- Best POS hardware
- Strong in-person
- Free Square Online
- Online API less robust
- Limited international
Square is a payment platforms option built for smb retail + food. Shoppers pick it for best pos hardware, but it's worth comparing against Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net if online api less robust.
Best POS hardware.
Consider as the leading alternative to Square in this category.
Consider as the leading alternative to Square in this category.
Consider as the leading alternative to Square in this category.
Square is positioned for in-person retailers. If your team or volume is materially larger or smaller, one of Stripe / PayPal / Authorize.net may be cheaper or more capable.
None of these have a true free tier. Ask for a trial or month-to-month billing first, and verify the must-have feature in your own workflow before annual commitment.
Look past the headline price: add seats, add-ons, integration fees and transaction fees. The cheapest option rarely stays cheapest at scale.
Known trade-off with Square: Online API less robust. Confirm it isn't a deal-breaker for your specific use case before signing.
- Online API less robustConfirm this isn't a deal-breaker for your team before signing — it's the most common reason shoppers switch from Square to Stripe.
- Limited internationalConfirm this isn't a deal-breaker for your team before signing — it's the most common reason shoppers switch from Square to Stripe.
For in-person retailers, yes — Best POS hardware. For very different use cases, compare against Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net.
Square pricing: 2.6% + $0.10 in-person. Always confirm current pricing on the provider's site.
Online API less robust. Most teams work around it, but verify it isn't a deal-breaker for you first.
Pick Square if you want best pos hardware. Pick Stripe if you need a broader / cheaper / more established alternative — see the comparison table above for the side-by-side.