| Starting Price | Free · From $49/mo | Free |
| Free | Free | Free |
| Plus | $49/mo | Free |
| Premium | $149/mo | — |
| Best For | Freelancers, Small Biz | Small Biz |
| Regions | US, CA, GB, AU, JP | US, CA |
| Platforms | Web, Ios, Android, Desktop | Web, Ios, Android |
| Key Features | - •Free POS software with inventory, employee management, customer loyalty, and reporting
- •In-person payments at 2.6% + $0.15 (tap, dip, swipe); online at 3.3% + $0.30
- •Free card reader included on signup; full POS hardware available (Terminal, Register)
- •Square Online for e-commerce website building with integrated payments
| - •Interchange-plus pricing model — pay actual interchange cost + small Helcim markup, not a flat percentage
- •No monthly fees, no setup fees, no early termination fees, no PCI compliance fees
- •Subscription billing at 0.4% (vs 0.7% for Stripe Billing)
- •In-person payments via Helcim POS with card reader hardware
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| Pros | - +Easiest same-day setup for brick-and-mortar businesses — free card reader ships on signup, no merchant account approval needed
- +All-in-one POS ecosystem: payments, inventory, staff management, loyalty, and e-commerce in a single dashboard
- +Free POS software is genuinely capable for most small retail and restaurant operations — no monthly fee for core features
| - +Most transparent pricing model in the industry — interchange-plus means your effective rate drops as your volume grows, unlike flat-rate processors where cost increases linearly with volume
- +Significantly cheaper than Stripe, Square, or PayPal for businesses processing $10,000+/month — savings of 30-50% on processing fees are common at scale
- +No contracts or early termination fees — you can leave anytime without penalty, which is rare in the payment processing industry
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| Cons | - −Flat-rate pricing becomes expensive at higher volumes compared to interchange-plus processors like Helcim — businesses processing $10K+/month should compare alternatives
- −Online transaction rates (3.3% + $0.30 on Free plan) are among the highest in the category — Stripe charges 2.9% + $0.30 for online payments
- −Limited global availability compared to Stripe — Square operates in only 5 countries (US, CA, GB, AU, JP)
| - −US and Canada only — no global reach for businesses selling internationally or with cross-border payment needs
- −Less name recognition than Stripe, Square, or PayPal — may be less familiar to customers and business partners
- −Smaller integration ecosystem — fewer native connections to CRMs, accounting platforms, and e-commerce tools compared to the major processors
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| Integrations | 7+ integrations | 6+ integrations |
| Actions | | |