PayPal / Braintree vs Square: Which is Better in 2026?
Choosing between PayPal / Braintree and Square? Both are popular payment gateway tools. Below we compare them on pricing, free tiers, features, and pros & cons so you can pick the right fit for your stack.
PayPal / Braintree is for: Businesses that want PayPal checkout alongside cards in one integration from PayPal.
Square is for: Shops, restaurants and service businesses taking card payments in person and online, with POS hardware.
Quick verdict
There’s no single winner; pick on your constraint. Choose PayPal / Braintree if you want PayPal checkout next to cards. Choose Square if you take most payments in person.
PayPal / Braintree vs Square — Side by Side
| PayPal / Braintree | Square | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Payment Gateway | Payment Gateway |
| What it is | Payment gateway from PayPal | Payments and point of sale |
| Merchant of record | No | No |
| Online card fee | Not confirmed on the vendor page | 3.3% + 30¢ on Free; 2.9% + 30¢ on Plus and Premium |
| Monthly fee | Not confirmed on the vendor page | $0, $49 or $149 per location |
| Built for | Businesses that want PayPal checkout | In-person and online sellers |
| Pricing | Usage-based | From $49/mo |
| Starting price | Pay-as-you-go | From $49/mo |
| Free tier | — | — |
| Best for | Payment Gateway — PayPal checkout, cards, PayPal-owned | Payment Gateway — in-person, POS, small business |
Pros & Cons
- PayPal checkout alongside cards in one integration
- Run by PayPal
- Enterprise plan with custom pricing
- You handle sales tax yourself (not a merchant of record)
- Custom rates require talking to sales
- Great for in-person + online
- No monthly base fee
- Hardware ecosystem
- Easy setup
- Free plan online rate is 3.3% + 30¢
- Less developer-centric
Key Features Compared
PayPal / Braintree
- Braintree is now sold as PayPal Braintree; braintreepayments.com/braintree-pricing redirects to PayPal’s fee page
- Cards and PayPal through one integration
- PayPal’s fee page blocks our fetch, so this entry carries no prices
Square
- Square Free: $0 a month; 2.6% + 15¢ in person, 3.3% + 30¢ online and invoices
- Square Plus: $49 a month per location; 2.5% + 15¢ in person, 2.9% + 30¢ online
- Square Premium: $149 a month per location; 2.4% + 15¢ in person, 2.9% + 30¢ online
- Manually entered or card-on-file payments: 3.5% + 15¢
Choose PayPal / Braintree if…
- You want PayPal checkout next to cards.
- You already use PayPal and want one vendor for cards too.
Choose Square if…
- You take most payments in person.
- You want POS hardware and online payments on one account.
- You want to start without a monthly fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is PayPal / Braintree better than Square?⌄
There’s no single winner; pick on your constraint. Choose PayPal / Braintree if you want PayPal checkout next to cards. Choose Square if you take most payments in person.
What is the difference between PayPal / Braintree and Square?⌄
What it is — PayPal / Braintree: Payment gateway from PayPal. Square: Payments and point of sale. Online card fee — PayPal / Braintree: Not confirmed on the vendor page. Square: 3.3% + 30¢ on Free; 2.9% + 30¢ on Plus and Premium. Monthly fee — PayPal / Braintree: Not confirmed on the vendor page. Square: $0, $49 or $149 per location. Built for — PayPal / Braintree: Businesses that want PayPal checkout. Square: In-person and online sellers.
PayPal / Braintree vs Square: which is cheaper?⌄
PayPal / Braintree pricing: Usage-based. Square pricing: From $49/mo. Confirm current pricing on each tool's official site, as plans change.
When should I skip both PayPal / Braintree and Square?⌄
Skip PayPal / Braintree if you want published, self-serve card pricing. Stripe lists 2.9% + 30¢ for US cards. Skip Square if you sell mostly online through an API. Stripe charges 2.9% + 30¢ with no plan fee.
Sources · tool facts checked November 2026
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