---
title: "Square Pricing, Features & Alternatives (2026)"
description: "Square review: Payment Gateway tool — From $49/mo, plans, pros & cons, and the best Square alternatives compared for startups in 2026."
source: https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/square
retrieved: 2026-09-02
---

![Square logo](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=squareup.com&sz=128)

[Payment Gateway](https://appstackbuilder.com/categories/payments)

# Square: Pricing, Features & Alternatives

Square is an all-in-one commerce platform for in-person and online payments, with POS hardware, invoicing, online checkout, and a free base plan. Fees are 2.6% + 15¢ in person and 3.3% + 30¢ for online/invoice card payments.

Category

Payment Gateway

Pricing

From $49/mo

Free tier

No

Best for

Payment Gateway — pos, in-person

[Visit Square official site](https://squareup.com/)

## Square Pricing Plans (2026)

| Plan        | Price                        | Highlights                                                                      |
| ----------- | ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| FreePopular | $0/mo · 2.6% + 15¢ in-person | POS & online payments · Invoicing & payment links · No monthly fee on base plan |
| Plus        | $49 / month per location     | Advanced reporting · Lower processing options · More features per vertical      |

Pricing summary: From $49/mo. Always confirm current pricing on the official site.

## Key Square Features

* ✓POS & online payments
* ✓Invoicing & payment links
* ✓No monthly fee on base plan
* ✓Hardware available

### ✓ Pros

* +Great for in-person + online
* +No monthly base fee
* +Hardware ecosystem
* +Easy setup

### ✗ Cons

* −Online card fees higher than Stripe
* −Less developer-centric

## Best Square Alternatives

[Compare all ](https://appstackbuilder.com/tool-alternatives/square)

[![Chargebee logo](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=chargebee.com&sz=128)ChargebeeFree](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/chargebee)[![Polar logo](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=polar.sh&sz=128)PolarFrom $20/mo](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/polar)[![Razorpay logo](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=razorpay.com&sz=128)RazorpayUsage-based](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/razorpay)[![Lemon Squeezy logo](https://appstackbuilder.com/lemon-squeezy.svg)Lemon SqueezyUsage-based](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/lemon-squeezy)[![Paddle logo](https://appstackbuilder.com/paddle.svg)PaddleUsage-based](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/paddle)[![PayPal / Braintree logo](https://appstackbuilder.com/paypal.svg)PayPal / BraintreeUsage-based](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/paypal-braintree)

## Square Compared

[Square vs Polar](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/polar-vs-square)[Square vs Razorpay](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/razorpay-vs-square)[Square vs Chargebee](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/chargebee-vs-square)

## Square FAQ

What is Square used for?⌄

Square is a payment gateway tool. All-in-one payments for in-person and online — POS hardware, invoicing, and a free plan.

Is Square free?⌄

Square does not offer a permanent free tier; paid plans start at $49/month.

How much does Square cost?⌄

Square plans start at $49/month. Some usage is billed pay-as-you-go.

What are the best Square alternatives?⌄

Popular Square alternatives include Chargebee, Polar, Razorpay, Lemon Squeezy, Paddle. Compare pricing and features on our Square alternatives page.

## Not sure if Square fits your stack?

Get a free, AI-powered tech stack tailored to your budget, app type, and team size — including the best payment gateway pick for you.

[Build my stack free ](https://appstackbuilder.com/)