Square Review
Free to start, powerful as you grow
9.6/10 Best Overall
Ranked #1 of 5 in POS Systems
See plans and pricing Takes you to squareup.com
Quick facts
- Software from
- $0/month
- Processing rate
- 2.6% + 10¢
- Hardware from
- Free reader
- Contract
- None
Our verdict
Bottom line: Square removed every barrier to getting started: no monthly fee, no contract, free card reader. As you grow, paid tiers add staff, inventory and loyalty without re-platforming.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Genuinely free entry point
- Polished, reliable hardware
- Huge app ecosystem
Cons
- Processing locked to Square
- Account holds reported at high volume
Who Square is best for
Small businesses and first-time POS buyers.
- Free plan with no monthly fee
- Hardware from $0 (free reader)
- Everything in one ecosystem
How Square compares
Square holds the top spot in our pos systems rankings. The closest alternative is Toast, and the full comparison shows where each provider wins.
How we chose
Every pos systems provider here gets the same treatment: the BusinessShop research team scores it on five weighted factors, the weights are published, and no provider can pay to move up. Commissions never touch the math.
- 30% Pricing & value
- 25% Product quality
- 20% Customer experience
- 15% Reputation
- 10% Flexibility
More pos systems reviews
- Toast review 9.4/10
- Shopify POS review 9.2/10
- Lightspeed review 9.2/10
- Clover review 9.0/10