--- title: "Square Pricing, Features & Alternatives (2026)" description: "Square (Payment Gateway): From $49/mo. Plans, pros & cons, and Square alternatives compared for startups in 2026." source: https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/square retrieved: 2026-11-13 --- ![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. Who it’s for: Shops, restaurants and service businesses taking card payments in person and online, with POS hardware. Category Payment Gateway Pricing From $49/mo Free tier No Best for Payment Gateway: in-person, POS, small business ## Square at a Glance What it is Payments and point of sale Merchant of record No Online card fee 3.3% + 30¢ on Free; 2.9% + 30¢ on Plus and Premium Monthly fee $0, $49 or $149 per location Built for In-person and online sellers Checked November 2026 against [Square pricing (US)](https://squareup.com/us/en/pricing). [Visit Square official site](https://squareup.com/) ## Square Pricing Plans (2026) | Plan | Price | Highlights | | ----------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | | FreePopular | $0/mo · 2.6% + 15¢ in person, 3.3% + 30¢ online | POS & online payments · Invoicing & payment links · No monthly fee | | Plus | $49 / month per location · 2.5% + 15¢ in person, 2.9% + 30¢ online | Lower processing fees · Advanced reporting · More features per vertical | | Premium | $149 / month per location · 2.4% + 15¢ in person, 2.9% + 30¢ online | Lowest Square processing rates · Everything in Plus | Pricing summary: From $49/mo. Always confirm current pricing on the official site. ## Key Square Features * ✓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¢ ### ✓ Pros * +Great for in-person + online * +No monthly base fee * +Hardware ecosystem * +Easy setup ### ✗ Cons * −Free plan online rate is 3.3% + 30¢ * −Less developer-centric ## Best Square Alternatives [Compare all ](https://appstackbuilder.com/tool-alternatives/square) [![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)[![Chargebee logo](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=chargebee.com&sz=128)ChargebeeFrom $99/mo](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/chargebee)[![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 Razorpay](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/razorpay-vs-square)[Square vs Polar](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/polar-vs-square)[Square vs Chargebee](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/chargebee-vs-square)[Square vs Lemon Squeezy](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/lemon-squeezy-vs-square)[Square vs Paddle](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/paddle-vs-square)[Square vs PayPal / Braintree](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/paypal-braintree-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 Polar, Razorpay, Chargebee, 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/)