Square vs Stripe(2026)
Square is better for teams that need best in-person payment hardware. Stripe is the stronger choice if best developer experience. Square is paid (from 2.6% + 10¢ per transaction) and Stripe is paid (from 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction).
Full feature breakdown, pricing details, and pros & cons below.
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Square
Square is a payment platform for both in-person and online payments, popular with retail and food businesses.
Starting at 2.6% + 10¢ per transaction
Visit SquareStripe
Stripe is a suite of payment APIs that powers commerce for online businesses of all sizes.
Starting at 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction
Visit StripeHow Do Square and Stripe Compare on Features?
| Feature | Square | Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | paid | paid |
| Starting price | 2.6% + 10¢ per transaction | 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction |
| In-person POS | ✓ | — |
| Online payments | ✓ | — |
| Invoicing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Inventory management | ✓ | — |
| Payroll | ✓ | — |
| Appointments | ✓ | — |
| Card payments | — | ✓ |
| Subscriptions | — | ✓ |
| Connect (marketplaces) | — | ✓ |
| Radar (fraud) | — | ✓ |
| Terminal (in-person) | — | ✓ |
| Stripe Checkout | — | ✓ |
Square Pros and Cons vs Stripe
Square
Stripe
Should You Use Square or Stripe?
Choose Square if…
- •Best in-person payment hardware
- •Free POS app
- •Good for retail/food
Choose Stripe if…
- •Best developer experience
- •Excellent documentation
- •Webhooks and APIs