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It's a split decision.
Choose Clover if you want listed plan prices and a POS aimed at food, retail, or service businesses. Its Starter software plan is free, while Essentials is $29.95/month; hardware and processing fees can add to the bill. Choose Square if you want a free POS with online selling and business tools. Square’s paid plan prices are not published on the vendor's site, so compare processing and add-on costs before switching.
01Side by side
| Clover | Square | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free software; Essentials costs $29.95/month | Free plan; paid prices not published |
| Free plan | Starter software plan | Square Free plan |
| Best for | Food, retail, and service merchants | Sellers wanting in-person and online tools |
| Core strength | POS, inventory, and merchant operations | POS, payments, and business tools |
| Learning curve | Not published | Not published |
| Integrations / data | App Market apps; third-party fees vary | Business app partnerships |
| Team / extra-device costs | Extra devices: $11.95–$19.95/month | Team costs not published |
| Support | Support details not published | 24/7 phone support on Premium |
Clover Choose Clover if
- Choose Clover if listed paid plan prices matter.
- Choose Clover if you run a food, retail, or service business.
- Choose Clover if you want inventory tracking and low-stock alerts.
Square Choose Square if
- Choose Square if you want a free POS and online site.
- Choose Square if you need marketing and loyalty tools.
- Choose Square if 24/7 phone support on Premium matters.
02Pricing compared
Clover publishes more of its subscription pricing. Its Starter software plan is free, Essentials is $29.95/month, and listed growth plans start at $84.95/month. In-person processing is listed at 2.3%–2.6% plus $0.10, depending on the plan; keyed-in payments are 3.5% plus $0.10. Hardware bundles can require a 36-month commitment, and add-ons include a $5/month security fee per merchant ID and extra device charges.
Square also has a free plan, but the published pricing details do not publish subscription prices for Square Plus or Premium. Square Pro is custom-priced for businesses processing over $250,000 yearly. Its listed extras include paid marketing texts and per-device charges for KDS and kiosk products; some of those prices are not tied to a specific plan in the published details. Compare your expected hardware, processing, and add-on costs before switching.
03Features and depth
Clover is built around running a physical business: it lists payment acceptance, inventory tracking, employee permissions and shift tracking, customer tools, and sales and tax reporting. It also offers hosted checkout, invoices, a virtual terminal, and pickup and delivery management. That mix makes its listed tools relevant to food and beverage, retail, and service businesses, though some capabilities or integrations may add cost through devices or App Market apps.
Square combines in-person and online selling with tools for teams, marketing, loyalty, and cash flow. Its Free plan lists a POS app, online site, item library, invoicing, and booking. Plus adds advanced POS features and loyalty; Premium adds advanced reporting and 24/7 phone support. Square also promotes Square AI for business insights and app connections. The published details do not specify the full feature limits of each plan, so check the plan terms for the tools you need. Clover’s listed plan rates are clearer; Square’s paid subscription prices are not published here.
04Ease of use and learning curve
The published information does not document setup time, training requirements, or how easy either system is to learn, so we would not call one simpler based on this material alone.
There are, however, different buying decisions to work through. Clover lists industry-specific plans, device charges, processing rates, and hardware commitments; that makes it important to price the full setup before signing. Square’s plan structure is easier to scan at a high level, but paid subscription prices are not published on the vendor's site, and some add-on prices are not mapped to a specific plan. Ask both providers for a complete quote based on your devices, payment mix, and required features.
Questions people ask
Is Clover a credit card processor?
Clover supports card payment acceptance, including chip, contactless, magnetic stripe, and manually entered payments. Its listed processing rates vary by plan: in-person rates range from 2.3% to 2.6% plus $0.10, while keyed-in payments are listed at 3.5% plus $0.10. Confirm your applicable terms with Clover before signing.
Is Square a good POS system?
Square offers a free POS plan with an online site, item library, invoicing, and booking. Paid tiers add features such as loyalty, email campaigns, reporting, and phone support. Whether it fits depends on your needs and total costs; the published pricing details do not publish Square’s paid subscription prices.
What are the top 20 POS systems?
The published information compares only Clover and Square, so it is not enough to rank 20 POS systems. For this comparison, Clover’s listed plans cover food, retail, and service businesses, while Square offers POS tools for in-person and online sales. A broader ranking would need comparable pricing and feature information for other providers.
Is Square considered FinTech?
Square provides payment and point-of-sale tools, plus cash flow services that include access to funds, savings for expenses, and quicker access to loans. Those are financial technology services, but the published information does not provide a formal industry classification. For a buying decision, compare the specific payment and cash flow features you need.