Best Square alternatives in 2024

Stripe sets itself apart from Square with its focus on online payments and e-commerce, and its open API means businesses can create a fully customized payment solution. This can be altered by region, too, offering the opportunity to accept global payments in over 135 currencies. However, for those with relatively little coding experience, it may be a big ask to fully take advantage of Stripe’s open API.

You’ll be able to integrate a host of third-party apps for services like accounting, analytics, marketing and taxes. All of this is included with no monthly fee, alongside 24/7 customer support and a transparent pricing structure for all transaction fees.

It’s worth keeping in mind that while its fees are transparent, it’s still a little more expensive than Square. Stripe doesn’t offer free hardware either, so it’s likely better for businesses with tech know-how and willingness to spend on equipment.

Learn More: Read our full Stripe review.

PayPal is a globally renowned payment platform with a range of financial services, and its flexibility is evident in the abundance of payment options you’ll be able to accept. With PayPal, you can take credit card payments from Mastercard, Visa and American Express, as well as a range of digital wallets, cryptocurrency and QR codes.

There are no monthly fees, you won’t need to sign up for a contract and setting up is fairly straightforward.

It’s important to keep in mind that when you accept money through PayPal, it’ll go to your PayPal wallet rather than a corporate bank account — withdrawing it instantly comes with a fee, and a free withdrawal can take up to three days.

You won’t get any free hardware either, but you can take contactless payments directly through your phone with the PayPal Zettle app.

Learn More: Read our full PayPal review or our Square vs. Paypal comparison.

Helcim is worth considering for high-volume merchants thanks to the discounts it offers — the more you sell, the lower your transaction fees will be. If you’re processing more than $50,000 per month, it’ll likely work out cheaper than Square. Its interchange-plus pricing structure is fully transparent, and you won’t need to pay any monthly fees or sign a long-term contract.

However, if your transaction volume is relatively low, especially if it’s under $25,000, you might find it to be less economical. Additionally, there are limited hardware options, none of which are free — the cheapest card reader costs $99.

As such, if you run a small business with low transaction volumes and you want the benefit of a free card reader, you might prefer Square over Helcim.

Learn More: Read our full Helcim review.

Not all credit card processing companies take high-risk merchants, but Paysafe is among those that accept clients from industries like online gaming and crypto. However, you will be required to pay a $200 monthly fee to cover the associated higher costs, such as enhanced merchant monitoring.

With Paysafe you’ll be able to accept over 250 payment methods in over 40 currencies. The transaction fees are also low compared to Square and other providers. But its pricing structure isn’t very transparent. We had to call its customer service team to find out pricing details.

There is a monthly fee involved, too, which balances out the low transaction costs. As your options may be limited if you’re a high-risk merchant, it may be easier to overlook this, particularly if your transaction volume is high enough to make the savings worth the fee.

Learn More: Read our full Paysafe review.

If you’re looking for a credit card processor that offers robust data analysis and reporting features, Elavon offers the ability to automate data analytics from a single source of truth. With its Payments Core 365 platform, you’ll be able to customize daily reports and integrate them with your existing system.

Additionally, you can use Elavon’s Payments Insider data portal to access customizable reports with 17 data field filters and add employees with adjustable permission levels.

These features combined offer a more powerful analytics and reporting suite than Square’s advanced reporting options. On the downside, there are no free hardware options, and the pricing structure isn’t transparent — you’ll need to call their sales team for more information.

Learn More: Read our full Elavon review.

Clover offers a full POS system designed specifically for certain industries, including full- and quick-service restaurants as well as retail and personal services. It also offers a payment processing service for a monthly fee of $14.95 with no up-front costs if you’re willing to take payments through your own phone or tablet.

There are no free hardware options — you can pay $49 for a mobile card reader or $599 for a full handheld POS system.

We recommend it for restaurant owners as the full restaurant POS offers a range of features specifically designed for the industry, including bill splitting, table mapping and menu management.

You’ll also have access to 24/7 customer support by phone, useful for businesses with late opening hours.

Learn More: Read our full Clover review.

ProMerchant is a relative newcomer to the industry after its founding in 2018. As with many small businesses, ProMerchant excels in providing tailored support. It offers all customers a dedicated support team, and the personalized experience starts from the first call.

You’ll be connected to a sales representative who’ll create a customized solution, and while its pricing isn’t transparent, we were quoted 0.30% plus $0.10 per transaction for swiped and chipped payments. It’s also worth noting that ProMerchant supports high-risk merchants, which you won’t get with Square.

However, ProMerchant doesn’t offer modern solutions like a live chat, nor does it offer a mobile app. Additionally, there aren’t many extra features included alongside credit card processing. There is e-commerce support but no functionality for payroll or marketing, while Square offers these for an additional cost.

Learn More: Read our full ProMerchant review.

A big benefit of using Intuit Payments as a QuickBooks Online user is that you won’t be charged a monthly fee for the payments service. Payments through the card reader are charged at 2.5% and online card payments and digital wallets at 2.99%.

Signing up to QuickBooks Online starts at $30 per month, so if you’re already using its strong accounting features, then Intuit Payments is a logical next step.

You’ll get features like in-person payments and next day deposits alongside invoicing and cash flow history. Intuit Payments also offers integrations for e-commerce with Shopify and BigCommerce, and in total, there are over 750 third-party software integrations. However, its POS is being gradually phased out, so you’ll need to rely on partner POS systems — Intuit says it prefers Shopify.

We’d recommend Intuit Payments if your priority is keeping books in order, but if you’re more interested in a fully functioning POS system, then Square might be the better option.

Learn More: Read our full Intuit Payments review.

A big perk of using National Processing is that if you process $10,000 or more per month in transaction volume, it promises to price-match transaction rates. National Processing caters to a multitude of industries, and its transparent pricing model is displayed on its website. It also works with high-risk merchant services, while Square doesn’t.

Its transaction fees are lower than other providers like Square, and depending on your industry, you’ll also get access to a free card reader or terminal. We’d recommend National Processing for established companies with a reliably large transaction volume that can take advantage of the price guarantee and comparatively low rates.

However, smaller businesses should use Square because of its lack of a monthly fee, particularly if you want a one-stop-shop for payment processing, e-commerce, marketing and accounting. National Processing doesn’t offer the same array of features as its focus is largely on payment processing.

Learn More: Read our full National Processing review.