Square vs Stripe
Square gives you a complete POS system ready to use. Stripe gives you payment building blocks to create your own. If you don't have developers, Square. If you need custom integration or already use Stripe online, Terminal makes sense.
Our Verdict
Square wins for 90% of businesses. It just works. Stripe Terminal wins for tech companies, businesses with custom POS needs, or those who want unified online/offline reporting in Stripe's dashboard.
Best for:
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Square | Stripe | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup time | 10 minutes | Hours to days | Square |
| Developer required | No | Yes (mostly) | Square |
| In-person rate | 2.6% + 10¢ | 2.7% + 5¢ | Tie |
| POS software | Included, full-featured | Basic apps or build your own | Square |
| Hardware options | Many | Few | Square |
| Customization | Limited | Unlimited | Stripe |
| Unified online/offline | Yes | Yes (better for existing Stripe users) | Stripe |
| API quality | Good | Excellent | Stripe |
Square
Pros
- ✓Works immediately
- ✓Full POS included
- ✓Great hardware options
- ✓No coding required
Cons
- ✗Less customizable
- ✗Closed ecosystem
- ✗Can't use other processors
Stripe
Pros
- ✓Fully customizable
- ✓Best-in-class API
- ✓Unified payments dashboard
- ✓Developer-friendly
Cons
- ✗Requires development
- ✗Limited pre-built POS
- ✗Fewer hardware options
- ✗Higher implementation cost
In-Depth Analysis
The Developer Question
Be honest: do you have developers who can build and maintain a custom integration? Stripe Terminal documentation is excellent, but you're still building software. Most businesses underestimate this. If you're not a tech company, Square's pre-built solution saves thousands in development time.
The Unified Dashboard Argument
If you already process online payments with Stripe, Terminal gives you one dashboard for everything. That's genuinely valuable for reconciliation and reporting. But if you're not on Stripe already, that benefit doesn't exist—and Square's dashboard is also unified.
Custom Use Cases
Building a custom checkout kiosk? Integrating payments into your own app? Need payments inside your proprietary software? Stripe is your answer. These aren't typical small business needs, but they're where Stripe shines. Square can't do truly custom implementations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Stripe Terminal without coding?
Barely. Stripe offers a basic pre-built app, but it's limited. The value of Terminal is building custom experiences. Without development resources, Square is the better choice.
Which has lower fees?
Nearly identical for most businesses. Square: 2.6% + 10¢ in-person. Stripe: 2.7% + 5¢ in-person. On a $50 transaction, that's $1.40 vs $1.40. Don't choose based on rates alone.