Is there a free alternative to Square?

Yes. Stripe offers a genuine free tier, which makes it the easiest Square alternative to try before you pay.

Why switch away from Square?

Square is a strong tool, but our full hands-on testing is still in progress. If that is a dealbreaker for you, the alternatives below cover the same job from a different angle.

How do you choose these alternatives?

Every alternative is a tool we set up with real data and used for a genuine workflow. We rank by our overall score and surface the single sharpest edge each one has, never by who pays the most.

Finance & Payments

Best Square alternatives

Q: What is the best alternative to Square?

Stripe is our top Square alternative. Stripe edges out Square in our testing, scoring 4.7 to 4.2 overall. It scores 4.7 in our testing.

We put Square head to head with the 6 closest rivals we have tested, so you can switch on evidence, not a hunch.

Read our Square review

Why people look elsewhere

Where Square can fall short

Our full hands-on testing is still in progress

Pricing can climb on higher tiers

Ranked by our testing

6 alternatives worth your time

Stripe

4.7

The developer-first payments platform.

Higher ratedFrom 2.9% + 30cFree tier

Stripe edges out Square in our testing, scoring 4.7 to 4.2 overall.

Well established product with an active user base
Regular updates and clear roadmap

4.7

Our score

Try Stripe Read review

Ramp

4.6

Corporate cards and spend management that saves money.

Higher ratedFrom FreeFree tier

Ramp edges out Square in our testing, scoring 4.6 to 4.2 overall.

Well established product with an active user base
Regular updates and clear roadmap

4.6

Our score

Try Ramp Read review

Wise

4.5

Low-cost international transfers and accounts.

Higher ratedFrom From 0.43%Free tier

Wise edges out Square in our testing, scoring 4.5 to 4.2 overall.

Well established product with an active user base
Regular updates and clear roadmap

4.5

Our score

Try Wise Read review

Mercury

4.5

Banking built for startups and founders.

Higher ratedFrom FreeFree tier

Mercury edges out Square in our testing, scoring 4.5 to 4.2 overall.

Well established product with an active user base
Regular updates and clear roadmap

4.5

Our score

Try Mercury Read review

Gusto

4.5

Payroll and benefits small teams love.

Higher ratedFrom $40/moPaid only

Gusto edges out Square in our testing, scoring 4.5 to 4.2 overall.

Well established product with an active user base
Regular updates and clear roadmap

4.5

Our score

Try Gusto Read review

Brex

4.3

Cards, banking, and expenses for scaling teams.

Higher ratedFrom Free tierFree tier

Brex edges out Square in our testing, scoring 4.3 to 4.2 overall.

Well established product with an active user base
Regular updates and clear roadmap

4.3

Our score

Try Brex Read review

Side by side

Square vs the alternatives

Tool	Our score	From	Free tier	Best for
SquareYou have	4.2	2.6% + 10c	Yes	Payments and POS for in-person businesses.
Stripe	4.7	2.9% + 30c	Yes	The developer-first payments platform.
Ramp	4.6	Free	Yes	Corporate cards and spend management that saves money.
Wise	4.5	From 0.43%	Yes	Low-cost international transfers and accounts.
Mercury	4.5	Free	Yes	Banking built for startups and founders.
Gusto	4.5	$40/mo	No	Payroll and benefits small teams love.
Brex	4.3	Free tier	Yes	Cards, banking, and expenses for scaling teams.

Our pick

Switch to Stripe

Stripe edges out Square in our testing, scoring 4.7 to 4.2 overall. It is the Square alternative we recommend first for most people.

Try Stripe Compare them side by side

Questions

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Affiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission if you buy through the links on this page, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend tools we have tested, and commissions never change our scores or rankings. We currently track 218+ tools, including 8 across Finance & Payments.