Softwr

E-commerce · head to head

Authorize.net vs Square

A

Authorize.net

E-commerce

We help make it easy to get paid

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Square logo

Square

E-commerce & Retail

Powering the economy

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Square has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Authorize.net all-in-One plan charges a $25 monthly gateway fee plus 2.9% + 30 cents per transaction on top of it; Square plus plan pricing not specified in documentation

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Authorize.net and Square actually diverge.

Attributes where Authorize.net and Square differ
AttributeAuthorize.netSquare
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebPOS (Mobile app), Web
CategoryE-commerceE-commerce & Retail
FoundedUnknown2009

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Authorize.net

Nothing recorded that Square does not also cover.

Only in Square

  • Payment processing
  • Point of sale
  • Invoicing
  • Payroll
  • Banking
  • QuickBooks
  • WooCommerce
  • Wix

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Authorize.net

No use cases recorded yet. See the Authorize.net review.

Square

  • Accept payments with all-in-one POS applicationnot Authorize.net
  • Online ordering and basic website creationnot Authorize.net
  • Invoicing and appointment bookingnot Authorize.net
  • Staff scheduling and loyalty programmesnot Authorize.net

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Authorize.net

  • All-in-One plan charges a $25 monthly gateway fee plus 2.9% + 30 cents per transaction on top of it
  • eCheck processing carries its own $10 monthly minimum fee separate from the card processing charges

Square

  • Plus plan pricing not specified in documentation
  • Processing fees differ by tier but exact rates not detailed
  • Free plan pricing mentioned but specific features for Plus unclear
  • Text marketing charged at 3¢ per message after first 500 included

Pricing, plan by plan

Authorize.net

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Authorize.net review.

Square

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Square review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Authorize.net if

Nothing in the data separates Authorize.net from Square on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Authorize.net review

Choose Square if

  • You need payment processing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on POS (Mobile app), Web.
  • You also want point of sale.
Square review

Questions people ask

Is Authorize.net or Square better?
Neither clearly leads. Authorize.net starts at On request and Square at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Authorize.net or Square?
Square has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Authorize.net and Free for Square.
Does Authorize.net or Square run on more platforms?
Authorize.net runs on Web. Square runs on POS (Mobile app), Web.
Can I use Square for free?
Yes. Square has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Authorize.net starts at On request.
What can Authorize.net do that Square cannot?
Square covers Payment processing, Point of sale, Invoicing, Payroll.
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Related pages

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