Is Authorize.net or Square for Retail better?

Neither clearly leads. Authorize.net starts at $25/month and Square for Retail at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Authorize.net or Square for Retail?

Square for Retail has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $25/month for Authorize.net and Free for Square for Retail.

Does Authorize.net or Square for Retail run on more platforms?

Authorize.net runs on Web. Square for Retail runs on iOS, API.

Can I use Square for Retail for free?

Yes. Square for Retail has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Authorize.net starts at $25/month.

What is Authorize.net best used for?

Authorize.net is most often used for e-commerce payment processing, recurring billing and subscription management, multi-channel payment acceptance. Of those, e-commerce payment processing and recurring billing and subscription management are not what Square for Retail is typically brought in for.

What can Authorize.net do that Square for Retail cannot?

Square for Retail covers Contactless payments, Inventory tracking, Employee management, Customer profiles.

E-Commerce · head to head

Authorize.net vs Square for Retail

Authorize.net

E-Commerce

We help make it easy to get paid

From: $25/month
Rated: -

Full review Website

Square for Retail

E-Commerce

Integrated point of sale and retail management

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only Square for Retail has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: Authorize.net all-in-One plan charges 2.9% + 30¢ per card transaction, higher than Gateway-only rate of 10¢ + batch fee; Square for Retail limited customer support with primarily email and online forums, slow response times for urgent issues
Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Authorize.net and Square for Retail differ
Attribute	Authorize.net	Square for Retail
Starting price	$25/month	Free
Pricing model	subscription	Unknown
Free tier	No	Yes
Platforms	Web	iOS, API
Founded	Unknown	2009

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (E-Commerce).

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 for Retail does not also cover.

Only in Square for Retail

Contactless payments
Inventory tracking
Employee management
Customer profiles
Sales analytics
Receipt printing
Integration with Square Online
Reporting tools

What people use each for

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

Authorize.net

E-commerce payment processingnot Square for Retail
Recurring billing and subscription managementnot Square for Retail
Multi-channel payment acceptancenot Square for Retail

Square for Retail

Retail point-of-sale systemsnot Authorize.net
Online store payment processingnot Authorize.net
Appointment and booking schedulingnot Authorize.net
Phone and field payment collectionnot 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 2.9% + 30¢ per card transaction, higher than Gateway-only rate of 10¢ + batch fee
Gateway + eCheck plan limited to U.S.-based businesses only
eCheck processing includes $10 minimum monthly fee on Gateway + eCheck plan
Chargeback fees apply: $0 for standard processing but $25 for eCheck chargebacks

Square for Retail

Limited customer support with primarily email and online forums, slow response times for urgent issues
Internet connectivity required for normal operations; weak signal impacts transaction processing and experience
Restricted to Square's payment processing with higher transaction fees compared to some competitors
Limited to iOS devices and Square's proprietary hardware, excluding Android or third-party devices
Limited advanced retail capabilities and deeper third-party integrations compared to enterprise POS systems

Pricing, plan by plan

Authorize.net

$25/month

All-in-One$25/month
- Merchant account and payment gateway
- Transaction rate 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction
- Multiple payment types (cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay)
Gateway Only$25/month
- Payment gateway only
- For existing merchant account holders
- Transaction rate 10¢ per transaction + 10¢ daily batch fee
Gateway + eCheck$25/month
- Payment gateway with eCheck support
- eCheck rate 0.75% per transaction
- Credit card rate 10¢ per transaction + 10¢ daily batch fee

Square for Retail

Free

FreeFree
- Payment processing at 2.6% + 15 cents
- Basic inventory management
- Invoicing
Plus$49/month
- In-person: 2.5% + 15 cents
- Online: 2.9% + 30 cents
- Product exchanges
Premium$149/month
- In-person: 2.4% + 15 cents
- Online: 2.9% + 30 cents
- Advanced features

Which should you pick?

Choose Authorize.net if

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

Authorize.net review

Choose Square for Retail if

You need contactless payments.
You want to start without paying.
You work on iOS, API.
You also want inventory tracking.

Square for Retail review

Questions people ask

Is Authorize.net or Square for Retail better?: Neither clearly leads. Authorize.net starts at $25/month and Square for Retail at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Authorize.net or Square for Retail?: Square for Retail has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $25/month for Authorize.net and Free for Square for Retail.
Does Authorize.net or Square for Retail run on more platforms?: Authorize.net runs on Web. Square for Retail runs on iOS, API.
Can I use Square for Retail for free?: Yes. Square for Retail has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Authorize.net starts at $25/month.
What is Authorize.net best used for?: Authorize.net is most often used for e-commerce payment processing, recurring billing and subscription management, multi-channel payment acceptance. Of those, e-commerce payment processing and recurring billing and subscription management are not what Square for Retail is typically brought in for.
What can Authorize.net do that Square for Retail cannot?: Square for Retail covers Contactless payments, Inventory tracking, Employee management, Customer profiles.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Authorize.net: How much does Authorize.net cost?

Authorize.net charges a $25/month gateway fee across all plans. Transaction rates vary: All-in-One plan charges 2.9% + 30¢ per card transaction, Gateway-only plan charges 10¢ per transaction + 10¢ daily batch fee, and Gateway + eCheck charges 0.75% for eCheck or 10¢ + 10¢ batch for credit cards.

Source

Square for Retail: Does Square for Retail have a free tier?

Yes, Square for Retail's free tier includes payment processing at 2.6% plus 15 cents per transaction, basic inventory, invoicing, online shop, and booking tools with no monthly subscription fee.

Source

Authorize.net: Are there any setup or termination fees?

No setup fee or early termination fee applies to any Authorize.net plan. You can cancel your account without penalty once service usage stops.

Source

Square for Retail: What are the transaction fees across Square's pricing tiers?

Free tier: 2.6% + 15 cents. Plus tier ($49/month): 2.5% + 15 cents in-person, 2.9% + 30 cents online. Premium tier ($149/month): 2.4% + 15 cents in-person, 2.9% + 30 cents online.

Source

Authorize.net: What are the additional fees beyond the monthly gateway charge?

Beyond the $25/month fee, additional charges include Account Updater service at $0.25 per update, standard chargeback fees at $0 (but $25 for eCheck chargebacks), and returned item fee of $3 for eCheck payments. eCheck processing includes a $10 minimum monthly fee.

Source

Square for Retail: What devices can run Square for Retail?

Square for Retail runs on iOS devices (iPad and iPhone) using Square's proprietary hardware or compatible mobile devices, and requires integration with Square's payment processing.

Source

Authorize.net: What payment types does Authorize.net accept?

Authorize.net accepts credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and eCheck payments (Gateway + eCheck plan and higher). All plans include automated recurring billing, customer information manager, digital invoicing, and advanced fraud detection.

Source

Square for Retail: Can I use Square for Retail offline?

Square for Retail depends on an internet connection for optimal functionality. Offline functionality is limited, and high-traffic operations may require recharging or connection verification.

Source

Square for Retail: Does Square for Retail support third-party integrations?

Yes, Square offers integrations through its App Marketplace and provides APIs for custom development including payments, inventory, orders, customers, loyalty, and webhooks.

Source

Authorize.net vs Square for Retail

Authorize.net

Square for Retail

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Authorize.net

Only in Square for Retail

What people use each for

Authorize.net

Square for Retail

Where each one falls short

Authorize.net

Square for Retail

Pricing, plan by plan

Authorize.net

Square for Retail

Which should you pick?

Choose Authorize.net if

Choose Square for Retail if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Authorize.net

More on Square for Retail

Keep looking

Other head to heads