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Software · head to head

Braintree vs Square

B

Braintree

Software

End-to-end checkout experiences for businesses, from PayPal

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Square logo

Square

Software

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: Braintree vendor overview page names no transaction fee percentage or fixed charge, requiring a separate signup flow to see pricing; Square plus plan pricing not specified in documentation

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Braintree and Square actually diverge.

Attributes where Braintree and Square differ
AttributeBraintreeSquare
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modeltransactionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebPOS (Mobile app), Web
FoundedUnknown2009

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

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 Braintree

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.

Braintree

No use cases recorded yet. See the Braintree review.

Square

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

Where each one falls short

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

Braintree

  • Vendor overview page names no transaction fee percentage or fixed charge, requiring a separate signup flow to see pricing
  • Now marketed and hosted directly under the PayPal brand at paypal.com rather than a standalone braintreepayments.com site, which now redirects

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

Braintree

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Braintree review.

Square

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Square review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Braintree if

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

Braintree 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 Braintree or Square better?
Neither clearly leads. Braintree 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, Braintree or Square?
Square has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Braintree and Free for Square.
Does Braintree or Square run on more platforms?
Braintree 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. Braintree starts at On request.
What can Braintree do that Square cannot?
Square covers Payment processing, Point of sale, Invoicing, Payroll.
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Related pages

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