Softwr

Restaurants · head to head

Clover vs Square

Clover logo

Clover

Restaurants

Point of sale system that grows with your business

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Square logo

Square

E-Commerce

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: Clover the App Store listing (Clover Network, Inc) requires an existing Clover merchant account to use the app at all; there is no self-serve signup or published subscription price inside the listing, confirming the product is sold only through merchant onboarding contracts; Square plus plan pricing not specified in documentation
  • They diverge on capability: Clover covers POS system, Square covers Point of sale.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Clover and Square actually diverge.

Attributes where Clover and Square differ
AttributeCloverSquare
Starting price$29/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsHardware, Ios, AndroidPOS (Mobile app), Web
CategoryRestaurantsE-Commerce
Founded20122009

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 Clover

  • POS system
  • Inventory management
  • Employee management
  • Reporting
  • Yelp
  • Gusto
  • EMV

Only in Square

  • Point of sale
  • Invoicing
  • Payroll
  • Banking
  • WooCommerce
  • Wix
  • EMV compliant
  • Web support

Both cover

  • Payment processing
  • QuickBooks
  • PCI DSS
  • Hardware support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Clover

  • Point of salenot Square
  • Payment processingnot Square
  • Business managementnot Square

Square

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

Where each one falls short

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

Clover

  • The App Store listing (Clover Network, Inc) requires an existing Clover merchant account to use the app at all; there is no self-serve signup or published subscription price inside the listing, confirming the product is sold only through merchant onboarding contracts

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

Clover

$29/month
  • StarterFree
    • Mobile payments
    • Basic reporting
  • Standard$14.95/month
    • Full POS
    • Employee management
    • Inventory

Square

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Accept payments with all-in-one POS app
    • Online site builder (ordering profiles, basic websites, online stores, booking sites)
    • Item library and inventory tracking
  • Plus$null/mo
    • All Free plan features
    • Advanced POS features for food, retail, and appointments
    • Lower processing fees on card transactions

Which should you pick?

Choose Clover if

  • You need pos system.
  • You work on Hardware, Ios, Android.
  • You also want inventory management.
Clover review

Choose Square if

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

Questions people ask

Is Clover or Square better?
Neither clearly leads. Clover starts at $29/month and Square at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Clover or Square?
Square has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for Clover and Free for Square.
Does Clover or Square run on more platforms?
Clover runs on Hardware, Ios, Android. 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. Clover starts at $29/month.
What is Clover best used for?
Clover is most often used for point of sale, payment processing, business management. Of those, point of sale and payment processing are not what Square is typically brought in for.
What can Clover do that Square cannot?
Clover covers POS system, Inventory management, Employee management, Reporting. Square covers Point of sale, Invoicing, Payroll, Banking. Both handle Payment processing, QuickBooks, PCI DSS, Hardware support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Clover: Does Clover publish pricing on their website?

Pricing is not shown on Clover's main site or dedicated pricing page. To get a quote, you must contact their sales team directly.

Source
Square: Does Square offer a free plan?

Yes, Square's free plan includes an all-in-one POS app, online site builder, item library and inventory tracking, invoicing, appointment scheduling, staff calendars, and checking and savings account access. No subscription fees are charged.

Source
Clover: Do I need a credit card to try Clover?

The site does not disclose whether a trial period exists or what sign-up requirements are. Contact sales to ask whether a free trial is available and what payment information is required.

Source
Square: What does Square Plus add compared to the free plan?

Square Plus adds advanced POS features for food and retail, lower processing fees on card transactions, custom loyalty programs, unlimited email marketing campaigns, text messaging, and staff scheduling and attendance tracking.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Clover

More on Square

Keep looking

Other head to heads