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Software · head to head

KORONA POS vs Square

KORONA POS logo

KORONA POS

Software

Cloud-based retail POS system

From
Free
Rated
-
Square logo

Square

Software

Powering the economy

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: KORONA POS inventory counts and stock management require the $79 Retail plan, so the $59 Core plan is checkout without stock control; Square plus plan pricing not specified in documentation
  • They diverge on capability: KORONA POS covers Inventory management, Square covers Payment processing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which KORONA POS and Square actually diverge.

Attributes where KORONA POS and Square differ
AttributeKORONA POSSquare
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
PlatformsWebPOS (Mobile app), Web
Founded20042009

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 KORONA POS

  • Inventory management
  • Employee management
  • Customer database
  • Sales analytics
  • Loyalty programs
  • Multi-location support
  • Mobile POS

Only in Square

  • Payment processing
  • Invoicing
  • Payroll
  • Banking
  • QuickBooks
  • WooCommerce
  • Wix
  • PCI DSS

Both cover

  • Point of sale

What people use each for

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

KORONA POS

  • Point of sale and inventory management for retail storesnot Square
  • Multi location retail with stock control and reportingnot Square

Square

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

Where each one falls short

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

KORONA POS

  • Inventory counts and stock management require the $79 Retail plan, so the $59 Core plan is checkout without stock control
  • Five separate modules are charged on top of the plan, at $10 per terminal for food service, $10 per terminal for invoicing, $50 per gate for ticketing, $30 per franchise and $45 per token for custom API integrations
  • Integration pricing is per token rather than per account, so several integrations multiply the cost
  • Advanced stock management and movement reporting require the $99 Plus plan

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

KORONA POS

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 register
    • Inventory management
    • Basic analytics
  • Professional$79/month
    • Unlimited registers
    • Advanced inventory
    • Employee management

Square

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Square review.

Which should you pick?

Choose KORONA POS if

  • You need inventory management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want employee management.

Choose Square if

  • You need payment processing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on POS (Mobile app), Web.
  • You also want invoicing.

Questions people ask

Is KORONA POS or Square better?
Neither clearly leads. KORONA POS starts at Free and Square at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, KORONA POS or Square?
KORONA POS starts at Free and Square at Free.
Does KORONA POS or Square run on more platforms?
KORONA POS runs on Web. Square runs on POS (Mobile app), Web.
Can I use KORONA POS for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is KORONA POS best used for?
KORONA POS is most often used for point of sale and inventory management for retail stores, multi location retail with stock control and reporting. Of those, point of sale and inventory management for retail stores and multi location retail with stock control and reporting are not what Square is typically brought in for.
What can KORONA POS do that Square cannot?
KORONA POS covers Inventory management, Employee management, Customer database, Sales analytics. Square covers Payment processing, Invoicing, Payroll, Banking. Both handle Point of sale.

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