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Accounting · head to head

QuickBooks vs Square

QuickBooks logo

QuickBooks

Accounting

Smart, simple online accounting software for small business

From
$30/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: QuickBooks chart of Accounts is capped on every QuickBooks Online tier except Advanced; Simple Start, Essentials and Plus all have a limited entry count; Square plus plan pricing not specified in documentation
  • They diverge on capability: QuickBooks covers Income & expense tracking, Square covers Point of sale.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which QuickBooks and Square actually diverge.

Attributes where QuickBooks and Square differ
AttributeQuickBooksSquare
Starting price$30/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiPOS (Mobile app), Web
CategoryAccountingE-Commerce
Founded19832009

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 QuickBooks

  • Income & expense tracking
  • Financial reporting
  • Tax preparation
  • Bank reconciliation
  • Bill management
  • Mobile apps
  • PayPal
  • Square

Only in Square

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

Both cover

  • Invoicing
  • Payment processing
  • PCI DSS

What people use each for

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

QuickBooks

  • Bookkeepingnot Square
  • Invoicingnot Square
  • Expense trackingnot Square
  • Financial reportingnot Square
  • Tax preparationnot Square

Square

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

Where each one falls short

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

QuickBooks

  • Chart of Accounts is capped on every QuickBooks Online tier except Advanced; Simple Start, Essentials and Plus all have a limited entry count
  • Even the top Advanced tier caps bulk invoice uploads at 1,000 transaction lines per batch
  • Payroll is a separate paid add-on billed per employee per month (USD 6 to 10 depending on plan) on top of the base subscription

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

QuickBooks

$30/month
  • Simple Start$30/month
    • Income & expense tracking
    • Invoice & payments
    • Tax deductions
  • Essentials$60/month
    • Everything in Simple Start
    • Bill management
    • Time tracking
  • Plus$90/month
    • Everything in Essentials
    • Inventory tracking
    • Project profitability
  • Advanced$200/month
    • Everything in Plus
    • Dedicated account team
    • 25 users

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 QuickBooks if

  • You need income & expense tracking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want financial reporting.
QuickBooks 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 payroll.
Square review

Questions people ask

Is QuickBooks or Square better?
Neither clearly leads. QuickBooks starts at $30/month and Square at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, QuickBooks or Square?
Square has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $30/month for QuickBooks and Free for Square.
Does QuickBooks or Square run on more platforms?
QuickBooks runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. 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. QuickBooks starts at $30/month.
What is QuickBooks best used for?
QuickBooks is most often used for bookkeeping, invoicing, expense tracking, financial reporting. Of those, bookkeeping and invoicing are not what Square is typically brought in for.
What can QuickBooks do that Square cannot?
QuickBooks covers Income & expense tracking, Financial reporting, Tax preparation, Bank reconciliation. Square covers Point of sale, Payroll, Banking, QuickBooks. Both handle Invoicing, Payment processing, PCI DSS.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
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
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