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QuickBooks vs Square Appointments

QuickBooks logo

QuickBooks

Software

Smart, simple online accounting software for small business

From
$30/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Square Appointments logo

Square Appointments

Software

Free scheduling for beauty businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Square Appointments 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 Appointments the free plan is aimed at solo professionals; booking across multiple staff requires the paid Plus plan
  • They diverge on capability: QuickBooks covers Income & expense tracking, Square Appointments covers Online booking.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which QuickBooks and Square Appointments actually diverge.

Attributes where QuickBooks and Square Appointments differ
AttributeQuickBooksSquare Appointments
Starting price$30/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb, Ios, Android
Founded19832009

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 QuickBooks

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

Only in Square Appointments

  • Online booking
  • Client management
  • Point of sale
  • Automated reminders
  • Instagram booking
  • Google booking
  • Mobile app
  • Square POS

Both cover

  • Payment processing
  • PCI DSS

What people use each for

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

QuickBooks

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

Square Appointments

  • Online appointment booking for salons, barbers and personal servicesnot QuickBooks
  • Taking card payments and deposits at the time of bookingnot QuickBooks
  • Managing staff calendars, waitlists and no-show policiesnot 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 Appointments

  • The free plan is aimed at solo professionals; booking across multiple staff requires the paid Plus plan
  • Cancellation policies, no-show fees and waitlists require the Plus plan
  • Resource management, service cost tracking and the future bookings report require the Premium plan
  • Custom processing rates are reserved for Square Pro, which is aimed at businesses processing over $250,000 a year
  • Card processing fees are charged on top of the plan fee on every tier including the free one

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 Appointments

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited appointments
    • Online booking
    • Client management
  • Plus$29/month
    • Everything in Free
    • Multiple staff calendars
    • No-show protection
  • Premium$69/month
    • Everything in Plus
    • Multi-location
    • Staff management

Which should you pick?

Choose QuickBooks if

  • You need income & expense tracking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want invoicing.
QuickBooks review

Choose Square Appointments if

  • You need online booking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want client management.
Square Appointments review

Questions people ask

Is QuickBooks or Square Appointments better?
Neither clearly leads. QuickBooks starts at $30/month and Square Appointments at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, QuickBooks or Square Appointments?
Square Appointments has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $30/month for QuickBooks and Free for Square Appointments.
Does QuickBooks or Square Appointments run on more platforms?
QuickBooks runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Square Appointments runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Square Appointments for free?
Yes. Square Appointments 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 Appointments is typically brought in for.
What can QuickBooks do that Square Appointments cannot?
QuickBooks covers Income & expense tracking, Invoicing, Financial reporting, Tax preparation. Square Appointments covers Online booking, Client management, Point of sale, Automated reminders. Both handle Payment processing, PCI DSS.
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