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E-Commerce · head to head

Razorpay vs Square

Razorpay logo

Razorpay

E-Commerce

Indian payment gateway for domestic and international card, UPI and wallet acceptance

From
On request
Rated
-
Square logo

Square

E-Commerce

Powering the economy

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Square has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Razorpay it requires an Indian legal entity and settles only to Indian bank accounts, so it is not an option for a business incorporated elsewhere no matter how many Indian customers it has.; Square plus plan pricing not specified in documentation
  • They diverge on capability: Razorpay covers Domestic payment methods, Square covers Payment processing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Razorpay and Square actually diverge.

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

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (E-Commerce).

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 Razorpay

  • Domestic payment methods
  • International cards
  • Payment links and pages
  • Route
  • RazorpayX
  • Subscriptions
  • Smart Collect
  • Dashboard and reporting

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.

Razorpay

  • An Indian D2C brand needing UPI acceptance alongside cards in a single checkoutnot Square
  • An Indian SaaS business billing domestic customers on recurring mandatesnot Square
  • A marketplace that must split each payment between the platform and its sellersnot Square
  • A business that needs to take payment without building a website, using links and pagesnot Square

Square

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

Where each one falls short

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

Razorpay

  • It requires an Indian legal entity and settles only to Indian bank accounts, so it is not an option for a business incorporated elsewhere no matter how many Indian customers it has.
  • The transaction percentage applies to the full order value including shipping and tax rather than to the product price, so low margin categories with heavy shipping give up more of their margin than the quoted rate suggests.
  • Payment aggregator authorisation sits with the Reserve Bank of India and has been withheld from aggregators before while applications were reviewed, so a dependency exists that no commercial contract term protects you from.
  • Default settlement runs on a delayed cycle with faster settlement sold as a paid add-on, so a business that buys stock from its takings either waits for cash or pays extra for it, and that cost belongs in the effective rate.
  • International card acceptance is priced higher and requires separate approval rather than being a configuration change, so cross-border revenue takes longer to switch on and earns less per order than a domestic sale.

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

Razorpay

On request
  • Domestic Payments$undefined/mo
    • 2% platform fee per successful transaction across all payment instruments
    • GST: 18% applies on the platform fee
    • No setup fees, annual maintenance charges, or refund fees
  • Corporate Cards$undefined/mo
    • 2.15% platform fee per transaction
  • International Payments - Cards$undefined/mo
    • Up to 3% per successful transaction
  • International Payments - Bank Transfers$undefined/mo
    • 1% per transaction with zero forex markup

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 Razorpay if

  • You need domestic payment methods.
  • You also want international cards.

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.

Questions people ask

Is Razorpay or Square better?
Neither clearly leads. Razorpay 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, Razorpay or Square?
Square has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Razorpay and Free for Square.
Does Razorpay or Square run on more platforms?
Razorpay 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. Razorpay starts at On request.
What is Razorpay best used for?
Razorpay is most often used for an indian d2c brand needing upi acceptance alongside cards in a single checkout, an indian saas business billing domestic customers on recurring mandates, a marketplace that must split each payment between the platform and its sellers, a business that needs to take payment without building a website, using links and pages. Of those, an indian d2c brand needing upi acceptance alongside cards in a single checkout and an indian saas business billing domestic customers on recurring mandates are not what Square is typically brought in for.
What can Razorpay do that Square cannot?
Razorpay covers Domestic payment methods, International cards, Payment links and pages, Route. Square covers Payment processing, Point of sale, Invoicing, Payroll.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Razorpay: Can I use Razorpay if my company is not in India?

No. It requires an Indian entity and an Indian bank account for settlement. Overseas businesses selling into India need a different arrangement.

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
Razorpay: What is the real effective rate?

The domestic percentage on the full order value including shipping and tax, plus higher international rates, plus any charge for faster settlement and dispute handling. Compute it from a month of settlement reports, not the pricing page.

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
Razorpay: How quickly do I get paid?

On a delayed settlement cycle by default, with faster settlement available as a paid feature. Plan working capital around the default, not the add-on.

Razorpay: What is the main structural risk?

Regulatory. Indian payment aggregators operate under RBI authorisation and have previously been barred from onboarding new merchants. Keep a second processor integrated if payments are business-critical.

Razorpay: Does it support recurring billing?

Yes, built on India's mandate and e-mandate framework, which has its own rules on authentication and notification that differ from card-on-file recurring elsewhere.

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