Softwr

E-Commerce · head to head

Retail Pro vs Square

Retail Pro logo

Retail Pro

E-Commerce

Comprehensive retail management software

From
On request
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: Retail Pro pricing details not disclosed; requires sales consultation; Square plus plan pricing not specified in documentation
  • They diverge on capability: Retail Pro covers Inventory management, Square covers Payment processing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Retail Pro and Square actually diverge.

Attributes where Retail Pro and Square differ
AttributeRetail ProSquare
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsiOS, Android, WindowsPOS (Mobile app), Web
Founded19882009

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 Retail Pro

  • Inventory management
  • Customer database
  • Employee management
  • Sales analytics
  • Promotion management
  • Multi-store support
  • Reporting tools

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.

Retail Pro

  • Multi-location retail POS operations (1 to 250+ stores)not Square
  • Inventory management with serialized product trackingnot Square
  • Customer loyalty programs via AppCard integrationnot Square

Square

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

Where each one falls short

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

Retail Pro

  • Pricing details not disclosed; requires sales consultation
  • No published technical requirements or system specifications
  • International deployment requires fiscal/tax compliance consultation per region

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

Retail Pro

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Retail Pro review.

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 Retail Pro if

  • You need inventory management.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Windows.
  • You also want customer database.
Retail Pro review

Choose Square if

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

Questions people ask

Is Retail Pro or Square better?
Neither clearly leads. Retail Pro 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, Retail Pro or Square?
Square has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Retail Pro and Free for Square.
Does Retail Pro or Square run on more platforms?
Retail Pro runs on iOS, Android, Windows. 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. Retail Pro starts at On request.
What is Retail Pro best used for?
Retail Pro is most often used for multi-location retail pos operations (1 to 250+ stores), inventory management with serialized product tracking, customer loyalty programs via appcard integration. Of those, multi-location retail pos operations (1 to 250+ stores) and inventory management with serialized product tracking are not what Square is typically brought in for.
What can Retail Pro do that Square cannot?
Retail Pro covers Inventory management, Customer database, Employee management, Sales analytics. Square covers Payment processing, Invoicing, Payroll, Banking. Both handle Point of sale.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Retail Pro: How much does Retail Pro cost?

Retail Pro does not publish specific pricing on its website. The company describes a 'Pay As You Grow' model but directs interested retailers to request a consultation or brochure to obtain actual pricing quotes customized to their business needs.

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
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 Retail Pro

More on Square

Keep looking

Other head to heads