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E-commerce & Retail · head to head

Revel vs Square

Revel logo

Revel

E-commerce & Retail

iPad-based point of sale system

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Square logo

Square

E-commerce & Retail

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: Revel mandatory use of Revel Advantage payment processing for new customers with no viable alternatives; Square plus plan pricing not specified in documentation
  • They diverge on capability: Revel covers iPad point of sale, Square covers Point of sale.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Revel and Square actually diverge.

Attributes where Revel and Square differ
AttributeRevelSquare
Starting price$99/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsiPad, iOS, WebPOS (Mobile app), Web
Founded20102009

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

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 Revel

  • iPad point of sale
  • Inventory management
  • Customer profiles
  • Employee management
  • Sales analytics
  • Loyalty programs
  • Multi-location support

Only in Square

  • Point of sale
  • Invoicing
  • Payroll
  • Banking
  • QuickBooks
  • WooCommerce
  • Wix
  • PCI DSS

Both cover

  • Payment processing

What people use each for

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

Revel

No use cases recorded yet. See the Revel review.

Square

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

Where each one falls short

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

Revel

  • Mandatory use of Revel Advantage payment processing for new customers with no viable alternatives
  • Long-term 3-year contracts with high early termination fees
  • Hidden fees for API access and mobile inventory management app not included in base pricing
  • Frequent system crashes and connectivity issues that disrupt operations
  • Limited ability to retrieve historical data after extended use of the system

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

Revel

$99/month
  • Standard$99/month
    • POS
    • Inventory management
    • Employee management
  • Premium$649/month
    • All standard features
    • Advanced integrations
    • API access

Square

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Square review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Revel if

  • You need ipad point of sale.
  • You work on iPad, iOS, Web.
  • You also want inventory management.
Revel 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 invoicing.
Square review

Questions people ask

Is Revel or Square better?
Neither clearly leads. Revel starts at $99/month and Square at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Revel or Square?
Square has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $99/month for Revel and Free for Square.
Does Revel or Square run on more platforms?
Revel runs on iPad, iOS, 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. Revel starts at $99/month.
What can Revel do that Square cannot?
Revel covers iPad point of sale, Inventory management, Customer profiles, Employee management. Square covers Point of sale, Invoicing, Payroll, Banking. Both handle Payment processing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Revel: Does Revel have a free trial?

Revel Systems does not offer a free trial for its standard POS plans. However, Revel+ premium subscriptions include a two-month free trial period.

Source
Revel: Can Revel work offline?

Yes. Revel uses hybrid architecture to run offline or on a local network, and Always On Mode enables credit card processing during internet outages. The only limitation is that you cannot verify if a credit card has declined until your connection is restored.

Source
Revel: Does Revel integrate with Shopify?

Yes. Revel integrates with Shopify to synchronize inventory levels, automatically transfer sales data, and manage both online and brick-and-mortar stores from a single dashboard.

Source
Revel: What are Revel's typical contract terms?

Revel typically requires 3-year contracts with high early termination fees (ETFs). Users report difficulty canceling and facing steep penalties if they exit before the contract period ends.

Source
Revel: Can I use my own payment processor with Revel?

New customers are almost always required to use Revel Advantage payment processing. Using an outside payment processor is typically not allowed or is heavily penalized.

Source
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