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E-Commerce · head to head

Square vs Venmo

Square logo

Square

E-Commerce

Powering the economy

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Venmo logo

Venmo

Personal Finance

Money transfer and social payments

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Square plus plan pricing not specified in documentation; Venmo instant transfer costs 1.75 percent with a minimum fee of 0.25 USD and a maximum of 25 USD, while the free standard transfer takes 1 to 3 business days
  • They diverge on capability: Square covers Payment processing, Venmo covers Money transfers.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Square and Venmo actually diverge.

Attributes where Square and Venmo differ
AttributeSquareVenmo
Pricing modelfreemiumfree
PlatformsPOS (Mobile app), WebWeb, IOS, Android
CategoryE-CommercePersonal Finance

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), founded (2009).

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 Square

  • Payment processing
  • Point of sale
  • Invoicing
  • Payroll
  • Banking
  • QuickBooks
  • WooCommerce
  • Wix

Only in Venmo

  • Money transfers
  • Bill splitting
  • Social feed
  • Transaction history
  • Bank accounts
  • Debit cards
  • IOS support

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Square

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

Venmo

  • Splitting bills and reimbursing friends in the United Statesnot Square
  • Accepting payments through a Venmo business profilenot Square
  • Buying and holding cryptocurrency inside the payments appnot Square

Where each one falls short

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

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

Venmo

  • Instant transfer costs 1.75 percent with a minimum fee of 0.25 USD and a maximum of 25 USD, while the free standard transfer takes 1 to 3 business days
  • Sending money funded by a credit card carries a 3.00 percent fee
  • Cryptocurrency fees are tiered by trade size, from 2.20 percent on purchases of 1.00 to 74.99 USD down to 1.50 percent above 1,000 USD
  • Business profile payments cost 1.9 percent plus 0.10 USD, and Tap to Pay costs 2.29 percent plus 0.09 USD

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Venmo

Free
  • FreeFree
    • P2P transfers
    • Bill splitting
    • Mobile app

Which should you pick?

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.
Square review

Choose Venmo if

  • You need money transfers.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want bill splitting.
Venmo review

Questions people ask

Is Square or Venmo better?
Neither clearly leads. Square starts at Free and Venmo at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Square or Venmo?
Square starts at Free and Venmo at Free.
Does Square or Venmo run on more platforms?
Square runs on POS (Mobile app), Web. Venmo runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use Square for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Square best used for?
Square is most often used for accept payments with all-in-one pos application, online ordering and basic website creation, invoicing and appointment booking, staff scheduling and loyalty programmes. Of those, accept payments with all-in-one pos application and online ordering and basic website creation are not what Venmo is typically brought in for.
What can Square do that Venmo cannot?
Square covers Payment processing, Point of sale, Invoicing, Payroll. Venmo covers Money transfers, Bill splitting, Social feed, Transaction history. Both handle Web support, Android support.

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
Venmo: Is there a monthly fee for the Venmo Debit Card?

No, the Venmo Debit Card has no monthly fee or minimum balance requirement.

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
Venmo: Is there an annual fee for the Venmo Credit Card?

No, the Venmo Credit Card has no annual fee.

Source
Venmo: Are there fees when buying or selling cryptocurrency on Venmo?

Yes, when buying or selling crypto on Venmo, the company discloses an exchange rate and fees for each transaction. For non-stablecoin currencies, the exchange rate includes a spread that Venmo earns on each purchase and sale.

Source
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