Square Point of Sale (POS) vs its rivals

Side-by-side comparison against Square Point of Sale (POS)'s closest competitors — identity, store metrics, ratings & sentiment, and strategic intel.

	Square Point of Sale (POS) This App	Clover Go - Dashboard & POS Nemesis	PayPal POS (ex Zettle) Contender	Shopify Point of Sale (POS) Contender	QuickBooks GoPayment POS Peer	Mindbody Business Peer	SumUp: Payments and POS New Kid	Loyverse POS - Point of Sale New Kid
Core Identity
Developer	Block, Inc.	Clover Network, Inc.	PayPal, Inc.	Shopify Inc.	Intuit Inc.	MINDBODY Inc.	SumUp Limited	Loyverse
Category	Business	Finance	Business	Business	Business	Business	Business	Business
Platform	iOS, Android	iOS, Android	iOS, Android	iOS, Android	iOS, Android	iOS, Android	iOS, Android	iOS, Android
Store Metrics
Rating	4.8 / 5	4.8 / 5	3.1 / 5	4.5 / 5	4.8 / 5	4.6 / 5	3.8 / 5	4.7 / 5
Ratings Count	596,575	62,237	1,094	7,465	6,358	23,189	658	356
Price	Free	Free	Free	Free	Free	Free	Free	Free
Release Date	Apr 3, 2010	Sep 24, 2015	May 3, 2021	Aug 28, 2013	Aug 3, 2009	Feb 9, 2013	Oct 20, 2015	May 2, 2016
Last Updated	May 1, 2026	Apr 6, 2026	Apr 7, 2026	May 14, 2026	Mar 25, 2026	Apr 13, 2026	Apr 13, 2026	Mar 24, 2026
Sentiment & Reviews
Sentiment	negative	-	-	negative	-	-	-	-
Score	35/100	-	-	25/100	-	-	-	-
Praises	Simple and functional payment processing interface allows small business owners to manage transactions with ease	-	-	Core store management functionality provides a convenient foundation for new business owners starting out	-	-	-	-
Complaints	Abrupt account deactivation and long-term withholding of funds create severe financial instability for small businesses	-	-	Frequent application crashes and connection failures during checkout disrupt the sales process for retail merchants Unnecessary UI changes and complex navigation steps increase the time required to complete simple transactions	-	-	-	-
Requests	Improved transparency and communication regarding account review triggers and fee structures for business transactions	-	-	Offline transaction capability is required to prevent lost sales in areas with unreliable internet connectivity	-	-	-	-
Strategic Intel
Strengths	Proprietary hardware ecosystem creates high merchant switching costs Integrated banking services increase long-term user retention	24/7/365 live phone support (key advantage over Square) Native Tap to Pay on iPhone (hardware-free onboarding) Deep integration with Fiserv banking infrastructure	-	Unified inventory sync across online and physical channels drives high switching costs Deep platform integration creates a central source of truth for multi-channel merchants	-	-	Integrated Business Account with Mastercard for immediate fund access Versatile remote payment suite (Links, QR, Invoices) Transparent, no-monthly-fee pricing structure	-
Weaknesses	Automated account-deactivation logic triggers merchant financial instability Post-update UI regressions disrupt core transaction workflows	Mandatory monthly SaaS fees create a higher barrier to entry than Square Security restrictions block rooted/jailbroken devices Less extensive third-party app marketplace compared to Square	-	Frequent app freezes during active transactions erode merchant revenue Removal of direct keypad input increases checkout time Opaque account termination policies create financial uncertainty	-	-	Lacks scaling features like Payroll and Staff Management (available in Square) No 24/7 phone support for lower-tier merchants Recent updates indicate a focus on maintenance over feature innovation	-
Pricing	freemium	subscription	free	freemium	freemium	subscription	freemium	free
Momentum	Active	Maintenance	Intense	Active	Intense	Intense	-	Intense
Update Cadence	4 versions, 1 majors/6mo, ~21d avg	1 versions	5 versions	5 versions, 2 majors/6mo, ~11d avg	5 versions	5 versions	-	5 versions

Compare Square Point of Sale (POS) head-to-head