Square Point of Sale vs Square for Retail

PayPal

Venmo

Shopify

Stripe

Google Pay

Clover

Compare Square Point of Sale and Square for Retail based on features, pricing, verified reviews, integrations & more on GetApp. Find out which software is best for your business in 2026.

Clover is an all-in-one platform designed to help on and offline retailers, quick service restaurants, and other service businesses manage their point-of-sale operations, with secure payment solutions and reliable business management features

Venmo is a digital wallet and payment gateway that allows customers to send money and make purchases via mobile device, and share activity via the purchase feed

PayPal provides an end-to-end suite of tools that can integrate with a business's existing systems and service providers. Its network of shoppers and businesses provides AI-driven data insights to help businesses reach new customers and drive results.

Square Point of Sale is a POS solution for Android and iOS devices which includes tools for managing payments, digital receipts, inventory, reports, and more.

Access Controls/Permissions

Accounting

Accounting Integration

Activity Dashboard

Alerts/Notifications

Barcode/Ticket Scanning

Billing & Invoicing

Cash Management

Clock In/Out

Commission Management

Contact Database

Contact Management

Credit Card Processing

Custom Cake Orders

Customer Accounts

Customer Database

Customer History

Customer Management

Customizable Branding

Customizable Invoices

Customizable Reports

Customizable Templates

Data Import/Export

Data Security

Data Synchronization

Delivery Management

Device Enrollment

Discount Management

Document Storage

eCommerce Management

Electronic Payments

Electronic Signature

Email Marketing

Employee Management

For Bakeries

For Bars/Clubs

For iPad Devices

For Liquor Stores

For Restaurants

For Retail

Fraud Detection

Gift Card Management

Inventory Control

Inventory Management

Inventory Tracking

Invoice Creation

Invoice History

Invoice Management

Invoice Processing

Item Management

Labor Cost Calculator

Layaway Management

Loyalty Program

Menu Builder

Mobile Access

Mobile App

Mobile Payments

Multi-Location

Offline Access

Online Invoicing

Online Ordering

Online Payments

Order Entry

Order Management

Ordering Automation

Partial Payments

Payment Processing

PCI Compliance

Point of Sale (POS)

Point of Sale (POS) Integration

Price/Margin Management

Pricing Management

Promotions Management

QR Codes

Quotes/Estimates

Real-Time Data

Real-Time Reporting

Real-Time Updates

Receipt Management

Recurring Invoicing

Recurring/Subscription Billing

Reminders

Remote Access/Control

Reporting/Analytics

Restaurant POS

Retail Inventory Management

Retail POS

Returns Management

Sales History

Sales Reports

Sales Tax Management

Sales Trend Analysis

Search/Filter

Security Management

Separate Checks

SMS Marketing

Split Checks

Stock Management

Square Point of Sale

Android

Web-based

iPad

iPhone

Antique sales associate

The greatest benefit that came from this software, for me, is the ability to conduct business, specifically, complete a payment transaction, no matter where you are located.

IT Systems Admin

Square is an awesome piece of software to use. The retail side has great capabilities for sales, inventory, gift cards, rewards, and much much more.

Managing Partner

Square is very simple to learn and use as an end user, and it has gain a lot of popularity recently, customers feel more and more comfortable with this system.

Office Manager

If I am to complain about something I would complain about the percentage I am giving back to square but that it the cost of doing business.

Production Manager

Easy and inexpensive way to take credit card payments for my small business. This provider is awesome, and helps my small business to easily accept cards.

owner

I love being able to create different locations and taylor the products, pricing and taxes to each location individually. Integration with Craftybase is excellent.

Owner

The only thing that has ever been slightly frustrating is the traditional card reader being sensitive when swiping cards. Sometimes I'll have to try 3-4 times to get it to register.

Administrative

Good pricing and customer support available. Great hardware options - Android and IOS Capability.

CEO and Founder

My overall experience with Square Point of Sales has been extremely positive. Not only was is easy to use reliable as a business owner, but it was intuitive and simple for customers to use as well.

Communications Director 

I dislike that it fails sometimes and it is not accessible at many different vendors and restaurants.

Network Admin

I like that all you need is a reader and a phone or tablet that is internet connected. The option of using Bluetooth for select readers was very nice.

Owner Operator 

I enjoyed the ease of use that Square provided in the initial setup and ease of use.

Office admin

Overall, as both a person who as used Square as a customer and vendor, I find it very easy to use, set up, and maintain. It is also very inexpensive, which is great for small businesses.

Catering Lead

Easily integrated for payment, great interface and very easy to use software. Easy to edit and amend items on the menu.

Manager

When we were just in the beginning stages of POS systems, Square was the best option. It's easy and small and doesn't require paying for a large software system.

Managing Director

By watching the videos, it looked like Square is the ideal option for a Coffee shop, and when it comes to ease of use, then.

I have never had to use customer service for any issues I have had because I've never had any. It is very simple to use and it is great for taking customer transactions over the phone.

Entrepreneur 

There were also times where it appeared that the sale went through and then later after checking my sales reports I could see that several transactions were missing and I was never paid.

Square Point of Sale screenshot: The point of sale that's so much more than a point of sale.

Square Point of Sale screenshot: Sell at the counter, on the go, or online, so you never miss a sale.

Square Point of Sale screenshot: Customize your checkout to keep your line moving and your customers happy.

Square Point of Sale screenshot: Accept every way your customers want to pay.

Square Point of Sale screenshot: Track customer’s preferences and purchases with every card swipe.

Square Point of Sale screenshot: Keep track of your sales, inventory, and locations, all in one system.

Freelancers

Large Enterprises

Mid Size Business

Non Profit

Public Administrations

Small Business

Shopify is a commerce platform that allows anyone to easily sell online, at a retail location, and everywhere in between

Google Pay is a mobile payment platform that allows users to make online payments, in-app purchases, and send money to others. It is available on Android devices, iPhones, and other mobile devices such as Chromebooks and tablets.

Stripe is a comprehensive financial infrastructure platform that enables businesses to accept payments online and in person. It offers a suite of APIs for payment processing, subscription management, fraud prevention, and financial services integration, supporting over one hundred payment methods across multiple currencies. Stripe provides both developer-focused tools with extensive documentation and no-code solutions for businesses without technical staff.

Square for Retail is a point of sale (POS) system for retail businesses, with integrated inventory management, customer profiles, employee timecards, and more

Square Point of Sale vs Square for Retail Comparison (2026)

Square Point of Sale

Square for Retail

Overview

Video & Screenshots

Pricing

User reviews

Key features

Integrations

Alternatives