What is Square used for?

Square provides payments, point-of-sale hardware and software, and operations tools for small businesses in food, retail, beauty and services. It is a good fit for coffee shops and restaurants taking orders, salons and spas managing appointments, and retail shops tracking inventory.

Yes. Square has a free plan, and paid plans start at $49 per month. A free trial is also available.

Is Square open source?

No. Square is proprietary (closed-source) software and can't be self-hosted. Open-source alternatives to Square include BTCPay Server, Dolibarr and Open Source POS.

What are some alternatives to Square?

Square competes with Stripe, PayPal and Adyen. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source Square alternatives.

Square: features, pricing and alternatives

About Square

Square is a commercial payments and business management platform for small and mid-sized sellers. It combines card acceptance, point-of-sale software and hardware, and tools for operations so a business can take payments and run day-to-day work from one system. It also falls under e-commerce for sellers who want to sell online.

The vendor organizes its offering by business type, including food and beverage, retail, beauty and personal services, and professional or home services. Capabilities mentioned include taking payments, managing orders and inventory, handling appointments, keeping customers coming back, scheduling and paying staff, and managing cash flow. Hardware ranges from handheld readers and terminals to registers, stands and kiosks.

Square is proprietary software delivered as a hosted service, with hardware sold alongside it. Costs include processing fees and optional paid features, so check the vendor's pricing page for current terms.

Key features

Card payments in person and online
Point-of-sale software and hardware
Inventory tracking for retail
Appointment management for service businesses
Staff scheduling and payroll tools
Cash flow management tools
Order management for restaurants

Good fit for

→Coffee shops and restaurants taking orders
→Salons and spas managing appointments
→Retail shops tracking inventory

Tags: point-of-sale; payments; small-business; retail; restaurants; hardware; inventory

Square: questions and answers

What is Square used for?: Square provides payments, point-of-sale hardware and software, and operations tools for small businesses in food, retail, beauty and services. It is a good fit for coffee shops and restaurants taking orders, salons and spas managing appointments, and retail shops tracking inventory.
Is Square free?: Yes. Square has a free plan, and paid plans start at $49 per month. A free trial is also available.
Is Square open source?: No. Square is proprietary (closed-source) software and can't be self-hosted. Open-source alternatives to Square include BTCPay Server, Dolibarr and Open Source POS.
What are some alternatives to Square?: Square competes with Stripe, PayPal and Adyen. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source Square alternatives.