Clover VS Square: Which POS System Is Best For Your Small Business?

Clover and Square both have innovative hardware, user-friendly interfaces, and affordability. The size of your business may determine which one is better for you.

WRITTEN & RESEARCHED BY
Erica Seppala
Editor & Senior Staff Writer

Jun 5, 2023

UPDATED

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Clover VS Square

Clover and Square are two industry heavy hitters in the world of point of sale. The two POS systems have a lot in common — innovative hardware, user-friendly interfaces, and affordable pricing plans. However, a few distinct differences may make one a better option for your small business than the other.

In this post, we’ve put Clover vs. Square head-to-head so that you can easily make the most informed decision for your business. Keep reading to find out whether Clover or Square is the best POS solution for you.

	Clover	Square
Ideal For	Retail shops Restaurants Grocery stores	Retail shops Restaurants Smaller businesses
Pricing	$0-$94.85/month	$0-$60/month
Standout Features	Easy to use Numerous integrations Very customizable	Easy set up Extensive app store Free POS boasts strong basic features
What’s Missing	Only uses Clover POS hardware Confusing pricing structure Possible contracts & early termination fees	Loyalty program is a separate paid add-on More advanced features only available on paid plans Must use Square for payment processing
Next Steps	Visit Site Read Review	Visit Site Read Review

Clover VS Square At A Glance

Both Square and Clover are strong POS solutions, boasting numerous features, user-friendly interfaces, and sleek hardware options. But Clover has strong back-end features better suited for larger and growing businesses. Meanwhile, Square’s easy, affordable pricing model and ease of use make it a popular choice among smaller businesses.

Clover Overview

Pros

Easy to set up & use
Intuitive interface
Numerous integrations

Cons

Must use proprietary POS hardware
Potential contracts and ETFs

Clover’s customizable and scalable POS software is ideal for businesses of any size. A strong set of features and numerous integrations provide everything you’d want in a POS system.

Square Overview

Pros

Easy to set up & use
Intuitive interface
Free plan

Cons

Occasional fund holds
More advanced features available only with paid plans or add-ons

While Square can be used by businesses of all sizes, it is best for smaller businesses that want an easy-to-use POS solution with pricing that’s easy to understand.

What’s The Difference Between Clover & Square?

Clover and Square each hold their own in the POS industry, but there are a few distinct differences between the two. Square is one of the best free POS systems on the market, and users can upgrade their system with Square’s add-ons and paid plans. Clover’s plans feature robust feature sets while also giving you the freedom to choose your own merchant services provider.

Both Clover & Square Offer…

Virtual terminals
Inventory management
Employee management
Multichannel selling
Marketing tools

Only Clover Offers…

Built-in loyalty program
The ability to choose your own merchant services provider

Only Square Offers…

The ability to use third-party hardware solutions
Free magstripe card reader
Free online store
Appointment add-on
Payroll add-on

Clover VS Square Pricing

	Clover	Square
Monthly Fees	$0-$94.85/month	$0-$60/month
Hardware Costs	$49-$1,799	$0-$799
Payment Processing Costs	2.3%-3.5% + $0.10	2.6%-3.5% + $0.10-$0.30
Early Termination Fees	Varies	None
Additional Costs	Optional add-ons Merchant Application Fee: $150 Debit Card Setup Fee: $50 Additional Devices: $9.95+/month	Optional add-ons

Square offers pricing plans starting at $0/month up to $60/month if you opt for Square for Retail or Square for Restaurants. Additional paid add-ons include Square Appointments, Square Marketing, and Square Payroll. Clover also offers basic payment processing with no monthly software fees. Other plans range from $14.95/month to $94.85/month.

Which Is Cheaper, Clover Or Square?

The cheaper of the two is based on a number of factors, including your monthly subscription plan, optional add-ons, and the hardware you select. Fortunately, Clover and Square both offer numerous plans and hardware options suitable for almost any budget.

Square offers free POS software that also includes one free card reader, making it one of the best free POS options on the market. For more advanced features, you will have to upgrade to Square for Retail or Square for Restaurants, each priced at $60/month. Additional costs to consider are add-ons, such as Square Appointments, Square Marketing, Square Loyalty, and Square Payroll.

Clover has numerous pricing plans, starting with a basic free POS plan that is compatible with the Clover Mini, Clover Flex, and Clover Go. If you don’t want to purchase Clover hardware, you can subscribe to the Starter plan (with no hardware) for $14.95/month. Additional paid plans are available up to $94.85/month. You can purchase your hardware upfront, or you can sign up for a monthly leasing plan starting at $90/month for your hardware and software.

One other cost to consider before making your choice is payment processing fees. Clover’s payment processing fees start at 2.3% + $0.10 per transaction. Square’s payment processing fees start at 2.6% + $0.10 per transaction. Rates vary by plan, and discounts may be available for high-volume sellers.

Clover VS Square Features

	Clover	Square
Payment Processing
Split Payments
Loyalty Program		Add-on
Employee Management
Inventory Management
Stock Alerts
Offline Mode
Gift Cards
Appointments		Add-on
Online Ordering
Delivery
Payroll		Add-on

Clover and Square each boast a solid set of POS features. Both options support online ordering, tableside ordering, marketing tools, inventory management, employee management, multichannel selling, gift cards, eCommerce tools, and reporting. Note that the features you have access to for either Clover or Square are dependent on the plan you select.

Clover stands out for its built-in loyalty program, which is only available from Square as an add-on. Square’s additional add-ons include appointments and payroll, neither of which is offered directly by Clover.

Payment Processing

Clover and Square allow you to take multiple forms of payment, from debit and credit cards to contactless EMV payments. The difference between the two lies in the payment processors that each require you to use.

Square is its own payment processor and offers competitive processing fees. With Clover, you’ll be locked into a Fiserv merchant account. While Fiserv has competitive rates, there have been numerous complaints about customer service, so make sure to review your options before taking the plunge.

Loyalty Program

If you use Clover Flex, Mini, or Station, you’ll have a built-in loyalty program at no additional cost. Clover’s loyalty program allows you to store customer information, track spending habits, create and send custom promos, and get feedback from your customers. Customers can also use a mobile app to track reward points.

Square also has a loyalty program. However, you must subscribe to Square Loyalty for an additional monthly fee starting at $45.

Employee Management

Clover makes it easy to manage your employees with features such as scheduling, shift management, customizable tips, tip pooling, customizable employee access, and performance metrics.

Square Team Management is free for all plans and has scheduling, a time clock, break tracking, and the Square Team app. Users can upgrade to Team Plus for an additional monthly fee, which has more advanced features, such as open shift scheduling, shift swapping, team reminders, customizable access levels, and reports and analytics.

Inventory Management

All of Clover’s software plans feature inventory management, although you will need to purchase a more expensive plan to access advanced inventory. Some of the features you can expect from Clover include variants, labeling, item tracking, and modifiers. Inventory can be managed across multiple locations.

Square has similar inventory management features. For the most advanced features, you will need to invest in the Square for Retail plan. Some of Square’s inventory management features include transfers across multiple locations, bulk importing, real-time tracking, variants, and daily stock alerts.

Appointments

Square makes it easy to take appointments with its Square Appointments add-on. This option is ideal for beauty salons, spas, barbershops, photography studios, and other service-based businesses. Pricing is free for an individual and $50+/month for teams.

Clover does not have its own appointment app or add-on, although you can find integrations through the Clover App Market.

Payroll

With Square, you can easily handle your payroll right through your POS system. To run payroll, you’ll have to subscribe to the Square Payroll add-on for a monthly fee.

Clover does not have its own built-in payroll, but you can search the Clover App Market for payroll integrations.

Clover VS Square Reviews

Square’s customer reviews are overall positive, while it’s more of a mixed bag for Clover. Common complaints among both POS providers surround customer support and pricing issues.

Clover Common Complaints

Confusing pricing structure
Pricing increases
Poor customer service
No support for third-party software

Square Common Complaints

Flat-rate processing fees can get expensive for larger businesses
Occasional holds on funds
No 24/7 phone support for users on the free plan
More robust features only available on paid plans

Which Is Best For My Business Needs: Clover Or Square?

While Clover and Square are both strong contenders in the POS space, what works for one business may not be the right choice for yours. If you’re still undecided between Clover POS vs. Square, consider the following situations to determine which POS solution best fits the specific needs of your business.

Choose Clover If…

You need strong inventory management and reporting
You own a restaurant with complex menus and table mapping needs
You have a large-scale or enterprise business
You need a scalable solution for a business that’s growing quickly

Choose Square If…

You need a payment processor and minimal inventory management
You want a POS system with numerous add-ons and integrations
You want a simple, easy-to-use, and scalable POS with affordable hardware
You want an easy POS solution for multichannel selling

Clover VS Square Comparison: The Final Verdict

A solid set of features at competitive pricing make it easy to see why Clover is such a popular POS solution. While it is missing a few key features, numerous apps are available to fill in the gaps and help bolster your business. Clover does boast a bit more firepower than Square when it comes to the depth of some of its back-end features and is probably a slightly better option for large-scale or enterprise businesses.

Square’s all-in-one POS solution stands out for its simple built-in payment processing, large app store, sleek hardware, and affordable pricing. Square continues to grow and stay on top of POS trends, such as mobile ordering and eCommerce options. While Square certainly is suitable for businesses of all sizes, it’s an excellent choice for smaller businesses that want an easy-to-use solution for accepting payments and making sales through multiple channels.

Get hands-on with the software yourself with free plans and free trials to find the best POS software for your business.

Clover VS Square FAQs

What does Clover charge per swipe?

Clover’s payment processing fees start at 2.3% + $0.10 for in-person transactions and 3.5% + $0.10 for keyed-in transactions. Higher rates may apply based on the hardware your business uses.

Does Clover have hidden fees?

Negative reviews of Clover reflect that some customers were charged hidden fees. To avoid potential surprises, shop directly through Clover.com, where you can sign up for a monthly plan, purchase software, and discuss terms with a Clover representative. If you work with another Clover provider, make sure to review all contracts and paperwork and inquire about additional fees.

Is Clover better than Square?

For some businesses, Clover may be a better choice than Square. More advanced back-end features make Clover a good choice for larger businesses, enterprises, and quickly growing businesses that need a scalable solution.

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Erica Seppala

Editor & Senior Staff Writer at Merchant Maverick

Erica began writing on small business topics in 2008. She joined Merchant Maverick in 2018 and focuses on loans, accounting, and POS. She is a Certified ProAdvisor for QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Payroll. She has been cited in MSN, Reader's Digest, Vox, U.S. News & World Report, and Real Simple. She is a graduate of Limestone University and resides in Greenville, South Carolina.

View Erica Seppala's professional experience on LinkedIn.

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	Square POS	Lightspeed Retail POS	Clover POS	TouchBistro

	Visit Site Read Review	Visit Site Read Review	Visit Site Read Review	Visit Site Read Review
Best For	Free POS	Advanced features	Ease-of-use	Food service
Monthly Fee	Starts at $0	$99+	Starts at $0	$69
Free trial	Free version	14 days	30 days	None
Next Steps	Visit Site	Visit Site	Visit Site	Visit Site

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We've done in-depth research on each and confidently recommend them.

Check Out Our Preferred Point of Sale Software 🏆

	Square POS	Lightspeed Retail POS	Clover POS	TouchBistro

	Visit Site Read Review	Visit Site Read Review	Visit Site Read Review	Visit Site Read Review
Best For	Free POS	Advanced features	Ease-of-use	Food service
Monthly Fee	Starts at $0	$99+	Starts at $0	$69
Free trial	Free version	14 days	30 days	None
Next Steps	Visit Site	Visit Site	Visit Site	Visit Site

See more information

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We've done in-depth research on each and confidently recommend them.

Sources

Square homepage (Accessed 10/01/2020)
Square pricing (Accessed 10/01/2020)
Square hardware (Accessed 10/01/2020)
Square Integrations (Accessed 10/01/2020)
Clover integrations (Accessed 10/01/2020)
Clover home page (Accessed 10/01/2020)
Clover hardware (Accessed 10/01/2020)
Fundera (Accessed 10/06/2020)
Software Advice (Accessed 10/06/2020)

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