Trying to choose between Loyverse and Square for your POS system? Compare both choices before you make your final decision.
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Loyverse and Square are two of our best free POS systems since both offer free in-person POS software and inventory management. However, Loyverse offers a free loyalty program and kitchen display screens, while Square offers free online ordering, free appointment scheduling and invoicing, and free employee management.
Our Loyverse VS Square POS comparison covers pricing, features, and user review differences to help you decide the best POS system for your business.
Loyverse VS Square At A Glance
|
Loyverse POS |
Square POS |
Ideal For |
Very small retail and restaurant businesses operating in-person only |
Small to midsize retail, restaurant, & service businesses operating in-person and/or online |
Pricing |
Base Pricing: $0
Payment Processing: Third-party payment processing required |
Base Pricing: $0-$60/location/month
Payment Processing: 2.5%-2.9% + $0.10-$0.30 |
Hardware Options |
- Android devices
- Apple devices
- Android POS terminals
|
- Apple devices
- Android devices
- Proprietary Square POS hardware
|
Standout Features |
- Free loyalty program
- Free KDS and customer-facing display
- Offline payments mode
|
- Free online ordering, appointment scheduling, & invoicing
- Free eGift card sales
- Free employee management
|
What’s Missing |
- Built-in eCommerce
- Gift card sales
|
- Free loyalty program
- Offline sales mode
|
Loyverse and Square offer free POS apps on Apple/Android devices. Loyverse offers a free loyalty program. Square offers an online ordering platform, team management, gift card sales, and inventory management for free. Square offers proprietary payment processing and POS hardware, and Loyverse does not.
Loyverse POS Overview
Pros
- Free loyalty program builder
- Free kitchen display systems
- Forever-free POS software download
Cons
- No built-in eCommerce or gift card sales
- Employee management costs extra
- Advanced inventory management costs extra
Loyverse POS sells items by weight.
Loyverse is a great option for small retail and restaurant businesses that do not plan on expanding to offer online ordering or accept third-party delivery platform orders. For example, Loyverse is a good grocery store POS system for small corner stores.
Read our Loyverse POS review for more detailed information on Loyverse’s offering.
Square POS Overview
Pros
- Free online ordering platform
- Works for all business types
- Free gift card sales (in-person and eGift cards)
- Free employee management (up to five team members)
Cons
- Loyalty program costs extra
- Kitchen display systems cost extra
Square tablet POS iPad stand with a built-in card reader.
Square is ideal for small to midsize business owners in any industry looking for an affordable package of business management software, built-in payment processing, and a free branded online ordering website. It’s also great for businesses that plan on expanding since there are paid plans that offer more features that larger businesses will need (advanced team management, payroll software add-on, third-party ordering platform integrations, etc.)
Square offers three distinct products: Square For Retail, Square For Restaurants, and Square Appointments. Each product has a free plan and a paid plan with more industry-specific features.
Read our Square POS review for more information on the free Square POS app.
What’s The Difference Between Loyverse & Square?
The main differences between Loyverse and Square are that Loyverse is basic standalone software that allows you to integrate your own payment processor and POS hardware, but lacks several POS features that other competitors offer for free. Square, on the other hand, strives to give business owners a holistic business management solution, but you are required to use Square hardware and payment processing.
Also, Square offers industry-specific POS apps, while Loyverse offers all retail and restaurant features in one app. The advantage of Loyverse is that you don’t have to split retail and restaurant management functions. However, Loyverse’s all-in-one app lacks some features that Square’s industry-specific apps have, and Loyverse offers no service business management features to compete with Square Appointments.
Both Square & Loyverse Offer:
- Retail and restaurant point of sale software
- Free trial on paid features
- Customer and sales analytics
- Advanced inventory management on paid plans
- iOS and Android POS apps
Only Square Offers:
- All-in-one business management software
- Free online ordering platform
- Service-based business tools (appointment scheduling, invoicing, etc.)
- Built-in transparent payment processing
- Affordable proprietary POS hardware
Only Loyverse Offers:
- Free loyalty program
- Free kitchen display software
- Free customer-facing display
- Several payment processor options
- POS hardware options from several providers
Loyverse VS Square Pricing
|
Loyverse POS |
Square POS |
Point Of Sale |
$0 |
$0-$60/location/month |
Online Store |
Not available |
$0-$79/month (billed annually) |
Payment Processing |
Requires third-party payment processor |
In person: 2.5%-2.6% + $0.10
Online: 2.6%-2.9% + $0.30
Invoicing: 2.9%-3.3% + $0.30 |
POS Hardware |
Card Reader: $49-$499
POS Register: $511-$789 |
Card Reader: $49-$69
POS Register: $799 |
Gift Cards |
Not available |
$0 |
Loyalty Program |
$0 |
$45-$105/month/location |
Employee Management |
$25/month/location |
$0-$35/month/location |
Kitchen Display System |
$0 |
$20/month/device (free with Square Plus plan) |
Appointment Booking |
Not available |
$0-$69/month/location |
Chargeback Fee |
Depends on payment processor |
$0 |
Contract Length |
Monthly |
Monthly |
Early Termination Fee |
None |
None |
Both Loyverse and Square offer completely free in-person POS software. However, Loyverse offers add-ons like employee management and advanced inventory management for a monthly subscription price, while Square offers both free and paid POS packages for businesses in several industries.
Square offers free online ordering for retail, restaurant, and service-based business owners, while Loyverse charges a monthly fee for you to integrate your website with your POS system. This cost is on top of the subscription price you pay your web platform provider (WooCommerce, BigCommerce, etc.)
You also get transparent flat-rate payment processing fees with a monthly Square account. Loyverse does not offer in-house payment processing, so you’ll have to work with a third-party payment processor with its own fee structure and contract requirements.
Which Is Cheaper, Loyverse Or Square?
Loyverse and Square cost the same in monthly software fees if you just want to sell in person. Square is cheaper than Loyverse if you want to sell online and/or sell gift cards. Loyverse is cheaper than Square if you want to sell in person and integrate a basic loyalty program with your POS.
Square may be cheaper than Loyverse for payment processing, depending on which payment processor you choose to integrate Loyverse with.
Also, Square POS hardware may cost less depending on what hardware you purchase on your own or through the Loyverse hardware store. Read our Square POS hardware guide to get a better idea of hardware costs and what you need for your business.
Loyverse VS Square Features
|
Loyverse POS |
Square POS |
Industry-specific POS apps |
|
|
Receipts |
Print, email |
Print, email, text |
Inventory Management |
Good with paid add-on |
Good |
eCommerce Site |
Third-party integration only |
Free |
Third-Party Ordering Platform Management |
Need integration |
Built-in and third-party integrations available |
Kitchen Display System |
Free |
Paid |
Table Management |
|
|
Appointment Scheduling |
|
|
Invoicing |
|
|
Marketing Features |
Loyalty program |
Loyalty, text marketing, email marketing, Google review management |
Third-Party Software Integrations |
29 |
300+ |
Payment Processing |
Third-party payment processors only |
In-house payment processing only |
Customer Support |
Chat bot |
Phone, live chat |
Let’s take a closer look at the most important features and compare the two.
Retail Features
Loyverse offers your standard retail store features, including print/email receipts, item modifiers, discounts, return management, saved orders, and sales by weight (printing the weight on barcodes and then scanning the barcode at checkout.) You may incorporate a customer display using an iPad so that customers can verify orders before paying and use Loyverse in multiple locations for free. You can process payments offline in real time since you attach Loyverse to an external card terminal. We, of course, appreciate the free Loyverse loyalty functions, which include loyalty points settings for each item and the ability to issue loyalty cards.
The free version of Square For Retail, Square’s retail-specific app, allows you to:
- Create a custom checkout interface
- Sell in-store for local delivery or shipping
- Manage exchanges and returns
- Sell Square gift cards
- Print and send text/email receipts
- Send invoices and payment links
- Accept pre-orders
- Create discounts and coupons
- Scan barcodes
- Integrate a weight scale with Square and weigh items in real-time (great for selling items like loose fruit, bulk nuts, or handcrafted soap)
- Integrate Square with your Google Business Profile and list your products on Google Shopping to be discovered in local search results
On the paid Square For Retail plan, you can manage multiple locations, including accepting returns across all locations.
Read our Square For Retail review for more information on free and paid Square For Retail plans. Also, look into our best retail POS systems if you own a retail business and are looking for more extensive store management features.
Restaurant Features
Square For Restaurants offers menu builders, scheduled menu changes, order modifier rules, order-splitting functions, tipping rules, an order manager for all order types (dine-in, takeout, online, and third-party delivery platforms), a customizable ordering interface, discounts, item 86-ing (manual and automated depending on inventory tracking setup), and invoicing (great for accepting catering orders) on the free plan. The free Square restaurant plan is one of the best quick-serve POS systems for restaurants.
The paid plan includes table management, seat management, floor planning, meal coursing, order-ready texts for takeout and delivery orders, multi-location management, and access to the Square mobile ordering kit, which is an excellent device that allows servers to fire orders and take payments at tables. We recommend the paid plan for any sit-down restaurant.
All restaurant owners will appreciate Square’s integrations with the best food delivery service platforms, including Doordash, Grubhub, and Uber Eats. You can also accept orders directly through your Google Business Profile listing.
Loyverse offers basic restaurant features including order ticket management, a customizable ordering interface, discounts, order modifiers, order notes, and kitchen ticket printing. You may also incorporate Loyverse’s loyalty features at your restaurant.
Loyverse’s best restaurant feature that Square does not offer for free is the kitchen display system, which helps kitchen staff keep up with order flow and communicate better with servers. Square offers the Square KDS, but you must pay extra for it or get on the paid Square For Restaurants plan. Read more about how Square KDS works and what it can do for your restaurant.
Read our Square For Restaurants review for more information on Square For Restaurants features. If you’re starting a restaurant, check out our best restaurant POS systems.
Service Business Features
Unlike Loyverse, Square offers specific appointment scheduling and invoicing software that is excellent for salons, spas, contractors, landscapers, and any other small service-based business.
On the free Square Appointments plan, you can:
- Allow customers to self-book appointments (on a website, social media, your Google Business profile, or through a scheduling HTML link)
- Manage appointment calendars for yourself and your employees
- Accept appointment deposits
- Send text/email appointment reminders
- Sell retail items
- Send professional invoices with due dates and payment terms
- Automatically send contracts to clients
- Charge a card on file
The $29/month/location Plus plan offers:
- Class booking feature, which makes Square one of the best gym POS systems for gyms that offer group fitness classes
- Waitlist management and cancellation policies (plus cancellation fees)
- Set daily appointment limits,
- Square Appointments calendar syncs with your Google calendars
- Automated appointment confirmations via text and email, which makes Square one of the best POS software for salons
The $69/month/location Premium plan offers resource management (assign rooms, chairs, tools, etc. to specific services), custom contract fields (text boxes, dropdown menus, date fields for clients to fill in), Square Team Plus, and Square Shifts Plus for better team management.
Loyverse does not offer service-based business features, so we do not recommend this POS system for salons, spas, cleaning services, event planners, consultants, repair shops, or any other type of appointment or invoice-based business.
Read our Square Appointments review for more information on Square Appointments pricing and features.
Inventory Management
Loyverse offers great inventory management with the $25/month/location advanced inventory management add-on, including barcode/label printing, inventory transfers, partial stock takes, purchase order management, inventory valuation, inventory tracking, and stock adjustments. The basic inventory management features include item modifiers/variations and item unit settings.
Square’s inventory management features depend on the version of Square you’re using (retail, restaurant, or service business app.) In general, though, you will find item modifiers and variations, the ability to show or hide items in an online store, units of measurement, shipping settings, stock adjustments, and low-stock alerts. Paid plans will include purchase order and vendor management, stock forecasting, stock counts using a scanner tool, bulk inventory adjustments (great for quickly accepting deliveries), and cross-location inventory transfers.
Read up on our best POS systems for inventory management if you have extensive or niche inventory management needs.
Online Ordering
Loyverse does not have eCommerce features built into it. You may pay $9/month/location to integrate Loyverse with an eCommerce platform such as Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Wix, Squarespace, or Amazon. You must still pay for web hosting software from your platform provider (e.g. online store builder, web domain registration, and web hosting from Shopify.) With an eCommerce integration, you may sync your sales and inventory data, but there does not seem to be an easy way for customers to use the free Loyverse app online.
Square, on the other hand, is one of our best POS systems with eCommerce features. You get a free online ordering platform on all plans, and your personalized website features will vary depending on the version of your Square POS app (retail, restaurant, or service app.) All Square users can sell items. gift cards. and digital downloads on their own customizable website for in-store pickup and delivery. You can also show shipping calculations at checkout, provide free shipping/delivery rules, and allow customers to gift items to others.
You may also integrate your Square account with social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. Customers can purchase items and book appointments in-app from your business social media profiles.
Read our Square Online review for more information on how Square’s eCommerce features work with different Square POS apps.
Admin Management
Loyverse offers employee management features for $25/month/location. These features include user permissions, employee sales tracking, labor reports, and time clock functions on the POS.
Square offers free team management, including time clock functions, time tracking, and one set of user permissions. Square Shifts scheduling software is free for up to five people, then you have to pay $2-$4/employee. Square Shifts allows you to:
- Create a schedule for up to 10 days (unlimited scheduling on the paid plan)
- Duplicate shift schedules
- Set team member availability
- Give team members availability updating permissions (paid plan) to minimize scheduling issues
- Track/edit timecards, tips, overtime, and breaks
- Schedule open shifts (paid plan)
- Give team members shift-swapping permissions (paid plan)
- Track commissions (paid plan)
- Pool tips (paid plan)
- Export information to Square Payroll
Read our Square Payroll review for more on paying your employees through Square’s comprehensive payroll software.
Loyverse offers more basic reports, while Square offers most of its best reporting features on paid plans.
For accounting, you’ll need a third-party small business accounting software integration no matter which POS software you use. Square has more integrations in general, including integrations with QuickBooks Online, Xero, and Zoho Books.
Loyverse VS Square User Reviews
Loyverse and Square both have very high user reviews, with almost all reviews stating that the software is easy to use and great for small businesses on the go. There are a few differences in reviews, though.
Loyverse User Reviews
Loyverse earns very high user reviews on platforms like GetApp (4.8/5 based on 441 reviews), Trustpilot (4.9/5 based on 88 reviews), and G2 (4.7/5 based on 16 reviews).
The top positive comments about Loyverse include:
- Easy to set up and use
- Easy to train others on the system
- Free plan has enough features for small businesses
Top complaints include:
- Advanced inventory management is expensive
- No desktop version is available
- Lack of customization options in some use cases
Square User Reviews
Square also earns very high user reviews on platforms like GetApp (4.7/5 based on 2.8K reviews), Trustpilot (4.2/5 based on 4.3K reviews), and G2 (4.7/5 based on 782 reviews).
The top positive comments about Square include:
- Easy to set up and use
- Incorporates all the tools you need to run your business
- Software is constantly updating to provide the best user experience possible
Top complaints include:
- Unexpected fund holds
- Card reader connectivity issues
Note: Many Square POS reviews are incentivized, so users may feel more inclined to leave positive reviews than those posting reviews without receiving any compensation.
Square VS Loyverse: The Final Verdict
Square and Loyverse are both great options for new small businesses with very low budgets. When it comes to Loyverse vs Square, the deciding factors come down to whether you plan on expanding your business and what kind of tools you’ll need to run your business.
Here are some general guidelines to consider when choosing between Square and Loyverse.
Choose Square POS If:
- You want a free online ordering platform, appointment scheduler, and/or invoicing software
- You plan on expanding your business to manage multiple employees, locations, marketing campaigns, gift card sales, etc.
- You want simple transparent payment processing fees and sleek POS hardware
- You want to integrate your POS system with tools like the best accounting software for small businesses
Choose Loyverse POS If:
- You want simple in-person POS software that includes a free loyalty program
- You want to choose your own payment processor and POS hardware
- You do not plan on expanding to offer online ordering or gift card sales
If, after reading this comparison, you’re still not sure whether Loyverse or Square is right for you, there are other options. Look into these best POS systems for small businesses to continue your research and make your final choice.
FAQs: Loyverse VS Square
Does Loyverse work without internet?
Loyverse will work without the internet for the most part. You won’t be able to accept returns, create new items, or register new customers, but you can accept payments with a nonintegrated credit card terminal.
Can I use Square on any phone?
Square POS runs on almost any Apple or Android phone. However, the Square For Retail app is not currently available on Android.
What is the best free POS system?
The best free POS system is Square for most business owners. The company offers so many built-in free features, including a free online store builder, free team management, free invoicing software, and free eGift card sales. No other POS provider offers as many free features along with a well-developed user interface.