Clover and Square both bundle point-of-sale software with payment processing, but they are built for different buying journeys. Clover is distributed mainly…
| Clover | Square | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary category | Retail, Restaurant & POS | Payments |
| Rating | Not documented | Not documented |
| Pricing model | Subscription + hardware + transaction fees | freemium |
| Starting price | Free (Starter plan; hardware sold separately) | Free (pay-as-you-go processing fees apply) |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Not documented | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | iOS, Android |
| Team collaboration | Not documented | Not documented |
| AI features | Not documented | Not documented |
| Public API | Yes | Not documented |
Pricing model
Clover: Custom pricing set by the reseller or partner bank, with software plans advertised from around 14.95 dollars per month
Square: Freemium model with a 0 dollar per month Free plan and per-transaction processing fees
One requires a sales conversation to know the real cost, the other publishes a starting price a buyer can act on immediately
Contract terms
Clover: Contract length varies by reseller, with month-to-month or multi-year agreements both possible depending on the sales channel
Square: No long-term contracts, with flat-rate fees instead of locked-in agreements
Businesses unsure of their volume or longevity face real risk from an unexpected multi-year commitment
Distribution channel
Clover: Sold primarily through banks, credit unions, and resellers backed by Fiserv
Square: Sold directly to merchants through self-serve online signup
Distribution affects onboarding speed, who provides support, and how consistent the experience is across accounts
Business financing and banking
Clover: Not documented as part of Clover's feature set
Square: Square Capital offers financing repaid as a percentage of daily sales, and Square Banking provides checking and savings accounts
Access to working capital and banking inside the same account removes the need for a separate business bank or lender
Online sales tools
Clover: Offers restaurant-focused online ordering that connects to the in-store POS
Square: Offers a full online store builder plus invoicing with online payment collection and automated reminders
Businesses selling beyond the counter need e-commerce and billing tools, not just order-taking
Appointment and booking support
Clover: Not documented as part of Clover's feature set
Square: Includes Appointments with online booking, calendar management, and reminders for salons, spas, and service businesses
Service businesses that run on bookings need scheduling built into the same platform as payments
Hardware breadth
Clover: Four dedicated device lines: Station, Mini, Flex, and Go, covering countertop, compact, handheld, and mobile use cases
Square: A range from low-cost magstripe readers up to standalone Square Terminal and Register devices
Businesses with varied service styles, such as tableside ordering plus a fixed counter, need hardware options that match each use case
Extensibility
Clover: Clover App Market offers first- and third-party apps for loyalty, online ordering, and gift cards, plus a documented developer API
Square: Not documented as offering an equivalent third-party app marketplace or public developer API in the provided facts
An open marketplace and API let a business add capabilities without switching platforms
Accounting integrations
Clover: Documented to sync sales data with accounting software such as QuickBooks
Square: Not documented as offering accounting software integrations in the provided facts
Automatic syncing to accounting software reduces manual bookkeeping work for owners and accountants
Country availability
Clover: Not documented with specific country restrictions; sold through banks and resellers rather than a single direct signup flow
Square: Documented as available in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Ireland, France, and Spain
A business outside a supported country cannot sign up at all, regardless of other features
| Feature | Clover | Square |
|---|---|---|
| Point of sale checkout | Available | Available |
| Card readers and terminals | Available | Available |
| Offline payment mode | Available | Not documented |
| Feature | Clover | Square |
|---|---|---|
| Inventory management | Available | Available |
| Employee and team management | Available | Available |
| Payroll | Not documented | Available |
| Feature | Clover | Square |
|---|---|---|
| Online ordering (restaurant) | Available | Available |
| Online store and e-commerce | Not documented | Available |
| Invoicing | Not documented | Available |
| Feature | Clover | Square |
|---|---|---|
| Business banking | Not documented | Available |
| Business financing | Not documented | Available |
| Feature | Clover | Square |
|---|---|---|
| Loyalty programs | Limited | Available |
| Email and SMS marketing | Not documented | Available |
| Appointment booking | Not documented | Available |
| Feature | Clover | Square |
|---|---|---|
| Third-party app marketplace | Available | Not documented |
| Developer API | Available | Not documented |
| Accounting software integration | Available | Not documented |
| Feature | Clover | Square |
|---|---|---|
| Reporting and analytics | Available | Not documented |
| Restaurant and retail vertical modes | Available | Available |
| Country availability disclosed | Not documented | Available |
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
Pros
Cons
Pros
Cons
Square is typically cheaper to start since its Free plan costs 0 dollars per month with only per-transaction processing fees, while Clover software plans start around 14.95 dollars per month and final pricing for hardware and processing rates depends on a custom quote from a reseller or partner bank, making direct comparison difficult until both quotes are in hand.
Based on the documented facts, Square is built for fast, self-serve onboarding with no long-term contract and a free tier, which suits a brand-new business more directly than Clover, which is typically set up through a bank or reseller and may involve a custom quote and contract terms.
Yes, Clover offers restaurant-focused online ordering that connects incoming orders to the in-store POS, while Square documents a broader set of online sales tools including a full online store builder and invoicing, which are not documented features of Clover.
Square documents Square Banking for checking and savings accounts and Square Capital for financing repaid as a percentage of daily sales, but the provided Clover facts do not document any equivalent banking or financing product.
Clover documents four distinct hardware lines, Station, Mini, Flex, and Go, covering countertop, compact, handheld, and mobile use cases, while Square documents a range from low-cost magstripe readers up to standalone Terminal and Register devices.
Clover is owned and operated by Fiserv, a large payment technology company, after Fiserv acquired First Data, which had previously acquired Clover; Square is the seller-facing commerce and payments brand under Block, Inc, the publicly traded parent company that also owns Cash App and Afterpay.