Comparison
Square POS vs Clover
How Square POS and Clover compare on price, pricing model, features and reviews, with every fact checked on October 24, 2026.
Quick verdict
Choose Square POS if
- Single-shop retailers and service businesses that want to start at $0 software.
- Merchants who want one vendor for hardware, payments and online store.
Choose Clover if
- Small restaurants and retailers wanting bundled hardware plus software.
- Merchants buying through their bank or ISO.
Square POS vs Clover side by side
| Square POS | Clover | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Free-to-start POS from Block that bundles its own card processing, with paid per-location plans for retail and restaurants. | Fiserv-owned POS and merchant processing platform sold through banks and resellers, with bundled hardware and software plans. |
| Status | Active | Active |
| Starting price | $0/month (Square for Retail Free) | Varies by vertical; Standard bundle $130/month or $849 + $84.95/month (as listed by Clover) |
| Pricing model | per location | per device/plan bundle |
| Free plan or trial | Free plan | No |
| Per seat per month | Not published | Not published |
| Billing | Monthly. | Monthly and annual. |
| Annual discount | Not published | Not published |
| Minimum seats | Not published | Not published |
| 20 users per year | Not published | Not published |
| G2 rating | 4.6 (1,208 reviews) | 3.8 (87 reviews) |
| Founded | 2009 | 2010 |
| Headquarters | Oakland, US (Block, Inc. principal office; no formal headquarters) | Sunnyvale, California, US |
| Employees | About 6,000 (Block, Inc., 2026, after Feb 2026 layoffs) | 400+ (Wikipedia, may be dated) |
| Hardware and terminals | Square sells its own handheld, terminal, register, stand and kiosk hardware (hardware prices not verified) | Clover Station Duo, Mini, Flex; Station Duo about $1,799 to $1,899 (third-party) |
| Payment processing terms | Square-only processing; 2.6% + 10c in person on Free, 2.5% + 10c on Retail Plus. | About 2.3% + 10c card-present, 3.5% + 10c keyed (third-party); rate depends on reseller. |
| Inventory management | Free plan includes basic inventory tools and unlimited items; G2 inventory sub-score 8.7/10. | Not verified |
| Online and omnichannel sales | Free online store included on Retail Free plan. | Not verified |
| Industry features | Separate Retail, Restaurants and Appointments products. | Retail, restaurant and services plans. |
| Reporting and analytics | Reviewers on G2 praise reporting (G2 summary) | Not verified |
| Pricing model | Monthly plan per location plus flat-rate processing plus hardware. | Software plan plus processing plus hardware or financing. |
| Target company size | Micro and small businesses; custom Premium for larger. | Small businesses. |
Differences most comparisons miss
Worth knowing about Square POS
- Retail Plus discount on in-person rate is only 0.1 percentage point (2.6% to 2.5%) and applies only on the Retail POS signed into Plus.
- Software and processing are tied: Square is the processor, so leaving means replacing hardware.
- Premium plan is quote-only and pitched at merchants above about $250K annual volume.
Worth knowing about Clover
- Clover is sold through banks and resellers, so rates and terms vary by reseller.
- Additional devices roughly $11.95 to $19.95/month each (third-party)
- Station Duo financing about $95/month over 36 months (third-party)
What reviewers complain about
Square POS
- Processing fees and upfront hardware costs add up.
- Support access complaints are common across POS vendors, check before buying.
Clover
- Weak phone support.
- Fees unclear or higher than expected.
- Connectivity problems.
Sources
Both columns use the same sources: vendor pricing and product pages, documentation, G2 and company records, checked on October 24, 2026. Full source lists are on the Square POS and Clover reviews.