Stripe vs Square
Is Square cheaper than Stripe? Only if the job matches.
Square vs Stripe is a 2,400-search/month argument for a reason. I treat it as two products. Stripe for subscriptions and custom checkout. Square when the money is taken at a counter. If your pain is card mix, moving logos will not fix the CSV.
Cheaper depends on how the money is taken.
I keep seeing Stripe-to-Square migrations pitched from a blog table. If the Balance file is full of [international] rows or $9 invoices, Square’s online rate will print the same kind of effective percentage. Measure the driver on Stripe first.
Compare by how you actually get paid
| Use case | Stripe | Alternative | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| SaaS subscriptions | Billing, invoices, trials, usage, API. This is why most SaaS is on Stripe even when the effective rate looks ugly. | Online Square can take a card. It is not a Stripe Billing replacement. I would not move a subscription catalog to save 10 bps. | If fees are high because of card mix, change methods inside Stripe before you rebuild subscriptions. |
| In-person services | Works, with more hardware/setup than a local shop wants. | Readers, POS, appointments, tips. This is Square’s home field. Compare staff workflow, not just the %. | If most volume is in person, the fee table is secondary to checkout speed. |
| Low-ticket charges | The $0.30 (or Square’s fixed piece) dominates $5–$15 rows. Same math as our small-ticket article. | Square also charges per transaction. Tiny tickets stay expensive. | Bundle or raise the minimum. Processor-hopping is a stall. |
| International online customers | Cross-border and conversion show up as extra fee. Visible in itemized Balance as [international]. | A POS-first tool is the wrong answer to EU cards on a SaaS checkout. | Local payment methods first. Then compare Square only if you also sell in person. |
| Retail plus online | Strong online, POS is extra work. | One stack for inventory, staff, and the counter. That can beat a 20 bps processing win. | Pick the operations fit. Reconcile both ways before you cut Stripe. |
Good fit
You sell in person
Hardware, tips, staff permissions, and local payouts are part of the product, not a plugin.
You want simpler local ops
Appointments and a reader matter more than webhooks.
Your team is not going to build checkout
Square’s default flows are the product. Stripe’s defaults assume you will customize.
Poor fit
Your issue is card mix
International cards and refunds travel. I would not migrate to “fix 4%.”
You need messy SaaS billing
Upgrades, proration, usage, Connect. Stay on Stripe until the CSV says otherwise.
You have not opened the CSV
A lower published % does nothing if the leak is $0.30 × a thousand tiny charges.
Pre-switch checklist
- Export itemized Stripe Balance CSV for 3–6 months.
- Split processing rate vs all-in Stripe cost.
- Measure international cards, refunds, disputes, and sub-$20 charges.
- Compare Square only against that driver — and against POS workflow if you sell in person.
- Confirm current fees on Stripe pricing and Square’s public fee page.
Official pricing sources
Related guides
Common questions
Is Square cheaper than Stripe?
Not as a rule. Country, method, ticket size, refunds, and whether money is taken in person decide it. Check both public fee pages and your Stripe mix.
Should a SaaS business switch from Stripe to Square?
Usually no, until the CSV says the problem is operational (you actually need POS). Card-mix problems are cheaper to fix with methods and packaging.
Get the Stripe baseline before you compare Square.
Upload the itemized Balance CSV. See processing vs all-in, monthly drift, and whether small tickets or international cards explain the rate.