What's the real difference between Square and Clover?
How you get in the door. Square gives you the software for free and lets you add hardware when you're ready. Clover starts with the hardware: you pick a device bundle, it comes with a software plan, and you pay for both every month or buy the device up front.
Past that, they're closer than people think. Both are card processors that sell their own POS, both lock their readers to their own processing, and both have paid plans for restaurants and retail.
Square
Our pick for most small businesses
- Square Free: no monthly fee, no contract
- Starts on a phone with Tap to Pay
- Buy hardware outright, only if you want it
- Sign up online yourself
Clover
A full countertop system with a monthly plan
- Monthly software fee on every plan
- Clover hardware bought outright or on a subscription
- Sold by Clover, banks and resellers
- Terms can vary by who sells it to you
What do you actually pay for each one?
On Square, you can pay nothing per month. On Clover, there's always a software fee.
Square Free covers the POS app, a free online site, invoices, appointments, simple stock counts and sales reports. Square Plus and Square Premium charge a monthly fee per location for things like loyalty, staff scheduling and full inventory, and both come with a 30-day free trial. Every card payment carries a processing fee, and cash costs nothing. The current numbers are on our pricing page.
Clover bundles a software plan (Starter, Standard or Advanced) with a device, and the price depends on your business type: retail, full-service restaurant, quick service and so on. You pay that monthly software fee plus processing on each card payment, and the rate is higher for cards typed in than for cards tapped, dipped or swiped. Fast funding through Rapid Deposit costs extra. Clover's prices are on clover.com/pricing.
Do you have to buy Clover hardware?
Yes, in one form or another. Clover's plans are built around its own devices, and you either buy them outright or pay for them on a hardware subscription with no money down. Square doesn't need any hardware to get started.
| Square | Clover | |
|---|---|---|
| To get started | Tap to Pay on a compatible iPhone or Android phone | A Clover device as part of your plan |
| How you pay for it | Bought outright when you want it | Bought outright, or a hardware subscription paid monthly |
| Devices | Reader, Stand, Terminal, Handheld and Register | Countertop stations, Mini, Flex handheld, Compact and more |
| Coverage | See Square's hardware pages for warranty details | One-year limited warranty on devices bought outright; subscription terms are in Clover's agreement |
| The catch | Square readers only work with Square | Clover devices can't be used with other processors, even if bought elsewhere |
Read the hardware subscription terms closely. Clover says subscriptions are non-cancelable and non-refundable for their term. You can pay one off early or upgrade, and at the end of the term you buy the device or send it back. If you do neither, it keeps billing month to month, and you need to give 30 days' notice to stop. Square's devices are on Square rates and hardware, and our POS hardware guide covers which setup fits which business.
Is there a contract?
Not on Square Free. You can switch plans or stop using it whenever you like, and hardware you've bought is yours.
With Clover, it depends on who you sign with. Clover says contract terms and termination fees vary by provider, whether that's Clover directly or a bank or other partner. Some promotions come with a multi-year agreement, and a hardware subscription runs for a set term on its own. Before you sign, ask for three things in writing: the length of the agreement, the early termination fee and what happens to the hardware if you leave. Our switching guide explains why those three matter.
Where do you buy each one?
You sign up for Square yourself, online, in a few minutes. Square publishes its plans and rates on its own site.
Clover sells direct, and it's also sold by banks such as Citi, PNC and Wells Fargo, by many other financial and reseller partners, and in some warehouse stores. That can be handy if you'd like your merchant account with your own bank. It also means two businesses on Clover can end up with different terms, so compare the paperwork, not just the device. Clover also notes that accounts are subject to approval, including credit approval.
Who processes your card payments?
On both, the company you buy from does. Square processes every payment taken on Square, and Clover devices only work with Clover's processing. Neither lets you bring your own processor to its hardware.
Both take tapped, dipped and swiped cards and mobile wallets, and both can take a card without a device: Square through its Virtual Terminal and invoices, Clover through its Virtual Terminal in the web dashboard. Standard Square transfers are free, with a fee for instant ones. Our guide to whether free POS is really free explains how processing fees work on any system.
Who picks up the phone?
Clover advertises support around the clock. Square Free gives you chat and email on every plan, plus phone support on weekdays for your first 90 days, and Square Premium adds phone support around the clock.
If you bought Clover through a bank or reseller, they may be your first call. And if you'd like a person to walk you through Square before you sign up, POSUSA is an authorized Square reseller and you can call us.
When does Clover fit better?
When you want a full countertop setup on day one and you're happy to pay monthly for it. That's a real use case, and Clover does it well.
Clover is the better pick if
- You want a countertop station with a customer screen and printer from the start
- Your bank offers Clover and you'd like your merchant account there
- You want phone support any hour, starting on day one
- You'd rather spread the hardware cost over monthly payments
- You're fine with a monthly software fee for a fuller setup
Square is the better pick if
- You want to start with no monthly fee and no contract
- You sell from a phone at markets, on the road or at a client's door
- You'd like to sign up yourself and be selling today
- You want a free online site, invoices and booking included
- You'd rather buy hardware later, once you know what you need
So which should you pick?
For most small businesses that are just getting going, Square. You can open on a phone, pay nothing per month and walk away anytime, and adding a Square Stand or Register later doesn't change that.
Clover makes more sense once you know you want dedicated counter hardware, or your bank is offering a deal you like. Just read the agreement before you sign. Want to see other options? Our best free POS systems roundup covers the free plans, and Square vs Loyverse puts Square next to another free app.
Questions people ask
Is Clover POS free?
No. Clover's plans charge a monthly software fee plus processing on each card payment, and they're built around Clover hardware that you buy outright or pay for on a subscription. Square Free has no monthly fee. Clover's prices are on clover.com/pricing.
Does Clover lock you into a contract?
It depends on who sells it to you. Clover says contract terms and termination fees vary by provider, whether that's Clover directly or a bank or other partner, and a hardware subscription can't be canceled during its term. Get the length, the early termination fee and the hardware terms in writing before you sign.
Can I use Clover hardware with a different processor?
No. Clover says its devices can't be used with other payment processors, even if you bought them from someone else. Square works the same way: Square readers only work with Square.
Is Square or Clover better for a restaurant?
Both have restaurant setups. Clover's restaurant plans pair countertop stations with a monthly software plan from the start. Square Free can send orders to a kitchen printer with no monthly fee, and Square's paid plans add full table management. A small counter-service spot can do well on Square Free; a bigger dining room may want a paid plan on either.
Can I switch from Clover to Square?
Yes. Check your Clover agreement first for the term, any termination fee and any hardware subscription balance, because Clover devices won't work with Square. Then set up Square, import your items from a spreadsheet and run a test day. Our switching guide walks through it.