Clover vs Square POS

Updated November 2026 · AppBreakup editorial

Clover

Point-of-sale hardware and software from Fiserv for restaurants, retail and services.

Paid

Visit Clover Clover profile

Square POS

Point-of-sale app and hardware from Square for restaurants, retail and service businesses.

Free plan + paid

Visit Square POS Square POS profile

The short answer

Square POS suits small businesses that want to start with no monthly fee and openly listed prices; its Free plan charges only card processing. Clover suits restaurants and shops that want Fiserv-backed hardware, an app market with hundreds of add-ons and the option to buy through their bank, but it always carries a monthly software fee and needs credit approval.

Clover or Square POS: our take

The biggest difference is how you pay and where you buy. Square publishes its pricing openly: Square Free is $0/month with an in-person card fee of 2.6% + 15¢, while the Plus plan is $49/month per location and Premium is $149/month per location, adding features like advanced floor plans, kitchen display, multi-location tools and lower processing rates. Hardware is sold separately. Clover charges a monthly software fee plus processing. Its Basic retail system starts at $16/month for 36 months or $349 upfront, the Standard retail plan is $1,899 hardware + $84.95/month, and in-person card fees run 2.3% + 10¢ to 2.6% + 10¢ per transaction. Clover is also sold through banks, payment resellers and retailers, so terms can differ depending on who you buy from, and accounts need credit approval.

On features, both cover checkout, inventory, customer profiles, gift cards and tailored versions for restaurants, retail and services. Clover's distinctive extra is its App Market, with hundreds of third-party apps for things like accounting sync, payroll or reservations, plus a Virtual Terminal for taking card payments in a browser. Square instead connects to its own payroll, banking, online store and marketing tools, runs on iPhones, iPads and Android devices as well as its own hardware, and can take offline card payments for up to 24 hours, though offline payments that fail later are the seller's loss.

Square requires you to use its own processing, and add-ons like the kitchen display and kiosk software are billed per device. Clover ties you to Fiserv processing through whichever partner sold it to you.

A food truck, cafe or pop-up that wants to start cheaply and see every price up front should look at Square. A restaurant or shop that wants bank-backed hardware, local support from its bank and a wide catalogue of third-party add-ons may prefer Clover, as long as it compares the quote from its specific seller.

Choose Clover if…

Restaurants and shops that want bank-backed POS hardware with an app market for add-ons
Hundreds of third-party apps in the Clover App Market
Packages tailored to restaurants, retail and service businesses

Choose Square POS if…

Small cafes, food trucks and shops that want a POS with no monthly fee to start
You want a free option (Clover is paid only)
Free plan with no monthly fee, only processing charges
Pricing and hardware are listed openly and sold online

What is Clover?

Clover is a point-of-sale system owned by Fiserv, the payments company. It pairs Clover's own countertop stations, compact terminals and handheld Flex devices with software for checkout, table service, online ordering, inventory, staff scheduling, customer loyalty and gift cards. Businesses pick a package for full-service restaurants, quick service, retail or services, and pay a monthly software fee plus card processing rates per transaction; hardware can be bought outright or financed. A distinctive part of Clover is the App Market, where hundreds of third-party apps add features such as accounting sync, payroll or reservations. Clover is sold directly at clover.com and also through banks, payment resellers and retail stores, so the price and contract you get can depend on where you buy it. A Virtual Terminal lets you take card payments from a browser without any device.

What is Square POS?

Square POS is the point-of-sale system from Square, part of Block. It runs on iPhones, iPads and Android devices or on Square's own terminals, registers, stands and kiosks, and covers checkout, orders, menus, inventory, customer profiles, gift cards and reports. Restaurant, retail and appointment businesses each get a tailored version of the app. The Free plan has no monthly fee and charges only card processing, which makes it a common first POS for food trucks, cafes and pop-up sellers. Paid Plus and Premium plans add features such as advanced floor plans, kitchen display, multi-location tools and lower processing rates, and add-ons like the KDS and kiosk software are billed per device. Card payments can keep working offline for a limited time. Square also sells payroll, banking, online stores and marketing tools that connect to the POS, and it publishes its pricing openly.

Side by side

Attribute	Clover	Square POS
Pricing	Paid	Free plan + paid
Open source	No	No
Self-hostable	No	No
Platforms	Android, iOS, Web	iOS, Android, Web
Best for	Restaurants and shops that want bank-backed POS hardware with an app market for add-ons	Small cafes, food trucks and shops that want a POS with no monthly fee to start
Status	Active	Active

Verified facts, compared

Facts both apps publish, checked on each vendor's own site.

Fact	Clover	Square POS
Starting price	$16/month for 36 months or $349 upfront (Basic retail system)	$49/month per location (Square Plus)
In-person card fee	2.3% + 10¢ to 2.6% + 10¢ per transaction	2.6% + 15¢ (Free plan)