Quick answer
Square suits a maker who sells mostly at markets: the app, card readers and a free online store work together without code, and in person it charges 2.6% + 15¢ on Square Free. Stripe suits a maker who sells mostly online through a website or payment links: it charges 2.9% + 30¢ per online card payment against Square Free's 3.3% + 30¢, and on a $30 market sale it keeps $0.86 against Square's $0.93. PayPal Zettle keeps the least in person, $0.78 on the same sale, while online a payment through PayPal checkout costs 3.49% + $0.49 per transaction when the buyer pays with PayPal, more than either.
Nation, an AI store builder, publishes this page. It is pre-launch, with a waitlist on withnation.ai, so it is not in the list or the fee example. See where Nation fits.
How we compared
Square, Stripe and PayPal Zettle were checked against the same four questions, for a US maker who takes cards at markets and also sells online.
- Card rates in person and online What each one keeps from a card payment at a market stall and from one on a website, at the plan a small maker starts on.
- Hardware What you need to take a card at a market, and what the reader costs.
- Payouts How fast card money reaches your bank account, and what a faster transfer costs.
- Setup Whether you can start from an app on your phone, or need a website or a developer to connect the payments.
Square vs Stripe vs PayPal at a glance
Each company is shown at its standard pay-as-you-go pricing for a US seller. The source and check date for every number are listed under each company and at the end of the page.
What Square, Stripe and PayPal Zettle keep from a $30 market sale
Rates are easier to compare on one sale than as percentages. The example is one $30 item sold at a market stall, paid by tapping a card on a reader. In person, Square charges 2.6% + 15¢ on Square Free, Stripe Terminal charges 2.7% + 5¢ and PayPal Zettle charges 2.29% + $0.09.
- PayPal Zettle $0.78 no monthly plan Card 2.29% + $0.09 $0.78
- Stripe $0.86 no monthly plan Card 2.7% + 5¢ $0.86
- Square baseline $0.93 no monthly plan on Square Free Card 2.6% + 15¢ $0.93
Assumes a $30 item, no tax, no tip, a US card tapped or inserted on a card reader and no currency conversion. Stripe's Tap to Pay on a phone, with no reader, adds $0.10 per authorization on top of its rate. Online the order changes: Stripe charges 2.9% + 30¢, Square Free charges 3.3% + 30¢ and PayPal checkout charges 3.49% + $0.49 per transaction when the buyer pays with PayPal.
Square, Stripe and PayPal in detail
Each company gets the same five lines: price, fees per sale, what it is strong at, who it is best for and its main limit.
The baseline. Square gives a maker a point of sale app, card readers and an online store in one account, so market sales and website sales are in the same place. Card money reaches your bank the next business day for payments taken before 5 PM PT, with no fee for next-business-day transfers.
- Price
- There is no monthly fee on Square Free, and Square Plus is $49 a month per location. The contactless and chip reader costs $59; without a reader you can use invoicing, payment links, virtual terminal, Tap to Pay on iPhone and Tap to Pay on Android.
- Fees per sale
- In person, 2.6% + 15¢ on Square Free, or 2.5% + 15¢ on Square Plus. Online store and invoice payments cost 3.3% + 30¢ on Square Free, or 2.9% + 30¢ on Square Plus. Card payments on your own website through Square's payments APIs cost 2.9% + 30¢ on every plan.
- Strong at
- Selling at markets and online from one account, with no code and no developer.
- Best for
- Makers who sell face to face most weekends and want a free online store next to it.
- Limit
- The free plan's online store rate of 3.3% + 30¢ is higher than Stripe's 2.9% + 30¢, and an instant transfer costs 1.95% per transfer.
A payment processor built for online checkout. It takes card payments on your own website and through payment links, and Stripe Terminal adds in-person payments. Payouts are free on the standard schedule, though the first payout usually arrives within 7–14 days after the first live payment.
- Price
- Pay as you go, with no setup fees, monthly fees, or hidden fees. A Stripe Reader M2 costs $59.00.
- Fees per sale
- Online card payments cost 2.9% + 30¢. In person with Stripe Terminal it is 2.7% + 5¢, and Tap to Pay on a phone adds $0.10 per authorization. International cards add +1.5%. Instant Payouts cost 1.5%, minimum fee of 50¢.
- Strong at
- Online payments: checkout pages, payment links and subscriptions.
- Best for
- Makers who sell mostly online through their own site or links in social posts.
- Limit
- In person it takes more setup: Terminal runs through your own custom POS app, one of hundreds of third-party POS integrations, or Stripe's no-code solution, and Tap to Pay adds $0.10 per authorization to each payment.
PayPal's in-person app and card readers. PayPal Zettle is now PayPal Point of Sale. Money from sales is available in minutes through your PayPal balance, and online the same PayPal business account takes payments through PayPal checkout.
- Price
- There are no monthly fees, startup fees, or long-term commitments. Card reader: $29 for your first Card Reader, then $79 for each additional reader. PayPal's all-in-one Terminal: $199 for Terminal only. You can also use Tap to Pay on your phone with no additional hardware.
- Fees per sale
- In person, 2.29% + $0.09 per card payment. Online, PayPal checkout costs 3.49% + $0.49 per transaction when the buyer pays with PayPal and 2.99% + $0.49 per transaction for cards. An instant transfer to a bank costs 1.50% of amount transferred.
- Strong at
- The lowest in-person card rate of the three, and buyers who already pay with PayPal or Venmo.
- Best for
- Makers whose buyers like to pay with PayPal online and who want a cheap reader for markets.
- Limit
- Online card payments through PayPal checkout cost 2.99% + $0.49 per transaction, against Stripe's 2.9% + 30¢, and buyers paying with PayPal cost 3.49% + $0.49 per transaction.
Which one fits you
You sell mostly at markets and fairs and want one app for everything.
Square
Readers, a point of sale app and an online store in one account. In person it charges 2.6% + 15¢ on Square Free, and there is no monthly fee on Square Free.
You sell mostly online through your own website or links in social posts.
Stripe
2.9% + 30¢ per online card payment, lower than the 3.3% + 30¢ on Square Free's online store.
You want the lowest in-person card rate.
PayPal Zettle
2.29% + $0.09 per card payment, so $0.78 on a $30 sale against $0.93 on Square.
Your online buyers like to pay with PayPal or Venmo.
PayPal checkout
Buyers pay with their PayPal account, at 3.49% + $0.49 per transaction. You can offer it next to Square or Stripe.
You want card money in your bank the next business day without paying for it.
Square
Transfers arrive the next business day for payments taken before 5 PM PT, with no fee for next-business-day transfers. A new Stripe account's first payout usually takes within 7–14 days.
Where Nation fits
Nation
Category: an AI store builder
Nation says one description of what you make builds the store, then agents handle orders, customers and delivery and run ads, content and social posts, with you approving the work. Because pricing is not announced yet, it is not compared on fees here.
Limits today
- Status: pre-launch, with a waitlist on withnation.ai.
- Pricing and fees: not announced yet.
- Shopper marketplace: no shopper marketplace has been announced.
- Track record: no independent reviews or public stores yet.
Nation publishes this page. Nation is not ranked here and will not be added to the comparison or the fee example until signup is public and pricing is published.
Describe what you makeDisclosure and method
Nation, an AI store builder, publishes this page. Nation is not ranked here and will not be added to the comparison until signup is public and pricing is published.
The page covers Square, Stripe and PayPal, three payment companies a US maker can use to take cards at markets and online. No company paid to be included, and none of the links are affiliate links.
Every rate was read on the company's own pricing or help page on 2 Oct 2026. Each company's section names its source, and the full list is below.
Questions about Square vs Stripe
Stripe vs Square fees: which is cheaper?
Stripe is cheaper than Square Free for online card payments: 2.9% + 30¢ against 3.3% + 30¢ on Square's online store. In person the two are close. Square charges 2.6% + 15¢ on Square Free and Stripe Terminal charges 2.7% + 5¢, so on a $30 sale Square keeps $0.93 and Stripe keeps $0.86. Neither charges a monthly fee at its standard pricing.
Is Stripe or Square better for a small business?
Stripe vs Square for a small business comes down to where you sell. Square is the simpler choice for a business that sells in person, because the app, card readers and a free online store work together without code. Stripe fits a business that sells mostly online through its own website, checkout pages or payment links.
Is PayPal Business cheaper than Square?
PayPal Business is cheaper than Square in person: PayPal Zettle charges 2.29% + $0.09 per card payment at a market, against Square's 2.6% + 15¢ on Square Free. Online it depends on how the buyer pays. PayPal checkout charges 3.49% + $0.49 per transaction when the buyer pays with PayPal and 2.99% + $0.49 per transaction for cards, while Square Free charges 3.3% + 30¢ for online cards.
Should a maker use Stripe, Square or PayPal?
Stripe, Square or PayPal fits a maker by where most sales happen. Square suits makers who sell mostly at markets and want a free online store in the same account. Stripe suits makers who sell mostly online. PayPal suits makers whose buyers pay with PayPal or Venmo, and PayPal Zettle has the lowest in-person card rate of the three.
How fast do Square and Stripe pay out?
Square and Stripe pay out on different schedules. Square sends card money the next business day for payments taken before 5 PM PT, with no fee for next-business-day transfers, and an instant transfer costs 1.95% per transfer. Stripe pays out free on the standard schedule, but the first payout usually arrives within 7–14 days after the first live payment, and Instant Payouts cost 1.5%, minimum fee of 50¢.
Do I need a card reader for Square or Stripe?
Square and Stripe both let you take a tapped card on a phone without a reader. Square lists invoicing, payment links, virtual terminal, Tap to Pay on iPhone and Tap to Pay on Android, and its contactless and chip reader costs $59. Stripe's Tap to Pay adds $0.10 per authorization to each payment, and its Reader M2 costs $59.00. PayPal Zettle's reader costs $29 for your first Card Reader.
Is Nation an alternative to Square or Stripe?
Nation is not an alternative to Square or Stripe you can compare today. It is an AI store builder, pre-launch, with a waitlist on withnation.ai, and its pricing is not announced yet. Nation is not ranked on this page and will be added to the comparison only once signup is public and pricing is published.