Head to head
Compared side by side on published facts and the same six criteria every review is graded on — generated from the live directory, not a sales page.
Braintree (PayPal Enterprise Payments)
Payment Processor · 4.3/5 mean
Braintree is a full-featured, globally-capable payment gateway solution (online + mobile) backed by PayPal, offering robust APIs, developer tooling, and enterprise-class features for merchants. Primarily deals in mobile and web payment systems.
Read the full review →Square
POS System · 3.8/5 mean
Square offers simple, transparent payment processing ideal for small businesses. Flat-rate pricing, no monthly fees, and excellent software make it a top choice — but account holds and limited support are key concerns.
Read the full review →Square holds the higher standing — by grade, then mean category score. The row-by-row picture below is what should actually decide it for your business.
Both graded against the same six criteria. How we grade · Last fact-checked September 2, 2026.
| Criterion | Braintree (PayPal Enterprise Payments) | Square |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing transparency | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Feature set | 5.0wins this criterion | 4.0 |
| Ease of use | 4.0 |
Straight from each provider's published documentation. Where a number isn't published, we say so rather than estimate.
| Metric | Braintree (PayPal Enterprise Payments) | Square |
|---|---|---|
| Online rate | 2.89% + $0.29 per transaction | 3.3% + $0.30 for Square Online and invoices on the free plan; 2.9% + $0.30 through the Payments API, or on Plus and Premium |
| Monthly fee | $0 monthly fee for standard processing. Third-party guides report a $49/month gateway-only model with $0.10 per transaction; neither PayPal nor Braintree publishes such a rate. | Not disclosed |
| Payout | Typically 1-2 business days after batch settlement (varies by acquiring bank) | Next business day |
| Contract | Public sources indicate month-to-month terms for many merchants | Month-to-month |
| In-person rate | Not disclosed | 2.6% + $0.15 (free plan); 2.5% + $0.15 (Plus); 2.4% + $0.15 (Premium) |
| Keyed rate |
From the Braintree (PayPal Enterprise Payments) review
Square delivers free POS software, a range of card readers, and dashboard-simple setup for in-person sellers — the plug-and-play experience Braintree does not offer. Braintree holds up for medium-to-large ecommerce and recurring-billing merchants that want developer control, card vaulting, and the PayPal and Venmo ecosystem.
Pick Square if you run a brick-and-mortar business and want a plug-and-play POS with flat rates
Ideal for
Not recommended for
Ideal for
Not recommended for
The full reviews carry the pricing narratives, contract analysis and everything else behind these numbers — or let the matching funnel score the whole directory against your business.
| Customer support | 4.0wins this criterion | 1.0 |
|---|
| Contract terms | 4.0 | 5.0wins this criterion |
|---|
| Industry reputation | 5.0wins this criterion | 4.0 |
|---|
| Not disclosed |
| 3.5% + $0.15 |
| International rate | typically an additional +1% surcharge | Additional 1.5% on cards issued outside your account's country |
|---|
| Chargeback fee | Not disclosed | None |
|---|
| Early termination | Likely no early termination penalty | Not disclosed |
|---|
| Last fact-checked | September 2, 2026 | September 2, 2026 |
|---|