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.
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 →Stax
Payment Processor · 4.0/5 mean
Stax is a payments technology company founded in 2014 that partners with SaaS companies, ISOs, and SMBs to enable flexible, multi-channel payment processing and invoicing solutions, claiming a distinctive subscription-based pricing model with 0% interchange markup.
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 | Square | Stax |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing transparency | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Feature set | 4.0 | 5.0wins this criterion |
| Ease of use | 5.0wins this criterion |
Straight from each provider's published documentation. Where a number isn't published, we say so rather than estimate.
| Metric | Square | Stax |
|---|---|---|
| Online rate | 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 | $0.15 per transaction (flat, no % markup) |
| Monthly fee | Not disclosed | $99–$199+/month (depending on subscription tier) |
| Payout | Next business day | Next business day |
| Contract | Month-to-month | month-to-month subscription |
| In-person rate | 2.6% + $0.15 (free plan); 2.5% + $0.15 (Plus); 2.4% + $0.15 (Premium) | $0.08 per transaction (flat, no % markup) |
| Keyed rate | 3.5% + $0.15 | $0.15 per transaction |
From the Stax review
Square offers free POS software and flat-rate pricing with no monthly fee, making it far friendlier to low-volume and seasonal sellers than Stax's $99+ subscriptions. Stax remains the stronger value for merchants processing upwards of $10K a month, where its 0% interchange markup outweighs the fixed cost.
Pick Square if you are a small or seasonal seller who needs free POS software
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.
| 4.0 |
| Customer support | 1.0 | 3.0wins this criterion |
|---|
| Contract terms | 5.0wins this criterion | 4.0 |
|---|
| Industry reputation | 4.0 | 4.0 |
|---|
| International rate | Additional 1.5% on cards issued outside your account's country | Not publicly specified |
|---|
| PCI fee | Not disclosed | Not on Stax's published rate card; $10/month is third-party reporting |
|---|
| Chargeback fee | None | Not on Stax's published rate card; chargeback protection is offered as an add-on at an unpublished price |
|---|
| Early termination | Not disclosed | None (month-to-month; 30 days written notice required to cancel) |
|---|
| Last fact-checked | September 2, 2026 | September 2, 2026 |
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