Skip to main content
Payment & Billing

PayPal Business vs Square: Pricing Comparison 2026

Side-by-side pricing comparison of PayPal Business and Square. See all plans, features, and costs at a glance.

Bottom line: Both PayPal Business and Square offer free plans. PayPal Business has 3 pricing tiers while Square has 2.

Last updated: March 16, 2026

Data compiled by Arthur Jacquemin
Updated March 16, 2026

PayPal Business vs Square: Quick Pricing Facts

FeaturePayPal BusinessSquare
Starting PriceCustom pricing$35/mo
Number of Plans32
Free TierYesYes
Pricing Modelusage-basedusage-based
Annual DiscountN/AN/A

PayPal Business and Square are both priced at Custom pricing, making them equally accessible Payment & Billing tools. Together they offer 5 pricing plans with 22 features compared, so the best choice comes down to which features match your needs.

Both tools offer free plans, making them accessible for teams on a budget.

Review the detailed tier-by-tier comparison above to see exactly which features are included at each price point and find the best fit for your Payment & Billing needs.

Pricing Plans
PayPal Business
PayPal Business
Try it free
Tier 1
Free
$0/monthCheapest
Includes
  • Accept payments
  • Invoicing
  • Guest checkout
  • Flexible options
  • Fraud protection tools
Start with Free
Free
$0/monthCheapest
Includes
  • End-to-end encrypted payments
  • Active fraud prevention
  • Next day transfers
  • Offline payments
Start with Free
Tier 2
Business
Custom pricing
Includes
  • Customizable solutions
  • End-to-end payment platform
  • POS system
  • Card processing
  • Recurring payments
Start with Business
Square Payroll
$35/monthCheapest
$5 / year
Includes
  • Full-service payroll
  • Starting at $35 per month
  • $6 per person paid
Start with Square Payroll
Tier 3
Enterprise
Custom pricing
Includes
  • Global payment processing
  • Enterprise-level POS solutions
  • Streamlined checkout experiences
  • Custom integrations
  • Dedicated support
Start with Enterprise

Swipe to compare plans →

PayPal Business

Online payment processing and merchant services

View all PayPal Business plans

Square

Payment processing for in-person and online transactions

View all Square plans
Our Pick

PayPal Business

PayPal Business offers a free plan, offers 3 tiers vs 2.

Based on pricing data only. Review the full comparison below for your specific needs.

Best value: PayPal Business

Try PayPal Business free

Which Should You Choose?

Choose PayPal Business if:

  • You prefer PayPal Business's free tier features—Accept payments, Invoicing
  • You need 3 pricing tiers for flexible team sizing—more options mean less overpaying for features you don't need
  • You want more features built-in—PayPal Business offers 8 additional features across its plans
  • Your team needs custom enterprise pricing—PayPal Business offers negotiated terms for large deployments

Choose Square if:

  • You prefer Square's free tier features—End-to-end encrypted payments, Active fraud prevention
  • You prioritize Square's user experience and interface over price (both tools are similarly priced)
  • You prefer Square's usage-based model with its 2-tier structure

Both PayPal Business and Square offer free plans [1], eliminating cost barriers for evaluation. This means you can test both tools thoroughly with your actual workflows before any financial commitment. The free tiers differ in scope: PayPal Business includes 5 features, while Square includes 4 features. Evaluate which free tier matches your evaluation needs before deciding to upgrade. Your best approach is to activate both free trials and evaluate which tool's workflow, integrations, and user experience align better with your team's needs before committing to paid plans.

ShareShare

Frequently Asked Questions: PayPal Business vs Square

How many pricing plans does PayPal Business have vs Square?
PayPal Business offers 3 pricing plans, while Square offers 2 plans. More plans typically means more flexibility to match your exact needs and budget.
Does PayPal Business or Square offer a free plan?
Yes, both PayPal Business and Square offer free plans. Compare the feature limits of each free tier to see which better fits your use case before upgrading.
Can I save money by paying annually for PayPal Business or Square?
Both PayPal Business and Square offer annual billing options. Check each plan's yearly pricing for potential savings compared to monthly billing.
Does PayPal Business or Square offer custom enterprise pricing?
PayPal Business offers a custom-priced enterprise tier for larger teams. Square lists all its pricing publicly.
How do PayPal Business and Square compare for Payment & Billing?
Both PayPal Business and Square are Payment & Billing tools. PayPal Business offers 3 plans starting at Custom pricing, while Square offers 2 plans starting at $35/mo. Review the feature breakdowns above to see which better fits your Payment & Billing needs.

Sources

  1. PayPal Business Official PricingVendor pricing page
  2. Square Official PricingVendor pricing page

Track Price Changes

Get notified when pricing changes for these tools.