Stripe or Square? Card reader comparison (08/26)
Two providers, the same criteria, the same table. With no payment product of our own that has to win in the end.
On the published rate, Square (Block) starts lower: 2.60 % + 15 ¢ against 2.70 % + 5 ¢ for Stripe. For anyone selling abroad too: Stripe covers 29 markets, Square (Block) 8.
Side by side
| Criterion | Stripe | Square (Block) |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction fee | from 2.70% + 5 ¢ Domestic cards in person; +1.5 % for international cards, plus 10 ¢ per Tap to Pay authorisation | from 2.60% + 15 ¢ Square Free plan; Plus 2.5 %, Premium 2.4 % |
| Monthly fee | 0 EUR | 0 (Square Free plan) |
| Setup cost | 0 EUR | 0 |
| Contract term | n/a | n/a |
| Certification | PCI DSS | n/a |
| Platforms | iOS + Android | iOS + Android |
| Markets | 29 | 8 |
| SoftPOS24 rating | 4.5/5 | 3.5/5 |
| Source | open source ↗ | open source ↗ |
More comparisons with these two
- Square or SumUp? fees, monthly cost, certification and rating
- Square or PayPal / Zettle? fees, monthly cost, certification and rating
- Square or Clover? fees, monthly cost, certification and rating
If it is not about these two but about switching: Alternatives to Stripe · Alternatives to Square.
And the others?
A duel answers “which of these two”. The question “which of all of them” is answered by the comparison of all 105 providers.
Frequently asked
Is Stripe cheaper than Square?
Not across the board. The headline rate applies to consumer debit cards; commercial cards, Amex and cards issued abroad usually cost one to one and a half points more. Add the monthly fee and the fixed amount per transaction — 15 cents on a $4 sale is another 3.75 %.
Can I run both at the same time?
Technically yes, and when switching, two to four weeks in parallel is sensible. Permanently it rarely pays: two monthly fees and a split volume, which costs you volume discounts.
Where do the numbers come from?
From the providers' own pricing pages, retrieved on 26.08.2026. Where a provider publishes nothing, the source is flagged as secondary. Every figure is on the provider profile with its source link.