Adyen vs Square
Adyen and Square are both payments & billing tools. Adyen is aimed at enterprise and E-commerce, while Square is aimed at small businesses. Only Square has a free plan.
Enterprise payments platform for online, in-store and platform sales
Payments and POS for small businesses
| Pricing | Paid | Freemium · $49 |
| Starting price | Not published | $49/mo |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Built for | Enterprise, E-commerce | Small businesses |
| Platforms | web | web, ios, android |
| Country | NL · 2006 | US · 2009 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Adyen if
Large merchants and platforms processing high volumes across several countries and channels that want one acquiring partner.
- Transparent, published Interchange++ pricing with no setup or monthly fees
- Single platform for online, in-store and marketplace payments
- Strong authorization rates from direct acquiring and tokenization
Look elsewhere if: Small businesses and early startups that need instant self-serve setup (Stripe, PayPal, Square).
Choose Square if
Small brick-and-mortar businesses in supported countries.
- Free POS software
- Simple flat-rate pricing
- All-in-one for small businesses
Look elsewhere if: Online-only SaaS (Stripe).
Adyen vs Square pricing
Adyen
- Processing fee$0.13/transactionFixed fee on every payment, plus the payment method fee
- Cards (Visa, Mastercard)Interchange++ + 0.60%Interchange and scheme fees passed through at cost
- American Express3.3% + $0.10North America rate; 3.95% elsewhere
- ACH Direct Debit$0.27/transactionNo setup, monthly or closure fees; minimum invoice may apply
Square
- Square Free$0In-person 2.6% + 15¢, online 3.3% + 30¢
- Square Plus$49/location/moIn-person 2.5% + 15¢, online 2.9% + 30¢
- Square Premium$149/location/moLowest fees: in-person 2.4% + 15¢, online 2.9% + 30¢
- Square ProCustomFor businesses processing over $250K/year
Adyen · Key features
- Own acquiring and processing for cards in many countries under one contract
- Drop-in and Components SDKs for web, iOS and Android checkout
- Point-of-sale terminals and Tap to Pay on iPhone and Android
- RevenueProtect risk engine with configurable fraud rules
- Network tokenization and automatic card updater to lift authorization rates
- Adyen for Platforms for marketplace onboarding, KYC and split payouts
Cons
- Sales-led onboarding that is not designed for small merchants
- Integration and configuration usually need in-house developers
- Minimum invoice can apply depending on industry
Square · Key features
- POS software and hardware
- Online store and invoices
- Appointments and loyalty
- Payroll and team management
- Banking and loans
- Restaurant and retail features
Cons
- Limited country availability
- Fees higher than interchange-plus at scale
- Account holds possible
Adyen vs Square: FAQ
Do Adyen and Square have a free plan?
Adyen has no free plan. Square has a free plan.
Which is better for small businesses, Adyen or Square?
Square lists small businesses as a core audience, while Adyen is aimed more at enterprise and E-commerce.