BraintreevsSquare
Score Comparison
Signals Comparison
Braintree
- Customer support is nearly non-existent(10/10)
- Documentation is outdated and unhelpful(8/10)
- Support emails go unanswered(9/10)
Square
- Customer service is unhelpful and repetitive(9/10)
- No transparency on account issues(9/10)
Braintree
- Getting out of sandbox mode is a nightmare(9/10)
Square
No signals
Braintree
- Sudden account closures with funds held(10/10)
- Marketplace service was shut down(8/10)
- Gateway API outages impact payments(8/10)
Square
- Random account freezes without warning(10/10)
- Payment holds delay business cash flow(9/10)
- Major service outages affect payments(9/10)
- KDS stops working when internet goes down(8/10)
Braintree
- High fees for foreign transactions(7/10)
- Higher base fees than competitors(6/10)
- New chargeback policy favors fraud(8/10)
Square
- Processing fees not refunded on refunds(8/10)
- Transaction fees increased in 2025(7/10)
- Hardware is expensive and proprietary(6/10)
- Add-on features require extra fees(6/10)
Braintree
- Complex setup requires developer expertise(7/10)
- SDKs are less developer-friendly than Stripe(7/10)
Square
- Cannot process international payments(7/10)
Braintree
- Fraud prevention tools cause payment failures(8/10)
Square
No signals
Braintree
- Platform feels abandoned by PayPal(7/10)
Square
- App glitches and freezing issues(7/10)
- Register lacks features iPad app has(5/10)
Braintree
No signals
Square
- Android app removed from non-Square hardware(7/10)
Braintree
No signals
Square
- Connectivity issues cause abandoned sales(8/10)
Pricing Comparison
Braintree
Users: Unlimited
Limits: No phone support, Email support only, No dedicated account manager, Standard fraud tools only
Users: Unlimited
Limits: Must negotiate terms, Long sales process, Not available for all business types
Square
Users: Unlimited
Limits: Limited reporting, No advanced inventory, Basic marketing tools only, No loyalty program
Users: Unlimited
Limits: Some advanced features still require Premium, No custom pricing
Users: Unlimited
Limits: Custom pricing only for $250K+ annual volume
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Braintree | Square |
|---|---|---|
| Payments | ||
| PayPal integration Best-in-class (owned by PayPal) | ||
| In-person payments 2.6% + $0.15 per transaction | ||
| Venmo payments Seamless integration | ||
| Online payments 3.3% + $0.30 (Free) or 2.9% + $0.30 (Plus) | ||
| Credit card processing 2.59% + $0.49 per transaction | ||
| International payments US only - major limitation | ||
| Next-day deposits Free; instant transfer costs 1.75% | ||
| Support | ||
| Phone support Email only - major weakness | ||
| POS | ||
| Free POS software Basic features on Free tier | ||
| Inventory management Basic on Free, advanced on Plus | ||
| Features | ||
| Recurring billing Subscription management included | ||
| Marketplace payments Shut down December 2023 | ||
| Invoicing Included in all plans | ||
| Reliability | ||
| Offline mode Limited - KDS doesn't work offline | ||
| International | ||
| Multi-currency support 130+ currencies, 1% conversion fee | ||
| Marketing | ||
| Customer loyalty program Plus plan and above | ||
| Integration | ||
| Drop-in UI Pre-built payment form | ||
| Pricing | ||
| No monthly fees Pay per transaction only | ||
| Custom pricing Requires $80K+/month volume | ||
| Business Tools | ||
| Payroll integration Additional cost | ||
| Security | ||
| PCI compliance Level 1 PCI DSS | ||
| Fraud protection Can be overly aggressive | ||
| Integrations | ||
| API access Available for developers | ||