Square for Restaurants vs Clover
POS & Ordering · Features checked on the official websites, Oct 2026.
Verdict
Pick Square if you want to start at $0 a month with no hardware commitment and the freedom to cancel or switch plans anytime, and you're fine paying a slightly higher card rate (2.6% + 15¢ on Free, 2.4% + 15¢ on Premium). Plus at $49 per location is the cheapest Square plan with bar tabs, split checks and tableside ordering. Pick Clover if you do enough card volume that its 2.3% + 10¢ in-person rate saves you more than the bundle costs, and you want hardware, software and a warranty in one monthly payment. Read the subscription terms first: Clover hardware subscriptions run 36 months, are non-cancelable and roll on unless you give notice.
Who it's for
Square for Restaurants
Cafes, counter-service spots, food trucks and small bars that want a published $0 or $49 plan, no long-term hardware contract, and the option to grow into tabs, KDS and tableside ordering later.
Clover
Quick-service and full-service restaurants with steady card volume that want a lower in-person card rate and an all-in hardware bundle, or prefer to buy POS through their bank or a local reseller.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Square for Restaurants | Clover |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing (checked Oct 2026) | Square Free $0/mo, Square Plus $49/mo, Square Premium $149/mo (Plus and Premium are per location); custom pricing (Square Pro) if you process over $250,000 a year | Bundles on Clover.com, all on the Restaurant Growth plan. Quick-service: $135, $185 or $245/mo for 36 months (or $849 + $89.95/mo, $1,899 + $89.95/mo, $2,648 + $109.90/mo). Full-service: $179, $239 or $354/mo for 36 months (or $1,799 + $89.95/mo, $2,548 + $109.90/mo, $4,447 + $129.85/mo) |
| In-person card fee (checked Oct 2026) | 2.6% + 15¢ (Free), 2.5% + 15¢ (Plus), 2.4% + 15¢ (Premium) | 2.3% + 10¢ on every quick-service and full-service bundle |
| Keyed-in and online card fees (checked Oct 2026) | Manual entry or card on file 3.5% + 15¢; online 3.3% + 30¢ (Free) or 2.9% + 30¢ (Plus, Premium) | Card typed in 3.5% + 10¢; online rate not shown on the restaurant bundle pages |
| Free trial / cancellation | Plus and Premium: 30-day free trial, cancel or switch plans anytime; Free has no monthly fee | Hardware subscriptions are non-cancelable and not refundable (you can pay off, upgrade or buy out); they roll on at the same monthly charge unless you give 30 days' notice before the term ends |
| Where you buy it | Direct from Square | Clover.com (bundle prices are Clover.com only) or banks and resellers such as Citi, PNC and Wells Fargo; contract terms and termination fees vary by seller |
| Hardware | Not required to take payments (Tap to Pay on iPhone/Android, invoices, virtual terminal); hardware options from $59 | Clover devices in each bundle (Mini, Station Solo, Station Duo or Flex handheld); subscriptions include an equipment protection warranty |
| Bar tabs (card pre-auth) and split checks | Square Plus and Premium (not in Square Free) | Y (full-service bundles: open tabs with card pre-authorization, bill splitting, table mapping) |
| Tableside ordering | Square Plus and Premium (not in Square Free) | Full-service Standard and Advanced bundles (Flex handheld); not in Starter |
| Kitchen display (KDS) | Square KDS app $30/mo per device on Plus, $20/mo on Premium; not in Free | Not included in the restaurant bundles; see vendor pricing |
| Online ordering | Y (commission-free branded online ordering profile synced to the POS, on every plan) | Y (Clover online menu page, no-fee online ordering, pickup and delivery, on every bundle) |
| Third-party delivery orders | Delivery-partner orders such as DoorDash managed in the Orders tab | Y (3rd-party menu integrations) |
| Offline payments | Y on every plan (offline payments are declined if you don't reconnect within 24 hours) | Not highlighted on the restaurant pricing pages |
| Inventory | Item tracking; ingredient-level via Square Restaurant Inventory by MarketMan, $99/mo per location (Plus, Premium) | Stock tracking and sold-out marking by item; cost tracking by item |
| Payroll | Square Payroll from $35/mo + $6 per person paid | Payroll integrations (optional add-on) |
| Getting paid | Next-business-day transfers free; instant transfers for a fee | Rapid Deposit: funds within minutes for a 1.75% fee |
| Phone support | Free: weekdays 6am-6pm PT for the first 90 days; Plus: weekdays 6am-6pm PT; Premium: 24/7 (chat and email on all plans) | 24/7/365 support |
✓ Yes = advertised on the vendor's official website (checked Oct 2026). "Not highlighted" means we didn't see it on the main product page. It may exist, so confirm with the vendor. Prices shown were read on each vendor's official pricing page (checked Oct 2026) and change often, so confirm current pricing with the vendor before you buy.
Sources
- Square for Restaurants pricing
- Clover quick-service restaurant pricing
- Clover full-service restaurant pricing
- Clover pricing FAQ (subscriptions, resellers, termination fees)
FAQ
Is Square for Restaurants or Clover better?
Pick Square if you want to start at $0 a month with no hardware commitment and the freedom to cancel or switch plans anytime, and you're fine paying a slightly higher card rate (2.6% + 15¢ on Free, 2.4% + 15¢ on Premium). Plus at $49 per location is the cheapest Square plan with bar tabs, split checks and tableside ordering. Pick Clover if you do enough card volume that its 2.3% + 10¢ in-person rate saves you more than the bundle costs, and you want hardware, software and a warranty in one monthly payment. Read the subscription terms first: Clover hardware subscriptions run 36 months, are non-cancelable and roll on unless you give notice.
Who should choose Square for Restaurants?
Cafes, counter-service spots, food trucks and small bars that want a published $0 or $49 plan, no long-term hardware contract, and the option to grow into tabs, KDS and tableside ordering later.
Who should choose Clover?
Quick-service and full-service restaurants with steady card volume that want a lower in-person card rate and an all-in hardware bundle, or prefer to buy POS through their bank or a local reseller.
How much do Square for Restaurants and Clover cost?
The pricing rows in the table above were read on the official Square for Restaurants and Clover pricing pages (checked Oct 2026). Prices change often and some plans are quote-based, so confirm on each vendor's official pricing page before you buy.