The AI TillAlternatives
Square alternatives
Square: Card payments, till software, invoices and online booking, with a free plan. Its price when we checked: Free plan: £0 a month (you pay per transaction). Plus: from £29 a month. If it isn't right for you, these tools do a similar job.
Prices at a glance
| Tool | Cheapest paid plan | Free plan |
|---|---|---|
| Square | £29 (Plus, per month, from) | Yes |
| SumUp | £15.75 (Payments Plus, a month equivalent of £189 a year) | Yes |
| Tide | £12.49 (Smart, per month) | Yes |
Our verdict
Free plans: SumUp, Tide. Priced in pounds (no exchange-rate surprises): SumUp, Tide. Cheapest pound-priced entry plan: Tide at £12.49 (Smart, per month). Choose by the job you need doing: each entry says who it suits best.
SumUp
Card readers and payment links for small traders, with pay-as-you-go fees.
- Price: Pay-as-you-go: 1.69% per transaction, no monthly fee. Payments Plus: £189 a year with 0.99% per transaction.
- Free plan: Yes. Pay-as-you-go plan has no monthly fee; you buy a card reader.
- Best for: Market traders and mobile businesses taking occasional card payments.
Compare Square and SumUp side by side
Tide
A business account app with invoicing, expense cards and accounting integrations.
- Price: Free plan with no plan fee. Smart: £12.49 a month. Pro: £27.49 a month. Max: £69.99 a month.
- Free plan: Yes. Essential tools for getting started with no monthly plan fee (transaction limits vary by plan).
- Best for: Sole traders and small companies wanting a simple business account linked to their accounts software.
Sources
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