Head to head
Braintree vs Square
As a payments API, Square rates higher on the APIbenchmarks Index, 85.9 to 77.9, a 8-point gap. Here is how they compare on each criterion.
Criterion by criterion
| Criterion | Braintree | Square |
|---|---|---|
| Documentation & DX | ||
| Reliability | ||
| Ecosystem & SDKs | ||
| Accessibility | ||
| APIbenchmarks Index | 77.9 | 85.9 |
Specifications
| Braintree | Square | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | PayPal/Venmo-native card gateway | Omnichannel (online + in-person) payments |
| Free tier | Free sandbox account; live rates not always published | Free APIs/SDKs + sandbox; sellers pay per transaction |
| Pricing | Per transaction (2.59% + $0.49) | Per transaction (2.6% + $0.15 in-person) |
| Official SDKs | 9 languages | 12 languages |
Is Braintree better than Square?
On the APIbenchmarks Index, Square rates higher (85.9 vs 77.9). It leads on the four weighted criteria, but price is reported separately, so the best choice still depends on your budget.