Head to head
Square vs Stripe
As a payments API, Stripe rates higher on the APIbenchmarks Index, 97.5 to 85.9, a 11.6-point gap. Here is how they compare on each criterion.
Criterion by criterion
| Criterion | Square | Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| Documentation & DX | ||
| Reliability | ||
| Ecosystem & SDKs | ||
| Accessibility | ||
| APIbenchmarks Index | 85.9 | 97.5 |
Specifications
| Square | Stripe | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Omnichannel (online + in-person) payments | Developer-first payments platform |
| Free tier | Free APIs/SDKs + sandbox; sellers pay per transaction | Unlimited test-mode sandbox (no CC); pay-per-transaction live |
| Pricing | Per transaction (2.6% + $0.15 in-person) | Per transaction (2.9% + $0.30) |
| Official SDKs | 12 languages | 12 languages |
Is Square better than Stripe?
On the APIbenchmarks Index, Stripe rates higher (97.5 vs 85.9). It leads on the four weighted criteria, but price is reported separately, so the best choice still depends on your budget.