NOVA & Square Comparison
Compare two powerful POS solutions and discover which platform is better equipped to deliver the visibility, control and support growing retail businesses need.
Both are excellent.
Here’s who each one is for.
The right choice depends on where your business is today – and where you want it to be tomorrow.
Square is the better fit if…
- You're opening your first store and want to start selling quickly.
- You want a free entry point with pay-as-you-go payment processing.
- You have a simple product catalog and basic inventory needs.
- You want to keep your business tools within the Square platform.
A simple way to get started.
NOVA is the better fit if…
- Inventory management is central to your business.
- You need a POS built for one store or many.
- You value live support from retail experts - included with every plan.
- You run a specialty retail business that needs more than basic POS.
Made for the way specialty retail works.
Two powerful platforms.
Built for different stages of growth.
Excellent
Excellent
Core retail operations
Complete retail management platform
Built-in basics; advanced tools require a paid Retail Plus upgrade
Full inventory suite – variants, transfers, purchasing, analytics – all included
Customer profiles & add-ons
Built-in CRM with purchase history & targeted marketing
Team management available
Integrated employee management & payroll
Sales tools & reporting
Customer insights & revenue-driving tools
Solid reporting; advanced retail reports gated to paid plans
Real-time advanced retail & financial reporting included with every plan
Support varies by plan
Live retail experts included with every plan
Square ecosystem
Flexible hardware, workflows & operational controls
A solid choice for growing retailers, with additional multi-location features available on premium plans.
Built to grow with your business – from one store to many – with multi-location dashboards, inventory transfers, cross-store visibility, and consolidated reporting.
Square details reflect Square’s published Retail plans (squareup.com) — checked July 13, 2026.
Compare what's included.
Compare more than the monthly price.
SQUARE
Core POS basics, pay-as-you-go processing.
Free — cost effective way to open a store. The gap appears as you grow.
Unlocks advanced inventory: vendors, purchase orders, COGS reporting.
Unlocks 24/7 phone support, cross-location returns & transfers, advanced reporting.
Every swipe, tap, and click has a rate.
Square’s per-transaction processing fees, by plan.
2.6% + 15¢
2.5% + 15¢
2.4% + 15¢
3.3% + 30¢
2.9% + 30¢
2.9% + 30¢
3.5% + 15¢
3.5% + 15¢
3.5% + 15¢
NOVA — one price. all features included.
Why does NOVA Integrated cost less? Through our partnership with Propelr, we’re able to pass along $40/month in software savings to retailers who choose our integrated payment solution.
Same complete platform, every feature on — you pair it with the merchant partner of your choice.
All features included — no paywalls
Unlimited employees & customers
Live retail experts, whenever you need us
Choose integrated payments or keep your preferred processor
Cancel anytime — no questions asked
10-day free trial · no credit card
Your POS should power more
than checkout
Choosing a POS isn’t just about accepting payments — it’s about choosing the platform you’ll rely on to run your business every day.
NOVA
BUILT TO RUN & GROW
NOVA helps retailers operate more efficiently and grow with confidence by bringing POS, operations, customers, employees, reporting, and payments together in one connected platform.
Increase Sales & Profitability
Drive profitable growth with customer insights, performance-based commissions, flexible pricing controls, product incentives, and integrated payments.
Backed by Retail Experts
Get onboarding, training, and responsive support from a team who understands both retail and software to keep your business growing.
Grow with Visibility
Monitor sales, inventory, employees, and performance with real-time dashboards, alerts, mobile access, and multi-location visibility.
Empower Your Team
Track performance, automate commissions, manage payroll, assign permissions, and motivate smarter selling with customizable incentives.
Know Every Customer
Connect purchase history, Smart CRM, loyalty, targeted marketing, and appointments to create more personalized customer experiences.
Make Better Decisions
Access real-time KPIs, profitability reports, inventory analytics, purchasing insights, and operational reporting.
Why retailers choose NOVA over Square
Square makes it easy to get started. NOVA helps specialty retailers operate smarter and grow with confidence.
Operational Depth
- Connected operations
- Advanced inventory & reporting
- CRM & Employee Management
Personalized Support
- Dedicated onboarding
- Responsive support
- Retail specialists
Flexibility
- Flexible hardware
- Integrated Payments
- Configurable workflows
Easy Migration
- Guided implementation
- Data migration
- Minimal downtime
Thinking of Switching
Switching to NOVA is easier than you may think. Our team guides you through implementation, carefully migrates your data, and helps you go live with minimal disruption to your business.
Guided Implementation
A NOVA retail expert plans the move with you.
Data Migration
Catalog, customers, and history mapped item by item.
Minimal Downtime
Go live without closing the doors.
10 days free · no credit card required
Questions retailers ask
Can I migrate from Square to NOVA?
Your switch is guided end to end — guided implementation, data migration, and minimal downtime, with a NOVA retail expert working the move with you. Exactly what transfers depends on your catalog and setup. We map it together, item by item, before you commit to anything.
Can I try NOVA before deciding anything?
Yes. Try NOVA 10 days free, no credit card, cancel anytime, no questions asked.
Do I have to use a specific payment processor?
No. Choose the payment option that works best for your business. With NOVA Basic, you can keep your preferred payment processor. Or choose NOVA Integrated to combine your POS and payments in one solution while saving $40/month on your software subscription.
What will Square cost as my store grows?
Square’s Free plan is free. Advanced inventory (vendors, purchase orders, COGS) arrives with Plus at $49/mo per location; 24/7 phone support and cross-location transfers with Premium at $149/mo per location. (Square’s published plans, checked July 2026.)
What about AI?
AI has incredible potential, but it starts with clean, connected data. NOVA brings your inventory, customers, employees, reporting, and payments together in one platform, creating the foundation for meaningful AI-powered insights as our AI capabilities continue to evolve.
Inventory
Employees
Customers
Reporting
Payments
Live expert support
Square gets you started. NOVA helps you grow.
While Square is a great choice for businesses getting started, NOVA is built to help specialty retailers grow. From one store to many, NOVA brings together inventory, employees, customers, reporting, payments, and live expert support in one connected platform — helping you streamline operations, increase profitability, and scale with confidence.
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