Square vs Chargebee

The small business savior that makes payments a breeze, but watch out for those sneaky fees meets subscription billing that doesn't make you want to pull your hair out when you need to handle a prorated refund. Here's our take.

Square

Nice Pick

The small business savior that makes payments a breeze, but watch out for those sneaky fees.

Pros

• Dead-simple setup with no technical skills required
• All-in-one ecosystem from POS to payroll
• Transparent pricing with no long-term contracts

Cons

• Transaction fees can add up fast for high-volume sales
• Limited customization options for larger businesses

Chargebee

Subscription billing that doesn't make you want to pull your hair out when you need to handle a prorated refund.

Pros

• Handles complex subscription logic like upgrades, downgrades, and prorations automatically
• Integrates with over 30 payment gateways and accounting tools out of the box
• Provides detailed revenue analytics and dunning management to reduce churn
• Supports global tax compliance (VAT, GST, etc.) without custom code

Cons

• Pricing tiers can get expensive as you scale, especially with add-ons
• Customization beyond their UI sometimes requires webhook hacking

The Verdict

Use Square if: You want dead-simple setup with no technical skills required and can live with transaction fees can add up fast for high-volume sales.

Use Chargebee if: You prioritize handles complex subscription logic like upgrades, downgrades, and prorations automatically over what Square offers.

The Bottom Line

Square wins

The small business savior that makes payments a breeze, but watch out for those sneaky fees.