Square vs Recurly

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

Recurly

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 pauses without custom code
• Built-in dunning management to automatically retry failed payments and reduce churn
• Strong API with webhooks for real-time subscription events and easy integration
• Supports multiple currencies and tax compliance (VAT, GST) out of the box

Cons

• Pricing is steep for small startups, with setup fees and percentage-based transaction cuts
• Reporting can feel limited compared to pulling raw data into your own analytics

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 Recurly if: You prioritize handles complex subscription logic like upgrades, downgrades, and pauses without custom code 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.