Square is a good system with a free plan. Here is how it compares with Denali on what owners ask about most, and where Square is the better fit.
| Denali POS | Square | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | Three plans, one monthly price. Tell us about your business and we send your price the same day. | Free: $0. Plus: $49 a month per location. Premium: $149 a month per location. Kitchen screens and kiosks cost extra for each device.1 |
| Card fees in person | Keep your own card processor and terminal, or use a Stripe reader on your own Stripe account: Stripe charges 2.7% + 5¢ a sale. Your quote lists everything Denali charges.8 | 2.6% + 15¢ on Free, 2.5% + 15¢ on Plus, 2.4% + 15¢ on Premium. Cards typed in by hand: 3.5% + 15¢.2 |
| Whose card fee is lower: Stripe's or Square's | Stripe's fee is lower than Square's on sales under $100 on the free plan, under $50 on Plus and under about $33 on Premium.28 | Square's fee is lower on sales above those amounts. |
| Devices | Runs in the web browser on the tablet, phone or touchscreen computer you already have: iPad, Android or Windows. Nothing to install. | Square's restaurant modes don't run on iPhones or on Android phones and tablets, so a restaurant needs an iPad or Square's own hardware.3 |
| Card processing | Yours to choose. Your Stripe account is your own, and it stays with you if you leave. | Square processes every card. You can't use another processor.7 |
| Contract | Month to month, with no multi-year contract. Cancel any time by email; it ends with the month you paid for. A $49.99 fee applies only if you cancel in your first year. | No long-term contract. Square says you can cancel or switch anytime.4 |
| No internet | Keeps selling. Every sale is saved on the device first and never counted twice. Cash works, and so does your own card terminal if it has its own connection. A Stripe reader needs the internet: Denali can't take cards offline yet. | Takes cards offline for up to 24 hours. They must be uploaded within 72 hours or they expire, and you pay for any that are declined. Tap to Pay, gift cards, cards typed in by hand and some other payments don't work offline.5 |
| Spanish | Every register runs in English or Spanish, and each register picks its own. The website and the sign-up are in Spanish too. | Square's devices can run in Spanish, says a former Square employee on Square's seller forum (March 2024).6 |
| Support | By email, and Report a problem right from the register. Every register checks in every minute. No phone support. | Phone support. On the free plan, only for the first 90 days. On Plus, weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific. On Premium, around the clock.7 |
Each one is good at different things. Here is when each makes more sense.
Export your item library from Square as a spreadsheet. Denali's menu import reads it, and you check every item and price before anything is saved. You can keep Square running until you're sure.
We read every source on October 16, 2026. Prices and terms change, and some depend on the plan or on who sells it. If something here is out of date, email sales@denali-operations.com and we'll fix it.
Tell us about your business and we'll send your price the same day.
