Square vs Traditional Payment Gateways (Stripe, PayPal)
Square vs Traditional Payment Gateways (Stripe, PayPal), compared side by side on 17 data points: what each one does, how big it is, what it has raised, the tech running each site, and what users report. We score both out of 100 on traction, team and visibility: Square is on 67/100 and Traditional Payment Gateways (Stripe, PayPal) on 23/100.
Where each one leads
Square
- our overall score: 67/100 against 23/100
- agent readiness: 56/100 against 48/100
Traditional Payment Gateways (Stripe, PayPal)
- headcount: 15,895 against 55
- LinkedIn following: 1,497,858 against 380
At a glance
| Measure | Square | Traditional Payment Gateways (Stripe, PayPal) |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | An all-in-one financial services platform providing point-of-sale systems, payment processing, and business management tools. | A financial infrastructure platform offering payment processing, banking-as-a-service, and business tools for internet companies. |
| Category | Fintech, Payments, Fintech & Payments, Digital Payments | Fintech, Payments, Digital Payments, Embedded Finance |
| Sells toBusiness model | B2B | B2B |
| Offering | Platform | Platform |
| Founded | 2009 | 2010 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, United States | San Francisco, United States |
| Status | Active | Active |
Size, funding and growth
| Measure | Square | Traditional Payment Gateways (Stripe, PayPal) |
|---|---|---|
| Employees | 55 | 15,895 |
| Total funding | $10.0M | Not published |
| Latest round | Series A | Not published |
| Valuation | $30.0M | $50B |
| LinkedIn followers | 380 | 1,497,858 |
StartupHub scores
Our own 0-100 ratings. They measure company strength and site quality, not which product suits you.
| Measure | Square | Traditional Payment Gateways (Stripe, PayPal) |
|---|---|---|
| StartupHub scoreOur 0-100 rating | 67/100 | 23/100 |
| Traction | 52/100 | 20/100 |
| Team | 60/100 | Not published |
| Community | 8/100 | Not published |
| Search visibility | 44/100 | 32/100 |
| Quality | 78/100 | Not published |
| Agent readinessHow well an AI agent can read and act on the site | D (56/100) | D (48/100) |
| Domain ratingLink authority, 0-100 | 93/100 | 95/100 |
Technology
Detected on each public site, so it reflects the marketing stack as well as the product.
| Measure | Square | Traditional Payment Gateways (Stripe, PayPal) |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Not detected | Self Managed |
| CDN | Cloudflare | Not detected |
| Frameworks | Tailwind CSS | Next.js |
| Payments | Square | Not detected |
| Open source | No | Yes |
What users say
| Measure | Square | Traditional Payment Gateways (Stripe, PayPal) |
|---|---|---|
| Reddit sentimentThreads we track | 0 positive, 2 negative across 3 threads | Not published |
“After two years of processing payments, with zero notice, and zero reason given Square closed our account Saturday in the middle of the day. I wish I could say we are alone, so many folks have posted on the BBB that this makes me think that”r/smallbusiness
Square vs Traditional Payment Gateways (Stripe, PayPal): common questions
Which is better, Square or Traditional Payment Gateways (Stripe, PayPal)?
On our 0-100 score Square rates higher (67/100 against 23/100). The score weights traction, team, visibility and profile completeness, so it reflects company strength rather than which product suits you. We compare the two on 17 data points above: read the rows that match what you are buying for.
How do Square and Traditional Payment Gateways (Stripe, PayPal) compare on the numbers?
Square leads on our overall score (67/100 against 23/100), agent readiness (56/100 against 48/100). Traditional Payment Gateways (Stripe, PayPal) leads on headcount (15,895 against 55), LinkedIn following (1,497,858 against 380).
What do real users say about Square and Traditional Payment Gateways (Stripe, PayPal)?
Square: 0 positive and 2 negative mentions across 3 Reddit threads we track, mostly in r/smallbusiness.
Read the full Square review and pricing or the Traditional Payment Gateways (Stripe, PayPal) review and pricing. You can also browse other Square alternatives we track.