Full Comparison
Yakuma vs Square
Micro/small business POS locked into Square's proprietary hardware and payment processing.
See the complete breakdown of how Yakuma compares to Square across every dimension that matters for your business.
Complete Feature Comparison
| Dimension | Square | Yakuma |
|---|---|---|
| Data ownership | Vendor-owned cloud. Your data lives in Square's infrastructure, subject to their terms and policies. | Customer-owned infrastructure. Your data, your servers (on-premise, private cloud, or your cloud account). |
| Deployment model | Cloud-only. No option for on-premise or private cloud deployment. | On-premise, private cloud, or customer cloud. You choose where your systems run. |
| Cloud provider choice | Vendor-imposed. You use Square's cloud infrastructure with no alternatives. | AWS, Azure, GCP, or customer choice. Deploy on your preferred cloud provider. |
| Exit strategy | Limited / vendor-dependent. Leaving means losing access to your data and rebuilding from scratch. | Full data ownership and portability. Export everything, switch anytime, no data hostage. |
| IT governance | Not supported. Cannot comply with enterprise IT policies or security requirements. | Designed for enterprise IT policies. Full compliance with corporate security, data residency, and governance. |
| Architecture | Cloud-first. Payments-only offline mode. Most features require constant internet connection. | Offline-first. Each store operates fully independently. Syncs when possible, never blocks when not. |
| Offline operation | Payments only. Can process basic card payments offline but inventory, reporting, and other features require internet. | Fully operational. Complete POS functionality without internet including inventory, promotions, and all workflows. |
| Kitchen & expo offline | Not available. Kitchen displays depend on cloud connection. | Always on (LAN). Kitchen displays work on local network, never depend on internet. |
| Store autonomy | Low. Stores depend on Square's cloud services to function. | Full. Each store operates as independent unit, syncs centrally when connected. |
| Target market | Focused on micro/small businesses and simple multi-location setups. | Engineered for complex chains first, but still usable for single-location merchants. |
| Franchise support | Basic multi-location. Not designed for complex franchise networks with multiple owners. | Native franchise architecture (franchisor/franchisee separation, multi-owner networks). Read more → Franchise POS |
| Hotel & Airport Operations | Not supported. Cannot integrate with hotel PMS systems for room charging or airport authority systems for compliance reporting. | Native integration with hotel PMS (room posting, guest identification) and airport compliance (boarding pass handling, authority reporting, revenue sharing). Read more → Regulated Environments |
| Hardware freedom | Requires Square's proprietary hardware terminals and readers. No choice of devices. | Works on any Windows PC (any version). Complete hardware freedom. |
| Payment processor lock-in | Locked into Square Payments. You cannot choose your own payment processor or negotiate rates. | 100% payment processor agnostic. Choose any acquirer, negotiate your own rates, switch providers anytime. |
| Features | "Good-enough" inventory, loyalty, and basic analytics for small businesses. | Enterprise-grade inventory, promotions, and hierarchies for large, multi-country groups. |
| Countries & taxes | Strong in US/CA; limited in advanced fiscalization and multi-country edge cases. | Fiscal "packs" for Spain, LATAM, GCC, EU, etc. in one platform for genuine multi-country chains. |
| Customization | Low-code extensions but limited deep customization. You adapt to Square, not vice versa. | Unlimited custom development included. Build any workflow, screen, or integration your business needs. |
| Native apps | Square's standard app only. No custom native app development available. | 100% custom native apps for iOS and Android, plus hybrid apps for faster complex implementations. |
| Smart-watch & Smart-TV apps | Not available. | Native apps for Apple Watch, WearOS smart-watches, and Smart-TV displays for kitchen screens and digital signage. |
| Source code protection | No source code access. Complete vendor dependency with no exit strategy. | Full source code deposited with a public notary, ensuring business continuity and technology independence. |
| Operating systems | Limited to Square's approved devices and operating systems. | POS runs on any Windows version. Mobile and tablet apps work on iOS, Android, and any platform. |
Why Choose Yakuma Over Square
Global by Design
Unlike Square, Yakuma was built from day one for multi-country operations with different taxes, currencies, languages, and fiscal requirements.
Deep Customization
Build your own workflows with scripting and configuration. Don't wait for vendor roadmaps to get the features your business needs.
No Vendor Lock-in
Choose your own hardware, payment providers, and integrations. Yakuma works with what you have, not what we sell.
Multi-Sector Platform
Retail, restaurants, salons, tickets, and more on a single platform. No need for separate systems for different business types.
Compare Yakuma with Other POS Solutions
Ready to Switch from Square?
See why multi-country chains choose Yakuma. Request a personalized demo today.
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