Square for Retail vs QuickBooks POS (GoPayment)

Side-by-side from the Top 11 ranking of The 11 Best POS Systems for Retail (2026). Last verified June 17, 2026.

The short answer

Square for Retail ranks higher on Top 11 (#3 vs #10) for Retail store owners choosing a point-of-sale system. The top choice for new retailers due to its powerful free plan and simple setup.

At a glance

Square for RetailQuickBooks POS (GoPayment)
Top 11 rank#3 / The 11 Best POS Systems for Retail (2026)#10 / The 11 Best POS Systems for Retail (2026)
Score (out of 9.4)8.87.4
Best forBest for small businessesBest for QuickBooks users
Pricing$ ($0 to $60/mo)$ ($0/mo)
HQSan Francisco, USAMountain View, USA
Founded20091983

Square for Retail

The top choice for new retailers due to its powerful free plan and simple setup.

squareup.com/us/en/point-of-sale/retail

See full entry in The 11 Best POS Systems for Retail (2026)

QuickBooks POS (GoPayment)

The default choice for businesses already using QuickBooks.

quickbooks.intuit.com/payments/pos/

See full entry in The 11 Best POS Systems for Retail (2026)

Methodology and scoring weights live at /methodology. No vendor pays for placement — see about.