Rica vs Square Online + Appointments
Square alternative for a one-person business.
Square is a register with pieces bolted on, each with its own fee. Rica is one page, one inbox and one customer list, with your own Stripe and 0% on a paid plan.
Square Online + Appointments has
POS, bookings, store, email, 500 texts
$0 / $49 + $10, as published 18 Oct 2026.
What it does not do
no WhatsApp or Instagram inbox, no assistant answering customers, no funnels, no events with tickets, 3.3% + 30¢ online on the free plan.
Row by row.
| Rica | Square Online + Appointments | |
|---|---|---|
| Fee on your sales | 0% on paid plans | 3.3% + 30¢ (free) |
| Physical goods with cutoffs | Yes | Yes |
| Subscriptions for goods | Yes | Basic |
| Bookings | Yes | +$10/mo |
| Events with tickets | Yes, 0% | No |
| Text reminders and updates | Yes, 2.5¢ a text | 500 included |
| WhatsApp inbox | Yes | No |
| Assistant answering customers | Yes, from your facts | No |
| Email marketing | Free, always | Yes |
| QR ordering | Yes | Yes |
| Your own Stripe | Yes | Square |
Fee on your sales
- Rica0% on paid plans
- Square Online + Appointments3.3% + 30¢ (free)
Physical goods with cutoffs
- RicaYes
- Square Online + AppointmentsYes
Subscriptions for goods
- RicaYes
- Square Online + AppointmentsBasic
Bookings
- RicaYes
- Square Online + Appointments+$10/mo
Events with tickets
- RicaYes, 0%
- Square Online + AppointmentsNo
Text reminders and updates
- RicaYes, 2.5¢ a text
- Square Online + Appointments500 included
WhatsApp inbox
- RicaYes
- Square Online + AppointmentsNo
Assistant answering customers
- RicaYes, from your facts
- Square Online + AppointmentsNo
Email marketing
- RicaFree, always
- Square Online + AppointmentsYes
QR ordering
- RicaYes
- Square Online + AppointmentsYes
Your own Stripe
- RicaYes
- Square Online + AppointmentsSquare
Three prices.
No small print.
Free
$0
Free forever, not a trial.
Fee on your sales: 2.5% + 30¢, paid by the buyer
- A page on a Rica address, with a small Rica mark
- Three products
- Two live events, free RSVPs
- Three QR codes
- The inbox
- Free email to 500 contacts
- Your buyer pays 2.5% + 30¢ on paid orders and tickets
Rica
$39a month
Or $29 a month billed yearly ($348), $120 less.
For a one-person business.
Fee on your sales: 0%
- Ten products of every kind
- Subscriptions, bookings, quotes
- Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp in your inbox
- Five live events, paid tickets at 0%
- 25 QR codes
- Free email to 2,000 contacts
- Rica drafts replies; you send with a tap
- Customer accounts: your buyers sign in to see orders, bookings and tickets
- 100 notification texts a month included
- The Rica mark stays on your page
Pro
$89a month
Or $79 a month billed yearly ($948), $120 less.
For the business that has grown.
Fee on your sales: 0%
- Unlimited products, events and QR codes
- Automations: comment to get the link, follow to unlock
- Your own domain, no Rica mark
- Three seats for your team
- Two brands or stores; another is $29 a month
- Rica replies to customers by itself
- Customer accounts on every store
- Free email to 20,000 contacts
- 500 notification texts a month included
- Priority support