Invoice Link vs Square Invoices
Square Invoices is the free tier everyone compares against, backed by Square's serious payments infrastructure. Invoice Link is paid trade-specific invoicing (US$8.99/wk or US$299.99/yr after a 3-day free trial) with features Square won't ship because they serve every business type.
The short version
Which one is right for you?
Choose Invoice Link if…
You're in the trades, you want Street View + property lookup + recurring invoices + expense OCR, and you're willing to pay US$8.99/week for a tool built specifically for your work. You don't need a POS — you invoice from the truck.
Choose Square Invoices if…
You already use Square for POS (retail, bar, cafe, market stall) and you want invoicing on the same rail, or your primary revenue is in-person card at 2.6% + $0.10 and saving more than $1 per $100 matters more than trade-specific features.
Feature by feature
Side-by-side comparison
The things you actually care about when picking invoicing software. Pricing last verified April 21, 2026 — competitor pricing changes often; check each vendor's site for the latest. Prices are in US dollars; Invoice Link's price in your country is shown in the app.
| Feature | Invoice Link | Square Invoices |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free · US$8.99/wk · US$299.99/yr | Free · $20/mo Plus · $35/mo Premium |
| Free trial Square free; Invoice Link is paid after the trial | 3-day | Free tier |
| Mobile apps (iOS + Android) | iOS + Android + web | iOS + Android + web |
| Credit card payments | Yes · available to US-based businesses | Yes |
| ACH bank transfer | Yes · 0.8% (max $5) + 1% + $0.30 | Yes · 1% (min $1) |
| Apple Pay / Google Pay | Yes | Yes |
| Estimates with one-tap approval | Yes | Yes |
| Recurring invoices | Yes | Plus tier and up |
| Automatic payment reminders | Yes | Yes |
| Expense tracking + receipt OCR | Receipt scanning built in | No |
| Customer profiles with Street View | Yes | No |
| Property data lookup | Yes | No |
| Processing fees (card online, on top of platform) | 2.9% + $0.30 + 1% + $0.30 | 3.3% + $0.30 per invoice paid |
| POS integration (retail/bar use) Square wins — their core business | No | Yes |
| U.S.-based support | Email, U.S. | Phone + chat |
| Built specifically for trades Square serves every business type | Yes | No |
| Setup time | ~2 minutes | ~10 minutes (unified Square account) |
| Onboarding difficulty | None | Low — Square account creation required |
Competitor information gathered from public sources. We aim for accuracy — email sentinelholdingsinc@gmail.com if anything here is out of date.
Where Invoice Link wins
What we do better than Square Invoices
Trade-specific features Square doesn't ship
Street View on every client. Property data (sqft, beds, year built). Receipt scanning for expenses. Text invoices from your own number. These exist because we only serve trades — Square serves bars, cafes, markets, retail, and service businesses of every kind.
Recurring invoices on every paid tier
Square puts recurring invoices behind their Plus plan ($20/mo). Invoice Link Pro at US$8.99/week includes recurring — and Pro annual (US$299.99/year = $25/mo equivalent) puts you right around Square Plus pricing with more features.
Expense receipts built in
Square Invoices doesn't scan your expense receipts. Invoice Link reads the vendor, date, and total off a supply-house receipt, logs it as a business expense, and lets you tag the job it was for — so you know what every job cost you.
Where Square wins
What Square Invoices does better
Native in-person card hardware
Square's contactless in-person rate (2.6% + $0.10) and the Square Reader are unmatched if most of your revenue is face-to-face card taps. Invoice Link's flow is emailed/texted Stripe pay links — great for jobs you bill from the truck, but not the right tool if every customer pays you in-person on a card. That's a legitimate win for Square and we won't pretend otherwise.
POS integration for retail + service hybrid
If you run a counter (parts shop, showroom, bar/cafe on the side), Square's POS integration is unmatched. Invoice Link doesn't do POS — and we're not planning to. If you need both, Square is one tool that does both.
Brand scale + consumer recognition
Square is a Block (NYSE: XYZ) subsidiary with FDIC banking partners and massive consumer brand recognition. Your customers recognize the Square name. If brand trust is high on your customer's list, Square has the edge.
No subscription for basic invoicing
Square Invoices Free is genuinely free with no invoice cap — you pay only per-invoice fees (3.3% + $0.30 when paid by card). Invoice Link's free plan caps at 3 invoices. If you send fewer invoices but bigger ones, Square's per-invoice model might be cheaper overall.
Switch playbook
How to switch from Square Invoices in an afternoon
No migration tool needed. Most tradespeople are up and invoicing from Invoice Link within a single job.
- 1
Export from Square Dashboard
Dashboard → Customers → Export CSV. Dashboard → Invoices → Export. Square makes both easy. Keep your Square account open for any pending deposits.
- 2
Sign up for Invoice Link
Free tier, iOS or Android. Connect Stripe (takes 3 minutes via Stripe Express). Import contacts from your phone. You're ready to invoice.
- 3
Run parallel for one billing cycle
Send new invoices from Invoice Link. Let Square collect on outstanding ones. Once everything's cleared, stop issuing from Square. Your Square payment history stays accessible — nothing gets destroyed.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Square Invoices is free — why pay for Invoice Link?
Does Invoice Link support in-person card taps like Square?
Can I use my existing Square reader with Invoice Link?
Is Square more trustworthy because of scale?
Can I migrate from Square Invoices?
Built for the trades — not every business type.
Free plan to start. 3-day Pro trial when you need recurring invoices, reports, and more.
iOS · Android · Web dashboard · 3-day free trial