North vs Square
Table service without a bill for every device.
Square for Restaurants is free for a counter, but coursing and 24/7 support need Plus at $60 a month a location, plus $40 for each extra device. Its card rates are low, especially on Interac, so compare the whole bill.
| Item | Square | North |
|---|---|---|
| Software for table service | Plus, $60/mo a location | $0 |
| Extra devices | $40/mo each | $0 |
| Card processing | 2.5% credit; Interac 0.75% + 7¢ | 2.49% on every card |
| Kitchen screens | $20/mo each on Free; included on Plus | $0 |
| Contract | None | None |
What owners run into
Made for counters: table service is a paid plan, billed per device.
01
Table service is the paid plan
Course management is a Plus feature, at $60 a month a location. Plus also brings 24/7 support; the free plan’s is weekdays, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific.
With North: Coursing, seats, splits and tip pools on every device, free.
02
Billed by the device
Plus includes one countertop device and charges $40 a month for each one after. On the free plan, kitchen screens are $20 a month each.
With North: No device fees, however many iPads and printers you run.
03
Offline, but not for Interac
Square’s offline mode declines Interac payments when the device reconnects, stops after 24 hours, and leaves declined payments with you.
With North: Orders, kitchen tickets and cash keep going offline and sync when you’re back.
Sources: Square help: offline mode (Canada)
Savings calculator
What a year on Square costs, next to North.
Set your card sales, card mix and devices. We add up a year of software fees and card processing at each company’s Canadian prices. If you know what you pay now, put it in.
A year on North instead of Square
North costs more$3,170
more a year at these rates.
| A year | Square | North |
|---|---|---|
| Card processing2.09% effective vs 2.49% | $25,030 | $29,880 |
| Software and devicesPlus $60/mo with one device, $40/mo each extra | $1,680 | $0 |
| Total | $26,710 | $29,880 |
North is free software with one blended card rate of 2.49% on every card. Other companies’ figures are their Canadian list prices where published, and marked estimates where not, checked October 2026; your quote may differ. Hardware and taxes aren’t included. Sources and assumptions.
Sources
Square’s published Canadian rates: 2.5% on credit in person and 0.75% + 7¢ on Interac. Prices are in Canadian dollars before tax, checked October 2026.
Free to start. Free to stay.
Create your account, import your menu, draw your floor and pair your iPads with a code. No contract to sign and nothing to pay for the software, ever.