February 24, 2026 | Edward Ip | Leave a comment Disclosure: POSadvice.com may earn a referral fee if you purchase through links on this page. This does not affect our independent reviews or rankings.\n\nNCR Silver is NCR Voyix’s small business POS offering — the consumer-friendly counterpart to their enterprise Aloha platform. Square, of course, needs no introduction: it’s the world’s most popular free-to-start POS system with over 4 million active sellers. If you’re deciding between the trusted NCR brand and Square’s simplicity, this head-to-head comparison breaks down what really matters.Quick VerdictFactorNCR SilverSquare POSWinnerStarting price$79/mo$0/moSquareProcessing rate2.75% flat2.6% + $0.10Square (on avg)Hardware costiPad + NCR readerFree reader + optionsSquareBrand reputation50+ year NCR legacyModern fintech brandNCR (enterprise trust)Ease of setupModerate (setup assistance)Excellent (self-serve)SquareReportingGoodExcellentSquareSupport✅ 24/7 phone⚠️ Business hours phoneNCR SilverRestaurant featuresGood (Silver for Restaurants)Good (Square for Restaurants)TieNCR Silver OverviewNCR Silver is NCR Voyix’s cloud-based, iPad-first POS designed for small to medium businesses. It sits between the consumer-friendly Square and NCR’s enterprise Aloha platform. NCR Silver targets businesses that want the credibility and support structure of a major enterprise vendor without the complexity or cost of Aloha.NCR Silver Pricing 2026PlanPriceWhat’s IncludedNCR Silver Core$79/mo1 register, sales, basic inventory, reportingNCR Silver Pro$129/moLoyalty, gift cards, advanced reporting, multi-locationNCR Silver Restaurant$99–$199/moTable management, kitchen display, online orderingProcessing rate2.75% flatVisa, MC, Amex, DiscoverSquare POS OverviewSquare launched in 2009 and revolutionized small business payments with its free card reader and flat-rate processing. Today Square offers an entire ecosystem of products — POS, payroll, marketing, invoicing, banking, and loans — all integrated under one platform.Square POS Pricing 2026PlanPriceWhat’s IncludedSquare POS (free)$0/moUnlimited devices, basic POS, inventory, reportsSquare Plus$29–$69/moAdvanced inventory, loyalty, team managementSquare for Restaurants Plus$69/mo/locationTable management, KDS, multi-locationSquare Premium/EnterpriseCustomVolume pricing, custom integrationsProcessing (card present)2.6% + $0.10All card typesProcessing (keyed)3.5% + $0.15Manual entryFeature Comparison: NCR Silver vs SquareFeatureNCR SilverSquare POSFree plan available❌ No ($79 minimum)✅ YesInventory management✅ Good✅ Excellent (Plus plans)Customer management/CRM✅ Built-in✅ Square Customer DirectoryLoyalty program✅ NCR Silver Pro✅ Square Loyalty ($45+/mo)Gift cards✅ Built-in (Pro)✅ Square Gift CardsOnline store⚠️ Limited✅ Square Online (free tier)E-commerce integration⚠️ Third-party✅ Native Square OnlinePayroll❌ Third-party only✅ Square Payroll ($35+/mo)Table management✅ Restaurant plan✅ Square for RestaurantsKitchen display✅ Restaurant plan✅ Square KDSMulti-location✅ Silver Pro✅ Square DashboardAPI/integrations⚠️ Limited ecosystem✅ Large marketplaceOffline mode✅ Good⚠️ Limited offlineProcessing Fee Reality: Who Costs Less?On $200,000 annual sales:SystemMonthly SoftwareAnnual Processing CostAnnual TotalNCR Silver Core$79$5,500 (2.75%)$6,448NCR Silver Pro$129$5,500 (2.75%)$7,048Square (Free)$0$5,200 (2.6%+$0.10)$5,200Square Plus$29$5,200$5,548Square wins on total cost at every tier. NCR Silver’s 2.75% flat rate is slightly higher than Square’s 2.6% + $0.10, and NCR Silver has no free tier.Who Should Choose NCR Silver?✅ NCR Silver is right for you if:You value 24/7 phone support as a non-negotiable (NCR Silver offers it; Square restricts phone support by plan)You’re an established business that trusts the NCR/Voyix brand over newer fintech companiesYour industry has NCR-specific integrations you rely onYou want a single vendor for POS and can upgrade to Aloha later as you scaleWho Should Choose Square?✅ Square is right for you if:You’re starting a new business and want $0 upfront commitmentYou want a larger integration ecosystem (Square has 700+ partners)You need online sales built in (Square Online is included)You want all-in-one business tools: payroll, marketing, invoicing, loansYou process under $10K/month (Square’s free plan covers all basics)Our VerdictSquare wins on price, ecosystem size, and ease of use. NCR Silver wins on brand credibility and 24/7 phone support availability. For most small businesses evaluating these two systems in 2026, Square is the stronger choice — the free tier alone makes it worth starting with, and the ecosystem depth surpasses NCR Silver at every price point.NCR Silver makes sense if 24/7 phone support is a dealbreaker for you, or if you’re in an industry (like hospitality) where the NCR ecosystem provides specific integration value that Square can’t match.Ready to see how these systems compare for your specific business? Get free, personalized POS quotes at posadvice.com/get-quotes/ — our tool matches you with the right system in minutes.POSadvice.com — Independent ReviewsFind Your Perfect POS SystemAnswer 3 quick questions. Get free, no-obligation quotes from top providers matched to your business.Get Free Quotes →Takes 2 minutes · No spam · No commitmentRelated Reading: For a complete comparison, see our guide to the Best POS System for Small Retail Stores 2026.