Boat Detailer on Square pay $29/month — $348/year. Over three years, that's $1,168. Nexa is $279 once. Break-even runs about 9.6 months. The median Boat Detailer earns $48,000/year, so Square's annual cost is roughly 0.7% of typical revenue — every year, forever.
That's $1,168 gone. And you don't own anything. Stop paying, lose access.
You're not the only one who's had enough.
Boat Detailer face unique challenges: Heavily oxidated, chalky gelcoat that takes multiple cutting stages before it'll shine. Waterline stains, hard-water spots and bottom growth that ordinary soap won't touch. Working around marina tides, lifts and slips with limited access and no power or water at the dock. Seasonal demand that floods every spring at launch and dries up over winter. On top of all that, Square charges $29/month ($348/year) — money that comes directly from your revenue. The median Boat Detailer earns $48,000/year. Software at $348/year is a meaningful percentage of that income, every year, forever. And you do not own anything.
Your Heavy-cut rotary buffer with wool and foam pads for oxidized gelcoat is yours. You bought it once. Nexa works the same way — $279 once for invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, and full accounting. All connected. All offline-capable. You own it like you own your tools.
Square is just one piece. What else are you losing money on?
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Your exact Square cost, full stack total, and what switching saves. 10 seconds.
| Feature | Square | Nexa |
|---|---|---|
| Invoicing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Scheduling | ✗ | ✓ |
| CRM | ✗ | ✓ |
| Time Tracking | ✗ | ✓ |
| Full Accounting | ✗ | ✓ (SIMPL) |
| Task Management | ✗ | ✓ |
| Price | $29/mo forever | $279 once or 3 × $99 |
| 3-Year Cost | $1,168 | $279 |
| Stop paying? | Lose everything | Keep everything forever |
Most boat detailer are fully switched before the weekend.
Go to Square Dashboard → Customers → Export. Also export transactions and item library.
15-minute setup. Import your customer list and service/product catalog.
Run both for 1-2 weeks. Test invoicing and booking through Nexa.
Cancel paid subscriptions. Keep free account for records access.
Boats live a hard life in sun and saltwater, so most of what I fight is oxidation. Gelcoat that's gone chalky and dull takes me through multiple cutting stages on the rotary with wool, then foam, before any wax goes on, and a thirty-foot hull is hours of work standing on a ladder or leaning over the rail. The waterline is its own battle, scum lines, hard-water spots, and bottom growth that laughs at regular soap, so I'm using marine acids and a pressure washer to bring it back. I detail the topsides too: vinyl seats that crack in the sun if they're not protected, isinglass clears that scratch if you wipe them wrong, and nonskid decks that hold dirt in every texture. Access is always a puzzle, because I'm working in a slip or on a lift with tides moving the boat, sometimes no shore power and no water at the dock, so I'm hauling my own. The thing nobody tells you about this trade is how seasonal it is: come spring everyone wants their boat ready to launch at once and I'm slammed, and by deep winter the calls dry up. When a faded hull comes back to a mirror and the owner sees it sitting in the slip glowing, that's the job.
Real boat detailer near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee. Are you a boat detailer? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time. Or browse every boat detailer on Nexa →
For solo operators and small teams (1-5), yes. Nexa includes invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, task management, and full accounting. Square may be better if you have a large team (10+) or need enterprise-specific features.
It's $7.75/month over 3 years. Square is $29/month — that's $1,168 over 3 years. Which is more? And if you'd rather split it, Nexa is also available as 3 payments of $99.
Yes. Nexa is $279 as a one-time payment, or 3 payments of $99 ($297 total). Either way it's a one-time purchase — no subscription, no recurring fees ever.
30-day money-back guarantee. Full refund. If Nexa doesn't save you $500 in year one, you get every penny back.
Export your data from Square as CSV, import into Nexa in about 5 minutes.
The average solo operator there spends about $3,400/year on software — and Boat Detailer face their own version of that math. DC income tax up to 10.75%; Virginia and Maryland also tax. Solopreneurs often serve clients across all three jurisdictions. DC requires a Basic Business License. Virginia and Maryland each have separate requirements. Multi-jurisdiction compliance is common.
Numbers reflect typical solo operators in the Washington DC metro. Your situation will vary.
Specific gaps Boat Detailer run into with Square, and what Nexa does instead.
$1,168 over 3 years. Or $279 once (or 3 × $99). Own your tools.
Get Nexa — $279 Once