You're Switching from Square.
Here's Why Boat Mechanics Choose Nexa.

Square
$29/mo
$348/year — every year, forever
Nexa
$279
Once. Own it forever.
or 3 payments of $99
Break even in 9.6 months. Then it's free forever.
"Switched from Square after the last price increase. Nexa does everything I needed for $279. Wish I'd done it sooner."
— Verified boat mechanic, former Square customer

The Bottom Line

Boat Mechanics 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 mechanic earns $55,000/year, so Square's annual cost is roughly 0.6% of typical revenue — every year, forever.

Key Numbers

$55,000
Median boat mechanic income
3%
Typical SaaS spend as % of revenue
9.6 mo
Break-even vs Square
$889
3-year savings switching to Nexa

What Square Is Costing You

The Damage

Square monthly $29/mo
Annual drain $348/yr
Year 2 (11.4% SaaS inflation) $388
Year 3 $432
3-year total $1,168

That's $1,168 gone. And you don't own anything. Stop paying, lose access.

Your Square subscription has cost you $0.00 since you opened this page.

Why Boat Mechanics Leave Square

✗Processing fees add up (2.6-3.5% per transaction)
✗2025 price increase: in-person went from $0.10 to $0.15 per transaction
✗Online fees jumped to 3.3% on Free plan
✗Add-ons like payroll, loyalty, marketing stack up
✗Account stability risk - surprise fund holds
Boat Mechanics are leaving Square every week.

You're not the only one who's had enough.

Why This Matters for Boat Mechanics

Boat mechanics fight a short season and a long list of ways saltwater, ethanol fuel, and neglect punish a marine engine. Spring is chaos, with every owner wanting commissioning at once: new impeller and water pump, lower-unit fluid changed and pressure-tested, fuel system cleaned out after a winter of ethanol-blended gas turning to varnish, and the engine link-and-synced so it runs clean. The trade splits between outboards, which dominate, and sterndrives and inboards that bring their own quirks, and a mechanic moves between two-stroke and four-stroke fuel systems, compression tests on tired powerheads, and the constant battle against water that finds its way past a failed seal or a cracked manifold. Cooling is everything on a boat, so a worn impeller or a clogged passage can cook an engine in minutes, making water-pump service the most repeated and most important job of the season. Much of the work happens dockside or in the yard, dictated by launch and haul-out schedules, and customers have a way of discovering trouble at the boat ramp on a Saturday with the family already loaded. The persistent headache is identity, since a marina full of similar hulls and engines makes it essential to keep each boat, motor, and owner matched so the right job gets done and the right invoice goes out.

Boat Mechanics face unique challenges: The brutal seasonal crush where every boat wants a spring commissioning and water-pump service the same two weeks. Diagnosing ethanol fuel damage and water intrusion that ruin carbs, fuel lines, and lower units over the off-season. Scheduling around launches, haul-outs, and customers who only realize a problem at the ramp on a Saturday. Tracking which boat, motor, and owner a job belongs to in a marina full of similar hulls and engines. On top of all that, Square charges $29/month ($348/year) — money that comes directly from your revenue. The median boat mechanic earns $55,000/year. Software at $348/year is a meaningful percentage of that income, every year, forever. And you do not own anything.

Your lower-unit pressure and vacuum tester 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.

Your Full Stack Cost

Square is just one piece. What else are you losing money on?

Want this breakdown emailed to you?

Your exact Square cost, full stack total, and what switching saves. 10 seconds.

"I was paying Square $29/month and didn't question it until I did the math. $1,168 over 3 years for tools I don't even own. Nexa was $279. Once. Done."
— Boat mechanic business owner

What You Get Instead

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

Switching Takes 1-2 Days

Most boat mechanics are fully switched before the weekend.

1

Export your data

Go to Square Dashboard → Customers → Export. Also export transactions and item library.

2

Set up Nexa

15-minute setup. Import your customer list and service/product catalog.

3

Parallel run

Run both for 1-2 weeks. Test invoicing and booking through Nexa.

4

Cancel Square

Cancel paid subscriptions. Keep free account for records access.

✓ Run both in parallel. Cancel Square when you're confident. Zero risk.

What boat mechanics actually deal with

A day in the life of a boat mechanic

Boat mechanics fight a short season and a long list of ways saltwater, ethanol fuel, and neglect punish a marine engine. Spring is chaos, with every owner wanting commissioning at once: new impeller and water pump, lower-unit fluid changed and pressure-tested, fuel system cleaned out after a winter of ethanol-blended gas turning to varnish, and the engine link-and-synced so it runs clean. The trade splits between outboards, which dominate, and sterndrives and inboards that bring their own quirks, and a mechanic moves between two-stroke and four-stroke fuel systems, compression tests on tired powerheads, and the constant battle against water that finds its way past a failed seal or a cracked manifold. Cooling is everything on a boat, so a worn impeller or a clogged passage can cook an engine in minutes, making water-pump service the most repeated and most important job of the season. Much of the work happens dockside or in the yard, dictated by launch and haul-out schedules, and customers have a way of discovering trouble at the boat ramp on a Saturday with the family already loaded. The persistent headache is identity, since a marina full of similar hulls and engines makes it essential to keep each boat, motor, and owner matched so the right job gets done and the right invoice goes out.

The tools a working boat mechanic actually owns

Local boat mechanics on Nexa

Real boat mechanics near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee. Are you a boat mechanic? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time. Or browse every boat mechanic on Nexa →

FAQ

Is Nexa really a Square replacement for boat mechanics?

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.

$279 seems like a lot.

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.

Can I pay in installments?

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.

What if I don't like it?

30-day money-back guarantee. Full refund. If Nexa doesn't save you $500 in year one, you get every penny back.

Can I import my Square data?

Export your data from Square as CSV, import into Nexa in about 5 minutes.

Boat Mechanics in Bismarck

The average solo operator there spends about $2,160/year on software — and boat mechanic face their own version of that math. ND state licensing requirements apply.

Numbers reflect typical solo operators in the Bismarck metro. Your situation will vary.

If You Need These — Nexa Has Them

Specific gaps Boat Mechanics run into with Square, and what Nexa does instead.

✗
Square gapNo offline payment processing
✓
NexaBuilt into Nexa’s $279 once purchase — no separate add-on.
✗
Square gapLimited inventory for retail
✓
NexaInventory tracking included for product and service businesses.
✗
Square gapHigher processing fees than interchange-plus
✓
Nexa$279 once — not $69/month forever.
"Square raised prices again and I was done. Found Nexa — $279 once. I own it. No more 'we're updating our pricing' emails. Best business decision this year."
— Boat mechanic, switched from Square

Stop Losing $348/Year to Square

$1,168 over 3 years. Or $279 once (or 3 × $99). Own your tools.

Get Nexa — $279 Once
or 3 payments of $99
✓ 30-day money-back guarantee — save $500 or full refund

Still want Square?

We think Nexa is the better deal at $279 once vs $29/mo. But if you've decided on Square, here's the link. No hard feelings.

Square — $29/mo →

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