Fireworks Technicians 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 fireworks technician earns $42,000/year, so Square's annual cost is roughly 0.8% 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.
Fireworks Technicians face unique challenges: ATF federal explosives license renewals, plus per-state shooter licensing and per-show local pyrotechnic permits that each demand site plans, fallout calculations, and lead times measured in weeks. Fire marshal sign-off is a hard gate: a single failed walkthrough on spacing, fallout radius, or magazine distance can scrub the show hours before doors. Liability and high-limit insurance (often $1M-$5M certificates with the venue named as additional insured) is expensive, mandatory, and must be issued per-event with exact wording. Brutal seasonal concentration around July 4th and New Year's Eve means double-booked crews, scarce inventory, and weather-cancellation risk all stacking on the two biggest revenue days of the year. On top of all that, Square charges $29/month ($348/year) — money that comes directly from your revenue. The median fireworks technician earns $42,000/year. Software at $348/year is a meaningful percentage of that income, every year, forever. And you do not own anything.
Your Electronic firing system (FireOne, Cobra, or PyroMax modules with hardwire or wireless field cabling) 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 fireworks technicians 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.
The truck rolls before noon for an evening show, loaded the night before from the magazine with a signed inventory log riding shotgun. First thing on site is the survey: pace off the fallout zone, confirm the 70-foot-per-inch-of-shell spacing to the crowd line, check overhead clearance and wind direction, and flag the firing position with cones and tape. Then the labor: setting racks plumb and angled, dropping shells, taping leaders, and color-coding by sequence. Wiring is the slow, careful part, every e-match clipped into the firing module, every cue logged on the cue sheet, then a continuity check module by module while keeping the system safed. The fire marshal walkthrough comes mid-afternoon, tape measure in hand, checking distances and the charged hose line before signing the permit. As dusk falls the crew clears to the safety perimeter, radios go quiet, and the operator counts down to the first cue. The show itself is six to twelve minutes of total focus on the firing panel. Then the worst part: walking the field in the dark with a flashlight, hunting duds and unfired shells, soaking them, and not leaving until every tube is accounted for. Teardown, re-inventory, and the long drive home.
Real fireworks technicians near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee. Are you a fireworks technician? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time. Or browse every fireworks technician 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 $2,000/year on software — and fireworks technician face their own version of that math. Mexico requires CFDI electronic invoicing for all formal businesses. ISR and IVA apply. Requirements vary by country and locality. Check local regulations.
Numbers reflect typical solo operators in the Guadalajara metro. Your situation will vary.
Specific gaps Fireworks Technicians 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