Hair Braiders 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 Hair Braider earns $35,000/year, so Square's annual cost is roughly 1.0% 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.
Hair Braiders face unique challenges: Knotless box braids and large styles that run six to eight hours, so one no-show torches the whole day's income. Clients texting at midnight asking for an appointment 'tomorrow morning' that's already booked solid. Deciding whether hair is included or the client brings their own, and getting paid for the packs when you supply them. Quoting a price before seeing the length and density, then the install takes two hours longer than the quote. On top of all that, Square charges $29/month ($348/year) — money that comes directly from your revenue. The median Hair Braider earns $35,000/year. Software at $348/year is a meaningful percentage of that income, every year, forever. And you do not own anything.
Your Rat-tail and parting combs for clean, even sections 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 hair braiders 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.
Your first client is in the chair by eight because knotless box braids down the back take all day, and you've blocked the whole morning and most of the afternoon for her. You part the first section with the rat-tail comb, feed in the braiding hair, and find the rhythm, your hands moving while you talk, the pile of pre-stretched packs shrinking beside you. Long installs are intimate work, hours of conversation, and your wrists and shoulders feel every one. Around noon someone texts wanting 'just a quick style tomorrow,' but tomorrow's already a full head of cornrows for a wedding. You stop to eat standing up and switch hands to give your fingers a break. The afternoon client brought her own hair but only two packs when the style needs four, so now there's an awkward conversation about buying more from your stock. You quoted her over text before seeing how thick and long her hair was, and the install is running two hours past what you figured. By evening your client's head is a perfect lattice and she's thrilled, posting it before she's even out the door, but you're booked three weeks deep and your DMs are full of people wanting in sooner.
Real hair braiders near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee. Are you a hair braider? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time. Or browse every hair braider 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 $1,800/year on software — and Hair Braider face their own version of that math. Kentucky income tax is a flat 4%. Louisville/Jefferson County levies a 2.2% Occupational License Tax on all earnings. Louisville Metro requires a business license. Kentucky requires electrical and HVAC licensing. Indiana side requires separate contractor registration.
Numbers reflect typical solo operators in the Louisville metro. Your situation will vary.
Specific gaps Hair Braiders 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