Neon Sign Makers 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 neon sign maker earns $55,000/year, so Square's annual cost is roughly 0.6% 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.
Neon Sign Makers face unique challenges: Custom-art quoting — every job is a one-off, impossible to template. 6-week turnaround vs 50% deposit timing — cashflow is bumpy. Fragile shipping — every cracked tube is a redo. Breakage warranty terms (and how to write them without giving the shop away). Vintage repair vs new-build margin — different price models, same shop. On top of all that, Square charges $29/month ($348/year) — money that comes directly from your revenue. The median neon sign maker 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 Bombarder (vacuum pump for purging tubes) 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 neon sign makers 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.
8am tube bending in the shop — a script "OPEN" sign for a barbershop. 10am phosphor coating a second tube for the same job. Noon vacuum pump cycle, you walk away while it runs. 1pm load up the van for an install across town. 3pm wall-mount, wire to the transformer, fire it up. 5pm back at the shop, cleanup, and you remember you need to invoice for the tube-bending you finished yesterday.
Real neon sign makers near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee. Are you a neon sign maker? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time. Or browse every neon sign maker 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 $2,448/year on software — and neon sign maker face their own version of that math. NV state licensing requirements apply.
Numbers reflect typical solo operators in the Sparks metro. Your situation will vary.
Specific gaps Neon Sign Makers 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