The verdict for airbrush artists: Square is solid software, but at $29/month it costs $1,168 over 3 years. Nexa does most of what Square does for $279 once. For solo airbrush artists and small teams, Nexa is the better deal.
Nexa: $279. Once. You keep $889. And you own it — no more "we're updating our pricing" emails.
| Feature | Square | Nexa |
|---|---|---|
| Invoicing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Scheduling | ✗ | ✓ |
| CRM | ✗ | ✓ |
| Time Tracking | ✗ | ✓ |
| Full Accounting | ✗ | ✓ (SIMPL) |
| Task Management | ✗ | ✓ |
| Price | $29/mo | $279 once or 3 × $99 |
| 3-Year Total | $1,168 | $279 |
| You own it? | No — stop paying, lose access | Yes — forever |
Square plus whatever else you're paying for:
Email yourself this comparison?
The math doesn't lie.
Airbrush Artists deal with unique challenges that generic software was not built for: Event work (boardwalk, parties) has different economics than custom commissions. Equipment maintenance (nozzle replacements, compressor service) is ongoing. Seasonal income — summer events and holidays peak, winter is dead. Custom vehicle and helmet work requires deposits and milestone billing. Square charges $29/month on top of these daily realities. The median airbrush artist earns $32,000/year — $348/year in software subscriptions is a significant percentage of that income, paid every year, forever.
Nexa is $279 once. Invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, accounting — all connected, built for airbrush artists. You own it like you own your Airbrush guns (Iwata, Badger).
Summer Saturday: you're set up on the boardwalk doing $20 t-shirt airbrush portraits. You'll do 25-30 today at $20 each — $500+ in cash. Monday you have a motorcycle tank custom job ($800, 2 days). Wednesday a birthday party gig ($200 for 2 hours of kid t-shirts). Three totally different revenue streams with different costs and none of it tracked.
Real airbrush artists near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee. Are you an airbrush artist? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time. Or browse every airbrush artist on Nexa →
For solo airbrush artists and small teams, yes. invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, task management, and full accounting — all for $279 once. Square may be better if you have a large team (10+) or need enterprise-specific features.
Square has features like No monthly fee on Free plan and Instant setup that some businesses rely on. For most solo airbrush artists, these aren't dealbreakers.
At $29/month, Nexa pays for itself in 9.6 months. After that: $348 saved every year.
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.
Own your tools. Stop renting your software.
Get Nexa — $279 Once