The verdict for kids party entertainers: 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 kids party entertainers 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.
Kids Party Entertainers deal with unique challenges that generic software was not built for: Saturdays are 3-4 parties stacked back-to-back. Character vs balloon-twister vs face-paint = three rate cards. Costume cleaning between same-day gigs. Parent damage/refund disputes after the cake. Travel time and gas eat margin on across-town gigs. Square charges $29/month on top of these daily realities. The median kids party entertainer earns $30,000/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 kids party entertainers. You own it like you own your Character costumes (princess, superhero, mascot).
10am paint up at home — princess for an 11am birthday. 11am 90-minute princess gig at a private home. 1pm change costumes in the car — superhero for a 1:30pm party. 3pm balloon-twisting only at a third event. 5pm home, costumes in the wash. 8pm reconcile Venmo, cash, and the Saturday total.
Real kids party entertainers near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee. Are you a kids party entertainer? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time. Or browse every kids party entertainer on Nexa →
For solo kids party entertainers 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 kids party entertainers, 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