Manicurists 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 Manicurist 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.
Manicurists face unique challenges: Gel lifting at the cuticle within days because of moisture or oil missed in prep, which clients read as bad work. Allergic reactions and overexposure to acrylic monomers and gel without proper ventilation and gloves. Constant overbooking pressure, fifteen-minute fills stacked so tight that one chatty client torpedoes the whole afternoon. Clients picking and peeling gel off at home, ripping layers of the natural nail and then wanting a discount for 'damage'. On top of all that, Square charges $29/month ($348/year) — money that comes directly from your revenue. The median Manicurist 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 cuticle pusher and nippers 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 manicurists 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.
She sets up the station, fresh file, clean bowls, and starts with the unglamorous truth of the trade: prep is everything. She pushes back the cuticles, gently buffs the shine off the nail plate, wipes with dehydrator, because a single fingerprint of oil left behind is why gel lifts at the corner by Thursday and the client thinks she did a bad job. She brushes on the base coat thin, caps the free edge so it doesn't chip, cures it under the lamp, then color, then top coat, each layer cured, each nail checked for an even smile line. For a fill she drills down the grown-out gel, careful not to thin the natural nail, and rebalances. She works in a cloud she can't see, monomer and dust, and reaches for the little fan and cracks the window because the fumes build over a full day. Her schedule is a tight grid of fills and full sets, and she's always doing time math, the talkative ten o'clock is running long and the noon is going to sit. A client comes in with gel half peeled off, nails shredded where she picked at them, wanting it fixed cheap. She files cuticle oil into everyone's nail beds, reminds them not to use their nails as tools, and resets the bowls of acetone for the next soak-off.
Real manicurists near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee. Are you a manicurist? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time. Or browse every manicurist 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 $2,832/year on software — and Manicurist face their own version of that math. OR state licensing requirements apply.
Numbers reflect typical solo operators in the Bend metro. Your situation will vary.
Specific gaps Manicurists 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