PayPal Zettle vs Helcim

PayPal Zettle7.7Visit HHelcim6.3Visit

Higher score PayPal Zettle #3 in Mobile Credit Card Processing Software 7.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 3 features Visit PayPal

vs

H Helcim #8 in Mobile Credit Card Processing Software 6.3/10 Paid ✓ 0 of 3 features Visit Helcim

• PayPal Zettle fits best

  Merchants wanting free mobile POS and inventory tools

• Helcim fits best

  Small businesses needing flexible in-person payment tools

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Side by side

Feature	PayPal Zettle 7.7/10 Visit ↗	HHelcim 6.3/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	7.7	6.3
Ranking	#3 in Mobile Credit Card Processing Software	#8 in Mobile Credit Card Processing Software
Best for	Merchants wanting free mobile POS and inventory tools	Small businesses needing flexible in-person payment tools
Pricing model	Free	Paid
Starting price	Not published	Not published
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile, Browser extension
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Chrome extension
Integrations	10 integrations	10 integrations
Features PayPal Zettle 0/3 · Helcim 0/3
Card reader available	Not published	Not published
Tap to Pay	Not published	Not published
Offline payments	Not published	Not published
Specs
Mobile platforms	Not published	Not published
In-person fee	Not published	Not published
Payment methods	Not published	Not published
Our review
Pros	No monthly or recurring software fee for the app Inventory updates after sales; staff access can be restricted Accepts Tap to Pay on compatible iPhone and Android devices	Accepts card and bank payments in person and online Includes payment links, recurring billing, POS software and hardware Connects with QuickBooks Online, Xero and industry-specific tools
Cons	Transaction fees apply, and hardware is purchased separately Offline payments are not available in the standard app Multisite is unavailable to new merchants	No free plan; processing fees apply to transactions Recurring payments add 0.4% per transaction Deposit timing varies by payment type and bank eligibility
Our verdict	PayPal Zettle, now branded PayPal Point of Sale, is a point-of-sale system for businesses taking in-person payments. Its mobile app combines payment acceptance with a product library, inventory tracking, staff accounts, receipts and sales… Read the review →	Helcim brings in-person and online payment acceptance together with tools for invoicing, point of sale, payment links, virtual terminals and recurring billing. It is aimed at small and medium-sized businesses in the United States and… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• PayPal Zettle — where it wins

  • No monthly or recurring software fee for the app
  • Inventory updates after sales; staff access can be restricted
  • Accepts Tap to Pay on compatible iPhone and Android devices

  Where it doesn't

  • Transaction fees apply, and hardware is purchased separately
  • Offline payments are not available in the standard app
  • Multisite is unavailable to new merchants

• Helcim — where it wins

  • Accepts card and bank payments in person and online
  • Includes payment links, recurring billing, POS software and hardware
  • Connects with QuickBooks Online, Xero and industry-specific tools

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan; processing fees apply to transactions
  • Recurring payments add 0.4% per transaction
  • Deposit timing varies by payment type and bank eligibility

• PayPal Zettle7.7/10 · Free plan

  A free POS app with mobile payments, inventory tools and separately purchased hardware.

  Visit PayPalFull verdict →
• HHelcim6.3/10 · Paid

  A broad in-person and online payment toolkit with interchange-plus processing.

  Visit HelcimFull verdict →