Padel vs squash: walls, courts, intensity and which suits you

Side by side

Two different ideas of a wall

In squash the walls are the game. Every shot must reach the front wall above the tin, and the side and back walls are used to angle the ball and trap your opponent. You share the same space as your opponent and take turns to hit.

In padel, the walls are a second chance. You hit the ball over a net to the other side, and only after it bounces on their floor can it come off their walls. If it hits their glass before bouncing, you lose the point. You have your own half of the court, so there is no blocking or letting as in squash. See playing off the walls for how padel's walls work in practice.

Court, ball and racket

A squash court is about 62 square metres of floor, a padel court 200 square metres. The squash ball is much smaller and lighter, about 40 mm and 24 g against padel's 6.35 to 6.77 cm and 56 to 59.4 g, and it needs warming up before it bounces properly. Squash rackets are long, light and strung; padel rackets are short, solid and heavier for their size, at about 340 to 375 g.

This makes squash a game of fast, whippy wrist action and padel a game of compact, punchy swings.

Intensity and fitness

Squash is famously intense. With one opponent, a small court and a ball that is almost always in play, rallies are hard work and a 45 minute match is tiring. Padel is gentler per minute because you share the court with a partner and the ball is slower, but rallies can be long, there are plenty of short sprints and lunges, and a 90 minute booking is a good workout.

If you want the most exercise in the least time, squash wins. If you want a sociable game you can play for longer, with mixed abilities, padel suits better.

Learning curve

Padel is easier to pick up. The underarm serve, the net, the slower ball and the walls mean most beginners are rallying within the first hour. Squash has a steeper start: the ball dies quickly until it is warm, and getting it back to the front wall consistently takes time. Former squash players often take to padel quickly because they already read rebounds off walls, though they need to adjust to letting the ball bounce first and to playing across a net. Our first padel session guide helps with the switch.

Cost and access in the UK

Squash courts are usually indoors at leisure centres and clubs, booked for 40 or 45 minutes. Padel courts are booked for 60 or 90 minutes and split between four players; our survey of 79 UK venues found a median of £28 per court per hour off-peak and £40 at peak, so about £7 to £10 each. Padel has expanded fast, with the LTA counting 2,445 courts in Britain in October 2026. See padel court cost UK and the court finder.

Which should you choose?

If you are trying padel, a round, soft racket gives you the most help while you learn. See padel starter kits or the comparison of padel vs tennis.

• You want a sociable doubles game with long rallies: padel.
• You want a short, intense workout one on one: squash.
• You are new to racket sports: padel is the easier start.
• You already play squash: padel's walls will feel familiar, and you can play both.

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