Square Payroll
squareup.com/payrollBuild Difficulty: 5/5
Build a working replacement in a weekend with AI tools
Make payroll a breeze
How to Replace Square PayrollOverview
Features
45 features across 17 categories
Account Management(2)
Cancel anytime with no commitment or long-term contracts required
Free seasonal account inactivity option
Automation(1)
Set payroll to run automatically every pay period
Benefits(3)
Offer 401(k) retirement plans to employees through Guideline partnership with affordable, transparent pricing
Handle benefit deductions and company contributions
Offer medical, dental, and vision insurance plans with no-hassle enrollment through SimplyInsured partnership
Community(1)
Access to community forum and resources
Compliance(3)
Receive alerts about federal and state compliance requirements
Automatically report new hires according to state regulations when adding employees to payroll
Pay-as-you-go workers' compensation that syncs with payroll
Employee Communication(1)
Provide employees with digital pay stubs
Integration(2)
Pay employees from your dashboard with direct integration to Square POS system
Automatically sync payroll data with QuickBooks Online for accounting
Mobile(1)
Mobile app for managing team and running payroll from anywhere, clock in/out, track hours, and view pay stubs
Onboarding(1)
Allow employees to enter their own details during onboarding
Payment(5)
Offer two-day and four-day direct deposit processing, with next-day option available
Team members using Cash App can access pay two calendar days before original pay date
Run payroll as little as one day prior to employees' pay date using Square balance funds
Pay employees via direct deposit, paper check, or Cash App
Allow employees to split direct deposits to multiple bank accounts
Payroll Processing(8)
Automatically track commission rates across team from Square POS
Specialized payroll solution for contractors with automatic 1099-NEC form generation and filing
Handle employees with multiple pay rates, commissions, bonuses, and tips
Process off-cycle payments to employees
Automatically calculate overtime for employees
Process post-tax deductions and garnishments for employees
Submit payroll up to two business days before employee pay date
Run unlimited payroll cycles per month at no extra cost
Reporting(3)
Create custom reports with specific payroll data
Gain visibility into labor costs including all wages and tips
View and download reports showing paycheck details, employee totals, and company totals
Resources(1)
Access to business blog with payroll and HR resources
Scheduling(1)
Create, manage, and publish team schedules up to 10 days out
Support(3)
Customer support from live payroll specialists available M-F 6 a.m. - 6 p.m. PT
Access to online support resources and documentation
Services to amend payroll records
Tax Compliance(7)
Automatically file federal payroll taxes on behalf of the business
Automatically file state payroll taxes including state income taxes and SUTA where applicable
System automatically calculates federal and state payroll taxes
Provide digital delivery of W-2s and 1099s to employees
Support for payroll processing across multiple states and localities with appropriate tax calculations
Option to mail paper copies of W-2s and 1099s to employees for an annual fee of $3 per form
Generate and file W-2s and Form 1099-NECs automatically in January for the prior tax year
Time Tracking(2)
Import timecards from Square POS or Square Team App directly into payroll
Import tips directly from Square POS and calculate them automatically for accurate payroll runs
Pricing
Full-Service Payroll
Popular- ✓Unlimited pay runs per month
- ✓No commitment, no long-term contracts
- ✓Simple onboarding
- ✓Pay by check, direct deposit, or Cash App
- ✓Auto payroll
- ✓Off-cycle payments
- ✓Multistate payroll
- ✓Multiple pay rates
- ✓Two-day and four-day direct deposit
- ✓Next-day direct deposit
- ✓Square Team App
- ✓Employee self-onboarding
- ✓Free seasonal inactivity
- ✓Timecard import
- ✓Scheduling up to 10 days out
- ✓Direct-tip tracking and importing
- ✓Overtime calculations
- ✓Labor-cost reporting
- ✓Automatic payroll tax calculations
- ✓Automated federal tax payments and filings
- ✓Automated state tax payments and filings
- ✓Digital delivery of W2s/1099s
- ✓Mail paper copies of W2s/1099s (add-on)
- ✓New-hire reporting
- ✓Multiple tax jurisdiction support
- ✓Federal and state compliance alerts
- ✓Workers compensation add-on
- ✓Paid amendment services add-on
- ✓Instant Deposit
- ✓Benefit deductions and company contributions
- ✓Post-tax deductions and garnishments
- ✓Split direct deposits to multiple bank accounts
- ✓Digital pay stubs
- ✓Square Team App for employees
- ✓Live support for account setup
- ✓Square Payroll specialist support
- ✓Online support center
- ✓The Bottom Line blog
- ✓Seller Community
- ✓Square Payroll reports
- ✓Custom reports
- ✓QuickBooks Online integration
Contractor-Only Payroll
- ✓Unlimited pay runs per month
- ✓No commitment, no long-term contracts
- ✓Simple onboarding
- ✓Pay by check, direct deposit, or Cash App
- ✓Square Team App
- ✓Employee self-onboarding
- ✓Timecard import
- ✓Automatic payroll tax calculations
- ✓Digital delivery of W2s/1099s
- ✓Multiple tax jurisdiction support
- ✓Instant Deposit
- ✓Split direct deposits to multiple bank accounts
- ✓Digital pay stubs
- ✓Square Team App for employees
- ✓Live support for account setup
- ✓Square Payroll specialist support
- ✓Online support center
- ✓The Bottom Line blog
- ✓Seller Community
- ✓Square Payroll reports
- ✓Custom reports
- ✓QuickBooks Online integration
Cost Calculator
Keep Paying Square Payroll
Build It Yourself
Total Cost Comparison
DIY hosting estimate based on Vercel + Supabase free/pro tiers (~$20/mo). Build time estimated from 45 features at very easy complexity.
Build vs Buy
Should you build a Square Payroll alternative or buy the subscription? Estimate based on 45 features.
Buy Square Payroll
Better ValueBuild Your Own
Buying Square Payroll saves ~$34,800 over 3 years vs building.
Estimates based on 45 features and a BuildScore of 5/5. Actual costs vary.
Integrations
6 known integrations