Square Payroll vs Papaya Global

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Our analysts compared Square Payroll vs Papaya Global based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Payroll Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Papaya Global Software Tool

Product Basics

Based in the cloud, Square Payroll is suited for businesses of all sizes. Integrating with the well-known POS solution from the same company offers features that assist with processing pay, filing taxes, employee self-service and more. The support staff helps users with implementation, whether they need help with their first implementation or simply just assistance migrating data from an old interface. Its capabilities also provide time tracking, invoice creation, appointment scheduling, direct deposit and more.
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Papaya Global simplifies payroll complexities for businesses with globally distributed workforces. Its cloud-based platform streamlines tasks like calculating taxes, managing compliance, and delivering secure payments across 160+ countries. This makes it ideal for companies that hire remote workers, have subsidiaries abroad, or frequently onboard international contractors. Users rave about Papaya's automation tools, which significantly reduce manual work and eliminate human error. The platform's centralized dashboard offers real-time data visibility, providing valuable insights for financial planning and workforce management. Compared to traditional payroll solutions, Papaya offers increased agility, scalability, and cost savings through streamlined processes and reduced compliance risks. Pricing is based on a per-user, per-month model, making it scalable for businesses of all sizes.

Pros
  • Automated payroll
  • Global compliance
  • User-friendly interface
  • Centralized data
  • Scalable pricing
Cons
  • Limited customization
  • Potential integration issues
  • Occasional bugs
  • Limited reporting
  • Customer service response time
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$35 Monthly
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$20/Employee, Monthly
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Product Assistance

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Live Online
Videos
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Email
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Chat
FAQ
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Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support
Email
Phone
Chat
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24/7 Live Support

Product Insights

  • Synchronized Systems: Fully synchronize the payroll solution with other Square systems, including partners that offer timecard solutions. Automatically calculate employee hours to run payroll.
  • Payroll On-The-Go: Run payroll directly from any internet-connected device with the mobile app. Creates a quick and seamless process that gets employees paid expediently, while administers don’t have to spend time tediously inputting data.
  • Affordable Small Businesses Payroll: Offers two pricing models, one of which is specifically designed to meet the needs of businesses that rely on contractors. The monthly subscription fee starts as low as $34 monthly for companies with standard employees. Hire contractors and spend only $5 monthly per contractor or employee.
  • Manageable Processes: Run payroll with only necessary employee information. Customize pay periods while employees can create their accounts, making the setup process quick and straightforward.
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  • Simplified Global Payroll: Manage payroll for a distributed workforce across 160+ countries with ease and accuracy.
  • Enhanced Compliance: Stay compliant with local tax regulations and avoid costly penalties.
  • Automated Workflows: Automate manual tasks like tax calculations, payments, and reporting, saving time and resources.
  • Centralized Data Visibility: Gain real-time insights into your global payroll data with a centralized dashboard.
  • Scalable and Cost-Effective: Pay only for the employees you manage, making Papaya Global ideal for businesses of all sizes.
  • Improved Employee Experience: Ensure timely and accurate payments for your global workforce, boosting morale and productivity.
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  • Automatic Payroll: Import employee hours and overtime and calculate salaries to process each pay period automatically. Handles multiple pay rates and does all off-cycle and unlimited bonus runs for no extra charge. Customizes scheduling for payment. Process payroll by 8:00 p.m. PT, so employees get their direct deposit on payday.
  • Employee Self-Service: Have employees create their account, set up direct deposit, fill out necessary forms and even clock in for their shifts. Provide them with 24/7 access to these features to make changes as needed through the mobile app.
  • Tax Filing: Ensure compliance with Square Payroll’s tax functions. Manage W2s and automatically calculates and files tax withholdings, payments, and filings at the local, state and federal level. Supports post-tax deductions and reimbursements. Files federal and state taxes quarterly and files and sends out W-2s and 1099-MISC forms at the end of the year. Includes forms such as form 940, form 941, form 944 and W-3s.
  • Reporting: Provides new hire reports, quarterly reports and sales reports to provide real-time analysis and make more informed decisions about the business. Send reports to key stakeholders.
  • Team Management: Set schedules, track hours, customize access for different groups and provide employee onboarding. Comes in one of two versions, team management and team plus. Team management includes reporting for time cards, time clocks, scheduling for shifts, break tracking and overtime reporting. Team plus has broader functionality such as early break prevention, report for break violations, preventing early clock-ins from break, notes on timecards, many wage rates, unlimited permissions and more.
  • Compliance: Updates automatically to ensure users stay abreast of changes to tax laws and stay in compliance with payment best practices. Save time and money by obeying regulations.
  • Benefits Management: Customize and manage benefits packages while the integrated benefits management functionality enables the system to calculate and make deductions automatically when running payroll. Provides workers’ comp through AP Intego.
  • Integrations: Integrates with QuickBooks Online for users who want to include accounting and can function with any other Square product.
  • Time Tracking: Synchronize Square Payroll with the vendor’s Point of Sale app at no additional cost to allow employees to clock in for their shift directly at the register. Employees can then import timecards, or synchronize with a variety of other popular time tracking systems. Managers can also enter employee hours manually. Tracks sick leave, PTO and overtime. Use customizable user permissions to manage it effectively.
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  • Global Payroll Automation: Automates payroll processes for employees and contractors across 160+ countries, including tax calculations, compliance checks, payment processing, and reporting.
  • Compliance Management: Ensures adherence to local labor laws, tax regulations, and employment standards in each country of operation.
  • Centralized Data Platform: Provides a single source of truth for all global payroll data, accessible through a user-friendly dashboard with real-time insights.
  • AI-Driven Insights: Leverages artificial intelligence to identify potential risks and optimize payroll processes, reducing manual work and errors.
  • User-Friendly Interface: Offers an intuitive and easy-to-use interface that streamlines payroll management tasks for both HR and finance teams.
  • Integration Capabilities: Integrates seamlessly with leading HCM, ERP, and time-tracking systems to streamline data flow and eliminate manual data entry.
  • Security and Compliance: Adheres to strict data security and privacy standards, protecting sensitive employee information.
  • Global Employer of Record (EOR) Services: Offers EOR services, allowing businesses to quickly hire and manage employees in new countries without establishing legal entities.
  • Global Contractor Management: Manages the onboarding, payments, and compliance for international contractors.
  • Global Benefits Administration: Streamlines the management of benefits programs for global employees.
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Product Ranking

#21

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Payroll Software

#75

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Payroll Software

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User Sentiment Summary

Excellent User Sentiment 1069 reviews
Great User Sentiment 24 reviews
93%
of users recommend this product

Square Payroll has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 93% when considering 1069 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

85%
of users recommend this product

Papaya Global has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 85% when considering 24 user reviews from 2 recognized software review sites.

4.4 (23)
n/a
4.66 (571)
4.25 (12)
4.6 (471)
4.2 (12)
4.5 (4)
n/a

Awards

Square Payroll stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite Award

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Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Simple UI: Over 90% of users who discussed the ease-of-use were impressed by the system.
Affordable: Reviewers felt the pricing was appropriate and affordable in more than 90% of comments that discussed it.
Efficient Payroll Processing: More than 90% of users who discussed payroll processing felt it worked well.
Highly Recommended: In reviews that discussed recommending the service, over 80% said they’d advise other businesses to use it.
Filing Taxes and Reports: More than 80% of comments that discussed filing taxes and year-end reporting were happy with its capabilities.
Adequate Functionality: Users liked the features and felt they worked well in over 80% of reviews that talked about it.
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Saves Time and Effort: Automates manual tasks like tax calculations, payments, and reporting, freeing up HR teams to focus on strategic initiatives.
Improves Accuracy and Compliance: Ensures adherence to local regulations and minimizes the risk of errors and penalties.
Streamlines Global Payroll: Manages payroll for a distributed workforce across 160+ countries with ease and consistency.
Provides Real-Time Insights: Offers a centralized dashboard with real-time data visibility for informed decision-making.
Scales with Your Business: Pay-per-employee pricing model adapts to businesses of all sizes and growth stages.
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Limited Customization Options: Over 70% of reviews that talked about customization said the options were inadequate.
No Employee Discounts: Businesses had trouble giving employees discounts in over 70% of comments that discussed it.
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Limited Customization: May not fully accommodate unique business processes or reporting needs beyond its standard features.
Potential Integration Challenges: Integration with existing HR systems or third-party tools might require additional setup or workarounds.
Occasional Bugs and Reporting Delays: Users have reported infrequent software bugs and potential delays in accessing certain reports.
Customer Service Response Time: Some users have experienced longer-than-expected wait times for customer support during peak periods.
Higher Cost for Complex Needs: Additional features and services can increase costs for businesses with extensive payroll requirements.
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Square Payroll is an online payment, time and attendance and POS system. Users like it best because it’s easy to use with an intuitive design that can be adopted quickly. They felt the pricing was fair and were especially pleased with its efficient processing of payment. Many users said they’d recommend it to other businesses similar to their own and were happy with its ability to create and file sales, quarterly and new hire reports. Lastly, they were pleased with its features, specifically its easy sign-in, reporting, time tracking and tax calculating. On the con side, customization options were minimal as it’s a reasonably straightforward system. Many companies that use the solution are restaurants that either want to give employees discounts on food or pay with money from their upcoming paycheck. They were displeased with its inability to allow this. Overall, this solution is excellent for small businesses, especially retail and food service. Larger companies should look elsewhere.

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User reviews for Papaya Global paint a vivid picture of a powerful and user-friendly platform aimed at simplifying global payroll. Many users laud its automation capabilities, praising it for saving time and reducing manual work. "Papaya automates everything from tax calculations to payments, freeing up our HR team to focus on strategic initiatives," says one reviewer. This is a major advantage over traditional payroll solutions, often described as cumbersome and prone to errors. However, some users point out Papaya's limitations in customization. While its standardized platform excels in broad strokes, it may not bend to every unique business need. "We love the ease of use," says one reviewer, "but wish there were more options for tailor-made reporting." In comparison, users report that competitors like Deel offer stronger customization options, but at the expense of Papaya's user-friendliness. Papaya's global reach is another key differentiator. With support for payroll in over 160 countries, it simplifies managing a distributed workforce with ease. "Our company has employees all over the world," says one reviewer, "and Papaya handles compliance and payments seamlessly across all locations." Users find this a significant advantage over regional payroll providers, who are often limited to specific countries. Ultimately, user reviews suggest Papaya Global shines for businesses seeking a user-friendly platform to manage global payroll efficiently. Its automation tools and extensive country coverage stand out, but those requiring deep customization may need to explore further. As one reviewer summarizes, "Papaya takes the headache out of global payroll, but be prepared to adapt your processes to its structure."

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