Square Payroll vs QuickBooks Desktop Payroll

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

QuickBooks Desktop Payroll 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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QuickBooks Desktop Payroll is a subscription-based labor management solution that offers robust functionalities, including tax penalty protection, automated payrolls, expert support, direct deposits and detailed reports.

The product covers essential aspects of workforce regulation like payroll deductions and approvals, tax liabilities, workers' contributions, holiday tracking and more. It offers group health benefits, scalable subscription plans, smart integrations and support resources for an enhanced user experience. Same-day direct deposits save time and notifications help stay up-to-date with business processes.
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$35 Monthly
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$61 Monthly
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Product Assistance

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24/7 Live Support
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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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  • Manageable: Tack contributions for insurance, retirements, time-off and bonuses to ensure smooth administration through a software wizard. 
  • Automated Compliance: Ensure timely tax payments, regulatory compliance and error-free calculations with automated compliance services. 
  • Time-Saving: Give employees access to personal information to save time and fast-track key payroll processes without third-party intervention. 
  • Real-Time Tracking: Calculate and track company benefits such as contributions towards paid leaves, retirement and insurance, and process payments using an in-built wizard.  
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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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  • Time Management: Build employee schedules, track work hours, assign job functions, regulate shifts, create invoices, edit timesheets, oversee projects, change job codes and more on a fully-integrated system. 
  • Reporting: Review business finances and analyze employee performance using insightful reports based on company data. Review taxes, track loans, calculate payments, summarise earnings, understand costs and more. 
  • Benefits Management: Track vacations, sick leaves, paid time offs, medical insurance, retirement plans, cash advances and more for employees on a single platform. Use the pay-as-you-go workers’ compensation service to process total payments on payday automatically. 
  • Direct Deposits: Process payments into U.S. bank accounts or edit employees’ banking information before the paycheck date to save time and effort spent in making in-person bank visits. 
  • Integrations: Leverage powerful integrations to automatically complete key payroll processes without manual entries or technical work hassles. 
  • Compliance: Reduce the hassle of tax penalties with automated compliance services for changing government regulations and federal, state and local laws. Perform accurate calculations and file tax returns to avoid errors and missed deadlines. 
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Product Ranking

#21

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Payroll Software

#90

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Payroll Software

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User Sentiment Summary

Excellent User Sentiment 1069 reviews
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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.

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4.4 (23)
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4.66 (571)
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4.6 (471)
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4.5 (4)
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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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Accurate Calculations: Users praise QuickBooks Desktop Payroll for its precise tax calculations, ensuring compliance and reducing errors.
Direct Deposit: The direct deposit feature streamlines payroll processing, making it convenient for both employers and employees.
Reporting Capabilities: QuickBooks Desktop Payroll offers comprehensive reporting options, providing valuable insights into payroll expenses and employee data.
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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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Outdated Interface: Many users find the interface clunky and outdated compared to modern cloud-based payroll solutions.
Limited Mobile Functionality: Users seeking robust mobile access for tasks like approving time-off requests or running payroll on-the-go may find the mobile app lacking.
Technical Issues: Some users report encountering technical glitches and errors, leading to frustration and wasted time.
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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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Is QuickBooks Desktop Payroll truly a "quick" book to payroll mastery, or does it leave users feeling like they're stuck in a rut? User reviews from the last year suggest that QuickBooks Desktop Payroll is a powerful and reliable tool for managing payroll, but it may not be the best fit for every business. Users praise its ease of use, particularly for those already familiar with QuickBooks Desktop, and its affordability compared to other payroll software like Gusto or ADP. However, some users have reported that the software can be slow and clunky, especially when dealing with large amounts of data. A key differentiating factor for QuickBooks Desktop Payroll is its tight integration with other Intuit products, such as QuickBooks Desktop accounting software. This integration allows for seamless data transfer and eliminates the need for manual data entry, saving businesses time and reducing errors. However, this integration can also be a drawback for businesses that don't use other Intuit products, as it can limit flexibility and make it difficult to switch to other software in the future. Overall, QuickBooks Desktop Payroll is best suited for small to medium-sized businesses that are already using QuickBooks Desktop for their accounting needs and are looking for a reliable and affordable payroll solution. Businesses with complex payroll needs or those looking for a more modern and user-friendly interface may want to consider other options.

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