Harvest vs Square Payroll Comparison: Reviews, Features, Pricing & Alternatives in 2026

Detailed side-by-side comparison to help you choose the right solution for your team

Updated Apr 2026 8 min read

Harvest

0.0 (0 reviews)

Harvest is a cloud-based time tracking and invoicing software that helps teams manage projects, track billable hours, and monitor budgets to ensure profitability across all client engagements.

Starting at Free
Free Trial 30 days
VS

Square Payroll

0.0 (0 reviews)

Square Payroll is a full-service payroll software that automates tax filings, employee payments, and benefits management for small businesses using integrated time tracking and point-of-sale data.

Starting at Free
Free Trial NO FREE TRIAL

Quick Comparison

Feature Harvest Square Payroll
Website harvestapp.com squareup.com
Pricing Model Freemium Subscription
Starting Price Free Free
FREE Trial ✓ 30 days free trial ✘ No free trial
Free Plan ✓ Has free plan ✘ No free plan
Product Demo ✓ Request demo here ✓ Request demo here
Deployment cloud mobile desktop saas mobile
Integrations Slack Asana Trello Basecamp QuickBooks Online Xero Stripe PayPal Google Calendar Jira Square POS QuickBooks Online Xero Homebase Deputy TSheets 7shifts Guideline SimplyInsured AP Intego
Target Users freelancer small-business mid-market solopreneur small-business
Target Industries retail restaurant professional-services
Customer Count 0 0
Founded Year 2006 2009
Headquarters New York, USA San Francisco, USA

Overview

H

Harvest

Harvest helps you bridge the gap between tracking time and getting paid. You can capture every billable minute through a simple interface that works across your desktop, browser, and mobile devices. Instead of chasing down timesheets, you get a clear view of where your team's effort is going and how it impacts your project budgets in real-time.

You can transform tracked hours into professional invoices with just a few clicks and send them directly to clients. The platform integrates with your existing workflow, allowing you to start timers inside tools like Asana or Slack. It is designed for agencies, freelancers, and professional service firms who need to maintain profitability without the administrative headache of manual spreadsheets.

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Square Payroll

Square Payroll simplifies how you pay your team by automating the most complex parts of business ownership. You can pay employees and contractors in just a few clicks, whether they are hourly or salaried. The platform automatically calculates, files, and pays your federal and state payroll taxes, ensuring you stay compliant without manual paperwork. Because it integrates directly with Square POS, your team's hours sync automatically, eliminating the need for manual data entry or messy spreadsheets.

You can manage everything from a single dashboard, including workers' compensation, health insurance, and 401(k) plans. The system supports flexible payment options like Instant Payments, allowing you to send funds to employees the same day they work. Whether you are running a single coffee shop or managing multiple retail locations, you get a straightforward tool that handles the back-office heavy lifting so you can focus on growing your business.

Overview

H

Harvest Features

  • One-Click Time Tracking Start a timer from your desktop, phone, or browser to capture every billable second without interrupting your workflow.
  • Visual Project Reports Monitor your project budgets and team capacity with live graphs that show you exactly how much time remains.
  • Automated Invoicing Turn your tracked time and expenses into professional invoices and send them to your clients for faster payment.
  • Expense Tracking Snap photos of receipts and log reimbursable expenses on the go to keep your project costs fully documented.
  • Team Capacity Monitoring View your team's bandwidth at a glance to ensure no one is overworked and projects stay on schedule.
  • Integrated Payments Connect with PayPal or Stripe so your clients can pay their invoices instantly online, speeding up your cash flow.
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Square Payroll Features

  • Automated Tax Filings. Let the software calculate, file, and pay your state and federal payroll taxes automatically to ensure total compliance.
  • Time Card Sync. Import employee hours directly from Square POS or the Team App to eliminate manual data entry errors.
  • Instant Payments. Access your funds immediately and pay your team the same day they work using your Square Balance.
  • Benefits Integration. Offer and manage health insurance, 401(k) plans, and workers' comp directly through your payroll dashboard.
  • Contractor Payments. Pay your independent contractors via direct deposit and let the system generate and file 1099-NEC forms.
  • Employee Mobile App. Give your team a dedicated app to track their hours, view pay stubs, and manage their tax forms.

Pricing Comparison

H

Harvest Pricing

Free
$0
  • 1 seat
  • 2 active projects
  • Unlimited invoices
  • Desktop and mobile apps
  • Web browser extensions
  • Bank-level security
S

Square Payroll Pricing

Contractors Only
$0
  • $5 per person paid monthly
  • No monthly base fee
  • Direct deposit included
  • 1099-NEC generation and filing
  • Self-service contractor account

Pros & Cons

M

Harvest

Pros

  • Extremely simple interface requires almost no training
  • Excellent mobile app for tracking time on the go
  • Seamless integrations with popular project management tools
  • Reliable reporting helps keep projects under budget

Cons

  • Limited customization options for invoice templates
  • Reporting can feel basic for complex enterprise needs
  • No built-in scheduling features without separate Forecast integration
A

Square Payroll

Pros

  • Seamless integration with Square Point of Sale
  • Automatic tax filing saves hours of manual work
  • Simple and transparent per-employee pricing model
  • Easy setup process for new business owners

Cons

  • Customer support can be difficult to reach
  • Limited advanced HR features for large corporations
  • Account freezes can occasionally delay payroll processing
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