Clover
Clover is an all-in-one point of sale system that integrates payment processing, business management software, and specialized hardware to help small businesses track sales and manage daily operations.
Square Payroll
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.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Clover | Square Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| Website | clover.com | squareup.com |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Subscription |
| Starting Price | $14.95/month | Free |
| FREE Trial | ✘ No free trial | ✘ No free trial |
| Free Plan | ✘ No free plan | ✘ No free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2010 | 2009 |
| Headquarters | Sunnyvale, USA | San Francisco, USA |
Overview
Clover
Clover provides a unified platform that combines sleek hardware with powerful software to run your entire business. You can accept every type of payment—including credit, debit, and contactless mobile wallets—while simultaneously tracking your inventory and managing your staff schedules. Whether you run a quick-service restaurant, a retail boutique, or a professional service business, you can customize the system with specialized apps to fit your specific workflow.
The platform centralizes your data so you can monitor sales performance from any device, even when you are away from your storefront. You can also launch customer loyalty programs and send digital receipts to build better relationships with your patrons. It simplifies the complexities of merchant services by bundling hardware, software, and payment processing into a single, cohesive ecosystem designed to grow alongside your business.
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
Clover Features
- Payment Processing Accept credit cards, debit cards, and mobile payments like Apple Pay and Google Pay with built-in security and encryption.
- Inventory Management Track your stock levels in real-time and receive automated alerts when it is time to reorder your best-selling items.
- Employee Management Manage your staff schedules, track individual sales performance, and set custom permissions for your team members directly from the console.
- Customer Engagement Build your own loyalty programs and collect customer feedback through digital receipts to keep people coming back to your business.
- Reporting and Analytics Access detailed sales reports and trends from your dashboard to see which products are performing best at any time.
- Clover App Market Expand your system's capabilities by connecting with hundreds of third-party apps for accounting, marketing, and specialized industry needs.
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
Clover Pricing
- Basic payment processing
- Inventory management
- Employee shifts and roles
- Virtual terminal access
- Standard reporting
- Everything in Starter, plus:
- Advanced inventory tracking
- Item variants and modifiers
- Customer loyalty programs
- Enhanced sales analytics
- Weight scale support
Square Payroll Pricing
- $5 per person paid monthly
- No monthly base fee
- Direct deposit included
- 1099-NEC generation and filing
- Self-service contractor account
- Everything in Contractor plan, plus:
- $6 per person paid monthly
- Full-service tax filings
- Time card and POS integration
- Health insurance and 401(k) access
- Live phone and chat support
Pros & Cons
Clover
Pros
- Sleek and professional hardware design
- Extensive app market for customization
- Easy to set up and use
- All-in-one solution for payments and software
- Reliable offline processing capabilities
Cons
- Hardware is proprietary to Clover
- Long-term contracts can be difficult to exit
- Customer support response times vary
- Additional apps can increase monthly costs
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