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.
Zenefits
Zenefits is an all-in-one HR platform that streamlines your payroll, benefits, and compliance management through a single automated dashboard to simplify complex administrative tasks for growing small businesses.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Square Payroll | Zenefits |
|---|---|---|
| Website | squareup.com | zenefits.com |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Subscription |
| Starting Price | Free | $8/month |
| 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 | 2009 | 2013 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, USA | San Francisco, USA |
Overview
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.
Zenefits
Zenefits provides you with a centralized platform to manage your entire employee lifecycle, from onboarding to offboarding. You can automate your payroll processing, sync health insurance benefits directly with your HR data, and track employee hours without manual data entry. The software acts as a single source of truth, ensuring that changes made in one area—like a new hire's salary—automatically update across your tax filings and insurance providers.
You can empower your employees to manage their own information through a self-service portal, reducing the administrative burden on your HR team. Whether you are hiring your first employee or managing a team of hundreds, the platform helps you stay compliant with labor laws and tax regulations. It eliminates the need for messy spreadsheets and disconnected systems by bringing your people operations into one intuitive interface.
Overview
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.
Zenefits Features
- Automated Onboarding. Send digital offer letters and collect tax forms automatically so your new hires can start working on day one.
- Benefits Administration. Connect with over 250 carriers to manage health, dental, and vision plans directly within your HR platform.
- Integrated Payroll. Sync your hours, deductions, and tax withholdings automatically to ensure your team gets paid accurately and on time.
- Time and Attendance. Track employee hours and PTO requests that flow directly into payroll to eliminate manual data entry errors.
- Employee Self-Service. Give your team the power to update their personal info, view paystubs, and request time off via a mobile app.
- Compliance Management. Stay ahead of government regulations with automated ACA tracking, COBRA administration, and digital filing for tax forms.
Pricing Comparison
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
Zenefits Pricing
- Core HR management
- Time and scheduling
- Integrations library
- Employee mobile app
- Automated onboarding
- Document management
- Everything in Essentials, plus:
- Compensation management
- Performance management
- Enhanced reporting
- Goal tracking
- One-on-one meeting tools
Pros & Cons
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
Zenefits
Pros
- Intuitive user interface makes navigation easy for employees
- Automated onboarding saves hours of manual paperwork
- Seamless integration between HR data and payroll processing
- Mobile app provides convenient access for remote workers
Cons
- Customer support response times can be inconsistent
- Payroll and benefits are often separate add-on costs
- Initial setup of insurance carriers can be complex