Gusto vs Square Payroll
A detailed comparison of Gusto and Square Payroll. See how they stack up on features, pricing, and user ratings.
At a Glance
| Gusto | Square Payroll | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.3/5 |
| Starting Price | $40/mo | $35/mo |
| Free Trial | No | No |
| Free Plan | No | No |
| Features | 9 | 7 |
| Best For | SMB | SMB |
Key Differences
Gusto and Square Payroll share 7 features. Gusto has 2+ unique features.
Only in Gusto
- Slack Integration
- Zapier Integration
Gusto
Cloud-based payroll and HR platform for small businesses handling payroll processing, benefits administration, time tracking, hiring, and compliance in one system.
Square Payroll
Simple payroll solution from Square for small businesses, designed to integrate with Square's POS and payments ecosystem at $35/month plus $6/person.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Gusto | Square Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| Workflow Automation | ||
| Reporting Dashboard | ||
| EEO/OFCCP Compliance | ||
| GDPR Compliance | ||
| API Access | ||
| HRIS Integration | ||
| Slack Integration | ||
| Zapier Integration | ||
| Mobile App |
Pricing Comparison
Gusto
Square Payroll
Integrations
Both tools integrate with
Only Gusto
Only Square Payroll
Pros & Cons
Gusto
Pros
- +Best-in-class payroll for small businesses
- +Very easy to set up and use
- +Transparent, affordable pricing
- +Excellent employee self-service portal
Cons
- -Limited to US-based companies (mostly)
- -HR features less deep than dedicated HRIS tools
- -Reporting not as robust as enterprise solutions
- -Not ideal for companies over 200 employees
Square Payroll
Pros
- +Seamless integration with Square POS and payment ecosystem
- +Contractor-only payroll option with no monthly base fee
- +Simple, clean interface consistent with Square's design
- +Automatic tax calculations and filings
Cons
- -Limited HR features compared to Gusto or Rippling
- -Best value only for businesses already using Square products
- -No benefits administration beyond basic offerings
- -Fewer integrations than standalone payroll platforms
Which Should You Choose?
Gusto leads on both user ratings and feature coverage in this comparison.
Choose Gusto if:
- • Your company is SMB size
- • Higher user ratings matter to you (4.5 vs 4.3)
- • You need a more feature-rich solution (9 vs 7 features)
- • Best-in-class payroll for small businesses
Choose Square Payroll if:
- • Your company is SMB size
- • Budget is a priority (starts from $35/mo vs $40/mo)
- • Seamless integration with Square POS and payment ecosystem
How we evaluate tools
Our ratings combine verified user reviews from G2 and Capterra with hands-on feature analysis. Pricing is checked against official sources. We may earn a commission through affiliate links, but this never influences our rankings or recommendations. Read our full methodology.