Justworks vs Square Payroll

A detailed comparison of Justworks and Square Payroll. See how they stack up on features, pricing, and user ratings.

At a Glance

Justworks Square Payroll
Rating 4.6/5 4.3/5
Starting Price $59/mo $35/mo
Free Trial No No
Free Plan No No
Features 9 7
Best For SMB SMB

Key Differences

Justworks and Square Payroll share 7 features. Justworks has 2+ unique features.

Only in Justworks

  • Slack Integration
  • Zapier Integration

Justworks

PEO and payroll platform for small businesses offering HR, benefits, compliance, and payroll through a professional employer organisation model.

Rating 4.6/5
Best for SMB
Free trial No
Free plan No
Visit Justworks →

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.

Rating 4.3/5
Best for SMB
Free trial No
Free plan No
Visit Square Payroll →

Feature Comparison

Feature Justworks Square Payroll
Workflow Automation
Reporting Dashboard
EEO/OFCCP Compliance
GDPR Compliance
API Access
HRIS Integration
Slack Integration
Zapier Integration
Mobile App

Pricing Comparison

Justworks

Basic $59/mo
Plus $109/mo

Square Payroll

Pay Employees $35/mo
Pay Contractors Only Free

Integrations

Both tools integrate with

Gmail Google Workspace QuickBooks Zapier

Only Justworks

Guideline 401(k) Microsoft 365 Outlook Slack Xero

Only Square Payroll

Square POS

Pros & Cons

Justworks

Pros

  • +Access to enterprise-grade benefits (medical, dental, vision) at group rates
  • +Simple, transparent pricing with no hidden fees
  • +Handles compliance, tax filings, and workers comp automatically
  • +24/7 customer support with dedicated HR consultants

Cons

  • -Per-employee pricing gets expensive for larger teams
  • -Only available for US-based employees
  • -PEO model means Justworks is the co-employer (some companies dislike this)
  • -Less customisable than DIY HR software

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?

Choose Justworks if:

  • • Your company is SMB size
  • • Higher user ratings matter to you (4.6 vs 4.3)
  • • You need a more feature-rich solution (9 vs 7 features)
  • • Access to enterprise-grade benefits (medical, dental, vision) at group rates
Visit Justworks

Choose Square Payroll if:

  • • Your company is SMB size
  • • Budget is a priority (starts from $35/mo vs $59/mo)
  • • Seamless integration with Square POS and payment ecosystem
Visit Square Payroll

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.