Papaya Global vs Square Payroll

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

At a Glance

Papaya Global Square Payroll
Rating 4.3/5 4.3/5
Starting Price $12/mo $35/mo
Free Trial No No
Free Plan No No
Features 7 7
Best For Enterprise SMB

Papaya Global

Global payroll and EOR platform for enterprises, offering payroll processing in 160+ countries with workforce analytics and compliance automation.

Rating 4.3/5
Best for Enterprise
Free trial No
Free plan No
Visit Papaya Global →

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 Papaya Global Square Payroll
Workflow Automation
Reporting Dashboard
EEO/OFCCP Compliance
GDPR Compliance
API Access
HRIS Integration
Mobile App

Pricing Comparison

Papaya Global

Payroll $12/mo
Employer of Record $650/mo
Contractor $30/mo

Square Payroll

Pay Employees $35/mo
Pay Contractors Only Free

Integrations

Both tools integrate with

QuickBooks Zapier

Only Papaya Global

Azure AD BambooHR Microsoft 365 Microsoft Teams NetSuite Okta Outlook SAP SuccessFactors Slack Workday

Only Square Payroll

Gmail Google Workspace Square POS

Pros & Cons

Papaya Global

Pros

  • +Global payroll processing in 160+ countries with own payment rails
  • +Strong analytics and workforce intelligence dashboards
  • +Can handle both EOR and payroll-as-a-service (own entity) models
  • +Cross-border payment capabilities with competitive exchange rates

Cons

  • -Higher EOR pricing (~$650/employee/month) than some competitors
  • -Platform can feel complex for small teams
  • -Enterprise focus — less suitable for companies with fewer than 50 employees
  • -Implementation can take longer than simpler EOR platforms

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 Papaya Global if:

  • • Your company is Enterprise size
  • • Budget is a priority (starts from $12/mo vs $35/mo)
  • • Global payroll processing in 160+ countries with own payment rails
Visit Papaya Global

Choose Square Payroll if:

  • • Your company is SMB size
  • • 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.