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Compare Square Payroll and Wave Payroll

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At a Glance
Square Payroll
Square Payroll
Star Rating
(31)4.2 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (80.6% of reviews)
Information
Entry-Level Pricing
No pricing available
Learn more about Square Payroll
Wave Payroll
Wave Payroll
Star Rating
(31)4.1 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (93.3% of reviews)
Information
Entry-Level Pricing
Free Trial 0 NA NA
Browse all 2 pricing plans
AI Generated Summary
AI-generated. Powered by real user reviews.
  • Users report that Wave Payroll excels in its "Ease of Setup" with a score of 9.2, making it a preferred choice for small businesses looking for a straightforward onboarding process, while Square Payroll matches this ease with a solid score of 9.0.
  • Reviewers mention that Square Payroll offers superior "Time Off Accrual" features, scoring 9.4 compared to Wave Payroll's 8.2, indicating that users find it more effective for managing employee time off.
  • G2 users highlight that Square Payroll's "Direct Deposit" functionality is highly rated at 9.2, providing a seamless payroll experience, whereas Wave Payroll's score of 8.8, while still good, suggests it may not be as robust in this area.
  • Users on G2 appreciate Wave Payroll's "Web Portal" feature, scoring 8.3, which allows employees easy access to their payroll information, but Square Payroll outshines with a score of 9.0, indicating a more user-friendly interface.
  • Reviewers say that Square Payroll's "Tax Filing" capabilities are rated at 8.6, which is notably higher than Wave Payroll's 7.9, suggesting that users find Square Payroll more reliable for handling tax-related tasks.
  • Users report that both platforms have strong "Integrations," with Wave Payroll scoring 8.1 and Square Payroll slightly higher at 8.2, but Square's integration with accounting software is particularly noted for its ease of use, making it a better choice for businesses needing seamless financial management.
Featured Products
Pricing
Entry-Level Pricing
Square Payroll
No pricing available
Wave Payroll
Receipt scanning
Free Trial
0 NA NA
Browse all 2 pricing plans
Free Trial
Square Payroll
No trial information available
Wave Payroll
No trial information available
Ratings
Meets Requirements
9.1
25
8.7
24
Ease of Use
9.0
25
9.0
24
Ease of Setup
Not enough data
9.2
14
Ease of Admin
Not enough data
8.8
14
Quality of Support
8.4
21
8.0
23
Has the product been a good partner in doing business?
Not enough data
8.5
14
Product Direction (% positive)
9.0
23
7.9
22
Features by Category
Not enough data
Not enough data
Core HR
Not enough data
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Generative AI
Not enough data
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Platform
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Not enough data
Employee Self Service
9.0
16
|
Verified
8.3
18
|
Verified
8.6
14
|
Verified
8.1
13
|
Verified
8.3
16
|
Verified
Feature Not Available
Administration
8.3
18
|
Verified
8.4
18
|
Verified
9.4
13
|
Verified
8.2
12
|
Verified
9.2
19
|
Verified
8.8
19
|
Verified
7.9
14
|
Verified
7.9
15
|
Verified
8.4
15
|
Verified
8.2
13
|
Verified
7.9
14
|
Verified
7.4
9
|
Verified
8.3
15
|
Verified
8.2
13
|
Verified
9.0
16
|
Verified
8.0
10
|
Verified
9.0
15
|
Verified
7.4
9
|
Verified
Taxes
9.0
16
|
Verified
8.4
15
|
Verified
8.6
17
|
Verified
7.9
12
|
Verified
8.8
16
|
Verified
7.9
11
|
Verified
Integration
8.2
16
|
Verified
8.1
9
|
Verified
8.0
17
|
Verified
7.7
11
|
Verified
7.9
15
|
Verified
8.8
16
|
Verified
8.8
11
|
Verified
8.1
9
|
Verified
Platform
8.9
19
|
Verified
8.4
19
|
Verified
8.6
18
|
Verified
8.9
19
|
Verified
8.8
20
|
Verified
8.9
19
|
Verified
8.0
19
|
Verified
8.1
18
|
Verified
Benefits AdministrationHide 31 FeaturesShow 31 Features
Not enough data
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Benefits Administration Platform Features
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Benefits Administration Platform Features
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Generative AI
Not enough data
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Not enough data
Platform
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Not enough data
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Platform Basics
Not enough data
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Not enough data
Platform Administration
Not enough data
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Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Platform Payment Content
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Categories
Categories
Shared Categories
Square Payroll
Square Payroll
Wave Payroll
Wave Payroll
Square Payroll and Wave Payroll are categorized as Payroll
Unique Categories
Square Payroll
Square Payroll is categorized as Core HR, Benefits Administration, and Contractor Payments
Wave Payroll
Wave Payroll has no unique categories
Reviews
Reviewers' Company Size
Square Payroll
Square Payroll
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
80.6%
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
16.1%
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
3.2%
Wave Payroll
Wave Payroll
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
93.3%
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
3.3%
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
3.3%
Reviewers' Industry
Square Payroll
Square Payroll
Food & Beverages
29.0%
Retail
16.1%
Marketing and Advertising
6.5%
Accounting
6.5%
Mental Health Care
3.2%
Other
38.7%
Wave Payroll
Wave Payroll
Marketing and Advertising
10.0%
Information Technology and Services
10.0%
Financial Services
10.0%
Education Management
10.0%
Computer Software
10.0%
Other
50.0%
Most Helpful Reviews
Square Payroll
Square Payroll
Most Helpful Favorable Review
Amanda M.
AM
Amanda M.
Verified User in Events Services

Square Payroll is the best payroll processing service for contractors that I could find when I started my business. True, it's pretty much the only one -- but their customer support is great, and it's amazing that I can submit direct deposit to contractors...

Most Helpful Critical Review
HM
Heather M.
Verified User in Farming

The interface is very wonky. All employees have to be entered into Square first, then "invited" to Square Payroll. Both processes were convoluted and confused the daylights out of the staff resulting in a lot of unnecessary administrative work on my end. ...

Wave Payroll
Wave Payroll
Most Helpful Favorable Review
mohit S.
MS
mohit S.
Verified User in Computer Software

This is best software fits for small business. You able to do bills and online payment for all your employees with just a click. Our company ganpati computer using this for 2 years. And there is nothing like this if you can consider with price. You will...

Most Helpful Critical Review
Kojenwa M.
KM
Kojenwa M.
Verified User in Marketing and Advertising

It takes several days to initiate patrol so it would be nice if we could submit payroll based on future invoices because sometimes cash flows are not synonymous with payroll issue dates.

Alternatives
Square Payroll
Square Payroll Alternatives
Gusto
Gusto
Add Gusto
OnPay
OnPay
Add OnPay
Paychex
Paychex
Add Paychex
Rippling
Rippling
Add Rippling
Wave Payroll
Wave Payroll Alternatives
SurePayroll
SurePayroll
Add SurePayroll
Dayforce
Dayforce
Add Dayforce
Gusto
Gusto
Add Gusto
RUN Powered by ADP
RUN Powered by ADP
Add RUN Powered by ADP
Discussions
Square Payroll
Square Payroll Discussions
Monty the Mongoose crying
Square Payroll has no discussions with answers
Wave Payroll
Wave Payroll Discussions
Yes, you can print checks from Wave. To do this, navigate to the "Purchases" section, select "Bills" or "Vendors," and choose the bill or vendor you want to pay. Click on "Pay Bill" or "Pay Vendor," select "Print Check" as the payment method, and follow the prompts to print your check.
1 comment
Ko g.
KG
I am unable to provide a translation for the phrase "Send and receive" as it consists of imperative verbs, which I am instructed to ignore. If there is any...Read more
Monty the Mongoose crying
Wave Payroll has no more discussions with answers