8.8
SpotScore
Top 10 Square Payroll Alternatives 2026
Streamline your payroll with ease.
Main Features
- 401(k) Tracking
- Attendance Tracking
- Benefits Management
- Check Printing
Pricing
Starts from $34/User/Month
Free Trial available
Square Payroll is a Payroll Software platform with a user rating of 5.0★ based on 15 reviews. Teams looking for alternatives typically need better pricing flexibility, easier deployment, or a closer feature fit for their specific use case. Below you'll find 10 vetted Payroll Software alternatives ranked by user rating, with filters to narrow by pricing, platform, and features — so you can find the right fit for 2026.
Square Payroll vs Top Alternatives at a Glance
Side-by-side comparison of pricing, user rating, and free trial availability to help you decide faster.
| Tool | Best For | Pricing | Rating | Free Option |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square Payroll Current | Payroll Software | $34 | 5.0 ★ | ✓ Yes |
 OnPay | Payroll Software | $40 | 5.0 ★ | ✓ Yes |
 APS Payroll | Payroll Software | Custom pricing | 4.7 ★ | ✗ No |
 Heartland Payroll | Payroll Software | Custom pricing | 4.6 ★ | ✗ No |
 QuickBooks Payroll | Payroll Software | $49 | 4.4 ★ | ✓ Yes |
 Justworks | Payroll Software | $8 | 3.9 ★ | ✓ Yes |
Showing 1-10 out of 10
List of the Top Square Payroll alternatives as of September 2026
Compare business software, products, and services to find the best solution for your business or organization. Use the filters on the left to drill down by category, pricing, features, market segment, user ratings, and more.
9.4
SpotScore
OnPay
Streamline your payroll process and save time and money.
Add to compare
What is OnPay?
OnPay is an intuitive online payroll software designed to meet the needs of supervisors, managers, payroll specialists and people who manage pay for hourly or salaried staff. OnPay helps companies of all sizes reduce costs for processing payroll checks, making tax reports, tracking down pay ...
Read moreCommon Features
-
Wage Garnishment
-
W-2 Preparation
-
Leave Tracking (Vacation)
+ 10 more
Unique Features
No unique features
Pricing
Free Trial available, Try Now
Starts from $40/Month
8.7
SpotScore
APS Payroll
Efficient payroll management, with precision and security.
Add to compare
What is APS Payroll?
APS Payroll is a payroll and HR management platform for mid-sized businesses that need customizable reporting, employee self-service, and third-party integrations alongside core payroll processing. Its report builder lets HR teams generate custom outputs for workforce cost analysis without ...
Read moreCommon Features
-
Wage Garnishment
-
W-2 Preparation
-
Leave Tracking (Vacation)
+ 9 more
Unique Features
No unique features
Pricing
APS Payroll offers custom pricing plan
Spotsaas Buyer Intelligence
Own the software buyers are comparing here? See who's weighing you against rivals — and who's comparing your competitors while you're not in the running.
8.7
SpotScore
Heartland Payroll
Efficient payroll management made easy.
Add to compare
What is Heartland Payroll?
Heartland Payroll is a payroll management software for small and medium sized companies. It handles all your payroll processing requirements such as bi-weekly, monthly or yearly paychecks, cost accounting and tracking of leave balances. The system has complete comprehensive accounting module ...
Read moreCommon Features
-
Wage Garnishment
-
W-2 Preparation
-
Leave Tracking (Vacation)
+ 9 more
Unique Features
No unique features
Pricing
Heartland Payroll offers custom pricing plan
9.2
SpotScore
QuickBooks Payroll
Streamline your payroll process with ease.
Add to compare
What is QuickBooks Payroll?
QuickBooks Payroll makes it easy to stay on top of your HR needs. It’s payroll software that gives you the power to handle all the payroll processing you need, from modeling an employee’s paycheck to tracking deductions and taxes. Whether you need a few employees or thousands, QuickBooks ...
Read moreCommon Features
-
Wage Garnishment
-
W-2 Preparation
-
Leave Tracking (Vacation)
+ 9 more
Unique Features
No unique features
Pricing
Free Trial available, Try Now
Starts from $49/Month
9.2
SpotScore
Justworks
Efficient payroll management on the go.
Add to compare
What is Justworks?
Justworks is payroll software that offers international payroll, payroll tax filing and realtime benefits administration. The Justworks app is a simple way for teams to bill their hours directly from their iPhone or Android devices. This mobile solution provides employees with a transparent ...
Read moreCommon Features
-
Wage Garnishment
-
W-2 Preparation
-
Leave Tracking (Vacation)
+ 9 more
Unique Features
-
Payroll
Pricing
Free Trial available, Try Now
Starts from $8/user/month when monthly
9.4
SpotScore
Remote.com
Effortlessly manage your remote workforce.
Add to compare
What is Remote.com?
Remote.com is a remote work management platform that simplifies global payroll, compliance, and workforce administration for businesses of all sizes. It seamlessly integrates with HR systems, centralizing payroll data for security and accuracy. The platform enables effortless onboarding with ...
Read moreCommon Features
-
Wage Garnishment
-
W-2 Preparation
-
Leave Tracking (Vacation)
+ 10 more
Unique Features
-
Payroll Management
-
HR Management
-
Contract Management
Pricing
Starts from $29/employee/month when monthly
8.8
SpotScore
Patriot Payroll
Efficiently streamline your payroll process.
Add to compare
What is Patriot Payroll?
The Patriot's secure payroll solution is designed to lower the total cost of payroll administration, while helping you reduce your staffs' workload. With its fully integrated interface with Patriot's fund accounting and other core compliance solutions, Patriot Payroll Software automates the ...
Read moreCommon Features
-
Wage Garnishment
-
W-2 Preparation
-
Leave Tracking (Vacation)
+ 7 more
Unique Features
No unique features
Pricing
Free Trial available, Try Now
Starts from $14/Month
9.2
SpotScore
SurePayroll
Efficiency meets accuracy in one payroll solution.
Add to compare
What is SurePayroll?
SurePayroll is a cloud-based, Payroll Software with Time Tracking Service. The software can be accessed from any device and is hosted by SurePayroll in the Amazon Web Services (AWS) data center for fast processing and performance.It automates most employee related tasks including accurate and ...
Read moreCommon Features
-
Wage Garnishment
-
W-2 Preparation
-
Leave Tracking (Vacation)
+ 7 more
Unique Features
No unique features
Pricing
Free Trial available
SurePayroll offers custom pricing plan
9.5
SpotScore
Zenefits
Streamline payroll and stay compliant with ease.
Add to compare
What is Zenefits?
Zenefits is an all-in-one HR, payroll, and benefits administration platform for growing companies that want to consolidate onboarding, time-off tracking, payroll processing, and compliance management in a single system. It eliminates the common pattern of using separate tools for HR records, ...
Read moreCommon Features
-
Wage Garnishment
-
W-2 Preparation
-
Leave Tracking (Vacation)
+ 9 more
Unique Features
-
Compliance Management
-
Performance Management
-
Benefits Record Management
+ 1 more
Pricing
Free Trial available, Try Now
Zenefits offers custom pricing plan
8.7
SpotScore
Microkeeper
Efficiency meets affordability - simplify your payroll process.
Add to compare
What is Microkeeper?
Microkeeper is a user-friendly payroll software that connects you with the world of business payroll processing: delivering quick online setup, automated time keeping and more. Payroll processing has never been easier or more affordable. Microkeeper gives you simplicity and convenience in ...
Read moreCommon Features
-
Wage Garnishment
-
Leave Tracking (Vacation)
-
Self Service Portal
+ 6 more
Unique Features
No unique features
Pricing
Free Trial available, Try Now
Starts from $2.25/User/Month, also offers free forever plan
Why Teams Look for Square Payroll Alternatives
- Businesses already using Square for POS may seek deeper payroll integrations or industry-specific HR features.
- Employers needing more advanced reporting, analytics, or benefits management might explore broader HR platforms.
- Companies managing multi-state or international employees could require tools with expanded compliance capabilities.
- Firms wanting customizable workflows, performance tracking, or applicant tracking may consider full HR suites.
- Organizations with complex payroll structures (e.g., commissions, unions) might look for specialized payroll solutions.
- Users needing broader accounting or ERP system integrations may opt for platforms beyond Square’s ecosystem.
Which Square Payroll Alternative Is Right for You?
- If you need a free or low-cost option: OnPay — offers a free plan or trial suitable for small teams.
- If user satisfaction is your top priority: OnPay — holds the highest user rating (5.0★) among Square Payroll alternatives.
- If you want a mid-range option: Remote.com — sits in the middle of the list by rating and may fit teams with mixed requirements.
Free switching kit
Switching from Square Payroll? Get the migration checklist
A step-by-step payroll software migration checklist so you can move off Square Payroll without losing data or momentum.
- Pre-switch data & access audit
- Migration timeline and owners
- Go-live cutover checklist
No file downloads on screen — we email it to you. One-click unsubscribe anytime.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Stuck on something? We're here to help with all the questions and answers in one place.
The top-rated alternatives to Square Payroll for Payroll Software are OnPay (5.0★), Patriot Payroll (4.9★), SurePayroll (4.9★). Compare all 10 alternatives side-by-side above.
When evaluating alternatives to Square Payroll, prioritize: Wage Garnishment, W-2 Preparation, Leave Tracking (Vacation), Self Service Portal, Multi-country, transparent pricing, free trial availability, and integrations with tools you already use. Use the filters above to compare by feature, budget, and team size.
For small businesses, the best Payroll Software tools are Paycom, BambooHR, Gusto. Look for affordable per-seat pricing, quick setup (under 1 day), no long-term contracts, and strong onboarding support to reduce time-to-value.
Square Payroll starts from $34 /User/Month. Many alternatives offer similar functionality at different price points — some with free tiers, others with more flexible per-seat pricing. Use the filters above to narrow by budget.
Migration difficulty depends on how deeply Square Payroll is integrated into your workflows. Most alternatives offer data export/import tools and dedicated onboarding support. We recommend narrowing to 2–3 options, running a free trial, and checking each vendor's migration guides before committing.
Square Payroll holds a strong rating of 5.0 and ranks well among its category peers. That said, the best tool depends on your team's size, budget, and specific feature needs.
About the reviewer
Rajat Gupta is the founder of Spotsaas. Over the past two years, he has reviewed 2,000+ tools across CRM, HR, AI, and finance — applying hands-on product research and a background in commerce and the CFA program to evaluate software through a business and ROI lens. His goal: help teams make software decisions they won't regret.
Disclaimer: This research has been collated from a variety of authoritative sources. We welcome your feedback at [email protected].