A quick and easy comparison guide

Gusto vs Square Payroll

The right payroll software ensures that you can pay your team with ease. But which provider should you go with if you’re a small business owner?

This guide explains the differences between Gusto and Square payroll so you can see exactly how these two tools overlap and differ when it comes to running payroll, managing benefits, and other back-office tasks.

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Compare pricing and features: Gusto vs Square Payroll

Gusto
Pricing
Monthly fee
Starting at $40/mo + $6/mo per person
Starting at $29/mo + $5/mo per user
Setup fee
Free
Free
Payroll
Unlimited payrolls
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Automated federal and state tax filing
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Direct deposit
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File W-2s
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File 1099s
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Multiple pay rates and schedules
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Multiple states
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(Plus and Premium)
Contractor payments
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E-sign I-9 and W-4
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Lifetime access for employees
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Household employer payroll
X
International payroll
Dollar
(International contractor add-on)
Benefits
Health benefits
Pay premiums only
Pay premiums only
Workers’ comp
Pay premiums only
Pay premiums only
Available add-ons
  • Broker integration
  • 401(k) retirement
  • Commuter benefits
  • Life and disability
  • HSA and FSA
  • 401(k) retirement
  • Pre-tax benefit
HR tools
Time tracking
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(Plus and Premium)
Team directory and org chart
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(Plus and Premium)
Time-off requests
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(Plus and Premium)
Online offer letters
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Secure document vault and e-signing
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Custom employee handbook
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(Premium and HR add-on)
Job description and policy templates
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(Premium and HR add-on)
Proactive compliance updates
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(Premium and HR add-on)
Certified HR pros
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(Premium and HR add-on)
Direct phone line for dedicated support
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(Premium and HR add-on)
Custom Onboarding Checklist
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(Plus and Premium)
Software Provisioning
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(Plus and Premium)
Integrations
QuickBooks
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Xero
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Google (G-suite) SSO
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*Competitive data on this page was collected as of June 27th, 2022 and is subject to change or update. Gusto does not make any representations as to the completeness or accuracy of the information on this page. All Gusto services listed in the payroll features comparison chart are provided by Gusto or by one of Gusto's trusted partners.

What to consider when choosing a payroll provider?

Think about the size of your team.

You might find a payroll company that can help you pay your team today—but what happens if you bring on more employees and contractors? Choose a payroll service that works for your business today, and one that can scale as you expand and your payroll gets more complex.

Consider what’s included in the price.

Many payroll platforms offer additional features for growing businesses, but you might have to go beyond your budget to get more. When you run a small business, you need a payroll platform that doesn’t cram hidden fees into every small upgrade you make.

Take the switch into account.

Transferring payroll data between different software platforms can be a huge task. The best payroll services make the migration process easy and guide you through each step. When shopping for payroll, ask your sales representative about their data migration capabilities.

Ask about integration with other software platforms.

It’s important to double-check that your payroll service integrates with other software that tracks expenses, time off requests, and other essential tasks you’ll need.

Make sure you can get help when you need it.

Before finalizing your payroll decision, check if you get free access to a support team and knowledge base. Verify the company’s business hours for phone, email, and live chat support, along with the links to their help center and FAQ pages.

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#1 Best Software for Small Business of 2024

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Best overall payroll software 2024

#1 Payroll Software
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Gusto FAQs

Gusto’s unparalleled all-in-one dashboard empowers small business owners to access payroll, benefits, and HR tools whenever they want, wherever they are. Our unmatched flexibility and features transform payroll into a full support system that helps your employees access what they need to thrive. We’re with you from the moment you onboard a new employee all the way to retirement. The best part is, you’ll never deal with hidden fees, which are common among our competitors.
Learn why so many small businesses use Gusto to manage their teams.

Our state-of-the-art security safeguards your company’s private information. That’s just one reason why more than 300,000 businesses turn to Gusto to handle more than tens of billions of dollars in payroll annually. Here are more details on how we protect your sensitive information:

  • Our industry-standard encryption starts at the moment you enter your information to the time it reaches our servers. We use TLS 1.2 encryption on data in transit and AES-256 encryption for data in rest.
  • We regularly test our platform to identify and path issues before they become problems.
  • All customer accounts are actively monitored for potential fraudulent transactions or suspicious activity. If we see any red flags, we tell you right away.
  • We work exclusively with partners that employ top-notch security measures.
  • Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is enabled on all customer accounts so only people who need access to your sensitive information get it.
  • All Gusto employees complete rigorous, thorough security training.

You can also manage your team’s benefits with peace of mind. At Gusto, our payroll and benefits platforms align with COBRA, HIPAA, and the ACA’s rigid security, compliance, and privacy standards. Learn more about our security measures here.

There’s never a wrong time to switch. While some payroll platforms prefer year-end migrations, our data migration is so seamless that you can switch whenever you want.If you have more than 10 employees, our dedicated team will transfer your important information without hurdles. We’ll pair you with your own personal payroll specialist who will guide you through the transition process step by step. This hands-on approach minimizes the time spent on onboarding, and prevents any errors from cropping up along the way. Once you’re all set up, you’ll find that onboarding new employees couldn’t be easier. Through Gusto’s self-service portal, your employees can enter their info without you.

When you set up or switch to Gusto, you’ll start by completing a quick sign-up form. From that moment on, we’re there with you until your setup is complete. When you first get started, make sure you have basic information about your business on hand, like your EIN, your employees’ Social Security Numbers, addresses, and salaries. If you’re making a mid-year switch, you should also have any documents that show the payroll taxes you’ve paid so far that year.

You can reach our sales team during normal business hours. Get in touch by emailing [email protected], calling (855) 590-3993, or through our live chat tool.

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