Square Payroll vs Wave Payroll
Two payroll & HR tools side by side. Prices are the starting plan a small business would pick, in USD.
Short version
Square Payroll costs less for a six-person team.- Square Payroll fits retail shop, restaurant or café.
Wave Payroll fits agency or studio.- Square Payroll suits teams past ten people.
| Compare | Square PayrollBlock | Wave PayrollWave Financial |
|---|---|---|
| In one line | Payroll that pulls hours and tips from Square POS | Payroll add-on for Wave accounting users |
| Starting price | From $35/mo + $6/person | From $40/mo + $6/person |
| Six-person team | $71/mo | $76/mo |
| Plans | Full service $35/mo + $6 per person paid (tax filings, multistate); contractors only $6 per person; no contract; paper W-2s $3 each | $40/mo + $6 per employee + $6 per contractor paid; tax service in all 50 states; Canada $25 CAD + $6 (not Quebec); does not file 1099s |
| Pricing model | Paid | Free trial |
| Free trial | — | 30 days |
| Users | No minimum | No minimum |
| Both connect to | No shared connections on record. | |
| Also connects to | QuickBooks Online, Homebase Scheduling, When I Work | Wave |
| Team size | Just me · 2–10 people · 11–50 people | Just me · 2–10 people |
| Available in | US | US · CA |
| Phone support | Every plan (US) | None listed |
| Live chat | Plans not stated | Every plan |
| Support hours | Phone: M–F 6 a.m.–6 p.m. PT | Live chat: Monday to Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern |
| Incidents posted | 14 incidents posted on Block's status page, which covers all Block products and regions, in the 90 days to Oct 27, 2026; 0 marked major or critical by Block. Status page | 5 incidents posted on Wave Financial's status page, which covers all Wave Financial products and regions, in the 90 days to Oct 27, 2026; 1 marked major or critical by Wave Financial. Status page |
| Capterra score | 4.7 / 5 from 622 reviews | Not listed |
| Fit: Retail shop | 85 | 65 |
| Fit: Restaurant or café | 88 | 60 |
| Fit: Service business | 75 | 80 |
| Fit: Agency or studio | 55 | 65 |
| Fit: Trades or contractor | 70 | 72 |
| Fit: Online store | 55 | 50 |
| Why people pick it |
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| Where it falls short |
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| Visit Square Payroll | Visit Wave Payroll | |
Six-person prices are what a team of six would pay on the published plans; "Not listed" means those plans don't cover six. How we calculate prices
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