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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    QuickBooks Desktop Premier

    Score8 out of 10
    N/AQuickBooks Desktop Premier is an installed version of QuickBooks for general business, contractors, manufacturing and warehouse accounting, as well as nonprofits, professional services, and retail.N/A

    Square Payroll

    Score6.1 out of 10
    N/ASquare Payroll is a payroll solution for hourly employees, from Square headquartered in San Francisco, California.

    $29

    per month

    Pricing
    QuickBooks Desktop PremierSquare Payroll
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    Free
    $0
    per month
    Plus
    $29
    per month
    Premium
    Custom
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    QuickBooks Desktop PremierSquare Payroll
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoYes
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    QuickBooks Desktop PremierSquare Payroll
    Considered Both Products
    Intuit
    No answer on this topic
    Block, Inc (Square)
    Chose Square Payroll
    We used Quickbooks for a long time. Our payroll/HR person for the past 20+ years retired around the time our company was sold and bought. Her replacement had experience in using Square Payroll. We gave it a shot and liked it. We went live rather quickly and it did take some …
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    82%
    Would buy again
    14 Answers
    67%
    Would buy again
    4 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    88%
    Delivers good value for the price
    14 Answers
    80%
    Delivers good value for the price
    4 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    94%
    Happy with the feature set
    16 Answers
    100%
    Happy with the feature set
    6 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    87%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    13 Answers
    67%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    4 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    93%
    Implementation went as expected
    14 Answers
    67%
    Implementation went as expected
    4 Answers
    Features
    QuickBooks Desktop PremierSquare Payroll
    Payroll Management
    Comparison of Payroll Management features of QuickBooks Desktop Premier and Square Payroll
    Feature
    QuickBooks Desktop Premier
    8.5
    54 Ratings
    12% above category average
    Square Payroll
    7.8
    6 Ratings
    6% below category average
    Pay calculation9.252 Ratings8.96 Ratings
    Benefit plan administration8.425 Ratings9.15 Ratings
    Direct deposit files8.242 Ratings7.06 Ratings
    Salary revision and increment management8.433 Ratings8.94 Ratings
    Reimbursement management8.336 Ratings7.85 Ratings
    Support for external payroll vendors00 Ratings8.65 Ratings
    Off-cycle/On-Demand payment00 Ratings4.44 Ratings
    Customization
    Comparison of Customization features of QuickBooks Desktop Premier and Square Payroll
    Feature
    QuickBooks Desktop Premier
    7.5
    24 Ratings
    1% below category average
    Square Payroll
    -
    Ratings
    API for custom integration8.017 Ratings00 Ratings
    Plug-ins7.024 Ratings00 Ratings
    Security
    Comparison of Security features of QuickBooks Desktop Premier and Square Payroll
    Feature
    QuickBooks Desktop Premier
    8.3
    58 Ratings
    1% above category average
    Square Payroll
    -
    Ratings
    Single sign-on capability8.450 Ratings00 Ratings
    Role-based user permissions8.349 Ratings00 Ratings
    Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of QuickBooks Desktop Premier and Square Payroll
    Feature
    QuickBooks Desktop Premier
    8.3
    69 Ratings
    6% above category average
    Square Payroll
    -
    Ratings
    Dashboards8.758 Ratings00 Ratings
    Standard reports8.468 Ratings00 Ratings
    Custom reports7.766 Ratings00 Ratings
    General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
    Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of QuickBooks Desktop Premier and Square Payroll
    Feature
    QuickBooks Desktop Premier
    7.8
    72 Ratings
    2% above category average
    Square Payroll
    -
    Ratings
    Accounts payable8.370 Ratings00 Ratings
    Accounts receivable8.571 Ratings00 Ratings
    Cash management8.765 Ratings00 Ratings
    Bank reconciliation8.769 Ratings00 Ratings
    Expense management8.768 Ratings00 Ratings
    Time tracking7.535 Ratings00 Ratings
    Fixed asset management6.249 Ratings00 Ratings
    Multi-currency support7.623 Ratings00 Ratings
    Multi-division support8.239 Ratings00 Ratings
    Regulations compliance8.224 Ratings00 Ratings
    Electronic tax filing7.836 Ratings00 Ratings
    Self-service portal5.923 Ratings00 Ratings
    Global Financial Support6.09 Ratings00 Ratings
    Primary and Secondary Ledgers7.014 Ratings00 Ratings
    Intercompany Accounting7.917 Ratings00 Ratings
    Localizations7.66 Ratings00 Ratings
    Journals and Reconciliations8.725 Ratings00 Ratings
    Enterprise Accounting8.313 Ratings00 Ratings
    Configurable Accounting7.915 Ratings00 Ratings
    Centralized Rules Framework7.210 Ratings00 Ratings
    Standardized Processes8.315 Ratings00 Ratings
    Inventory Management
    Comparison of Inventory Management features of QuickBooks Desktop Premier and Square Payroll
    Feature
    QuickBooks Desktop Premier
    8.0
    43 Ratings
    9% above category average
    Square Payroll
    -
    Ratings
    Inventory tracking8.342 Ratings00 Ratings
    Automatic reordering7.321 Ratings00 Ratings
    Location management8.825 Ratings00 Ratings
    Manufacturing module7.722 Ratings00 Ratings
    Order Management
    Comparison of Order Management features of QuickBooks Desktop Premier and Square Payroll
    Feature
    QuickBooks Desktop Premier
    8.2
    47 Ratings
    10% above category average
    Square Payroll
    -
    Ratings
    Pricing8.037 Ratings00 Ratings
    Order entry7.838 Ratings00 Ratings
    Credit card processing9.134 Ratings00 Ratings
    Cost of goods sold8.943 Ratings00 Ratings
    Order Orchestration7.58 Ratings00 Ratings
    End-to-end order visibility8.59 Ratings00 Ratings
    Order exception Resolution7.56 Ratings00 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    QuickBooks Desktop PremierSquare Payroll
    Small Businesses
    QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
    Score4.2 out of 10
    Patriot Payroll
    Score8.6 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    MYOB
    Score8.3 out of 10
    APS
    Score5.7 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Microsoft Dynamics GP
    Score5.4 out of 10
    ADP Streamline Payroll
    Score6.1 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    QuickBooks Desktop PremierSquare Payroll
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.2
    (75 ratings)
    4.7
    (8 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    7.5
    (14 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Usability
    8.9
    (26 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    Availability
    10.0
    (6 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Performance
    9.0
    (5 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    4.0
    (13 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    Online Training
    1.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    7.2
    (7 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Configurability
    9.0
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    CPA Rating
    8.1
    (27 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    9.0
    (5 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    6.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    6.0
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    QuickBooks Desktop PremierSquare Payroll
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Intuit
    We really think that ANY typical business would be a reasonable fit for QuickBooks Desktop Premier. While not necessary, even a comparatively unexperienced accounting person could look at the "Home" screen and follow their nose thru typical daily accounting processes without much detailed knowledge. Reporting is simple, looking up customer info and prior transactions is simple, looking up vendors and prior payments is simple... all in all, quite straightforward. I really can't think of an instance where it would be 'less appropriate'.
    Incentivized
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    Block, Inc (Square)
    Square is an amazing platform to have total control over the payroll of all the employees of a company or a specific sector. This platform has a very good functionality to collect exact information on how long each employee works, that is one of its most outstanding characteristics, because it monitors work schedules and overtime and generates detailed reports on the work time of each employee. Square does not allow to schedule payments, that is one of the main problems, however, I consider that it is a very good option for small and medium-sized companies that are looking for a way to have more exact administrative control over the working hours of all their employees. It is a software that works in the cloud, so all the work information that is collected will remain safe without any risk of loss.
    Incentivized
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    Pros
    Intuit
    • Employment - it makes creating paychecks a snap and tracks taxes.
    • Invoicing - they have a straightforward approach to creating invoices and you can even email them to your customers.
    • Customers - the program makes tracking customer information and balances easy.
    Incentivized
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    Block, Inc (Square)
    • 1099 contractor payments are easy, and they provide you with the IRS filing as part of the service.
    • Direct deposit/debit from your already connected account to the employee.
    • Reporting and management features are simple yet inclusive.
    • Low cost compared to alternative solutions.
    Incentivized
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    Cons
    Intuit
    • Support for older versions of QuickBooks ends after three years, then users must purchase the newest version at full price. Renewals should be deeply discounted for existing users.
    • I would like to see better in-product inventory tracking, so we can choose LIFO or FIFO rather than the ambiguous "average cost" method.
    • I would like to be able to assign payroll taxes to jobs for better job costing.
    Incentivized
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    Block, Inc (Square)
    • It's a bit pricey for larger companies at $5 per person paid per month.
    • Has a bit of a learning curve that seems steeper than necessary
    • reports can be confusing at first
    Incentivized
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    Likelihood to Renew
    Intuit
    Because we have been extremely happy with the product and our organization tends to be creatures of habit. We rarely leave a product that works this well for the latest and greatest. Typically we follow the "if it's not broken, don't fix it rule". While QB does make changes we typically just roll with it. If we do find something we don't like we work through it until we fully understand its functionality.
    Incentivized
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    Block, Inc (Square)
    No answers on this topic
    Usability
    Intuit
    We switched to a more "robust" software program with the hiring of a new CFO. The migration of historical data and ancillary information has been cumbersome and riddle with errors and issues. In hindsight much of what the new software program was touted to accomplish is not come to fruition. QB Desktop Premier was sufficient for the organization needs
    Incentivized
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    Block, Inc (Square)
    It could use a mobile-friendly interface. Other than that it's a simple layout and non-cluttered which allows you to get done what you need to get done. No unnecessary dodads or distractions.
    Incentivized
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    Reliability and Availability
    Intuit
    This is very reliable software, the desktop version is fast. If there is a problem, it is most likely on your own hardware!
    Incentivized
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    Block, Inc (Square)
    No answers on this topic
    Performance
    Intuit
    It takes forever to load.
    Incentivized
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    Block, Inc (Square)
    No answers on this topic
    Support Rating
    Intuit
    This is where QuickBooks falls short. Many times my staff has had questions that have not been able to get resolved easily with a chat or call. I personally have had more general questions that have not been answered easily as well. I think QuickBooks needs to provide the resources of having readily accessible help in order to make it simpler to get solutions.
    Incentivized
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    Block, Inc (Square)
    I think they have quick and helpful customer service reps, however, I give them a 9 because I have had to wait on hold for long periods of time before.
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    Intuit
    It is important to do your research. There are tutorial videos online that could help new user of this accounting system. These tutorials are straightforward and easily understandable.
    Incentivized
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    Block, Inc (Square)
    No answers on this topic
    Alternatives Considered
    Intuit
    QuickBooks Premier handles most of my business functions efficiently in one package. It is not my "everything." I use Replicon for time rather than QuickBooks. I don't want my WIP data interfering with my accounting. I use PaySimple for it's web interface and back office processing. I don't have security issues since I don't have any credit card data in my possession. With today's identity theft environment, I have to protect myself as much as I can. Not having credit card data in my accounting software lets me sleep much better at night. Quicken will do basic accounting but does not have all the double entry accounting systems contained in QuickBooks. QuickBooks Online does much of the basic business functions but I don't like the pricing structure. As a professional accountant, that is very important to me. Bill.com provided a good service but the ability of QuickBooks to add bills and receipts to transactions makes it redundant.
    Incentivized
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    Block, Inc (Square)
    I liked patriot, but I found it to be more confusing than Square and took me too much time to setup. I setup Square Payroll in about an hour. I would also say the Square interface made more sense to me. I also like how Square offers more things like benefits, etc. that can be added on.
    Incentivized
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    Scalability
    Intuit
    They're getting better. Still room for improvement.
    Incentivized
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    Block, Inc (Square)
    No answers on this topic
    Return on Investment
    Intuit
    • Most of our business clients use QuickBooks which makes it efficient for us to work on clients that use the program. We can import QuickBooks data into our software which adds efficiencies to our tax practice.
    • Having staff that are familiar with the software enables our firm to provide quality service to the clients that use QuickBooks.
    • We receive referrals from satisfied QuickBooks clients.
    Incentivized
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    Block, Inc (Square)
    • Square Payroll has dramatically reduced the time it takes to process payroll.
    • We could have a faster payroll with the Square POS integration for commission, but that is not something we've implemented yet.
    Incentivized
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