Rippling vs. Square Payroll

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Rippling
Score 9.0 out of 10
N/A
Rippling’s platform for HR, IT, payroll, and spend management automates the entire employee lifecycle, ensures compliance, supports device management, and provides real-time financial visibility from a central dashboard.
$8
per month per user
Square Payroll
Score 6.1 out of 10
N/A
Square Payroll is a payroll solution for hourly employees, from Square headquartered in San Francisco, California.
$29
per month
Pricing
RipplingSquare Payroll
Editions & Modules
Recommended
$8.00
starting price per user, per month
Free
$0
per month
Plus
$29
per month
Premium
Custom
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
RipplingSquare Payroll
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsFor additional pricing details visit the Rippling pricing page.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
RipplingSquare Payroll
Features
RipplingSquare Payroll
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
Rippling
9.1
1054 Ratings
12% above category average
Square Payroll
-
Ratings
Employee demographic data8.9747 Ratings00 Ratings
Employment history8.9771 Ratings00 Ratings
Job profiles and administration9.2877 Ratings00 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.9.2780 Ratings00 Ratings
Organizational charting9.3916 Ratings00 Ratings
Organization and location management9.2812 Ratings00 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)9.0629 Ratings00 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Rippling
9.3
1102 Ratings
13% above category average
Square Payroll
7.8
6 Ratings
6% below category average
Pay calculation9.4989 Ratings8.96 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment9.1690 Ratings4.44 Ratings
Benefit plan administration9.0967 Ratings9.15 Ratings
Direct deposit files9.5971 Ratings7.06 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management9.4742 Ratings8.94 Ratings
Reimbursement management9.3648 Ratings7.85 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors00 Ratings8.65 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
Rippling
9.3
988 Ratings
13% above category average
Square Payroll
-
Ratings
Approval workflow9.4953 Ratings00 Ratings
Balance details9.3908 Ratings00 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment9.3675 Ratings00 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
Rippling
9.2
1150 Ratings
12% above category average
Square Payroll
-
Ratings
View and generate pay and benefit information9.41088 Ratings00 Ratings
Update personal information9.51136 Ratings00 Ratings
View company policy documentation9.4944 Ratings00 Ratings
Employee recognition8.7626 Ratings00 Ratings
View job history9.1816 Ratings00 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
Rippling
8.9
489 Ratings
11% above category average
Square Payroll
-
Ratings
Tracking of all physical assets8.9489 Ratings00 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Rippling
9.0
595 Ratings
18% above category average
Square Payroll
-
Ratings
Report builder8.8576 Ratings00 Ratings
Pre-built reports9.1545 Ratings00 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data9.2492 Ratings00 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
Rippling
9.4
819 Ratings
16% above category average
Square Payroll
-
Ratings
New hire portal9.5797 Ratings00 Ratings
Manager tracking tools9.3621 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
Rippling
9.1
478 Ratings
12% above category average
Square Payroll
-
Ratings
Corporate goal setting9.2412 Ratings00 Ratings
Individual goal setting9.0441 Ratings00 Ratings
Line-of sight-visibility9.2408 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance tracking9.0433 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
Rippling
9.3
549 Ratings
16% above category average
Square Payroll
-
Ratings
Performance plans9.2484 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance improvement plans9.2458 Ratings00 Ratings
Review status tracking9.2487 Ratings00 Ratings
Review reminders9.5515 Ratings00 Ratings
Multiple review frequency9.4447 Ratings00 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
Rippling
9.1
405 Ratings
15% above category average
Square Payroll
-
Ratings
Create succession plans/pools9.2337 Ratings00 Ratings
Candidate ranking9.2347 Ratings00 Ratings
Candidate search9.2362 Ratings00 Ratings
Candidate development9.0344 Ratings00 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
Rippling
9.1
462 Ratings
17% above category average
Square Payroll
-
Ratings
Job Requisition Management9.1369 Ratings00 Ratings
Company Website Posting9.1355 Ratings00 Ratings
Publish to Social Media9.2312 Ratings00 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting9.0323 Ratings00 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention9.1324 Ratings00 Ratings
Applicant Tracking9.0356 Ratings00 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts9.1434 Ratings00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
RipplingSquare Payroll
Small Businesses
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.4 out of 10
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.4 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.2 out of 10
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.2 out of 10
Enterprises
PeopleStrong
PeopleStrong
Score 9.9 out of 10
Infor Human Resources
Infor Human Resources
Score 7.1 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
RipplingSquare Payroll
Likelihood to Recommend
9.2
(1164 ratings)
4.7
(8 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.0
(20 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
9.4
(1162 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Availability
9.1
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
8.6
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
9.2
(877 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
In-Person Training
8.6
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
7.8
(9 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Configurability
6.4
(3 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
9.1
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
9.1
(3 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
9.1
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
8.6
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
RipplingSquare Payroll
Likelihood to Recommend
Rippling
Hmmm, this is a tricky one, as I was only really in charge of the LMS function. It is very well suited in the LMS section for a business that just needs basic e-learning building and a repository for company video content, a go-to for all things learning and education.
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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.
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Pros
Rippling
  • Three different options to view the hours you've worked in a pay period. All three are valuable in their own way! I love this and use each one every week.
  • Rippling has the option to retroactively log your hours later if you forget to log in before you start work. I love this because sometimes I take a work call on the go and don't have time to clock in first. Such a handy feature!
  • Rippling has also made putting in time-off requests (sick/PTO/etc) so much easier. I'm sure every HR team would appreciate this!
Read full review
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.
Read full review
Cons
Rippling
  • Could clarify what is being asked when creating expense reports.
  • It could make 2FA more intuitive on mobile, such as allowing iPhone users to use Face ID as an alternative if the device is locked.
  • Overall avoid using too much jargon when asking questions.
Read full review
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
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
Rippling
The AI assistant has always been able to direct me to the correct solution to any question i have about Rippling. Payroll is so easy, it takes about 10 minutes to go through the process.
Read full review
Block, Inc (Square)
No answers on this topic
Usability
Rippling
The user interface is very intuitive most of the time. It is easy to see where and how to navigate, edit, and interact with the software. The leave approval notification system (and associated communications) were the one area where this was not the case. Those were difficult processes to address. To be fair to Rippling, that is likely the result of our initial configuration - so user error on our part.
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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.
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
Rippling
I like that the availability in using Rippling at any given time is useful to me. Getting on the site freely when I need gives me security of knowing that I can be in control of viewing health insurance and hours information. I have yet to get any errors in using the Rippling app.
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Block, Inc (Square)
No answers on this topic
Performance
Rippling
Rippling's performance has been great, no errors or glitches yet so far. I am confident that Going from one page to the next and all its complexity usage does not lag or times out, it works effectively and efficiently. While using Rippling and other apps it does not tend to slow it down, works great. No complaints.
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Block, Inc (Square)
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
Rippling
When I did have to reach out to Rippling for assistance I was able to get quick help and my problem resolved in a time efficient manner with out any type of hick up. The customer support team is professional, kind and always available. This makes Rippling more welcoming to use on a daily basis.
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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.
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In-Person Training
Rippling
The trainer went slow and and answered our questions.
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Block, Inc (Square)
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
Rippling
It's really easy to implement in comparison to other tools or applications. Different key points are easily configured and implemented as per need, having different configurations in systems. Implementation is something which binds the different parameters of an organization in a single row. Implementation of rippling is much easier, quicker, and error free than any other software. I recommend it strongly!
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Block, Inc (Square)
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
Rippling
We selected Rippling because of its cost and ease of use. Our experience with Workday was not positive and we wanted to avoid a repeat of an expensive contract that ultimately does not serve our needs well. I also have a friend who works as an account manager for Rippling who provided early insight into the relatively new product.
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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.
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Scalability
Rippling
I can go on here and see all my hours and pto plus health benefits. I like to have the work handbook handy to refer to legal things. How to work my role within it's limits. Being able to put in my hours and view when they are approved is a huge benefit for me.
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Block, Inc (Square)
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
Rippling
  • Routine things like PTO requests and document uploads now take a few clicks instead of hours of email back‑and‑forth. I’d estimate I spend at least half the time on those tasks compared to before, which frees me up to actually help employees.
  • What used to drag on for days now gets done in a morning - I've just asked them this now. New hires can log in, set up their tools, and start training almost immediately, so they’re productive much sooner.
  • Payroll and benefits errors used to pop up regularly, but now I almost never have to fix things or follow up on missing info. That means less stress for me and for everyone involved.
  • Having everything in one platform cuts out the “where did you send that?” and “who approves this?” questions. It feels like we’ve reduced our back‑and‑forth by at least a third.
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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.
Read full review
ScreenShots

Rippling Screenshots

Screenshot of the Rippling Dashboard: Employees' home for their payroll, benefits, documents, devices, expenses, and apps.Screenshot of Rippling Payroll: Runs payroll in 90 seconds. Pays employees and contractors around the world. Automatic tax filing.Screenshot of Rippling Benefits Administration: For the management of employees' Medical, Dental, Vision, 401K, FSA, HSA, and commuter benefits.Screenshot of Rippling Single Sign-On: Employees can access all of their SaaS apps in one click from their Rippling dashboard.Screenshot of Rippling’s Time & Attendance platform. This integrates with the rest of the product suite so that when employees clock in, their approved hours automatically synced with payroll and accounting systems.Screenshot of Rippling Mobile Device Management: To manage employees' computers and devices 100% remotely.