Rippling vs. Square Payroll

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Rippling
Score 8.9 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
starting price per user, per month
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.
$0
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
NoNo
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
9.2
Ratings
16% above category average
Square Payroll
-
Ratings
Employee demographic data9.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Employment history8.90 Ratings00 Ratings
Job profiles and administration9.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.9.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Organizational charting9.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Organization and location management9.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)9.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Rippling
9.2
Ratings
14% above category average
Square Payroll
7.8
Ratings
5% below category average
Pay calculation9.10 Ratings8.90 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment9.10 Ratings4.40 Ratings
Benefit plan administration8.80 Ratings9.10 Ratings
Direct deposit files9.40 Ratings7.00 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management9.20 Ratings8.90 Ratings
Reimbursement management9.30 Ratings7.80 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors00 Ratings8.60 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
Rippling
9.2
Ratings
14% above category average
Square Payroll
-
Ratings
Approval workflow9.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Balance details9.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment9.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
Rippling
9.3
Ratings
14% above category average
Square Payroll
-
Ratings
View and generate pay and benefit information9.40 Ratings00 Ratings
Update personal information9.30 Ratings00 Ratings
View company policy documentation9.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Employee recognition9.10 Ratings00 Ratings
View job history9.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
Rippling
9.3
Ratings
14% above category average
Square Payroll
-
Ratings
Tracking of all physical assets9.30 Ratings00 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Rippling
9.1
Ratings
19% above category average
Square Payroll
-
Ratings
Report builder9.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Pre-built reports9.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data9.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
Rippling
9.3
Ratings
16% above category average
Square Payroll
-
Ratings
New hire portal9.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Manager tracking tools9.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
Rippling
9.2
Ratings
15% above category average
Square Payroll
-
Ratings
Corporate goal setting9.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Individual goal setting9.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Line-of sight-visibility9.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance tracking9.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
Rippling
9.3
Ratings
17% above category average
Square Payroll
-
Ratings
Performance plans9.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance improvement plans9.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Review status tracking9.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Review reminders9.40 Ratings00 Ratings
Multiple review frequency9.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
Rippling
9.1
Ratings
15% above category average
Square Payroll
-
Ratings
Create succession plans/pools9.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Candidate ranking9.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Candidate search9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Candidate development9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
Rippling
9.4
Ratings
20% above category average
Square Payroll
-
Ratings
Job Requisition Management9.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Company Website Posting9.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Publish to Social Media9.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting9.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention9.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Applicant Tracking9.40 Ratings00 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts9.40 Ratings00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
RipplingSquare Payroll
Small Businesses
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.5 out of 10
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.5 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.7 out of 10
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.7 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
9.1
(0 ratings)
4.7
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.1
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
9.2
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Availability
9.1
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
7.3
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
9.3
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.4
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Configurability
1.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
9.1
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
9.1
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
RipplingSquare Payroll
Likelihood to Recommend
I highly recommend Rippling for any company, regardless of its size. Many well-known companies trust it, and if you go onto their LinkedIn page, you will likely find that many of your friends and colleagues are already familiar with them. Along with a highly flexible and easy-to-use UI, many other companies use it, making it feel like a small world. Any company that needs software for expense management and payroll and wants consistency should consider using Rippling.
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I would say that Square Payroll is perfect for companies that don't exceed 100 employees. The multistate payroll system allows for us to be able to handle business with ease when we go do work in Mississippi or Arkansas. The multiple payout options are great for our particular business. We might deal with a multimillion dollar contract one day and a $120 order the next.
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Pros
  • I did not expect Live Chat Support and Email Support when we moved to Rippling. Their Support team is quick and very knowledgeable. I have had multiple instances where we have gone back and forth on a situation to come to the correct conclusion, never feeling they were trying to just close the case unsolved.
  • Being able to manage employees from application to separation is huge. Having a built in ATS that we can hire candidates from directly, and immediately have their payroll, benefits and employee profile setup has saved me countless hours for each hire.
  • Rippling allows us to manage retirement plans across the US, Canada and UK with automation and file feeds. Before Rippling I manually managed these in multiple portals, now Rippling does it for me automatically.
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  • 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.
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Cons
  • It is hard to think of ways that Rippling could improve. The one area that we did have a bit of a slowdown was in the onboarding process. It was not intuitive and we expect to have some learning curve so if I could say anything needs improvement it would be this area.
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  • [In my experience] they can cancel your service at any time, without warning or explanation. When they do this your funds are held by them for up to 90 days, at which time they are presumably accruing interest on your money. This could take a small business under very quickly and there is nothing you can do about it.
  • [I believe] getting verified is complex and not customer friendly. Until you are verified you can't talk to payroll customer service, which is paradoxical. Even getting a hold of account services for this purpose is tricky and exceedingly time-consuming, plus they can not answer most questions directly.
  • [I feel] they don't communicate well, closed my account with no notice whatsoever. The only notification I had about the need to verify my account was one easily lost email. Not having responded to this email fast enough created months of stress and difficulty in the setup process, only to find in the end I would need to start from scratch to attempt to sign up again.
  • [In my experience] if they close your account you can never reopen it. You have to start a new account from scratch.
  • [In my experience] they can hold your money and not deposit funds if your account is "under review". This can happen without explanation. No customer service is directly available for this. I was told I had to wait for them to call me.
  • [I believe] they are either lying, or the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing to such an extent that they give a great deal of misinformation.
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Likelihood to Renew
Rippling continues to innovate and amaze me with their new innovations and features. Product feedback is taken seriously so I always give it whenever I can and end up seeing results. Rippling is the new wave of HRIS that cannot compare against others in the industry just due to the fact they are super user friendly!
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No answers on this topic
Usability
Rippling is a great product that has streamlined our payroll and leave management processes. The interface is intuitive, and it’s very convenient to manage everything in one place. While the initial setup was a bit lengthy and the mobile experience can sometimes be a little slow, overall, it’s been a reliable and effective solution for our needs.
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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.
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Reliability and Availability
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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No answers on this topic
Performance
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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No answers on this topic
Support Rating
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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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
The trainer went slow and and answered our questions.
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No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
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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No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
We switched from Gusto to Rippling and I wish we would've done it years ago. Rippling is so much more robust than Gusto and has made the lives of our HR team and each of our employees so much easier! I'd recommend Rippling over Gusto to every organization without any hesitation
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We have tested the QuickBooks Online platform. Before using Square, we tried QuickBooks, but the experience we had was not to our liking. QuickBooks Online is a much more complicated platform to use, the interface is much larger and has complexity in the configuration of the collection of hours of work of the employees. In addition, QuickBooks technical support does not respond in time to users' doubts, on several occasions we had several doubts about the operation of the platform and the response was too late and inconsistent. We decided to use Square Payroll because it offered us a much more accessible UI, a simpler but more precise interface for what we needed in our company, to be able to make payroll payments and make detailed reports on the workers.
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Scalability
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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No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
  • 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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  • 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.
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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.