Roll by ADP vs Square Payroll
We give Roll by ADP a 2.8 GPA and Square Payroll a 2.4, out of 4.0. Roll by ADP grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Roll by ADP
Chat-based payroll app for very small US businesses
Square Payroll
Payroll for Square sellers, with timecards from Square POS
How we grade them
| 2.8GPARoll by ADPGood | 2.4GPASquare PayrollFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BOne plan at $39 a month plus $5 a worker, $64 for five, inside the cheapest quarter of this category. Time tracking, the AI assistant and QuickBooks Online sync are all in that price; only same-day deposit costs extra. | BFull-service payroll is $35 a month plus $6 a person, $65 for five, inside the cheapest quarter of this category. Paying only contractors is $6 a person, $30 for five, though that plan files no taxes. |
| Free plan and trial | C3 months free for new US clients, counted from when company setup is done. That's the longest trial in this category, but it's a trial, not a free plan. | FNo free plan or trial on record. There is no long-term contract, so you pay month by month, but you pay from the start. |
| Features | CPayroll by typing requests in a chat, W-2 and 1099 workers, taxes paid, timekeeping and AI error checks. It does payroll fully, but it's a smaller job: the pricing page lists no HR, benefits administration or higher tiers. | CPayroll done fully, with tax filing for each state you pay in, tips and hours pulled from Square POS, overtime and scheduling. It's a smaller job, though: no HR tools, and health insurance and 401(k) are paid add-ons. |
| Ease of use | A4.7 from about 2,900 App Store ratings. You type what you want done, and workers on fixed hours or pay can be paid automatically. | A4.7 from about 41,000 App Store ratings for the Square Team app, where owners run payroll and staff onboard themselves. If you're on Square already, the hours are already there. |
| Platforms and integrations | BiPhone, Android and web, plus QuickBooks Online. It's built for phones, though: the desktop view opens by scanning a code from the app. No desktop app. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Square Point of Sale, Cash App and QuickBooks Online. No desktop app, and it's sold on Square's US site only. |
| Best for | owners who want to run payroll from a phone chat | shops and cafes already selling with Square |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Roll by ADP and Square Payroll. How we grade
Price against what you get
Roll by ADP starts at $39 a month and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Square Payroll starts at $6 a month for each person and scores 3.0.
They score the same, and Square Payroll starts $33 a month lower. Of the other payroll services on the chart, 1 scores higher than Roll by ADP for less, and none scores higher than Square Payroll for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Roll by ADP starts at $39 per month, plus $5 per worker paid. Square Payroll starts at $6 per person paid / month, contractor-only payroll.
- Square Payroll also covers reports.
At a glance
| Roll by ADP | Square Payroll | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | $39 per month, plus $5 per worker paid | $6 per person paid / month, contractor-only payroll |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 3 months free for new US clients, starting once company setup is complete | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | ADP, Inc. | Block, Inc. |
| Price read from | rollbyadp.com | squareup.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Roll by ADP
- Owners with a few employees who want to run payroll from a phone
- Businesses paying both W-2 employees and 1099 contractors
- Teams spread across several US states
Square Payroll
- Restaurants, shops and salons already taking payments with Square
- Businesses with tipped hourly staff
- Owners who pay only contractors and want a per-person price
Worth knowing
Roll by ADP
- Runs payroll in the US only, though workers may live and work in different states.
- Built for phones: the desktop view is opened by scanning a code from the mobile app.
- Same-day direct deposit costs a per-transaction fee on top of the monthly price.
- One plan only: the pricing page lists no HR, benefits administration or higher tiers.
Square Payroll
- Contractor-only payroll leaves out tax filings, auto payroll, off-cycle payments, multistate payroll and garnishments.
- Mailed paper W-2s and 1099s cost $3 per form a year; workers' comp, health insurance and 401(k) are paid add-ons.
- Scheduling, tip import, overtime and labor-cost reports come only with full-service payroll.
- It runs US payroll, filing federal and state taxes, and is sold on Square's US site.
Key features
Roll by ADP
- Payroll by chat
- Owners run payroll, hire workers and change pay by typing requests in a chat, with off-cycle payments for bonuses and final pay.
- Taxes calculated and paid
- Roll calculates, deducts and pays payroll taxes, files 1099-NEC forms, and delivers W-2s and 1099s to workers in the app each January.
- Next-day and same-day deposit
- Direct deposits arrive about 24 hours after payroll is submitted, and same-day deposit is available for a per-transaction fee.
- AI assistant and error checks
- A generative AI assistant answers payroll and HR questions and suggests savings, and AI-driven checks look for errors before payroll runs.
- Automatic payroll and time tracking
- Workers with fixed hours or pay can be paid automatically, and timekeeping is included for W-2 and 1099 workers.
- Employee app
- Employees are invited to their own version of the app to see pay summaries, download paystubs and tax forms, and update bank details.
Square Payroll
- Full-service payroll
- Unlimited pay runs, auto payroll, off-cycle payments and multiple pay rates, with no long-term contract.
- Payroll tax filing
- Calculates, withholds and files federal payroll taxes and state taxes, including state unemployment, for each state or locality you pay in.
- Timecards, tips and overtime
- Imports hours from Square POS or the Team App, tracks direct tips, calculates overtime and schedules staff up to 10 days out.
- Pay by deposit, check or Cash App
- Next-day or two-day direct deposit, paper checks, or Cash App, where team members can get paid instantly.
- Square Team App
- Owners run payroll and manage the team from a phone, and employees onboard themselves and see their pay stubs.
- Reports and QuickBooks
- Custom reports on paychecks, employee and company totals, labor-cost reports, and a QuickBooks Online integration.
Plans
Roll by ADP
Roll$39
per month, plus $5 per worker paid
Unlimited payroll for W-2 employees and 1099 contractors, tax filing and payment, time tracking, the AI assistant and QuickBooks Online sync.
Square Payroll
Contractor-only payroll$6
per person paid / month, contractors only
Pay contractors from the Square Dashboard by direct deposit, check or Cash App, with 1099s delivered digitally. No tax filings or auto payroll.
Full-service payroll$35
per month, plus $6 per person paid
Unlimited and auto payroll, federal and state tax filings, multistate payroll, scheduling, tip import, labor-cost reports and next-day deposit.
