Fingercheck vs Square Payroll
Features, use cases, pros and cons, and pricing side by side — and which one to pick.
Best for: Construction firms that need certified payroll reporting and GPS-verified punches, Field service businesses with mobile crews spread across locations
Read the full Fingercheck reviewBest for: Restaurants and cafés that collect tips through Square POS, Retail teams with commissions or multiple pay rates
Read the full Square Payroll reviewCommission may apply at no extra cost
Fingercheck vs Square Payroll: features compared
Compare key features side by side
Feature Comparison Summary
Which should you choose?
Choose Fingercheck if
- Your crews punch in from job sites and need GPS-verified time
- You need certified payroll, E-Verify, or PBJ reporting built in
- You want job costing, scheduling, and payroll in one system
Choose Square Payroll if
- You already run your business on Square POS or Square Dashboard
- You pay only contractors and want 1099-NEC forms filed for you
Fingercheck vs Square Payroll: pros and cons
Fingercheck
Fingercheck connects time tracking and payroll in one system, with GPS-verified punches, unlimited runs, and built-in compliance for construction, staffing, and healthcare — though add-on fees stack up and there's no free trial. Overall, it's a solid, recommendable pick for hourly, field-based teams that want hours flowing straight into paychecks.
Pros
- Time tracking and payroll live in one system — punches flow straight into paychecks, eliminating the double entry and manual errors of running separate tools
- GPS-verified clock-ins and buddy-punching prevention make off-site punches accountable, a genuine differentiator for construction and field service crews
- Unlimited payroll runs are included under a single monthly fee, so you can run payroll as often as your teams need without per-run charges
Cons
- The platform is built and marketed around hourly, deskless teams — businesses with mostly salaried, exempt workforces will find it a poor fit
- Costs stack up through add-ons — year-end W-2/1099 filing, background checks, workers' comp, 401(k) services, and HR Compliance all carry usage- or quote-based fees beyond the monthly plan
- Next-Day Pay costs extra per use on the 360 plan, so frequent reliance on it can erode the value of the lower tier versus upgrading to 360 Plus
Square Payroll
Square Payroll shines for businesses already on Square: it imports timecards and tips from Square POS, files federal and state taxes automatically, and skips long-term contracts. The trade-offs are a tight integration list with only QuickBooks Online named, plus unpublished add-on pricing. Overall, it's a smart pick for Square users and a harder sell for everyone else.
Pros
- Square POS integration imports timecards and tips automatically, so tipped staff like restaurant crews get paid for hours actually worked without manual entry
- Federal, state, and multistate tax filings are automated at no extra charge, including quarterly and annual forms plus year-end W-2s and 1099-NECs
- Unlimited pay runs and off-cycle payments are included on both plans with no per-run fees and no long-term contract
Cons
- Key features like automatic timecard and tip imports depend on Square POS, so businesses not already running Square lose much of the value
- QuickBooks Online is the only accounting integration named on the site, which limits options if you use Xero, FreshBooks, or other bookkeeping tools
- Pricing for add-ons like workers' comp, health insurance, 401(k) plans, and compliance alerts isn't published, making total cost hard to budget up front
Fingercheck and Square Payroll in detail
Fingercheck
Fingercheck is an all-in-one payroll and HR platform built for businesses with hourly workers — construction crews, field service teams, staffing agencies, healthcare providers, and more. It combines time tracking, scheduling, onboarding, and payroll in one system. Customers report results like a camp saving 60 hours and $15K per summer, and G2 reviewers rate it 4.8 stars.
Standout features
- Time and payroll, finally in sync
- Honest time from the field
- Know where labor dollars go
- Time off, handled
- Pay on your team's terms
Use cases
- Construction crews clocking in from job sites
- Field service teams spread across town
- Staffing agencies hiring at speed
- Healthcare teams with tricky pay rules
Square Payroll
Square Payroll is online payroll software for small businesses, built to work with the rest of Square. It pays employees and contractors, automates federal and state tax filings, and imports timecards and tips from Square POS. It fits restaurants, retail shops, salons, home and repair services, and any small business that wants payroll tied to its point of sale.
Standout features
- Payroll that works with your POS
- Taxes and filings, handled
- Flexible pay runs for real life
- Faster ways to get your team paid
- Benefits and bookkeeping in one place
Use cases
- Run tipped payroll in minutes
- Pay commissions and mixed rates
- Contractor payroll without the paperwork
- Pay field crews from anywhere
Pricing compared
List prices from each vendor's pricing page, before taxes and add-ons. Costs are per month.
| Pricing compared | Fingercheck | Square Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| From (cheapest paid plan) | $29/mo Time & Attendance · per user | $6/mo Contractor-only payroll · per user |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Free trial | Not stated | Not stated |
| Money-back guarantee | Not stated | Not stated |
| Annual billing savings | — | — |
| Pricing model | Per user | Per user |
| Cost for 1 user | $29/mo Time & Attendance plan, billed monthly | $6/moCheaper Contractor-only payroll plan, billed monthly |
| Cost for 5 users | $145/mo Time & Attendance plan, billed monthly | $30/moCheaper Contractor-only payroll plan, billed monthly |
| Cost for 10 users | $290/mo Time & Attendance plan, billed monthly | $60/moCheaper Contractor-only payroll plan, billed monthly |
| Cost for 25 users | $725/mo Time & Attendance plan, billed monthly | $150/moCheaper Contractor-only payroll plan, billed monthly |
| Plans | 4 | 2 |
| Prices checked | Checked Oct 13, 2026 | Checked Oct 13, 2026 |
| Price history | Tracking prices since Sep 8, 2026. No price change detected yet. | Tracking prices since Sep 8, 2026. No price change detected yet. |
- Cheapest plan that fits each team size. Per-user plans are multiplied by the number of users (respecting stated minimums and seat packs). Plans that include some users cost their base price plus the extra-user price for each user beyond those included. Flat-priced plans with no stated user limit are counted as one licence per user.
Cheaper for your team size
For 5 users (billed monthly), Square Payroll costs $30/mo vs Fingercheck at $145/mo.
- Square Payroll is cheaper at every team size we checked (1 to 25 users).
- For 1 user (billed monthly), Square Payroll costs $6/mo vs Fingercheck at $29/mo.
- For 10 users (billed monthly), Square Payroll costs $60/mo vs Fingercheck at $290/mo.
- For 25 users (billed monthly), Square Payroll costs $150/mo vs Fingercheck at $725/mo.
Computed from published list prices on the dates shown. Excludes taxes, add-ons and promotions.
More comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
Which handles hourly field workers better?
Fingercheck. It's built for hourly teams with GPS-verified clock-ins, buddy-punching prevention, and unlimited runs. Square Payroll shines when your timecards and tips already live in Square POS.
Do either offer free trials?
Neither advertises one. Fingercheck points you to demos and free tax calculators; Square Payroll lists no free trial. Both are month-to-month with no long-term contracts.