Heard vs Square Payroll
Features, use cases, pros and cons, and pricing side by side — and which one to pick.
Quick verdict: Solo therapists wanting bookkeeping and taxes handled should pick Heard; Square POS businesses needing flexible, month-to-month payroll should pick Square Payroll.
Best for: Solo therapists (LLC or sole prop) who want bookkeeping and taxes off their plate, S corp owners and group practices that need payroll bundled in
Read the full Heard 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
Heard vs Square Payroll: features compared
Compare key features side by side
Feature Comparison Summary
Which should you choose?
Choose Heard if
- You're a solo therapist who wants bookkeeping, taxes, and payroll handled together.
- You want quarterly estimates and federal and state returns filed for you.
- You value same-day answers from experts who only serve therapists.
Choose Square Payroll if
- You already run your business on Square POS and the Square Dashboard.
- You pay W-2 staff or 1099 contractors across multiple states.
- You want month-to-month payroll with no annual commitment.
Heard vs Square Payroll: pros and cons
Heard
Heard pairs therapists with bookkeepers and tax pros who work only with private practices, bundling monthly bookkeeping, quarterly estimates, and full tax filing in one dashboard. Support is human and responsive, though annual plans are billed upfront and non-refundable. Overall, it's a strong fit for solo US practices that want taxes handled, provided you're comfortable committing a year.
Pros
- Specialist tax knowledge — Heard's team files returns only for mental health and wellness private practices, so therapy-specific deductions are tracked automatically instead of you hunting for them.
- Documented savings — providers using Heard save an average of 60 hours a year and $5,000 in taxes, per company figures.
- True all-in-one — monthly done-for-you bookkeeping, quarterly estimates, federal and state filing, banking, payroll, and S corp support run under a single login with plain-language reports.
Cons
- Narrow eligibility — only US-based, single-owner health and wellness practices (sole props, single-member LLCs, S corps) are supported — no C corps, multi-owner practices, or non-US businesses.
- Annual plans are billed upfront and non-refundable; Premium members can't downgrade, and Essential downgrades are only allowed if you haven't filed taxes with Heard yet.
- Extra costs stack up — a one-time catch-up bookkeeping fee of $99 per month in business this year applies at signup, Lite's annual tax filing is a $750 add-on, payroll runs $39/mo plus $6 per person via Gusto, and government and license filing fees are excluded.
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
Heard and Square Payroll in detail
Heard
Heard is a financial platform built for therapists and wellness practitioners in private practice. It combines bookkeeping, tax filing, business banking, payroll, and S corp support in one dashboard. A dedicated team reviews your books monthly, and experts answer questions with no per-question fees. It serves solo practices, LLCs, sole proprietors, S corps, and group practices—more than 5,000 therapists use it.
Standout features
- Monthly bookkeeping, done for you
- Taxes without the overwhelm
- S corp and payroll, made simple
- Real humans who know therapists
- One dashboard, plain-language reports
Use cases
- New practice, clean books from day one
- Tax season without the dread
- Group practice payroll, handled
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 | Heard | Square Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| From (cheapest paid plan) | $129/mo Lite | $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 | Flat price | Per user |
| Cost for 1 user | $129/mo Lite plan, billed monthly | $6/moCheaper Contractor-only payroll plan, billed monthly |
| Cost for 5 users | $129/mo Lite plan, billed monthly · price per account (user limit not stated) | $30/mo Contractor-only payroll plan, billed monthly |
| Cost for 10 users | $129/mo Lite plan, billed monthly · price per account (user limit not stated) | $60/mo Contractor-only payroll plan, billed monthly |
| Cost for 25 users | $129/mo Lite plan, billed monthly · price per account (user limit not stated) | $150/mo Contractor-only payroll plan, billed monthly |
| Plans | 3 | 2 |
| Prices checked | Checked Oct 13, 2026 | Checked Oct 13, 2026 |
| Price history | Tracking prices since Oct 1, 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 1 user (billed monthly), Square Payroll costs $6/mo vs Heard at $129/mo.
Computed from published list prices on the dates shown. Excludes taxes, add-ons and promotions.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Heard only for therapists?
Heard serves US-based, single-owner health and wellness practices—sole props, single-member LLCs, and S corps. It doesn't accept C corps, multi-owner practices, or non-US businesses. Side income like coaching or consulting is welcome.
Does Square Payroll file taxes for me?
Yes. Full-service payroll automates federal and state filings, including quarterly and annual forms, plus W-2s and 1099-NECs at no extra charge. Contractor-only payroll covers 1099-NEC preparation and filing.