Square Payroll vs Tellent
Square Payroll is a streamlined payroll service for businesses already using Square. Tellent is a modular HR platform unifying recruiting, core HR, and performance. The key difference is scope: one does payroll well, the other manages the entire employee lifecycle.
Excellent payroll for Square ecosystem users.
We found Square Payroll offers robust, full-service compliance that perfectly complements the existing Square ecosystem. Its straightforward, usage-based pricing structure minimizes complexity for small businesses managing both W-2 employees and 1099 contractors. Overall, this is a highly reliable and efficient payroll solution, especially for companies already integrated with Square’s Point of Sale and payment tools.
Pros
- Automated federal and state tax payments and filings are included.
- Seamless integration with existing Square POS simplifies time tracking and data import.
- Clear pricing structure includes a budget-friendly Contractor-only option ($6 per person).
- No long-term commitment required, offering flexible usage terms.
Cons
- The Full-service plan requires a $35 base fee, even for one employee.
- Mixed experiences regarding general customer support responsiveness were reported.
- Some users reported issues with account security, such as accounts being flagged for fraud.
Strong modular suite for growing teams.
We find Tellent offers a powerful, integrated platform for automating HR and recruitment. Its modular design is ideal for mid-sized companies scaling their operations. Overall, it's a solid choice for centralizing people data, though implementation requires planning.
Pros
- Unifies recruiting, HR, and performance management in one platform.
- Offers strong automation and AI features to reduce manual tasks.
- Provides a flexible, modular system that scales with company growth.
- Features a large partner ecosystem (500+ integrations) for connectivity.
Cons
- Pricing is not transparent publicly and requires contacting sales.
- The modular setup may involve a complex initial configuration.
- May not be cost-effective for very small businesses or solopreneurs.
- Advanced customization and deeper technical features can have a learning curve.
AboutSquare Payroll
Square Payroll is a dependable, full-service payroll solution designed to pay your employees and protect your business. It effectively helps ensure everyone is happy and productive.
It works well for various types of businesses. You can use it whether you run a retail store, a food and beverage spot, or a home repair service. The system operates right from your online Square Dashboard, making payroll faster and easier. You can even choose a specific contractor-only option if that fits your needs. ✅
AboutTellent
It's a People Decision Platform. Think of it as a single, connected suite for recruiting, core HR, and performance management. It's built for mid-sized and growing companies (they mention 7,000+ customers globally) that want to streamline operations. The system is modular, so you can start with what you need, like the ATS, and add an HRIS or performance tools later. 💡
Highlights
Feature Comparison
Features Overview
We highlight the main differences and pick a winner for each feature.
Core Purpose
Square Payroll handles payments and taxes. Tellent manages your entire workforce strategy.
Square Payroll is laser-focused on paying your team correctly and on time. It automates tax filings for federal and state levels. You can import timecards directly from your Square POS. Tellent is a 'People Decision Platform.' It combines an ATS for hiring, an HRIS for daily management, and tools for performance development. It's built for the full employee journey. The key trade-off is simplicity versus scope. Square Payroll excels at its specific job. Tellent offers a broader, more complex toolkit for HR operations. A retail store needing payroll is a perfect fit for Square Payroll. A tech company building an HR department from scratch would lean toward Tellent.
Payroll & Taxes
Square Payroll is a dedicated, full-service payroll solution. Tellent's payroll is one module within a larger HRIS.
Square Payroll's Full-service plan handles all tax calculations, payments, and filings automatically. It supports W-2 employees and 1099 contractors, with unlimited monthly pay runs. Tellent's platform includes payroll and expense management. It streamlines the process within its HRIS module, aiming to reduce errors through centralized data. For pure, standalone payroll, Square Payroll is the specialist. Tellent integrates payroll as part of a unified HR system. If payroll is your only need, Square Payroll is simpler and more cost-effective. If you need payroll as part of a larger HR overhaul, Tellent's integration is valuable.
Recruiting & ATS
Square Payroll has no recruiting tools. Tellent offers a powerful, customizable Applicant Tracking System.
Square Payroll does not include any recruiting or candidate management features. Its functionality begins after you've already hired someone. Tellent's core module is a flexible ATS. It lets you customize hiring workflows, automate candidate communication, and track applicants. It claims to save 64% of time on manual tasks. This is a clear win for Tellent. If hiring is a need, Square Payroll cannot help. For a startup making its first hires, Tellent's ATS provides structure. A business with a stable team might never need this feature.
Employee Data Management
Square Payroll stores payroll data. Tellent creates a single source for all people data.
Square Payroll maintains essential employee and contractor data for payroll purposes. This includes pay rates, tax info, and payment history. Tellent centralizes data across hiring, HR, and performance. It breaks down silos, giving a complete view from application to offboarding. The difference is depth. Square Payroll holds transactional payroll data. Tellent holds comprehensive people analytics. For making strategic HR decisions, Tellent's consolidated data is a major advantage over scattered payroll records.
Automation & AI
Square Payroll automates payroll tasks. Tellent automates broader HR workflows with AI assistance.
Square Payroll automates tax filings, payments, and direct deposits. It also supports auto payroll to run payments on schedule without manual intervention. Tellent uses AI and automation to handle things like personalized recruitment emails, translating job posts, and summarizing interview feedback. It targets repetitive HR admin. Square Payroll's automation is deep but narrow—focused entirely on payroll. Tellent's automation is broad, aiming to free up HR teams strategically. For a manager who dreads payroll, Square Payroll's automation is a lifesaver. For an HR director buried in admin, Tellent's AI features could be transformative.
Ease of Use
Square Payroll is praised for simplicity. Tellent offers power but may have a learning curve.
Square Payroll is consistently called 'incredibly user-friendly' and 'beginner friendly.' Its dashboard makes running payroll straightforward, especially for Square users. Tellent is described as 'intuitive' but also noted for having a 'learning curve with advanced features.' Its modular nature means setup requires some planning. The key difference is simplicity versus capability. Square Payroll is easy out of the box. Tellent is powerful but more complex. A non-technical owner can likely run Square Payroll themselves. Setting up and using Tellent effectively might require more dedicated HR time.
Pricing Model
Square Payroll has clear, public pricing. Tellent's cost is custom and scales with your team.
Square Payroll charges $35/month + $6 per person for its Full-service plan. The Contractor-only plan is $6 per person with no base fee. Prices are public. Tellent's pricing is based on employee count and which modules you select. It requires contacting sales for a quote. Annual plans offer a 20% discount. Square Payroll offers predictable costs. Tellent's pricing is opaque but potentially flexible for larger teams. For a small business on a tight budget, Square Payroll's transparency is reassuring. For a growing company, Tellent's modular pricing might scale logically with headcount.
Square Payroll costs between $6 and usage-based pricing per month with two plans: Full-service payroll starting at $35 plus $6/person/mo, and Contractor-only payroll at $6/person/mo.
This simple pricing structure makes it easy to understand your monthly commitment. You pay a set base fee for the Full-service option, then just $6 for every employee or contractor you pay across both plans.
Full-service payroll
Price: $35/mo + $6 monthly fee per person paid Websites Supported: Not explicitly stated Best For: Businesses with W-2 employees needing full tax automation and compliance features. Refund Policy: Not explicitly stated Other Features:
- Automated federal and state tax payments and filings
- Unlimited pay runs and off-cycle payments
- Auto payroll capability
- Labor-cost reporting and overtime calculations
- Handle multistate payroll and multiple pay rates
- Automated federal and state tax payments and filings
- Unlimited pay runs and off-cycle payments
- Auto payroll
- Multistate payroll support
- Labor-cost reporting and Overtime calculations
- Automated payroll tax calculations
- Digital delivery of 1099s
- Unlimited pay runs
- Instant Deposit via Cash App
- Split direct deposits to multiple bank accounts
Tellent pricing: Tellent offers modular pricing with specific tiers for recruitment and HR management. Subscription costs increase based on your company's employee count with 20% savings available on annual plans. Plans range: 1–360/month Billing options: Free plan, Free trial, Monthly subscription, Yearly subscription, One-time payment, Usage-based pricing
Pricing Notes
- Square Payroll's pricing is transparent and public, making budgeting easy.
- Tellent requires contacting sales for a custom quote, adding a step to evaluation.
- Tellent offers an 18-day free trial; Square Payroll does not offer a trial.
- Square Payroll charges per person paid; Tellent's cost scales with total company size.
- Tellent modules may incur extra costs for add-ons like SSO or onboarding journeys.
Pricing Head-to-Head
User Reviews
Square users generally report a great experience, often praising the platform’s simplicity and user-friendliness for managing daily operations. Reviewers frequently highlight the ease of accepting various payment methods, efficient invoicing, and reliably fast money processing.
Many small business owners appreciate that Square is designed to minimize administrative stress. Customer support receives mixed, yet often positive, feedback; many reviewers mention quick resolution and helpful staff.
The app is incredibly user-friendly, and I love how simple it is to set up and manage. Square truly made running my business much smoother, allowing me to focus on growth.
From external reviews, Tellent receives praise for its intuitive interface and strong customer support, which helps teams onboard smoothly. Users often highlight the ease of use and the platform's ability to streamline recruitment and HR tasks.
However, some feedback points to occasional bugs and a learning curve with advanced features. Pricing can feel steep for smaller teams, and a few reviewers mention delays in support responsiveness during peak times.
The platform is really intuitive. It streamlined our hiring process and saved our team hours each week. Support has been helpful whenever we had questions.
Our Verdict
For most small businesses needing payroll, Square Payroll is the clear winner. It's simple, affordable, and perfect if you're already in the Square ecosystem. Square Payroll's superpower is focused execution. It automates all tax filings and lets you import data directly from your Square POS. Unlimited pay runs with no long-term contract give you great flexibility. Tellent's superpower is its unified scope. It connects recruiting, core HR, and performance management in one platform. Its AI features aim to save 64% of time on repetitive tasks. The deciding factor is your primary need. Choose Square Payroll if your main goal is to pay employees and handle taxes with minimal fuss. Choose Tellent if you're building an HR function from the ground up and need tools for hiring, onboarding, and developing your team. Square Payroll does one thing brilliantly; Tellent does many things in one connected system.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better for small teams: Square Payroll or Tellent?
Square Payroll is generally better for very small teams, especially those using Square POS. Its pricing is transparent and starts at just $6 per contractor. Tellent is designed for growing mid-sized companies and may be more complex and costly for a tiny team.
Does Square Payroll have recruiting features like Tellent?
No, Square Payroll does not have recruiting or ATS capabilities. It is purely a payroll and tax filing service. Tellent includes a full Applicant Tracking System as a core module for managing the hiring process.
Is Tellent worth the extra cost over Square Payroll?
It depends entirely on your needs. If you only need payroll, Tellent is likely not worth the cost. If you need to unify recruiting, HR, and performance management, Tellent's integrated suite could provide significant value and automation.
Can I migrate from Square Payroll to Tellent easily?
Migration would involve moving from a payroll-focused tool to a broader HR platform. Tellent offers onboarding support and a partner network to help. You would need to set up new modules for recruiting and HR management.
Which tool is easier to set up and use?
Square Payroll is generally easier to set up and use, especially for businesses already familiar with Square. Tellent is powerful but its modular nature requires more planning and configuration, which can have a learning curve.
Do these tools offer free trials?
Tellent offers a free 18-day trial of its core modules. Square Payroll does not offer a free trial, though its pricing is straightforward and requires no long-term commitment.
Ready to Choose?
Both tools have their strengths. Choose based on your specific needs.