OnPay vs Square Payroll
Which one do AI engines recommend, and how do they differ on price, fit and features?
The short answer
OnPay is the stronger AI pick in Payroll: it has a visibility score of 22.2 versus 6.8 for Square Payroll, and ranks ahead in 78% of the answers that name both.
Choose OnPay if…
- You want the brand AI engines rank higher (22.2 vs 6.8)
- AI answers describe it more positively (54% vs 36% positive)
- Transparent flat-fee pricing
- Free trial with full access
Choose Square Payroll if…
- You need SOC 2 Type II or ISO 27001 coverage
- Works well alongside Square payments and time tracking
- Handles payroll taxes automatically
AI visibility side by side
Latest weekly run · Nov 3
| Metric | OnPay | Square Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility score | 22.2% | 6.8% |
| Change vs last week | New | New |
| Rank in Payroll | #5 | #15 |
| Share of voice | 5.9% | 2.2% |
| Mentions this run | 27 | 11 |
| Positive in AI answers | 54% | 36% |
The stronger value in each row is marked with a ✓.
Visibility score trend
Weekly runs over the last 60 days
OnPay 0pp · Square Payroll 0pp over 0 weekly runs.
Engine by engine
OnPay leads on 3 of 3 engines
Head to head in AI answers
9 engine answers name both brands
| Prompt | Engine | OnPay | Square Payroll |
|---|---|---|---|
| What are the best payroll tools in 2026? | Perplexity | #5 | #6 |
| Compare the leading payroll platforms | Perplexity | #2 | #7 |
| Alternatives to the most popular payroll platform | ChatGPT | #5 | #8 |
| Alternatives to the most popular payroll platform | Perplexity | #4 | #3 |
| Most affordable payroll platform that is still reliable | ChatGPT | #4 | #2 |
| How much does a payroll platform cost per month? | ChatGPT | #2 | #3 |
| Which payroll platform has transparent pricing? | ChatGPT | #1 | #4 |
| Where can I sign up for a payroll platform? | ChatGPT | #6 | #7 |
| Where can I sign up for a payroll platform? | Perplexity | #3 | #4 |
Features, pricing & fit
| Dimension | OnPay | Square Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per seat | — |
| Entry price | $15 per seat / mo | — |
| Free plan | No | — |
| Onboarding fee | Included | — |
| Deployment | Cloud-based | Cloud-based |
| Compliance | — | SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 |
| Support | Phone, Chat, Email, Live HR support | — |
| Founded | — | 2015 |
| Headquarters | Atlanta, GA, USA | Oakland, California |
| Employees | 51–200 | — |
| Funding | Series B | Other Equity |
| Best for | Small businesses, and accounting firms that run payroll for their clients | Small businesses in the United States |
Plans side by side
OnPay
Square Payroll
Pricing not available.
Pros and cons
Themes from the AI answers that mention each brand
OnPay
- Transparent flat-fee pricing
- Free trial with full access
- Unlimited pay runs
- Simple, easy starting point for small businesses
- Good value and budget-friendly
Square Payroll
- Works well alongside Square payments and time tracking
- Handles payroll taxes automatically
Data collected ·ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Mode·coverage 100%·next run
Cite as: SlateIndex, “OnPay vs Square Payroll”, https://slateindex.ai/compare/onpay-vs-square-payroll, data of Nov 3, 2026. Licence: CC BY 4.0.