Paylocity vs Square Payroll
Which one do AI engines recommend, and how do they differ on price, fit and features?
The short answer
Square Payroll is the stronger AI pick in Payroll: it has a visibility score of 6.8 versus 4.8 for Paylocity, and ranks ahead in 100% of the answers that name both.
Choose Paylocity if…
- You need ISO 27001:2022 or SOC 1 coverage
- Modern user experience
- Strong analytics
- High workforce management automation
Choose Square Payroll if…
- You want the brand AI engines rank higher (6.8 vs 4.8)
- AI answers describe it more positively (36% vs 27% positive)
- You need ISO 27001 coverage
- Works well alongside Square payments and time tracking
AI visibility side by side
Latest weekly run · Nov 3
| Metric | Paylocity | Square Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility score | 4.8% | 6.8% |
| Change vs last week | New | New |
| Rank in Payroll | #19 | #15 |
| Share of voice | 1.9% | 2.2% |
| Mentions this run | 9 | 11 |
| Positive in AI answers | 27% | 36% |
The stronger value in each row is marked with a ✓.
Visibility score trend
Weekly runs over the last 60 days
Paylocity 0pp · Square Payroll 0pp over 0 weekly runs.
Engine by engine
Square Payroll leads on 2 of 3 engines
Head to head in AI answers
2 engine answers name both brands
| Prompt | Engine | Paylocity | Square Payroll |
|---|---|---|---|
| What are the best payroll tools in 2026? | Perplexity | #10 | #6 |
| Compare the leading payroll platforms | Perplexity | #10 | #7 |
Features, pricing & fit
| Dimension | Paylocity | Square Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment | Web and mobile app | Cloud-based |
| Compliance | ISO 27001:2022, SOC 1, SOC 2 Type II | SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 |
| Support | 24/7 access through self-service portal, Expert benefit support assistance, Phone support at 1-800-520-2687 | — |
| Founded | 1997 | 2015 |
| Headquarters | Schaumburg, Illinois | Oakland, California |
| Employees | 5,000+ | — |
| Funding | Follow-on offering · $110M raised | Other Equity |
| Best for | Mid-sized employers, roughly 50 to 500 employees, that want payroll, HR, finance and IT in one system | Small businesses in the United States |
Pros and cons
Themes from the AI answers that mention each brand
Paylocity
- Modern user experience
- Strong analytics
- High workforce management automation
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, “Paylocity vs Square Payroll”, https://slateindex.ai/compare/paylocity-vs-square-payroll, data of Nov 3, 2026. Licence: CC BY 4.0.