Deputy vs Square: Which Tool Wins for Australian Businesses in 2026?
Our Harvard-educated consultants have implemented both Deputy and Square for Australian businesses. Here is what 12+ of experience has taught us about choosing between them.
Feature Comparison
Side-by-side feature ratings for Deputy and Square.
| Feature | Deputy | Square | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invoicing | Square has a notable advantage in invoicing. | ||
| Expense tracking | When it comes to expense tracking, Deputy pulls clearly ahead of Square — a factor worth weighing if this capability is important to your team. | ||
| Bank reconciliation | For Hospitality & Tourism that rely on strong bank reconciliation, Square is the more capable option in our assessment. | ||
| Payroll | For Hospitality & Tourism that rely on strong payroll, Deputy is the more capable option in our assessment. | ||
| Tax reporting and BAS | Deputy significantly outperforms Square on tax reporting and bas, making it the stronger choice for businesses that prioritise this area. | ||
| Multi-currency support | Deputy significantly outperforms Square on multi-currency support, making it the stronger choice for businesses that prioritise this area. | ||
| Transaction fees | When it comes to transaction fees, Deputy pulls clearly ahead of Square — a factor worth weighing if this capability is important to your team. | ||
| Payment methods supported | Deputy has a notable advantage in payment methods supported. | ||
| Recurring billing | For recurring billing, both platforms deliver a similar experience — neither has a clear advantage. | ||
| International payments | For Hospitality & Tourism that rely on strong international payments, Deputy is the more capable option in our assessment. | ||
| Fraud protection | When it comes to fraud protection, Square pulls clearly ahead of Deputy — a factor worth weighing if this capability is important to your team. | ||
| Developer tools and API | Deputy has a notable advantage in developer tools and api. |
Invoicing
Deputy
Square
Square has a notable advantage in invoicing.
Expense tracking
Deputy
Square
When it comes to expense tracking, Deputy pulls clearly ahead of Square — a factor worth weighing if this capability is important to your team.
Bank reconciliation
Deputy
Square
For Hospitality & Tourism that rely on strong bank reconciliation, Square is the more capable option in our assessment.
Payroll
Deputy
Square
For Hospitality & Tourism that rely on strong payroll, Deputy is the more capable option in our assessment.
Tax reporting and BAS
Deputy
Square
Deputy significantly outperforms Square on tax reporting and bas, making it the stronger choice for businesses that prioritise this area.
Multi-currency support
Deputy
Square
Deputy significantly outperforms Square on multi-currency support, making it the stronger choice for businesses that prioritise this area.
Transaction fees
Deputy
Square
When it comes to transaction fees, Deputy pulls clearly ahead of Square — a factor worth weighing if this capability is important to your team.
Payment methods supported
Deputy
Square
Deputy has a notable advantage in payment methods supported.
Recurring billing
Deputy
Square
For recurring billing, both platforms deliver a similar experience — neither has a clear advantage.
International payments
Deputy
Square
For Hospitality & Tourism that rely on strong international payments, Deputy is the more capable option in our assessment.
Fraud protection
Deputy
Square
When it comes to fraud protection, Square pulls clearly ahead of Deputy — a factor worth weighing if this capability is important to your team.
Developer tools and API
Deputy
Square
Deputy has a notable advantage in developer tools and api.
Pricing Comparison
General pricing information for each platform.
Deputy
From ~$6/user/month
Pricing is indicative only and subject to change. We recommend contacting the vendor for a tailored quote based on your Australian business needs.
Square
Transaction-based; ~2.6% + 10c per transaction
Prices shown are approximate and may differ based on your plan, team size, and billing cycle. Verify directly with the vendor for current AUD rates.
Pros & Cons
An honest look at the strengths and limitations of each platform.
Deputy
Pros
- Regular platform updates and improvements
- Extensive integration ecosystem with 30+ connectors
- Australian tax compliance built in
- Streamlines BAS and financial reporting
- Solid feature set for its price point
Cons
- Add-on costs for advanced features
- Bank feed reliability varies by institution
- May not suit every workflow without customisation
- Support response times vary by plan tier
Square
Pros
- Regular platform updates and improvements
- Extensive integration ecosystem with 30+ connectors
- Popular across Retail & E-commerce, Hospitality & Tourism, Healthcare & Allied Health
- Cloud-based with reliable uptime
- Rich data model covering payments, orders, customers and more
Cons
- Transaction fees vary by volume
- Onboarding documentation could be more comprehensive
- Support response times vary by plan tier
- Complex data model may require expert configuration
Best For
Which tool suits which use case.
Choose Deputy if you need
- ✓ Teams needing extensive third-party integrations
- ✓ Real-time data sync across platforms
- ✓ Financial reporting
- ✓ Hospitality & Tourism businesses
- ✓ Moderate data needs (employees, shifts)
Choose Square if you need
- ✓ Recurring billing
- ✓ Teams needing extensive third-party integrations
- ✓ Transaction management
- ✓ Complex data models (payments, orders, customers and more)
- ✓ Real-time data sync across platforms
Expert Verdict
Our Harvard-educated consultants' take on this comparison.
Clever Ops Recommendation
Both Deputy and Square are popular in Hospitality & Tourism and Retail & E-commerce, so industry fit is not a differentiator here. The decision should come down to feature depth, pricing, and how each tool integrates with the rest of your stack. Clever Ops can walk you through a side-by-side evaluation tailored to your business.
Migration Notes
What to know about switching between Deputy and Square.
Migrating Between Deputy and Square
Migrating between Deputy and Square involves transferring employees, locations and mapping custom fields. Clever Ops follows a structured migration process: discovery, data mapping, test migration, verification, and cutover. We typically complete migrations within 4-8 weeks. Historical data is preserved, and we run parallel systems during the transition to minimise risk. Post-migration, we provide 3 months of support to ensure everything runs smoothly.
Deputy vs Square FAQ
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