Employment Hero vs Square: Side-by-Side Feature & Pricing Comparison
Thinking of switching from Employment Hero to Square (or vice versa)? This comparison covers features, costs, and migration considerations to help mid-market Australian businesses make an informed decision.
Feature Comparison
Side-by-side feature ratings for Employment Hero and Square.
| Feature | Employment Hero | Square | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invoicing | Square has a notable advantage in invoicing. | ||
| Expense tracking | When it comes to expense tracking, Employment Hero pulls clearly ahead of Square — a factor worth weighing if this capability is important to your team. | ||
| Bank reconciliation | For Retail & E-commerce that rely on strong bank reconciliation, Square is the more capable option in our assessment. | ||
| Payroll | For Retail & E-commerce that rely on strong payroll, Employment Hero is the more capable option in our assessment. | ||
| Tax reporting and BAS | For tax reporting and bas, both platforms deliver a similar experience — neither has a clear advantage. | ||
| Multi-currency support | Employment Hero significantly outperforms Square on multi-currency support, making it the stronger choice for businesses that prioritise this area. | ||
| Transaction fees | For Retail & E-commerce that rely on strong transaction fees, Employment Hero is the more capable option in our assessment. | ||
| Payment methods supported | Both Employment Hero and Square offer comparable payment methods supported capabilities. | ||
| Recurring billing | Employment Hero significantly outperforms Square on recurring billing, making it the stronger choice for businesses that prioritise this area. | ||
| International payments | For Retail & E-commerce that rely on strong international payments, Employment Hero is the more capable option in our assessment. | ||
| Fraud protection | When it comes to fraud protection, Square pulls clearly ahead of Employment Hero — a factor worth weighing if this capability is important to your team. | ||
| Developer tools and API | Both Employment Hero and Square offer comparable developer tools and api capabilities. |
Invoicing
Employment Hero
Square
Square has a notable advantage in invoicing.
Expense tracking
Employment Hero
Square
When it comes to expense tracking, Employment Hero pulls clearly ahead of Square — a factor worth weighing if this capability is important to your team.
Bank reconciliation
Employment Hero
Square
For Retail & E-commerce that rely on strong bank reconciliation, Square is the more capable option in our assessment.
Payroll
Employment Hero
Square
For Retail & E-commerce that rely on strong payroll, Employment Hero is the more capable option in our assessment.
Tax reporting and BAS
Employment Hero
Square
For tax reporting and bas, both platforms deliver a similar experience — neither has a clear advantage.
Multi-currency support
Employment Hero
Square
Employment Hero significantly outperforms Square on multi-currency support, making it the stronger choice for businesses that prioritise this area.
Transaction fees
Employment Hero
Square
For Retail & E-commerce that rely on strong transaction fees, Employment Hero is the more capable option in our assessment.
Payment methods supported
Employment Hero
Square
Both Employment Hero and Square offer comparable payment methods supported capabilities.
Recurring billing
Employment Hero
Square
Employment Hero significantly outperforms Square on recurring billing, making it the stronger choice for businesses that prioritise this area.
International payments
Employment Hero
Square
For Retail & E-commerce that rely on strong international payments, Employment Hero is the more capable option in our assessment.
Fraud protection
Employment Hero
Square
When it comes to fraud protection, Square pulls clearly ahead of Employment Hero — a factor worth weighing if this capability is important to your team.
Developer tools and API
Employment Hero
Square
Both Employment Hero and Square offer comparable developer tools and api capabilities.
Pricing Comparison
General pricing information for each platform.
Employment Hero
Free tier available; paid from ~$8/employee/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.
Employment Hero
Pros
- Extensive integration ecosystem with 30+ connectors
- Rich data model covering employees, payroll, leave and more
- Solid feature set for its price point
- Regular platform updates and improvements
- Cloud-based with reliable uptime
Cons
- Bank feed reliability varies by institution
- May not suit every workflow without customisation
- Complex data model may require expert configuration
- 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 Employment Hero if you need
- ✓ Retail & E-commerce businesses
- ✓ Teams needing extensive third-party integrations
- ✓ Complex data models (employees, payroll, leave and more)
- ✓ Hospitality & Tourism organisations
- ✓ Tax compliance
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
Employment Hero and Square serve different purposes — Employment Hero focuses on accounting & finance, while Square excels in payments. Many mid-market Australian businesses use both platforms together. Clever Ops can help you decide whether you need one or both, and build integrations between them so data flows automatically. Our Harvard-educated consultants have helped 50+ businesses optimise their tech stacks.
Migration Notes
What to know about switching between Employment Hero and Square.
Migrating Between Employment Hero and Square
Clever Ops takes a low-risk approach to migrating between Employment Hero and Square. We run both systems in parallel during the transition, transferring employees in stages and verifying data at each step. Your team continues working in the existing system until the new one is fully validated. The process typically takes 4-8 weeks, followed by 3 months of hands-on support.
Employment Hero vs Square FAQ
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