Payroll software best

None of our top software picks have changed their features recently, and we're confident to stand by our star ratings and rankings. Additionally, we want to remind our readers that Square Payroll is still running a three-months-off promotion for Business.

We recently reviewed all of our top picks' plan and pricing information to ensure our data was still accurate. Additionally, we added Rippling to our line-up. Finally, Square Payroll is still running a three-months-off promotion for Business. The bottom line: In our opinion, the best payroll software for many small businesses is Gusto.

With comprehensive payroll features, automated payroll tax administration, and scalable plans, Gusto works nicely for small and midsize businesses in many industries. We recommend taking these four steps to start:. If you want more guidance, check out our in-depth article on how to find the right payroll management solution. And if you want to learn more about payroll processes generally before signing up for a provider, our Ultimate Payroll Guide can get you started.

The heartily named Gusto is our favorite payroll software for small businesses. Its beautifully designed, full-service payroll system includes plenty of payroll and HR features, including these:.

Even better, Gusto includes these features for free when many payroll providers charge extra. In contrast, ADP , which outsources its insurance integrations, charges an extra fee on top of the premium.

Ditto Paychex , which does have an in-house insurance team but still charges extra for insurance add-ons. ADP also charges extra for end-of-year tax-form filings. Do you hire contractors on an individual basis instead of working with a full-time team of employees? Unfortunately, while Gusto used to have a personable and responsive customer service team, it's since outsourced its customer service to a third party with a long, tedious phone tree complete with frequently dropped or unanswered calls.

And since most customers who leave online reviews have had the most extreme experience whether it was fantastic or terrible , user reviews aren't an objective evaluation of a brand's overall performance. Still, we did lower Gusto's star rating to account for its lowering user reviews. If you need to know customer service is always there for you if you run into payroll trouble, we recommend OnPay, SurePayroll, or Patriot Software instead.

Does your business need thorough HR assistance without full-on HR outsourcing? Paychex Flex combines cloud-based payroll management and human resources software for small and midsize businesses that want thorough, affordable HR management.

All Paychex payroll programs include new-hire state reporting, payroll tax filing, and an employee financial wellness program. And with three customizable packages, Paychex is one of the most scalable payroll options on our list. If you frequently run payroll on the go, Paychex might be the best small-business payroll software for you. Only a few payroll providers offer employer-facing mobile payroll apps.

Unlike Gusto, OnPay, and QuickBooks Payroll , Paychex may charge additional fees for payroll tax administration, time and attendance software integration, accounting software integration, and workers comp and employee benefits administration. With all the extra fees, Paychex is better suited to midsize businesses that care more about built-in scalability than cost. OnPay's payroll software offers more value for its price than any other software provider on our list. Yes, its base price and per-payee fee are notably low—though not as low as Patriot's or SurePayroll's.

However, OnPay is much more comprehensive than either of those two options, especially in terms of HR:. Thanks to OnPay's in-house team of insurance brokers, you pay just the premium with no integration fees. And just like Gusto , OnPay can help you find unique employee perks like education savings plans, commuter benefits, and even fertility benefits—a rarity among payroll providers.

Other notable OnPay benefits? OnPay tailors its payroll services to certain industries farming and nonprofits, among others at no additional cost. And if you recently hired your first employee and are still a little unclear on the payroll process, OnPay is a fantastic fit. Its interface is extremely intuitive, and its experts set up your software for free before talking you through your first payroll run. It also goes heavy on the HR help.

Even the cheapest plan, Core Payroll, includes HR perks like employee onboarding, health care compliance forms, and a regular HR checkup. So how much does ADP payroll cost? QuickBooks Online, known best for its high-quality accounting software , also offers three full-service payroll plans. But its best feature might be its ease of use.

With unlimited payroll runs and automatic tax filing, Gusto helps small-business owners worry less about payroll and put more time into growing their business. We gave you our top recommendations above, but the payroll software market is a crowded one. Here are more small-business payroll solutions worth considering. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. If your business is based in the US and you want to pay employees in Canada and Indonesia, Rippling should be one of your top picks.

Because Rippling the only payroll solution on our list that offers international payroll processing. Rippling's national and international payroll processing includes direct deposit and payroll tax administration.

You can also use Rippling to track PTO, have employees clock in and out, and generate customized reports that break down expenses by time worked. You can use Rippling payroll on its own, but to get the most out of Rippling, you'll want its comprehensive employee management platform. Price-wise, it's fairly comparable to Gusto: the cheapest Rippling plan has a slightly lower base fee and a slightly higher pre-user fee than Gusto.

But for that price, you get thorough benefits management, time and attendance tracking, and app consolidation for employees. SurePayroll is cheap, but it has a few additional costs. Do you only employ freelancers and other contractors?

However, Square Payroll has some of the same drawbacks as other single-plan payroll providers. A payroll provider with scalable plans, thorough employee benefits, and HR add-ons could work better. So if Wave Payroll is so basic, why do we recommend it? Unless you can afford to pay an in-house bookkeeper, we recommend most small businesses use software for payroll so they can pay employees and calculate tax deductions.

Still wondering which of our top payroll software options is right for you? For ease of use, affordability, and useful benefits for business owners with one or more employees, we recommend OnPay. And if you want affordable payroll that syncs with popular accounting software, we recommend QuickBooks Payroll. Looking for great accounting software to complement your new small-business payroll application? Sources 1. In our opinion, Gusto offers the best small-business payroll features for your buck.

Gusto also has more versatile employee benefits than most payroll providers, and its online payroll service is popular enough to sync with most accounting software options. If you want thorough human resource management, you might want to try a provider like Paychex or ADP.

Before you commit to a payroll plan, thoroughly assess your own needs and make sure they mesh with your preferred plan. Still not sure which payroll platform to pick? Get more in-depth guidance by reading our article on how to find payroll software that meets your needs. Yes, but free payroll options are pretty limited. In our opinion, the best free payroll software is Payroll4Free , which lets you run payroll for up to 25 employees. There are also a handful of other trustworthy choices out there.

Paying your employees the right amount—and withholding the right amount in payroll taxes and other wage deductions—is a big, complicated issue.

Paid payroll software companies are often more secure, effective, and trustworthy than free payroll management systems. Yes, you can use an Excel template for basic payroll calculations. However, we recommend using spreadsheet software in combination with a payroll calculator and only if you have 15 or fewer employees. You should also be super confident in your document organization skills. If you can afford it, we recommend using cheap self-service plans from payroll providers like Wave , SurePayroll , or Patriot Software.

All three options give you a solid organizational system, accurate tax calculations, and accounting software integration to make bank reconciliation super easy. But most of the programs on our payroll software list should work just as well for accountants and other payroll professionals who work with small businesses as they do for small-business owners themselves.

Our advice? We search our database. Partners will contact you. Only the suppliers who match your requirements will reach out to you.

North America. Jump to: Best payroll software Best payroll software: how did we choose? Also consider Save time and money by getting a tailored payroll software quote. The best payroll software makes it easy to manage paying wages and associated benefits and taxes due.

Oasis - flexible packages to suit all businesses. View Deal. Reasons to avoid - Less suited to big firms - Efficiency could be better. Gusto - the complete payroll solution. Sage Business Cloud Payroll. Reasons to avoid - Not suitable for big firms - Steep learning curve. Sage Business Cloud Payroll - feature packed solution. Reasons to avoid - Quite a lot to learn - Costs add up - Almost too much choice. QuickBooks - great deals on one of the best payroll bundles.

Patriot Payroll. Reasons to avoid - Pay type limitations - Additional features incur cost - Could run slightly better. Patriot Payroll - affordable options for businesses. Reasons to avoid - Not available as standalone product - Pricing vague. Bamboo HR - fuss free payroll and more. Reasons to avoid - Niche appeal - Some complex areas. Hourly - quick and easy payroll. Reasons to avoid - A work in progress - Some limitations - Tax shortcomings. Workful - One price payroll deals.

Uzio HR and Payroll. Reasons to avoid - No obvious pricing - Useability a bit clunky. Uzio - Transparent pricing and no hidden fees. Zenefits HR and payroll. Reasons to avoid - Support a mixed bag - Additional costs add up - Limitations on app edition. Zenefits - Plans to suit all budgets. Square Payroll - basic but practical.

SurePayroll - Great all rounder. Rippling - employee management and more. OnPay - power packed payroll and HR. Free payroll quotes for small and large businesses 1. Simply tell us your needs 2. Receive free quotes 3. How it's free: Integrates with paid Excel software. Limited PTO or vacation time tracking. Download ExcelPayroll Templates. More spreadsheet-based payroll options. Delivering Business Advice Directly to You. Sign Up. Honorable mention.

Comparing other top free payroll software and services. Brand name. Best calculator-only runner-up. How it's free: Paid options. Try Paycheck Manager's Calculator. Additional payroll calculator options. Low-cost alternatives. Patriot Software: Most affordable self-service payroll. Most affordable self-service payroll. See Patriot's Plans. Read Our Patriot Review. Square Payroll: Best for paying contractors only. Best for contractor-only payroll.

End-of-year forms. Direct deposit, paycheck printing, and Cash App payments. No additional fee for multistate payroll full-service plan only. See Square Payroll's Plans. Read Our Square Payroll Review. Tired of payroll? Gusto handles payroll taxes and more. Get automatic payroll tax filing, including end-of-year tax forms Manage workers compensation insurance Track paid time off, sick leave, and holiday pay.

Get Started. The takeaway. Related reading. Free payroll software FAQ. What is the best free payroll software? What is the easiest payroll software to use? Best Small Business Payroll Software. View Plans. Learn more about our top brands. How can I do payroll without software?

Our methodology. To choose the best free payroll software providers, we looked at a few key categories, weighted equally: Pricing , including if the software was truly free, how and why it was free, and whether it offered paid plan options Payroll features , including tax calculation, direct deposit, employee self-service, free check stubs, and end-of-year tax forms Customer service , including phone support, email support, and online guides Trustworthiness , including online security, customer guarantees, transparency, data storage, and data encryption.

Disclaimer At Business. Written by. Kylie McQuarrie has been writing for and about small businesses since Prior to writing full-time, she worked with a variety of small-business owners from freelance writers to real-estate solopreneurs , which gave her a front-row look at small-business owners' struggles, frustrations, and successes. Read More. Recent Articles. We looked at 15 of the top payroll processing companies and evaluated them based on We reviewed dozens of top payroll software solutions to bring you the ten best.

We looked at 15 of the most popular nanny payroll services in the US, then We looked at 20 of our top payroll brands, then assessed them by price, plans, Contact Us.

About Us. Partner with Us. Find Solutions. Don't miss an update. Stay updated on the latest products and services anytime anywhere. Offers standard features, such as handling k deductions and calculating wage garnishments, and some less common ones, including the ability to pay contractors and cancel payrolls. This comprehensive software includes features like W-2 and preparation, plus contractor payments.

Patriot also offers free setup and U. Paychex offers several payroll plans to suit different business needs and includes most standard features, plus some uncommon ones, such as new hire reporting and custom analytics. The software is user-friendly and offers an array of functions but lacks multiple pay rates and garnishments. UKG Pro offers nice-to-have features like payroll reminders and new hire reporting but lacks W-2 and preparation. This is a competitively priced solution that is packed with great features.

However, while this is a Canada-specific payroll service, U. This is a secure solution with the option to cancel payrolls easily. However, this software is designed to be used by businesses in Canada. BambooHR's payroll software includes most standard payroll features and makes it easy to manage data and run payroll. However, the software is only suitable for paying U. Payroll Mate's payroll software is an affordable solution with essential features, such as payroll tax calculations, user-defined payroll deductions and income types, and automatic tax form generation.

However, it is not a hosted or online software and lacks an employee database. While BrightPay offers a good range of features, including a report builder, remote access, and automatic enrolment, it lacks W-2 and preparation as it caters to U. CheckMark offers a simple but user-friendly solution for companies that don't require a wealth of advanced features.

APS Payroll offers common functionalities plus unlimited payrolls and powerful payroll analytics but lacks expense integration. Justworks' payroll software supports multiple pay rates, W-2 and filings, and generates payroll reports but lacks built-in timesheets. This fast and intuitive software offers a good selection of features, including new hire reporting and workers' compensation, and integrates with other ADP products.

Viventium is a mid-weight option that includes overtime tracking and digital signatures. However, ACA compliance management and time and attendance features are only available as add-ons.

This simple but fairly comprehensive option offers intelligent automation, built-in reporting and analytics, and continuous payroll processing.

However, they don't offer email support. While the software works well for small businesses and provides all essential features needed for payroll processing, it lacks specialized capabilities. Symmetry's offering comprises common payroll processing features plus some nice-to-have features, such as off-cycle payroll processing, but they don't offer phone support. While IRIS offers a generous selection of plans, it doesn't support multi-state payroll processing as it's designed for U.

While catering to the U. Paycor's payroll software is suitable for small and medium-sized businesses. It supports most basic payroll activities and some advanced ones but lacks leave tracking capabilities.

The software is designed for managing Canadian payroll and contractor payments. It features all standard functionalities but does not integrate with time-tracking or accounting software. WebPay is secure and offers essential features to help businesses simplify payroll and stay tax compliant.

While Aruti includes many common features, making it effortless to manage employee earnings and education, and maintain compliance, the software doesn't support direct deposits or automated payments. Suitable for small business accounting, AccountEdge Pro provides many standard functionalities, plus chat support, but lacks time-tracking and mobile integrations.